• 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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Wonderful listen

The audiobook plays well and is engaging. The story is easy to follow without too many confusing side plots.

Overall a wonderful listen and highly recommended.

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    4 out of 5 stars

Welcome to the 1980's

As a grad student and a newly-wed in 1981, I have fond memories of the decade. Ready Player One was a fascinating look back at an era in which my husband and I would head to the arcade in the evening to drop a few quarters on our favorite games. The book captures the feeling of the 80s from the pov of a dystopian future filled with fast-paced full-on gaming fun. I love Wil Wheaton's reading, too!!

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Perfect!

Absolutely it! I couldn't have asked for a better first audiobook! I watched the movie shortly after listening to the audio book, and I would recommend watching the movie first then getting the full experience.

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    4 out of 5 stars

Gripping, but I don't know why

Way too formulaic. Most plot twists were telegraphed far too clearly, leaving very few actual surprises. The lines were too starkly drawn between good guys and bad guys. Far too much of the book contains the extended "gee, what if" and "wouldn't it be cool if" discussions of gamers and other purveyors of artificial worlds, extended to the point of soporific droning.

This should have been an insipid book.

And yet I couldn't put it down.

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Unquestionablly, a masterpiece!

This book was so good, I'm considering reading it myself. The storyline and originality were nothing short of amazing, and it was read flawlessly as well. I can't wait to see the movie now, but I fear I will be horribly disappointed.

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loved it!

One of my favorites. I will listen to it over and over again. I grew up in the 80's, I guess that it's why loved it so much. They also didn't do half but with the movie either. :-D


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Pure awesomeness

Faaahhhking great book and the performance by the "Old Geezer" is epic. 80's for the win!

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Master piece wish the movie was like the book

loved every part of it. voice was easy to listen to and made it feel i was there.

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a fantastic book!

I loved this book! Being a kid that grew up in the 80's and still loving video games, this book takes me back to some great times and memories.

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entertainment level was off the chain

just an amazing book. I hate even saying if you are a gamer stop now and read. but do it.

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