• Ready Player One

  • By: Ernest Cline
  • Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
  • Length: 15 hrs and 40 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (258,290 ratings)

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Ready Player One  By  cover art

Ready Player One

By: Ernest Cline
Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
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Publisher's summary

#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)

Featured Article: The Best Sci-Fi Audiobooks to Blast You into Another Galaxy


There’s a certain magic in losing yourself in the imaginative world of science fiction. But when new landscapes and realities are paired with brilliant audio performances, the experience is more immersive than ever. We’ve curated some of the best science fiction audiobooks, ranked not only for their vividly constructed narratives, but also for the compelling, stellar narration that brings them to life. So grab your headphones and settle in as reality fades away.

What listeners say about Ready Player One

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
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    212,883
  • 4 Stars
    34,712
  • 3 Stars
    7,185
  • 2 Stars
    1,971
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    29,223
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    6,417
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    1,377
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Story
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    192,496
  • 4 Stars
    33,705
  • 3 Stars
    8,275
  • 2 Stars
    2,342
  • 1 Stars
    1,738

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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent storytelling, and the book is awesome

it does go differently than the movie, no surprise. I will say I think the book is definitely better than the movie, but the movie is still good. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves classic games, movies, and shows from the early days of technology.

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  • KG
  • 06-18-23

One of the best

This book and story is amazing and well brings the characters in action to life.

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Loved the story.

Thanks Will for reading this. Most have been pretty meta being on the council of old geezers and reading and it out loud.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wil Wheaton needs a raise

This is my favorite audiobook and book ever. I just finished it for the fifth time on my way to and from South Dakota with my now husband. He finally after seven years said he’d listen to it and of course he loved it just as much as I do. It’s so funny, weird, nostalgic, exciting, and relatable over a decade after it’s been written. I really hope to meet Ernest cline one day.
Wil Weston on the other hand as you see by the title needs a fricken raise. To have a good narrator is everything when it comes to an audiobook and he does so well telling the story, I’m able to immerse myself within minuets of listening.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Fun and engaging

A fun, and engaging, unique read. I’ll be looking for more of the authors work.

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Awesome

I’m so happy to have listened to this book! It is a great story and Will Wheaton is the perfect voice for this story. I really enjoyed it just as much and more than the movie.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Unbelievable

"Ready Player One" is a breathtaking novel that delves into the differences between being trapped behind technology and experiencing the real world. It takes readers on a captivating journey, highlighting the allure and limitations of virtual reality while emphasizing the importance of genuine human connection. Ernest Cline's storytelling prowess and thought-provoking narrative make this book a must-read, urging us to appreciate the richness of authentic experiences beyond the confines of technology.

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Outstanding!

Great story and exceptional performance! Though set in the future the story encapsulates the past 40 years of our worlds immersion into the gaming and internet worlds and presents a cautionary tale of what we are losing in humanity.
Highly recommend this book.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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A fun ride!

Great story filled with nostalgia and imagery. Reading by Will Weaton was well done. Enjoy!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Stunning delivery

This book hit all my kid memories and Mr Wheaton is amazing in his reading of the book!

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