Ready Player One-Ernest Cline

Ready Player One
Ernest Cline
Crown, Aug 16 2011, $24.00
ISBN: 9780307887436

In 2044, the real world is an ugly place to live, but those who do not want to die like high school student Wade Watts escape a high rise Lego like stacked trailer park via going virtual inside of the most popular online game, OASIS (Ontologically Anthropocentric Sensory Immersive Simulation). The late James Halliday constructed the electronic puzzler filed with riddle and games that has been home to billions of “gunters” competing for years to find the three magical keys to open the gates and therefore win the ultimate prize: ownership of the extremely successful and affluent OASIS Company.

Inside OASIS Wade’s character is impoverished Parzival. When Parzival finds the copper key and opens the first gate, other gunters chase after him. Worse are the "“Sixers”" working for IOI corporation led by Sorrento; their job is to prevent anyone from succeeding. Their agents are searching for the egg are called Sixers. As Sorrento plans to charge a fee for participating in the game, his agents hunt Parzival and his allies on line and Wade in reality.

Nostalgia 1980s fans will enjoy this futuristic Tron, as many of the games and other pop icons from that era appear inside of OASIS. The story line is at its best when Parzival works the clues while others stalk him; it slows down somewhat with overkill description of the games employed inside of OASIS. Still fans will enjoy this entertaining tale as virtual reality is the only thing keeping social reality from total splintering.

Harriet Klausner