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)

I never!!

Growing up as a child of the 80's. I have never thought I would have a attachment to any book as I have to this one. it was AWESOME. I'm terrified the movie will not be as spectacular as the book, we will have to wait and see.

In all too possible future...

gritty dystopia meets a shining virtual world filled with 80s pop culture . a fun ride.

Very Enjoyable!

As a fellow gamer, it was absolutely mind-boggling. The universe that was created using technology that already exists was beyond fascinating. Although a lot of the information was bases on 80s games, movies and music - I feel the challenges could have been more exciting. I wont spoil the book, but I am very much looking forward to spielberg's adaptation.

awesome, awesome book!

I was a kid of the 80s and enjoyed every bit of it! great memories, nastalgic! 😁😁😁😁

Great story riddled with video game history

If you could sum up Ready Player One in three words, what would they be?

Way too good.

What did you like best about this story?

To be honest, the narration by Wil Wheaton really made this audio book pop. He does a great job voicing the different characters in the story.

Decent long trip book.

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

Yes. Wil Wheaton does a good job of bringing the characters to life.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Ready Player One?

Once the chase gets started, and the first mystery is solved.

Have you listened to any of Wil Wheaton’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Laughter, quite a bit. Kinda felt sad that it ended.

Any additional comments?

Listened to this over an 18 hour road trip back home after visiting family. Kept me engaged and awake.

Access Granted...

Ready Player One should be required reading for anyone born after 1990. The pop culture and video game references along with the ethical subtext for virtual reality are on point. My only regret is not having read the paperback when I bought it years ago.

Great Homage to all that was the 80's!

Such a kick to listen to! It was made all that more fun to listen since Will performed it.

Wonderful!

An absolute pleasure. Narrator and story are a perfect fit! Loved every minute of it.

Fun!

While I completely missed getting a lot of the 80s references (1989 kid here), as someone who grew up playing video games and a generally self identified geek, I could still relate and enjoy this story quite a lot.
I was hoping it would delve more into the dystopia "real world" earth, and have some deeper meaning there, but I guess that was that.
I would recommend this audio book to anyone who want an easy to digest, somewhat thought inducing and very entertaining story.

Ps- great timing now with all those VR headsets coming out. As fun as VR worlds are, let's not neglect reality people!!!