Getting Ready for Ready Player One: a Book Review.

Ready Player One, released in 2011 by Ernest Cline has gained spectacular popularity and acclimation among readers and critics alike. With the Steven Spielberg film adaptation arriving in cinemas across the United Kingdom next week, I wanted to write this review as a reminder of the opinions I had when first reading the book. When any great novel is turned into a film, all of its fans will be plagued by worry. Hopefully Spielberg’s adaptation will put all of my fellow fans at ease.

So on to the review. Yes, like most dystopian teenage-oriented novels that have recently gained popularity, the book focuses on a negative depiction of Earth in the year 2044. However, Cline paints a very convincing picture of this dystopia that will probably come true sooner rather than later. *cue stereotypical voice-over* “In a world where global warming, overpopulation and the energy crisis has ruined society, the only solace is the OASIS!”

Believe me, this book will surprise you. I found myself totally engrossed in the world of the OASIS and the incredible adventure within it. It focuses on an epic virtual hunt for a hidden Easter egg in the VR world which has become the only safe space for the whole population. The book is filled to the brim with 80s references to video games, board games, music and everything in between, if you are an 80s or gaming enthusiast you will undoubtedly love this book.

Although the main character/protagonist Wade or Parzival is an 18-year-old male, the book has a wide variety of character of different backgrounds and ages. Take Art3mis who’s body is described as “short and Rubenesque” or Aech who *spoiler warning* is an African American female whose online persona is a teenage male. The characters are well-rounded and, by the end of the journey, you will wish that they were your friends.

Something I found particularly interesting is Cline’s depiction of VR gaming and what he envisions it to be like in the future. Far from the clunky equipment and software that we have today, his view shows a piece of technology which contains thousands of alternate worlds and experiences which are as real (if not more) as real life. Due to the very difficult conditions of life on Earth that Cline predicts, children can even attend virtual schools on their government-issued VR sets. Although this may sound like an over exaggeration, with how society and the environment are progressing today, I think his predictions are very likely to come true in the near future.

Here’s hoping that the film reflects these small details of this book which make it such an outstanding read.

Watch this space!

With thanks to @Daisy Warner