Play Book Tag discussion

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline - 4 stars

In the year 2044, the earth has been devastated by climate change, fossil fuels are prohibitively expensive, and unemployment is rampant. People are seeking an escape from their brutal existence by withdrawing into an online universe of virtual reality, accessible to anyone, known as OASIS. James Halliday, the creator of OASIS, has encoded a game into OASIS, which involves solving riddles, discovering keys, and passing challenges. When Halliday dies without heirs, he leaves a video explaining that he will award his entire fortune to the winner of the game. Our protagonist, Parzival, online gamer tag for 18-year-old Wade Watts, is competing in this contest. To win, he must learn Halliday’s favorite games, music, visual media and pop culture references of the 1980’s, the era Halliday enjoyed as a teen. The dramatic tension is created by setting individual competitors, some of which have formed clans, against a mega-corporation, the villain of the story, whose executive wants to win the game and control OASIS for financial gain. It is an almost irresistible classic “David vs. Goliath” conflict.

Brilliant in conception and cleverly executed, Cline has captured much of what draws people into online gaming and has taken it to an even more sophisticated extreme. He has embedded 1980’s nostalgia into the plot, along with the history of all forms of science fiction, personal computers, stand-alone video games, and massive multiplayer online role-playing games. The author explores the idea that online personas can be used as a vehicle for an individual to gain credibility and self-esteem. By interacting with others and developing friendships in the virtual world, they get to know each other mentally, and physical appearance becomes less important. The author also covers the flipside in terms of allowing a person to live in a world that doesn’t exist, with the attendant lack of genuine human interactions.

Downsides are few. I would have liked to learn more about the real world the author has envisioned but I think he may have intended it more as entertainment than social commentary. I also noticed a few minor internal inconsistencies.

I found this action-packed book highly engaging, creative, nostalgic, and an overall fun reading experience. I enjoyed trying to spot the embedded sci-fi acknowledgements and references. Recommended to anyone that enjoys science fiction or action-adventure stories and has at least a passing familiarity with gaming terminology.

My Review

I don't know anyone who didn't think this was fun! It may not be a high form of literature, but it's pure entertainment and sometimes that's more than enough.

Agreed, annapi!

Great summary of what I loved about this book!

My eighth grader is reading it now, and he is actually loving it! Taping the movie on my DVR this weekend. Maybe if the oldest tries to read it again, I let them watch the movie and see what they think. Hopefully I’ll get my eighth grader to write a review when he’s done.

Thanks, KateNZ!

Amy, isn't it wonderful when young readers find something they can relate to? My son would have loved this book in 8th grade (and probably would now but is too busy in college these days to read it!) I have not seen the movie, but want to.

Since I have a millennial son, I am very familiar with online gaming, and actually still participate in an MMORPG I found when playing computer games with my son! I think it helped me appreciate this book even more than I would have otherwise.

Great review!! I loved the nostalgia I felt while reading this book. Definitely one of my favorite fun books from last year.

Thank you, Charlotte. Glad to hear you enjoyed it, too!

Great review! I have heard some great things about this book.

Thanks, Rachel, it was very entertaining.