Ready Player One

By: Ernest Cline

Narrated by: Wil Wheaton

Length: 15 hrs and 40 mins

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)

Nerdvana

If you are at all a geek (D&D, video games, anime, etc.), you will really enjoy this book. If you were interested in these things during the 1980's, I have to imagine that this is a dream come true. I wasn't born until 1986, so a lot of the nostalgia and references didn't really hit home for me, but this book was still absolutely worth the time to read. Also, Wil Wheaton was a perfect choice for a narrator.

absolutely astounding

Loved it, listened to it in less than 36 hours after downloading. cannot wait for the movie. let's hope they get that right.

Such A Good Read!

Me and My husband got this to listen to on a road trip we took over the summer and it was perfect! It was very relatable with the given time period it talked a lot about having grown up then and played the video games and watched the movies that were mentioned throughout it. It was suspenseful and intriguing even for him!

Must Read

A modern day Willy Wonka for a new generation. If you truly love video games you will love this book.

simply amazing! nerd core to the core.

loved every minute of this book. I got all the references and just connected with the writer. I would highly suggest this if you are nerdy and/or grew up in the 80's

Amazing book

I loved the story. It definitely draws you in and creates a vivid picture of what's happening. I'll probably listen and or read a few more times, but, I'm leaning on the side of reading it myself. At times, I really didn't enjoy listening to Will Wheaton reading.

MY NEW FAV BOOK!!!

I have to say this book was so good I want to listen to it again and I just finished it! This book by Ernest Cline was so well researched and written! I didn’t want it to end! I highly recommend this book to literally anybody who enjoys a good story, wether you are gaming nerd like me or not! It was worth every penny I spent on it!

Great store

Great store feel like ur in it and can wait to get to it bye

Awesome for the whole family (5 Geeks give 5 *s)

Would you consider the audio edition of Ready Player One to be better than the print version?

Yes - Will Wheaton does a great job narrating... It's clear that he's a fan of the author, the book and the subject matter. When the movie comes out, I hope he'll get a big part!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Artemis - she's hilarious and has a masterful command of sarcasm.

Which scene was your favorite?

This one is really tough, but the consensus among the 5 of us that listened to this together on a long family driving trip agreed that the reenactment of Monty Python's the Holy Grail was our favorite scene. One of my sons really liked the reference to a help desk caller using a sword to pretend he's a corn dog, but that's not appropriate for a family friendly review.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

The best video game in the world, and still just a quarter

Any additional comments?

I listened to this book on my own, and as a mid-40's guy who loved growing up in the 80's, this book really spoke directly to my inner-geek. A few years later my family embarked upon a multi-hour driving vacation and my kids (three 12-year old boys) and wife agreed this sounded like a good book for the whole family. It was great to see my boys become totally engaged and fascinated by the classic video game and 80's pop culture. Even my wife, who is really way too cool to hang with the four male nerds in our family, thoroughly enjoyed the book and couldn't wait to listen to each new chapter.

In general, this book is (IMHO) great for 12 year old boys, and is extremely entertaining for people who grew up in the 80's. But the characters do talk like teenage boys talk today (and 25 years ago), and some of the language might be offensive to my parents (who are in their 60's), and probably should be offensive to me.

AMAZING!

The story, narration, and subject matter was amazing. I couldn't get over how great it was and could not wait to get to the next chapter in the book. Wil Wheaton does a wonderful job narrating the story in making you feel immersed in every aspect of this world. Definitely one of my favorite books.