Ready Player One by Ernest ClineMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Ready Player One has the amusing (if unlikely) premise of a massive ’80s cultural revival in the year 2044 following the death of billionaire video game designer James Halliday. In a famine-stricken vision of future America, Halliday’s will is the last hope for many of the country’s hopeful gamers: it bestows the designer’s entire fortune upon the first person to complete a series of ’80s-themed riddles set in the OASIS, a sprawling virtual-reality videogame that redefines MMORPGs. For a future-world teenager, intrepid fortune-hunter Wade Watts spends a surprising amount of time obsessing over minutiae of ’80s culture that seem more likely to appeal to the author himself. (Case in point: the president of the OASIS is Cline’s fellow science-fiction novelist Cory Doctorow.) My only qualm with this book is that, while the OASIS is constantly glorified, it’s clear that the collapse of the real world is a direct result of the citizenry’s lack of regard for anything outside their alternate-reality visors. One character hints at this, but, of course, he immediately recants his views and never brings them up again. Still, Ready Player One is a fun diversion from the real world—for the author as well as the reader. - Andrew R. '17
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Andrew, This is a great review. However, I would quibble with one point. The reason Wade is so into the minutiae of 80s culture is precisely because of the reward. I found the story relatable, and the various easter eggs a fun take on the story. However, you draw out a good point on the glorification of the OASIS. The government, however, seems to take advantage of this. The distraction of the OASIS prevents the citizens from realizing how crummy their world is. Doesn't that seem like a good reason to keep them engaged in the OASIS?
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