“If I was feeling depressed or frustrated about my lot in life, all I had to do was tap the Player One button, and my worries would instantly slip away as my mind focused itself on the relentless pixilated onslaught on the screen in front of me.” Ernest Cline, “Ready Player One”
“Ready Player One” by Ernest Cline is a retro trip back to the 80’s with references to movies and video games of that decade. This is a must read for video game fans and retro movies aficionados. The book is set in the future; the world is economically and environmentally in a worse condition. The oil crisis has caused countries to fight for the limited resources and buildings everywhere are war-torn. For the majority of the population who lives in poverty, any semblance to the serene scenes of the past is seen through the vast library of books, TV, Movies and video games that are archived on the OASIS.
The Internet has taken over the future and the OASIS is a new way to enjoy the medium of cyberspace. Lives are lived inside the system with gloves and body suits that allow you to feel what the simulated screen displays.
The world is in such a state of turmoil that the currency of the OASIS is more valuable than any other currency. It is like using Xbox Live Points to buy groceries. As a result of the growing poverty, people turn to the OASIS for their sanity and solace. The OASIS is so vital, that the government uses the system to house various schools.
The OASIS was programmed by Jimmy Holiday who grew up during the dawn of the video game era and was the world’s most famous game designer. After his death, Jimmy challenged users to find the hidden Easter Eggs in the OASIS. The first individual to pass the tests and solve the puzzles will win Jimmy Holiday’s fortune and inherit control of the OASIS.
The story follows the gamer avatar, Parizval (Wade Owen in real life) in his quest for the Easter Eggs. To win, he is going to have to think like Jimmy Holiday in order to solve various puzzles and classic video game challenges from the Atari and early coin operated era. He will have to submerse himself in the 80’s culture.
Those of us who grew up with John Hughes movies and placing a quarter on the side of the arcade machine to indicate, “you got the next game”, will enjoy Cline’s, “Ready Player One”. In Cline’s future when the Generation X’ers are old and enjoying the golden years, the teenagers of the era will mimic the style of the 80’s. You’ll hear bands covering OINGO BOINGO songs and watching movies like WAR Games religiously and memorizing dialog line-by-line.
In his debut novel, Ernest Cline portrays a gloomy reality with a bright cyber reality. Where everything 80’s is looked upon in pure adoration. The adventure plays out like an 80’s film. As I read the book I was like the kid in the Never Ending Story; I would read it during breaks at work and make time throughout the day to reach the conclusion. I was enthralled by the unraveling mysteries and the reference to 80’s games, movies and music as part of the quest.