#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 … 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
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If you were a fan of the 80s and loved video and arcade games, movies, and music then you’ll enjoy this fast paced and well written novel.
I won’t say it is a bad book, I am sure it is a big draw for others but it just wasn’t my thing.
This is a great story about how a small group of people become friends and work to overcome an overfunded adversary and “win” for the good of the world.
This book is a perfect mix of 80’s video games and pop icons and a future that truly can come about.
The book was much more detailed than the movie, but having read the book first I still enjoyed the movie.
This has to be one of my favourite books. I enjoyed the film but it still doesn’t come close to the sheer enjoyment of the book. I have now re-read the book a number of times and will continue to do so.
This book was so much fun – the smart and clever boy gamer vs the dreadful rulers of the ruined planet. And the girl gamer who is just as smart & clever.
I was pleasantly surprised by this audiobook. I had been hearing about it for awhile now, but I just didn’t think it was my cup of tea. I needed a book to fit the LitRPG prompt on the 2019 PopSugar reading challenge and found out this audiobook was narrated by Will Wheaton I decided to give it a chance. I am glad I did. It was a very enjoyable story.
It was great and a real page turner
Ready Player One is a wonderful book that stimulates the imagination. It is a retelling of the classic Good vs. Evil, but is entertaining and fun to read.
Immersive fun awaits in the Oasis, where endless virtual adventures are ready to be played. For Wade and his friends, they travel throughout the virtual world to complete an epic game within the Oasis. At stake: the open and free reign of the Oasis. Epic 80s film, television and game references.
I read this with a book group. The book was entertaining but I would not have read it if not for the group. While I grew up in the same time period, I was not as enamored of video games as the author clearly was, and I found the resolution of the story a little too easy given all the difficulties and obstacles up to that point.
It was so good that I wanted the story to continue.
Movie was great for fantastic visuals and keeping with story, but book has more scenes and better connection to the trivia. If you like this genre, read this one and not Armada.
Simply amazing. If you’re a child of the 80s or love the 80s and this is for you!
LOVED it!!!!!!
haunting, realistic, and scary since it appears the world may be headed this way sooner than you may think.
It was a complete delight reading this book and nostalgically reminiscing about the times I actually played the antediluvian video games, watched the classic movies and attended the various passé haunts listed throughout this enchanted adventurous romp. The bombshells, action-packed skirmishes and exploits will have you jaw droppingly amused. Terrific story for all ages to enjoy.
It was a modern book about gaming.
I really like the references to other books, movies, games, manga in the book.
I am literally speechless. I have no words to explain how good it was.