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)

phenomenal

My near-entire life encapsulated in a single book. "Old" Millennials and Gen-Xers will love this...

80s Awesomeness!!!

This book is seriously awesome! I grew up in the 80's and have always been a gamer. This book has so many 80's pop culture references I couldn't even begin to count them. Not just game references, but TV, movies, music, and more. If you love the 80's or just love video games, you will absolutely love this book!!! No, it doesn't take place in the 80's. It takes place in the year 2044. The world has gone to crap so most people escape into the Oasis. The Oasis is a virtual reality world. It has many other worlds within it that you can travel to. You can visit your favorite worlds from Star Wars or Star Trek or any other sci-fi world you can think of. There are games within the Oasis. You can also be whoever you want when you create your avatar. The creator of the Oasis is now dead, but he has hidden an Easter egg within the Oasis and has left clues on how to find this hidden Easter egg. The person who finds it will inherit his fortune and his controlling share of the company's stock.

Wil Wheaton does an outstanding job with the narration! (for an old geezer) lol I will definitely be looking for other books narrated by him as well as more of Ernest Cline's books!

If this is the future of gaming, I can't wait!

Five stars, and I'm no fan of video games!

Scary, disturbing insight into the future, but filled with hope. A book all would enjoy reading!

John Hughes riding a hover board through the grid!

Would you listen to Ready Player One again? Why?

I would listen to Ready Player One again! It was awesomely read by Wil Wheaton. Made notion to iconic 80's culture in every popular cultural reference. All while bringing an excellent story of video gaming escapism together. Kinda like how the reader escapes through this story.

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

Do you like the 80's then every 80's reference is memorable.

Which character – as performed by Wil Wheaton – was your favorite?

Og, he was read with great exuberance, and was very enjoyable to hear him speak with an excitingly humble quality.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The message given to Wade by Halliday at the end.

Currently my favorite book

The book moved along at an excellent pace. Characters were developed and I became enamored by them. The ending stretched out and climaxed perfectly.
I've never taken the time to write a review, but this book was worth it.

A Flashback From The Future

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Anyone growing up in the 80s will love this for the sheer nostalgia factor, but it's not just a romp through remembering. Cline makes a compelling story and it's definitely worth a read.

What did you like best about this story?

The book managed to get me excited along with the main characters and I found that I cared whether they succeeded or not.

What about Wil Wheaton’s performance did you like?

Wil Wheaton was the perfect voice for this story. He's talented anyway, but he brought the story alive in a way that the story itself didn't quite manage.

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

I'm gonna skip this question 'cause I think it'd make a lousy movie.

Any additional comments?

The only real problem I had is that while some books can diverge into two storylines, they manage to wind up with one cohesive story. Cline has 2 books here: one's an enjoyable dystopian treasure hunt and the other is... well, it's Captain Nintendo with more sidekicks.

It's a good story and enjoyable, but it's not deep and won't be something that will hold up for ages to come. But it's absolutely worth a read for a day or two of escapism.

stop waiting and listen to it!

The combination of a great story, nostalgia, and great narration made every minute of this story great. If you are on the fence, go for it. My only mistake was not listening to it as soon as I bought it.

Amazing

Could not stop listening to this... Amazing Performance by Wil. Can not wait to read cline's next book.

Great book, unexpected ending.

Really enoyed the story with its abundant 80s references. The minor changes in voice and tone really helped to sell the different characters. However the pretentious sounding way Will Wheaton says "poser" ignites and anger in me I thought I would never experience over something so trivial as pronunciation. This is particularly evident in a single chapter of the book where it is said many times. Once past that chapter I thoroughly enjoyed the story and narration.

Surprisingly amazing!

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

Yes!!

Any additional comments?

I started listening to this book with very few expectations. Perhaps that's why I found it so addictive? The performance was wonderful, and the story engrossing. I wish I could find more just like it!