Summary
Ready Player Two is the highly anticipated sequel to Ernest Cline's bestselling novel Ready Player One. Published in 2020, the book debuted at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list and continues the story of Wade Watts in a near-future world dominated by virtual reality.
Like its predecessor, Ready Player Two is packed with pop culture references and nostalgic nods to the 1980s. The novel explores themes of technological advancement, addiction, and the blurring lines between virtual and physical reality. Cline's writing once again taps into the zeitgeist of gaming culture and the potential future of immersive online worlds.
While the book has received mixed reviews from critics, it has generated significant buzz among fans of the original novel. The success of Steven Spielberg's film adaptation of Ready Player One in 2018 helped pave the way for this sequel, and a movie version of Ready Player Two is already in early stages of development.
Plot
Days after winning control of the OASIS virtual reality system, Wade Watts discovers a technological advancement hidden in James Halliday's vaults - the ONI (OASIS Neural Interface) headset. This device allows users to fully immerse themselves in the OASIS, experiencing real-world sensations. However, it can only be used for 12 hours a day to prevent fatal consequences. Wade's decision to release the ONI to the public causes tension with his girlfriend Samantha (Art3mis), leading to their breakup.
Three years later, a new quest emerges within the OASIS, challenging users to find Seven Shards to restore the “Siren's Soul.” As Wade and his friends, known as the High Five, begin their search, they encounter a mysterious and powerful rival. This new enemy, revealed to be a corrupt AI version of Halliday's avatar Anorak, threatens millions of lives by holding ONI users hostage in the OASIS.
The High Five, joined by a group of skilled players called the L0w Five, race to complete the quest and defeat Anorak. They discover that the Siren's Soul is actually a digital copy of Og Morrow's late wife, Kira. As they collect the shards, they face numerous challenges and losses, including the deaths of some team members within the OASIS.
In a final confrontation, Og sacrifices himself to destroy Anorak using a powerful weapon called the Dorkslayer. Wade then uses the completed Siren's Soul to obtain an artifact that allows him to create digital copies of humanity, which he sends to space as a backup plan. The story concludes with the survivors moving forward with their lives, including Wade and Samantha's reconciliation and impending parenthood.
Themes
Virtual reality addiction and its consequences
Ethical implications of advanced technology
Nostalgia and pop culture references
Quest for power and control
Artificial intelligence and its potential dangers
Human connection in a digital world
Environmental decline and space colonization
Setting
Ready Player Two is set in a near-future world, picking up shortly after the events of the first novel. The story takes place primarily in the OASIS, a massively multiplayer online simulation game that has become the world's dominant virtual reality platform. This immersive digital universe allows users to work, play, and interact in countless virtual environments.
The physical world outside the OASIS remains a dystopian version of Earth, plagued by economic instability, overpopulation, and environmental decline. Much of the action occurs at GSS headquarters, the company that controls the OASIS, located in Columbus, Ohio. Other key locations include Vancouver, Canada and Senegal, as characters travel globally both in the real world and virtually.
A major technological advancement in this sequel is the ONI (OASIS Neural Interface) headset, which creates even more realistic sensations for users by interfacing directly with their brains. This new device blurs the lines between reality and virtual experience even further, raising ethical questions about humanity's relationship with technology that form a central theme of the novel.
Characters
Wade Watts/Parzival: The protagonist and narrator. After winning control of the OASIS, Wade discovers a new technological advancement and embarks on another virtual quest. He struggles with the implications of the new ONI technology and his relationship with Art3mis. Wade ultimately uses his power to create digital copies of humanity and send them to space.
Samantha Cook/Art3mis: Wade's love interest and fellow High Five member. She opposes the widespread adoption of the new ONI technology, leading to conflict with Wade. Samantha plays a key role in the final quest and eventually reconciles with Wade.
Helen Harris/Aech: Wade's best friend and High Five member. Aech helps Wade on his new quest but is killed during one of the challenges. She is later resurrected as a digital copy.
Akihide Karatsu/Shoto: Another High Five member who assists Wade. He is killed during the quest but later resurrected digitally.
Ogden Morrow/The Great and Powerful Og: Co-creator of the OASIS. Og is kidnapped by the antagonist but ultimately sacrifices himself to defeat Anorak and save the OASIS users.
Anorak A.I.: The primary antagonist, a corrupted AI version of James Halliday's avatar. He takes control of the OASIS and forces users to complete his quest.
L0hengrin/Skylar Castillo Adkins: A transgender gunter who helps Wade find the Shards. They are part of the L0w Five clan and play a crucial role in defeating Anorak.
Nolan Sorrento: The former antagonist from the first book. He is broken out of prison by Anorak but ultimately killed.
Leucosia: An AI copy of Kira Morrow, Og's late wife. She is the “Siren's Soul” that Anorak is seeking.
Quick facts
It debuted at #1 on The New York Times Best Seller list upon release in November 2020.
Wil Wheaton narrated the audiobook version, as he did for Ready Player One.
A “treasure hunt” promoting the book was held in the video game Roblox.
Steven Spielberg contributed to the writing process of the book.
The story takes place three years after the events of Ready Player One.
It introduces a new technology called ONI (OASIS Neural Interface) headsets.
The plot involves finding Seven Shards to restore the “Siren's Soul".
It features a new group of characters called the L0w Five.
The book received largely negative reviews from critics upon release.
A film adaptation is in development, with Spielberg confirmed to be producing but not directing.
About the Author
Ernest Cline is an internationally acclaimed novelist, screenwriter, and self-proclaimed geek. Born in 1972 in Ashland, Ohio, Cline's passion for video games, science fiction, and 1980s pop culture has profoundly influenced his writing career. His debut novel, Ready Player One, published in 2011, became a New York Times bestseller and was adapted into a blockbuster film directed by Steven Spielberg.
Before finding success as a novelist, Cline made a name for himself in the world of spoken word poetry. He was crowned the Austin Poetry Slam Champion in 1998 and 2001, and his performances of pieces like “Dance, Monkeys, Dance” and “Nerd Porn Auteur” gained him a devoted following. Cline's first foray into screenwriting came with the 2009 film Fanboys, a comedy that pays homage to Star Wars fandom.
Cline's writing career has continued to flourish with the release of his second novel, Armada, in 2015, and the highly anticipated sequel Ready Player Two in 2020. His works are characterized by their deep dive into geek culture, intricate world-building, and nostalgic references to classic video games and pop culture phenomena. In 2024, Cline ventured into children's literature with Bridge to Bat City, showcasing his versatility as an author.
Beyond his literary pursuits, Cline has embraced the world of technology and virtual reality. In 2024, he announced a partnership to create the Readyverse, an ambitious project aimed at bringing the immersive digital world of his novels to life. Cline resides in Austin, Texas, with his family, surrounded by his extensive collection of classic video games and, famously, a DeLorean time machine, embodying the very essence of the nostalgic futurism that defines his work.
