In a recent visit to a client in Texas, I entered into a discussion with the family about interesting books we had each read. One of my client's sons - a Millennial - told me about "Ready Player One" by Ernest Cline. The plot and structure reminded me of some of the novels of Neal Stephenson that I have come to appreciate, so I decided to add the book to my reading list. Before I left Austin to return to Boston, my client's son graciously gifted me with his lovingly dog-eared copy of the novel, and I was off on a fantastic journey.
While the primary audience for this tale of a hi-tech and high stakes multiplayer contest is Young Readers, this Baby Boomer thoroughly enjoyed the story and the literary style that Mr. Cline brings to his craft. The plot revolves around a dystopian world in 2044. Teenager Wade Watts is an orphan living with a drug-addled relative. His only real pleasure as he seeks to stay alive is experienced when he is on line playing games and solving riddles in cyberspace.
Things take an interesting turn when the will is read of a billionaire game designer. The will announces that the winner of a complex scavenger hunt will receive the bulk of the hermit's fortune. And the race is on, pitting Wade and a few of his on-line friends against a devious global cartel that will stop at nothing to claim the prize and eventually gain control over all of cyberspace.
The pace of the narrative is non-stop action, intrigue, and hidden dangers. Players whose default setting is independence and isolation have to choose to adapt and become interdependent if they want to survive this deadly sprint and claim the prize. The science and science fiction that the author describes are both fascinating and plausible. The novel is full of fun allusions to pop culture phenomena from the 1980's, when Halladay, the billionaire game developer, was in his heyday.
The journey through the novel's almost 400 pages is well worth the investment of time and brain share.
Enjoy!
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