Ready Player One....I Was DEFINITELY Ready!

Ready Player One, written by Ernest Cline and released back in 2011, is a book that totally eluded my radar until I started seeing ads for the movie adaptation. The commercials for the movie made it seem like a movie that was going to be insane and full of references to many, MANY things I loved in the 80s. I knew then and there I had to read the book. That was accomplished when I got the book for Jólabókaflóðið in 2017. If you don't know what Jólabókaflóðið is, you probably aren't from Iceland. Look it up. LOL.

Ready Player One was nominated as one of america's best loved novels by PBS for The Great American Read, and it was a well-deserved nomination. The novel is set in a very dystopian future of the year 2044. Overpopulation, economic woes, environmental disasters caused by climate change, and political apathy have led to a world with stark divisions between those who "have" and those who "have not". Many people have withdrawn from this sad world into the OASIS, a virtual reality world and game. School even takes place in the OASIS. Our protagonist, as you might guess, is NOT one of the rich elite in this world. He lives in a poor neighborhood in Oklahoma City in a pile (literally mobile homes stacked on top of one another) and dreams of escaping someday. His opportunity comes when the inventor of OASIS, James Halliday, passes away. In a posthumous message, Halliday announces that his company, and OASIS, will be bequeathed to whomever can solve a series of puzzles to get three keys and finds an Easter Egg Halliday has hidden. The book takes place five years after Halliday's death, and OASIS is filled with factions of hunters of the keys. Inevitably, Wade finds the first key, and adventures follow. As Wade continues his quest for the key, he makes new friends and enemies, including GSS, the company that owns OASIS and wants to keep it. Adventure, betrayal, espionage, and even murder follow Wyatt at every turn.

Before I go any further, I have to say that this is NOT a "deep" read. Despite the world surrounding Wyatt, there is no moral message about what is happening in the world now that could lead to the world of Ready Player One. It is pure fun. Halliday's character in the novel is a kid who grew up in the 70s and 80s. The book is FULL of references to the pop culture of those decades with references to text games like Zork, video games like Pac Man, movies like Blade Runner, music like 2112 by Rush, and even the Japanese TV version of Spider-man, Supaidaman. For those who grew up in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, this book will bring back fond memories on just about every page. For those born after those decades, you will find references to things you may never have heard of, but will be fun discovering. 

I have not seen the movie, but I know it doesn't follow the book in a lot of respects. Still, I have heard good things about the film. I still say everyone who has a love of geeky culture, especially from 30-40 years ago, should read this book. If you've seen the movie only, you should read the book just to see the differences. The book is about a treasure hunt, but becomes its own treasure hunt for the reader as well. A big thumbs up here!