Book Synopsis:
“You were born at a pretty crappy time in history. And it looks like things are only gonna get worse from here on out.”
Ernest Cline
The year is 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 10,000 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 20th 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?
©2011 Ernest Cline (P)2011 Random House Audio
Why “Ready Player One?”
Who needs a break from real life? Wouldn’t be nice to escape to the warm nostalgia of 80s nostalgia TV and pop culture movies? Let’s get ready to step into our future.
THE REALITY OF VIRTUAL REALITY
The Oculus VR system is the most immersive virtual reality system as of 2020. Travel amazing cities of the world and virtual art museums with the Oculus VR system, but Art Plunge takes that idea one step further and lets you enter some of the world’s most famous paintings. Sit next to the Mona Lisa or gaze up at Van Gogh’s Starry Night and you’re bound to gain a new appreciation for these timeless works. Art Plunge is a stunning showcase for how VR (and creative developers) can transform even familiar experiences. There’s some slight movement at the start of each experience, but for the most part you can just sit back and enjoy the five paintings on display.
Yearning for a vacation? Let the robot denizens of Vacation Simulator whisk you away to the beach or the mountains for an afternoon. Build sandcastles, go for a hike, work the grill, sculpt ice, or participate in human favorites like drinking coffee… with thermal paste in it. A follow-up to the acclaimed Job Simulator, Vacation Simulator is one of the best VR sandboxes out there, with hundreds of items to play with and a bunch of jokes to keep you interested. And since every node is designed to match your own real-life space constraints, it’s a perfect follow-on to Tilt Brush when you’re ready to start moving around.
Read more: #TheNerdyGuy on Tumblr
Book Reviews
“I thoroughly enjoyed the book. There were a few slow chapters about the half-way point, but once I got to the final third of the book, I could not read it quickly enough. It reminded me of my reading of LOTR. OMG I couldn’t take the pressure! I have vivid memories of reading the book while at work and putting calls on hold so I could finish a page…I didn’t really do that, honestly. I would never be so irresponsible…but I digress.”
Collen M.
“The best thing I can say about reading Ready Player One is it made me feel like a kid again. By that I mean that it made me feel the way I felt watching those 80s shows and movies back when they were new. The book fills the reader with a sense of awe, wonder, and childlike glee as it presents a world where everyone holds the pop culture of the 80s in the highest of regards (as do I so I might be a little biased). I couldn’t put the book down, and when it was over I hated that I couldn’t visit that world. The movie did an admirable job adapting the book but the book blows the movie out of the water. Highly recommended!”
Z.B
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Title: Ready Player One
Author: Ernest Cline
Published by: Crowne Publishing Group (16th August 2011)
Genre: Classified as Science Fiction
Get the audiobook here!
Discussion: July 30th (Zoom link: See #TheAuthors on Reddit)
