Problem Solving on God Mode

An Honest Review of Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

TL;DR - 3/10. Some minor spoilers ahead.

Who is this book for? That’s the question that kept coming to mind over and over again as I was reading Ready Player One. Is it meant for kids? Adults? In writing a book that tries to appeal to a broad audience, it ends up being a confused mess suitable for no one.

First, some introduction. Ready Player One is the latest in a string of successful young adult dystopian novels. Set sometime in the 2040’s, the world as we know it has fallen apart. Climate change has destroyed the environment. Unchecked economic inequality leads the huddled masses to live in shaky vertical trailer parks called “stacks”. And no one really cares about the real world, because they spend all their time in the OASIS, which is basically an MMO but in virtual reality. In fact, the OASIS has become more real than the real world, complete with public schools and jobs. When the ultra-rich designer of the OASIS dies without an heir, it’s revealed that he’s created an elaborate easter egg hunt. Whoever solves all the puzzles and gets to the end first gets a controlling share of the company that owns the OASIS, and will become the richest person on the planet. This creates an entire subculture of “gunters”, whose only goals are to solve the puzzles and…