The dystopian future of 2041 teeters on the edge of chaos and collapse due to catastrophic climate change, widespread famine, energy crises, poverty, and war. But amidst the turmoil, there is a glimmer of hope—the OASIS. Created by the eccentric James Halliday, the OASIS is a vast virtual reality world.
Upon Halliday’s death, his will, a short video titled “Anorak’s Invitation,” is distributed to all OASIS users. With no heir, Halliday created a contest to decide who shall receive his fortune and control over the world he left behind.
In “Anorak’s Invitation,” Halliday appears as his OASIS avatar and explains the story behind the video game Easter egg only to reveal that he has hidden his own Easter egg somewhere in the OASIS, and that the lucky person who finds his eggs will win his prize. To find the egg and claim the prize, one must first find three keys that open three gates, all of which are scattered throughout the OASIS. Upon opening each of the three gates, the player will be tested for their worthiness through an unspecified trial. The winner of the contest, the one who proves themselves worthy, would not only win the controlling shares of the OASIS, which is valued at 240 billion dollars, they would also be granted administrative powers over the entire OASIS simulation.
Five long years have passed since “Anorak’s Invitation” went out and still no one has found the first of the three keys. And then, suddenly, Wade Watts’s name appears on the leaderboard with a copper key icon and 100,000 points beside his name, followed quickly by another. Game on.
The story follows Wade Watts, or Parzival as he is better known in the OASIS. Watts is a poor high school student who lives in what is known as the vertical trailer park known as the Stacks in Oklahoma City with his aunt and 15 other people. When Wade learns of Halliday’s death, he sees an opportunity to improve his life and escape the poverty of the Stacks.
This was a fun read. Ready Player One reads like a love letter to 1980s popular culture. No real deep cuts to mention, just surface-level pop culture references, but a blast nonetheless.
Cline does a great job of pacing his pop culture references. He doesn’t use a heavy hand or try to force the references. There is a nice balance of keeping the story in the moment while at the same time, using the references to help drive it forward without feeling forced or gimmicky.
As with all good science fiction stories, this book mapped out what virtual reality (VR) could be. We have to remember that this book came out in 2011 and virtual reality (VR) was barely a thing. The first prototype of the Oculus Rift had just been created that same year. Yet, Cline was able to envision what it could be. And here we are, years later, and VR is inching ever closer to the OASIS.
Ready Player One is fun, creative, and a unique and modern twist on the “call to adventure/treasure hunt” theme. It’s a clever way to move the science fiction genre forward while actively calling out and paying tribute to those sci-fi tales that came before.
If you liked this book, check out our "The Book vs. The Movie" blog to see how it compares to the movie!
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