• Ready Player One

  • By: Ernest Cline
  • Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
  • Length: 15 hrs and 40 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (258,611 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: 20+ of the Best Ready Player One Quotes About Life, Honesty, Faith, and Reality


Before Ready Player One became a box office hit, it was a beloved gem by author Ernest Cline. It won countless fans for its strong and engaging storyline, relatable characters, and heart-pounding action. Part of what makes the story so memorable is that it’s more than it appears at surface level. Not just a sci-fi/fantasy romp, it has real-world lessons about the dangers posed by invasive tech, the impact of poverty, and the human desire for belonging.

What listeners say about Ready Player One

Average customer ratings
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  • 5 out of 5 stars
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    213,163
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    34,745
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    7,191
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    6,421
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Story
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  • 4 Stars
    33,732
  • 3 Stars
    8,283
  • 2 Stars
    2,343
  • 1 Stars
    1,739

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Best single book I have ever read/listened to

Full of references I didn't know but that is my fault. 15 15 15 15 15 15

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Where’s book 2

Wonderful story, just wondering where the next chapter will take them, we all want to know what’s gonna happen next, especially with the ending the way it is

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Wil Wheaton. Really, I mean, who else?

Great story with wonderful narration. A remembrance of my childhood. Wil Wheaton really nailed it.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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Wil "Shut up Wesley" Wheaton...

Wil Wheaton's reading of this story is less than stellar. I am less than thrilled with his performance. Perhaps he should stick to "acting"

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OUTSTANDING!

Great performance! Good job Mr. Wheaton! Amazing story! Look forward to your next voice performance. Perhaps Armada next?

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Nostalgia galor!

This is the best book I have ever heard! LOVED IT. And of course Wil W. narration rocked. If your a gamer or a child of the 80s this book is for you!

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Fun ride of both pain and pleasure.

Ready Player One combines the bleak vision of our future with the whimsy of Nostalgia. Some small parts of the story fell flat, however they do not detract from the overall experience or the message of the story. Highly recommend to any fans of fantasy, sci-fi, etc.

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entertaining

good story, good presentation. to many liberal undertones though. other than that it was enjoyable.

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Great story, terrible Avatar

This is one of the most enjoyable worlds I’ve been transported to in a long time. I love the fusion of future tech and 80s nostalgia. At the same time, it sticks you with one of the least likable main characters I’ve ever seen. He’s so good at everything and has managed to memorize so much information it’s more over the top than Adam West’s Batman. Where the story shines are the moments where you can simply zone out and imagine the wonders such a world could bring.

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Wowzers!

Anything that mentions MUDding is a story for my heart. All of the video game elements were a nice trip down memory lane. the writing was well paved and Wil Wheaton was amazing.

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