Ready Player One

By: Ernest Cline

Narrated by: Wil Wheaton

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Now a major motion picture directed by Steven Spielberg.

“Enchanting . . . Willy Wonka meets The Matrix.”—USA Today • “As one adventure leads expertly to the next, time simply evaporates.”—Entertainment Weekly

A world at stake. A quest for the ultimate prize. Are you ready?

In the year 2045, reality is an ugly place. The only time Wade Watts really feels alive is when he’s jacked into the OASIS, a vast virtual world where most of humanity spends their days.

When the eccentric creator of the OASIS dies, he leaves behind a series of fiendish puzzles, based on his obsession with the pop culture of decades past. Whoever is first to solve them will inherit his vast fortune—and control of the OASIS itself.

Then Wade cracks the first clue. Suddenly he’s beset by rivals who’ll kill to take this prize. The race is on—and the only way to survive is to win.

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Entertainment Weekly • San Francisco Chronicle • Village Voice • Chicago Sun-Times • iO9 • The AV Club

“Delightful . . . the grown-up’s Harry Potter.”—HuffPost

“An addictive read . . . part intergalactic scavenger hunt, part romance, and all heart.”—CNN

“A most excellent ride . . . Cline stuffs his novel with a cornucopia of pop culture, as if to wink to the reader.”—Boston Globe

“Ridiculously fun and large-hearted . . . Cline is that rare writer who can translate his own dorky enthusiasms into prose that’s both hilarious and compassionate.”—NPR

“[A] fantastic page-turner . . . starts out like a simple bit of fun and winds up feeling like a rich and plausible picture of future friendships in a world not too distant from our own.”—iO9

©2011 Ernest Cline (P)2011 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

2017, Laura Hillenbrand Outstanding Literary Award, Winner

“The science-fiction writer John Scalzi has aptly referred to Ready Player One as a ‘nerdgasm’ [and] there can be no better one-word description of this ardent fantasy artifact about fantasy culture. . . . But Mr. Cline is able to incorporate his favorite toys and games into a perfectly accessible narrative.” (Janet Maslin, The New York Times)

“This non-gamer loved every page of Ready Player One.” (Charlaine Harris, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Sookie Stackhouse series)

Where is book 2?

I immediately looked for more from this author after I listened to ready player one. This story is full of detail and imagination. You'll like it even if you aren't a gamer. Very clever plot and excellent narration by Wheaton.

Best book I've read in years!

This book is a mish-mash of different genres. Part treasure hunt, part trip down memory lane (if alive during the 80's, if not a new look into one of the greatest decades in history) this book will grab you and not let go.
A billionaire game designer with an obsession with the 80's decides to leave his sizable estate to whoever can follow the clues he left in the internet world he created called the Oasis that will lead the hunter to his ultimate prize. The first clue is hidden for 5 years until a young man finally gets the ball rolling...
I can't recommend this book enough for geeks or anyone that grew up in this amazing time.

My New Favorite book.

This book takes place in the future but in this case the past is the future. This is a world in which everything 1980's is back in style. When the founder of Oasis (a virtual reality gaming system), multi-billionaire gaming legend dies and leaves his entire fortune to the person who can find his hidden Easter egg in the system. There are two main sides to this search the Sixers an and the Gunters. The Sixers are part of a huge multi national corporation that is corrupt run on greed and has slave labor. The Gunters are brilliant gamers that want the Oasis to remain open and free for everyone.

Let the search and battle began for the Oasis! If you have a little geek in you, You will LOVE this book.

Plus Wil Wheaton did a fantastic job narrating this book.

Virtual games, a contest, murder, love & the 80's!

I can’t even imagine how much time Ernest Cline must have invested in video game and pop culture research, but I’m so grateful he did.
READY PLAYER ONE is an absolute and true adventure. Set in a future time, wherein the real world has become such a desolate and bleak place that 18 year old trailer park kid Wade Watts, along with most of the human populace, has chosen to live out the majority of his waking existence in a virtual one called The Oasis. By checking out of reality and checking into The Oasis one has the option to look, do and be anyone.

When James Halliday, multi-billionaire and co-creator of The Oasis, passes away; he leaves all his dough as well as ownership and control over to one person. Here’s the catch, that lucky person could be anyone, it could even be you. All you have to do is play Halliday’s ultimate and final game… oh yeah, and win. Clues and puzzles are hidden within The Oasis, and within the video games, music, movies and television shows of the 1980’s, the era in which Halliday grew-up and became obsessed with. Easy right?... not so much. It’s been 5 years since Halliday died and the contest began and yet still no one has even managed to answer the first riddle… that is, until Wade Watts dose just that.

Wade's first person narrative is hysterical and Wil Wheaton’s audio portrayal as Wade is spot on. READY PLAYER ONE is thoroughly entertaining, with a charming and smart cast of characters, a fast pace, some great twist and a ton of fun trivia. If you are or ever have been a fan of video games, techy stuff or the 1980’s, you are sure to enjoy this well written and thoughtfully executed read. I have to admit that though I really don’t care much for video games, I am a bit of a movie and TV buff, especially those of the 80’s era and I can’t tell you how much I absolutely appreciated the 80’s pop culture infused chat room banter… ”Answer the question Claire!”
Well done Mr. Cline, well done.

Not a child of the '80's and still loved it!

I am half a generation older than the people this book pays homage to: in other words, I have probably only seen 2 or 3 John Hughes movies in my life - - and still loved this book. Pay no attention to complaints about the narrator - - Wil Wheaton is PERFECT as the protaganist, the nerd/loser/poor kid/rebel/hero/this-could-be-me character. The author has a foot in several genres and delivers on most of them. A great use of a credit.

A sci-fi book everyone will like

I usually don’t read science fiction books like this one, but I highly recommend it to everyone, even if/especially if you’re skeptical. The world seems to be an eerie prediction of what the world as we currently know could actually be, similar to books like “1984” and “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”. If you are a fan of 80’s pop culture and such, you’ll get a kick out of references to films like “Wargames” and “Blade Runner”.

I know there are a bunch of critiques here about the anti-religious sentiments expressed in the novel, but as a religious individual myself, I hope that, if you find yourself feeling “offended,” please understand how atheism might fit in a book about a pretty cynical society.

Overall, I loved this book. The narration is excellent, and it is a fun ride from start to finish. Give it a chance. Worst case scenario, you can exchange it for another Jane Austen novel or something else that’s just as slow.

Opening 30% boring. 30-60% great. 60-100% worth!!!

The first 30% referenced a few too many pointless 1980s things for my taste. 3 or so times it was blatant over the top listing random things I'd never heard of despite being born in '83. If you can get past the opening, the story itself is really incredible. Laughed, cried, cheered, then did everything at the same time. Then did that again, and again! I don't want to spoil anything (except that the beginning is a little dry). If you're on the fence, check it out! You will not regret it (except perhaps during the first 30%, but the rest is worth it!)

Could not have been more fun!

I loved this character! I was reluctant to try something that sounded so geek-based, but I was hooked by all the throwbacks to the 80's. I could not help loving this boy and wanting him to come out on top. The futuristic setting was totally believable, human negligence taking it's natural course paired with our dependence on technology. Don't let the setting get in your way! It's not sci-fi in the traditional sense.

An entertaining escape...

Twiddling my thumbs waiting for the next books in various series, I decided to take the advice of a co-worker, and give this one a listen. Reviews that start out like "if you've ever played an MMORPG or were alive in the 80's..." are correct - you'll probably like this book. It's a pretty fun listen - the keyword there being "fun". It's a walk down memory lane [I love/loved most of the referenced movies, games, music, and authors] but it is neither presented as nor intended to be some sort of documentary... This is a sci-fi story set in 2044 that even people who view World of Warcraft as "old" and have never owned an Atari 2600 will be able to get into.

And then, there's Wil Wheaton...who happened to be on one of my favorite shows that ran from when I was about 12 until I graduated high school...and...was...let's just say "not my favorite character". I've gained some respect for Mr. Wheaton since then, though still probably would have decided against getting this book if I'd noticed he was the narrator before buying it. That would have been a mistake, though...in fact...now that I've listened to it, I think he was probably the perfect choice. He has a good voice for narration and does a very good job, and...where some of his Star Trek cheesiness does show...it actually seems to fit.

What a Fun Surprise!!

What did you love best about Ready Player One?

It was simply a brilliant and creative story that was well crafted and well written.

What other book might you compare Ready Player One to and why?

I really can't give you a specific example. This was a unique book that wove a solid Science Fiction story into a book that had a little bit of everything; good literary skills combined with the author's ability to tell a good story, action, intrigue, mystery, and even a solid love story.

What about Wil Wheaton???s performance did you like?

He did everything very effectively from narration to character voices. I enjoy it when the narrator is not a distraction.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I can almost always say no to this question, but I do like a story that is hard to put down at times. This story fit the bill in that regard.

Any additional comments?

You get a feeling the author wrote this book SPECIFICALLY for everyone who grew up in the U.S. in the 70's. He even goes a little overboard at times. I do think those in that age bracket will enjoy the book all the more, but I think this book appeals to just about anyone who enjoys the concept of video games, riddles, intrigue, mystery and suspense. Overall a very creative and good book - recommended!