Book Review: Ready Player One

02.23.2016

For the sake of recalling more from the books I read, and avoiding homework, I plan to start reviewing the books I read (or, rather, listen to). I'm currently making my way through the Harry Potter series again, but in the meantime got a chance to read Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. Set 30 years in the future, Ready Player One depicts a bleak distopia where a MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role playing game) called the OASIS is the only escape from reality, and has in fact replaced it. The novel follows teenager Wade Watts through a Hunger Games-esque competition requiring expansive and detailed knowledge of 80's tech culture, from video games to movies to comic books and beyond. This is a total candy read, and if you're into science fiction or Neal Stephenson novels (particularly Reamde), this would definitely be a good weekend pick-me-up.

Personally, it didn't hit my literary sweet spot, but then again I can't say I expected it to. I will say it was much more accessible than I expected it to be, and aligned perfectly with my values: intellect winning out over money; strong, rich, diverse characters; well researched but not obscure. Candy Read. Without giving too much away (fear not, read on), what made it most enjoyable was the very distinct Good vs. Evil dynamic, and how each party was very clearly on one side or the other. It was easy to root for the the protagonists, against the antagonists, and just be along for the plot-ride.

And that's all she wrote. My next review will be sometime next week on Carrie Brownstein's memoir Hunger Makes Me A Modern Girl.