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)

this was a great listen!

This is what seems to be my first book in a nose-dive into the VR sub-genre of Science Fiction. It came highly recommended by several sources and they were spot-on. This is a wonderful romp for anyone who grew up in the 80s, and possibly others born later as well. It's a great David v. Goliath fable writ large in VR-land. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend.

can't wait for the movie!

I love it! enjoyed every moment of this fantastic book... Wil made it easy to envision the story before my eyes...

Great story, superb nerrator!

The story is just great, i couldn't stopped listening to it. Story is filled with adventure an excitement.
I Highly recommend this book.

Awesome

Awesome book, and the narration by Wil Wheaton is incredible. I highly highly recommend it.

Totally been missing out

I have had this audiobook on my wish list for a LOOOONG time. The idea of loggingi to a virtual world to play games did not sound that interesting at all. Even the sample audio byte had me pushing it aside. I saw all the positive reviews but still didnt take the bait. It was not until I saw an article about this book being made into a movie. That is when I decided it must be a big deal...

Holy cow what a deal. The story has a lot going for it: the totally 80's references(endless), the video game references, humor, lovable characters, an alt look at our own future, and a life size gundam wingsuit!!!!!! I felt really attached to the story and was uber chrious what would happen next. This book was refreshing. I actually felt good at the end. Read other reviews, believe them and get this audiobook! Def worth a credit. Def worth real dollars.

I'll be honest, I just wanted to listen to Wil.

What made the experience of listening to Ready Player One the most enjoyable?

This book just captured my attention from the beginning and never let it go. Wil does a fantastic job narrating and I never wanted this story to end.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. Definitely.

Fun Book

It was a good listen and I enjoyed the process of how it turned out.

Amazing fun journey through my childhood!!!!

This book was on of the most enjoyable I have ever listened to!!! Will Wheaton is an amazing narrator and the story is absolutely incredible!!! If u grew up in the 80's and loved all the media in that era then you will love this book!!! I can't recommend it highly enough!!!

Not my typical, but SO good

I'm not really into fantasy. This book was suggested to me, and I'm so glad it was. Great story.

For those of us that grew up with games

This was an excellent story, Wil Wheaton did a great job, absolutely worth a buy!