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Ready Player One

Even after multiple readings of Ernest Cline’s debut novel, I still find myself excited to turn each page. I had almost forgotten what a nostalgia trip this book was. Once I cracked it open again, it all came back to me. I should point out that the book is more than a collection of 1980s references. There is indeed a lot of substance to this book. Ernest Cline is simply a great storyteller. The book is set in a sort of dystopian future in which resources have become scarce and poverty is the norm for many. The main character Wade Watts is a high school student who spends most of his free time immersed in a MMORPG (Massive Multi-Player Online Role Playing Game) as does much of the globes population. It is their escape from the harsh reality many of them face. Many people today can relate to the escape video games allow. Now add in a hidden Easter Egg within the game, left by its creator and announced in the reading of his Will. The lucky finder receiving a large portion of his personal fortune. We learn right from the beginning that Wade, who uses the online moniker Parzival, is the one that ultimately finds the Easter Egg. Thankfully, this is in no way a spoiler, because as I said earlier and will most likely repeat, Ernest Cline is a great storyteller. Of course there is the big bad, which in this case is a representation of corporate greed in a group known as the Sixers, a conglomerate bent on obtaining the fortune at any cost, even murder. Luckily this is less a novel of corporate disdain than it is a wonderful nostalgia trip. Wade is assisted, no not really the right word, accompanied by fellow Egg Hunters, truncated to gunters in the book, throughout. At various points we see the characters distance themselves from each other, namely Wade’s love interest Art3mis and his best friend Aech. But we also get to see the better side of humans when friendships new and old are reformed. Most importantly, we see Wade’s humanity rise to the surface, despite being locked in a virtual world for most of the story. It is a glimpse of hope for the rest of us that we are more than our online personas. That despite the refuge from reality online worlds provide us, we remain deeply human and not just social, but physically social. We want to interact with others in real time and real life. The entire book is filled with 80s references, but not too many to make it silly. Cline’s writing is fluid and the entire book is a page turner. Multiple readings are highly encouraged, not because you will pick up on things you missed the first time, it’s just that fun a read. Despite its dystopian setting, the book does echo certain social norms of today. People already seek an escape from their regular routine and online provides the platform for mankind to do it. Sadly though, the mass escape talked about in the book, may actually be a reality for some now. In that respect, Ready Player One should serve as a warning notice to that sub-sect of society. For the rest of us, it’s simply a great story told by a great storyteller. Read it now before the movie comes out.

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