It's the year 2044, and the real world is an ugly place.
Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets.
And like most of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune--and remarkable power--to whoever can unlock them.
For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that Halliday's riddles are based in the pop culture he loved--that of the late twentieth century. And for years, millions have found in …
It's the year 2044, and the real world is an ugly place.
Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets.
And like most of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune--and remarkable power--to whoever can unlock them.
For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that Halliday's riddles are based in the pop culture he loved--that of the late twentieth century. And for years, millions have found in this quest another means of escape, retreating into happy, obsessive study of Halliday's icons. Like many of his contemporaries, Wade is as comfortable debating the finer points of John Hughes's oeuvre, playing Pac-Man, or reciting Devo lyrics as he is scrounging power to run his OASIS rig.
And then Wade stumbles upon the first puzzle.
Suddenly the whole world is watching, and thousands of competitors join the hunt--among them certain powerful players who are willing to commit very real murder to beat Wade to this prize. Now the only way for Wade to survive and preserve everything he knows is to win. But to do so, he may have to leave behind his oh-so-perfect virtual existence and face up to life--and love--in the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.
A world at stake.
A quest for the ultimate prize.
Are you ready?
80s nostalgia with a clever concept, but weak narrative
3 stars
Overall this was a fun read. The world itself is quite dystopian, but the OASIS is incredible. It feels like a very natural evolution of today's online society, for better or worse. Some of the plot can feel a little sluggish with the exposition and the slowdown in the second arc of the book, but it has a good payoff at the end. The characters are OK, but not developed as well as the focus is almost solely on the main character Parzival and his obsession with the 80s, the hunt, and Art3mis. I think the concept behind this (and the nostalgia) was pretty good, though the narrative could have been better, both in terms of characters and plot.
I was there, I lived it all. Except for Journey. That should be erased from history. Where's your synthesiser, where's your drum machine? Devo would have been a better representation of that era, but they weren't as commercial and processed. That aside, it's an engaging story, very good fun SF. My instinct from the start was that it was pulpy and shallow, and thinking further about it reinforces that first impression, but I enjoyed it on its own terms..
Příběh, který z větší části vsází na nostalgii čtenáře. Hlavní dějová osa je vlastně triviální. Máme tu dobro a zlo a cíl, ke kterému se musí jedni nebo druzí dostat první. Celé je to však zasazené do kulis 80-90 let, kdy dle autora vznikala ta stěžejní popkultura v podobě arkádových her, starých filmů a rockové hudby. Majstrštyk na skutečnost, že kniha je vlastně zasazená do roku 2045. Čte se to samo. Záleží jen na tom jak velký jste geek, nebo jak moc vás zajímají jednotlivé odkazy na jiné příběhy. Já jsem si to užil. Nutno dodat, že nostalgie mě naplňovala celou dobu čtení.
A great book for videogame enthusaists and those who love 80's culture.
5 stars
A great story regarding a late teen engaging in a video game quest with real-world impact. Set in a dystopian future, the tale gives you a blend of a virtual world learing to positive and meaningful real-life changes.
The story is told with enthusiasm and gives you a great insight into a late teen learning there is more to life than a virtual world. It also teaches you persistance, may lead to mindblowing results.
An enjoyable and quick read. Nostalgia is bound together by a fairly predictable plot line. I wanted to go back and create a playlist of all the music mentioned, but I borrowed the book from a co-worker and needed to return it.
Review of 'Ready Player One (Ready Player One, #1)' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Read a short novel in a single day after a long time. The book is mostly "geek and pop-culture" references with a fast-paced YA like plot. Things I liked were how closely the book actually resembles a game and even the occasional diatribe about us shutting ourselves from reality into alternate realities (The book mostly talks about VR, but implies things like fantasy books and DnD).
The worldbuilding was slightly off-putting for me. It didn't have the same polish as the Monty Python references. A world dying of an energy crisis and people just sitting around with insane cash didn't equate very well for me either. However, I was expecting a fast-paced full-of-trivia YA novel, and that is exactly what I got.
A great nostalgic romp through the past, the present and, perhaps a not too distant future. It points out what's wrong with our global culture today in a way that brings back the hope we had growing up in the 70's and 80's. It reinvigorates a faith in the goodness of humanity in spite of our current mistakes and failings. And it points out the absolute value of charity towards one another. And it shows how we know all this; we learned it all growing up but forgot it being part of the rat race or being run over by it.
It's full of Easter eggs from pop culture and the best ones are those he brings up without pointing them out, leaving the reader to notice them.
For anyone who is nostalgic about the late 70's and 80's and the tabletop role-playing game that spawned many others and computer …
A great nostalgic romp through the past, the present and, perhaps a not too distant future. It points out what's wrong with our global culture today in a way that brings back the hope we had growing up in the 70's and 80's. It reinvigorates a faith in the goodness of humanity in spite of our current mistakes and failings. And it points out the absolute value of charity towards one another. And it shows how we know all this; we learned it all growing up but forgot it being part of the rat race or being run over by it.
It's full of Easter eggs from pop culture and the best ones are those he brings up without pointing them out, leaving the reader to notice them.
For anyone who is nostalgic about the late 70's and 80's and the tabletop role-playing game that spawned many others and computer games and movies to follow, you'll see just how deeply Dungeons and Dragons has shaped our culture.
Review of 'Ready Player One (Ready Player One, #1)' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
great gimmick in this book: a bill gates type guy in the future has created the most successful and popular way to utilize the internet up and dies. he has no heirs and his will is readaloud in said popular/successful simulation game: his fortune and controlling shares in his company will be awarded to the player who can locate 3 hidden keys inside the game. add an evil corporation that wants to gain control of the game and start monetizing it (and will do anything, include kidnapping and murdering lay gamers), and you've got a race.
but that's not the gimmick. it's the game creator's obsession with 80's pop culture, movies and music that makes this a fun run. 80's references are everywhere and it's like a trip down memory lane as lyrics are unfurled, and the dolorian from back to the future drives up, and brundle-fly pops up. it …
great gimmick in this book: a bill gates type guy in the future has created the most successful and popular way to utilize the internet up and dies. he has no heirs and his will is readaloud in said popular/successful simulation game: his fortune and controlling shares in his company will be awarded to the player who can locate 3 hidden keys inside the game. add an evil corporation that wants to gain control of the game and start monetizing it (and will do anything, include kidnapping and murdering lay gamers), and you've got a race.
but that's not the gimmick. it's the game creator's obsession with 80's pop culture, movies and music that makes this a fun run. 80's references are everywhere and it's like a trip down memory lane as lyrics are unfurled, and the dolorian from back to the future drives up, and brundle-fly pops up. it was light on actual believable plots - real sci fi geeks will be able to punch holes in the story immediately - so i was surprised to find it in the science fiction section; it read like a YA novel - especially given it's teen protagonist. but hey, i can't fault a book that is so obviously aimed at ME :)
Review of 'Ready Player One (Ready Player One, #1)' on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
Meh. The book could have used another round of editing. The whole thing felt like a 16-hour-long "nerdsturbation" with one of those orgasms at the end that make you regret the efforts you put into it.
"It suddenly occurred to me just how absurd this scene was: a guy wearing a suit of armor, standing next to an undead king, both hunched over the controls of a classic arcade game."<br/><br/>This is a truly spectacular work: for a debut novel the writing is first rate and the entire premise astounding.<br/><br/>The year 2044 sees Humanity escaping the reality of increased energy depletion and environmental damage in a virtual world. One of the creators of this virtual world eventually dies and, rather than being conventional about his will, leaves everything hidden in his creation, secreted and hidden away behind clues, quests and games. Of course, everyone wants to win, and so begins a mass study of this guy's likes, tastes and era of upbringing.<br/><br/><br/><br/>"At once wildly original and stuffed with irresistible nostalgia, READY PLAYER ONE is a spectacularly genre-busting, ambitious, and charming debut—part quest<br/>novel, part love story, and part …
"It suddenly occurred to me just how absurd this scene was: a guy wearing a suit of armor, standing next to an undead king, both hunched over the controls of a classic arcade game."<br/><br/>This is a truly spectacular work: for a debut novel the writing is first rate and the entire premise astounding.<br/><br/>The year 2044 sees Humanity escaping the reality of increased energy depletion and environmental damage in a virtual world. One of the creators of this virtual world eventually dies and, rather than being conventional about his will, leaves everything hidden in his creation, secreted and hidden away behind clues, quests and games. Of course, everyone wants to win, and so begins a mass study of this guy's likes, tastes and era of upbringing.<br/><br/><br/><br/>"At once wildly original and stuffed with irresistible nostalgia, READY PLAYER ONE is a spectacularly genre-busting, ambitious, and charming debut—part quest<br/>novel, part love story, and part virtual space opera set in a universe where spell-slinging mages battle giant Japanese robots, entire planets are inspired<br/>by Blade Runner, and flying DeLoreans achieve light speed."<br/><br/><br/>The story follows one such Gunter (an "egg hunter"), and chronicles his progress through searching for the coveted goal. The real world crumbling around him, our hero escapes, like everyone else, into the very real but totally artificial world of the OASIS. <br/><br/>"When I reached the bar, I ordered a Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster from the female Klingon bartender and downed half of it."<br/><br/>Because the world is virtual, everything you can think of is included: it's a crossover of every book, movie, music, meme and trope you can think of, and because of this the book was sold to me as an uber geeks paradise. Of course, there's a lot in there that appeals to my inner geek, but seeing beyond that, it's also a superb story, a compelling world with a stellar protagonist and it even packs a bit of a moral punch, too.<br/><br/>"They pooled their resources and purchased two very expensive, very powerful antimatter bombs on eBay." <br/><br/>It's a classic Good versus evil, corporate-slamming romp, with warnings of monopoly and corporate greed intertwined with heartening messages of tolerance and respect for choice and acceptance. Above all that, there's the story, and it's an epic: a fantastic quest, with our hero from as low a background as you can think of, masterfully trying to rise above the odds (and doing it in an impressive geeky way, of course).<br/><br/>I struggled to put the book down, and would truly recommend it for any science fiction, fantasy, or fan of the eighties.
