I'll admit, I don't read very many books, but sometimes there will be one that catches my attention and gets me hooked. The moment I found out the premise of Ready Player One, I was instantly intrigued. An ode to 80's Pop Culture? Sign me up for that!
I was equally ecstatic when I found out that it was being made into a movie, directed by no less than Steven Spielberg.. Which was rather fitting considering how he played a vital role in the 80's pop culture, making him part of the book's lore.
So I made sure to read the book before the movie was released, just so that I could compare one with the other.
In case you're not aware, Ready Player One is a book by Ernest Cline, set in the future. The world has become quite a dreary place to live in, and a visionary game developer, James Halliday, created an entire virtual world called the "Oasis", where you can be anything. The Oasis evolves into more than just a game, and becomes a way of life.. And perhaps the most important commodity in the world.
Halliday had become such an icon (Think Steve Jobs x 100), that studying him and his pop culture favorites has become popular among the youth. When Halliday passes away, it is revealed that he has hidden three "keys" within the infinite worlds of the Oasis, which would lead to the coveted "Easter Egg". Whoever finds the egg wins Halliday's share of his company, essentially giving that person control of the Oasis.
Roughly around five years passes, and despite the efforts of the huge corporation,"IOI", who employed an army of gamers with the goal of gaining control of The Oasis, and several "Clans" throughout the world filled with experienced Egg Hunters (aka "Gunters") who aim to win in order to keep the integrity of Halliday's vision intact.. The scoreboard remained empty, making some people believe that the
Until one day.. A single name appears on the scoreboard.. "Parzival".
