Ready Player One for Two Credits
Ready Player One for Two Credits
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| Two Credits Ready Player One? |
Ready Player One has been out for years and the movie was just released when I came across it at a local library for two credits (50 cents). Having never held the book before or being interested in it I decided to pick it up and read the back cover. The back cover was littered with reviews and a quick synopsis of the story. After the reviews and the synopsis I decided to give it a go.
The book is split into three levels and I will separate it as such. I'll describe the plot and give my review of the book. So get ready player one.
Level One
Being Human totally sucks most of the time.
Videogames are the only thing that make life bearable.
-Anorak's Almanac, Chapter 91, Verses 1-2
This is the beginning level one. The story starts off with a high school student Wade Watts who is an impoverished teen living in a skyscraper made of old mobile homes. These skyscrapers are also called stacks. Wade lives with his aunt and her abusive boyfriend as his parents are both dead. Wade is a 1970's and 1908's guru. The current state of the world is in a post apocalyptic oil crash where everyone escapes life through the OASIS.
The OASIS is a virtual reality created by James Halliday and Ogden Morrow. Halliday created an Easter egg before he died which when completed gives his wealth to the OASIS player who mastered the complex task. The Easter egg is split into three parts with three separate keys and gates. Wade has been spending all his free time studying Halliday's manuscripts (Anorak's Almanac) and biographies to find clues to solve the egg. Wade currently is in grade twelve and is about to graduate. To escape his abusive family Wade has created safe space in an old van hidden in a grave yard of wrecked vehicles.
Wade's hiding spot has a school issued OASIS console with a standard viewing visor and sensor gloves. Wade logs into school and OASIS from here. His school is located on a planet that is for students and filled with multiple identical schools. Wade's best friend in OASIS is Aech who also is a high school student searching for Halliday's egg. In OASIS Wade's id is known as Parzival. During school hours Wade day dreams and reads forums of his favorite egg hunters or gunters. One blog he frequents is that of a young woman who's id is Art3mis.
The Easter egg has been out for years at this point and no one has found the first key. Wade has been studying the clue as well as every other person dreaming of wealth and glory. This has lead to groups of gunter that has teamed up to find the egg and to corporations that have put millions of dollars into the search. The IOI corporation or sixers as they are know as are seen as the enemies of OASIS as they are trying to find the egg to make OASIS a monthly charge service instead of being free. The sixers control internet access to millions of people and have watch over many real world people.
Wade and Aech have multiple meetings a month in a private chatroom that is hosted by Aech. Aech's chatroom is littered with 1970's and 1980's posters, magazines, games, and pop culture. Here Wade and Aech play video games together and have movie marathons. Aech also invites other friends and they have parties together and all try to figure out the clues Halliday has left. Wade also sometimes uses Aech to travel to other planets and gain experience as he is relatively poor and can't afford to travel often.
One day in class Wade has an epiphany and discovers the meaning to the first clue that Halliday had left to find the first key:
The Copper Key awaits explorers
In a tomb filled with horrors
But you have much to learn
If you hope to earn
A place among the high scorers
Wade discovers that there is a dungeons and dragons expansion pack that is a tomb filled with horrors. To Wade's excitement he also finds out that it is located on the same planet as his school. In a stroke of luck to he can transport to a school close to the tomb as his school team is playing close to the tomb and with a school transport ticket he can travel for free. Wade decides to travel to the school and runs to the tomb's entrance.
Wade's effort has paid off and he clears the path to the final altar where he finds Halliday's avatar Anorak which greats Parzival and challenges him to a game of joust. The match is set up as a best of three. Wade and Halliday battle it out and Wade wins the best of three and is awarded the copper key for beating Halliday. The next clue from the copper key was: What you seek lies hidden in the trash on the deepest level of Daggorath. Wade knows exactly where this is an attempts to exit the tomb through the path he came.
Wade makes it almost to the exit where he is stopped by another avatar who is revealed to be his idol Art3mis. She has discovered the gate previously and has being trying to beat joust every night for a few weeks but couldn't. She holds Wade with a magic spell. Wade gives Art3mis a clue to defeating Anorak and she leaves Wade. Once the magic spell breaks Wade continues his journey to the first gate. The first gate "The copper gate" is located in a recreation of Halliday's room and is accessed after Wade beats Dungeons of Daggarath. A gate appears on the bedroom wall and Wade uses the copper key to open the gate. Wade is transported into the movie WarGames and has to recite the movie word for word to clear the gate.
Once the first gate was cleared Wade unlocked the second riddle for the second key "The Jade Key":
Once the first gate was cleared Wade unlocked the second riddle for the second key "The Jade Key":
The captain conceals the Jade Key
in a dwelling long neglected
But you can only blow the whistle
once the trophies are all collected
Wade's avatar Parzival is now in first place with a copper gate beside his name. He also notices that Art3mis is in second place. Wade takes some much needed sleep and Art3mis clears the gate too and they are within one thousand points of each other. Wades new found glory is apparent and everyone is messaging Wade and looking for hints on the first gate and want interviews and endorsement from him. He has also caught the attention of IOI which has messaged him and want to meet with him.Nolan Sorrento the head of operations wrote the email himself and invited him to a private meeting with him. At this point Aech and two others (Shoto and Daito) have found the copper key and cleared the copper gate.
Wade decides to talk with Sorrento and see what his offer is however he says he will never accept and offer from him as IOI is an evil corporation trying to destroy OASIS. Wade meets Sorrento in a private chatlink. Wade is taken to a virtual IOI planet that mimics the real IOI headquarters. Wade and Sorrento talk for awhile. Sorrento offers Wade some deals but Wade doesn't accept deal and offers his own to mock Sorrento. Sorrento's attitude changes and he tells Wade that he knows his real name and where he lives. Then a live feed of the stack where Wade lives is shown and Sorrento threatens to kill Wade if he doesn't tell him where the copper key and gate are. Wade refuses and leaves the chatlink and OASIS. A loud explosion is heard and Wade realizes that his aunt is dead and the threat was real. Wade was in his hideout so he is left unscathed. Wade logs back into OASIS and meets with Aech, Art3mis, Shoto and Daito in a chatroom. Wade tells them what happened with IOI and that his aunt has been killed by them.
After this Wade decides he has to leave the stacks and finds an apartment in Columbus. He gets a bus ticket and decides to get a new I.D. to hide his real name. Also IOI has found out where the first key and gate are so they have filled the scoreboard and are continually obtaining more keys and going through the gate continuously. Wade takes a bus to Columbus and then takes a taxi to his new apartment. He installs a new security system and takes extra precautions to make his apartment completely safe.
Wade decides to talk with Sorrento and see what his offer is however he says he will never accept and offer from him as IOI is an evil corporation trying to destroy OASIS. Wade meets Sorrento in a private chatlink. Wade is taken to a virtual IOI planet that mimics the real IOI headquarters. Wade and Sorrento talk for awhile. Sorrento offers Wade some deals but Wade doesn't accept deal and offers his own to mock Sorrento. Sorrento's attitude changes and he tells Wade that he knows his real name and where he lives. Then a live feed of the stack where Wade lives is shown and Sorrento threatens to kill Wade if he doesn't tell him where the copper key and gate are. Wade refuses and leaves the chatlink and OASIS. A loud explosion is heard and Wade realizes that his aunt is dead and the threat was real. Wade was in his hideout so he is left unscathed. Wade logs back into OASIS and meets with Aech, Art3mis, Shoto and Daito in a chatroom. Wade tells them what happened with IOI and that his aunt has been killed by them.
After this Wade decides he has to leave the stacks and finds an apartment in Columbus. He gets a bus ticket and decides to get a new I.D. to hide his real name. Also IOI has found out where the first key and gate are so they have filled the scoreboard and are continually obtaining more keys and going through the gate continuously. Wade takes a bus to Columbus and then takes a taxi to his new apartment. He installs a new security system and takes extra precautions to make his apartment completely safe.
Level Two
I'm not crazy about reality, but it's
still the only place to get a decent meal
-Groucho Max
Wade and Art3mis have been meeting regularly and have been chatting with each other lately. Wade is falling in love with Art3mis even though they haven't met in real life. Art3mis is more concerned with the easter egg than Wade. Art3mis and Wade team up and complete some quests together to try and find clues for the jade key. During this time Wade is basically falling apart from his best friend Aech who he basically ignores for Art3mis.
Wade continues to try and solve the second easter egg riddle but he can't seem to find any clues that will lead to the Jade key's location. Wade continues to watch re-runs from the 1980's and 1970's. Wade focuses on the captain part of the second riddle. He figures out that the captain is the alias for a hacker and the whistle is the toy found in a box of captain crunch. However, Wade has no clue where the box is located.
Wade receives an invitation to Oden Morrow's birthday party. He decides to go to the party which is 80's themed. Art3mis is also going to the party and they will meet at the party and dance together and hang out. Wade goes to the birthday party which is held in an extravagant building shaped as a sphere. Wade meets Art3mis at the party and they dance together and Wade expresses his love for Art3mis and she doesn't seem to share the same feelings.
At this time Morrow's party is disrupted by an onslaught of IOI avatars seeking to kill as many avatars as they can. IOI is planning to kill Wade and Art3mis to remove them from the scoreboard and make IOI have an unfair advantage in the Easter egg hunt. Wade survives the attack as does Art3mis both are hurt but essentially are still in the hunt. Art3mis escapes from the party and leaves Wade alone.
Wade tries to contact Art3mis but she ignores him and Wade becomes somewhat depressed and focuses back to Halliday's hunt. Wade is still stumped by the second clue and is gaining no progress in the hunt. Art3mis keeps ignoring his messages and seems to be advancing closer and closer to obtaining the second key.
Suddenly Art3mis discovers the location of the second key and her score jumps into first place. To Wade's shock and horror Aech also discovers the second key. Wade is depressed and feels lost in the hunt as he feels he wasted too much time and didn't focus on the hunt enough. Aech gives Wade a clue and basically leads him to the second key which is located in Zork. Zork is an old video game that has a trophy case and the game is finished when all the trophies are collected.
Wade goes to the planet where Zork is located and he finds a hidden whistle in the kitchen cupboard of the house where Zork is located. Wade then goes to the living room and starts collecting the trophies in Zork. He finishes Zork and collects all the trophies. Once he completes the task he blows the whistle. The Jade Key appears and he takes it. The key is covered by silver foil and he unwraps it to discover the key's clue. Continue your quest by taking the test. Wade reads it over and over but IOI has discovered the key's location so Wade escapes the planet just in time to not be killed in action by the IOI avatars.
Wade continues to try and solve the second easter egg riddle but he can't seem to find any clues that will lead to the Jade key's location. Wade continues to watch re-runs from the 1980's and 1970's. Wade focuses on the captain part of the second riddle. He figures out that the captain is the alias for a hacker and the whistle is the toy found in a box of captain crunch. However, Wade has no clue where the box is located.
Wade receives an invitation to Oden Morrow's birthday party. He decides to go to the party which is 80's themed. Art3mis is also going to the party and they will meet at the party and dance together and hang out. Wade goes to the birthday party which is held in an extravagant building shaped as a sphere. Wade meets Art3mis at the party and they dance together and Wade expresses his love for Art3mis and she doesn't seem to share the same feelings.
At this time Morrow's party is disrupted by an onslaught of IOI avatars seeking to kill as many avatars as they can. IOI is planning to kill Wade and Art3mis to remove them from the scoreboard and make IOI have an unfair advantage in the Easter egg hunt. Wade survives the attack as does Art3mis both are hurt but essentially are still in the hunt. Art3mis escapes from the party and leaves Wade alone.
Wade tries to contact Art3mis but she ignores him and Wade becomes somewhat depressed and focuses back to Halliday's hunt. Wade is still stumped by the second clue and is gaining no progress in the hunt. Art3mis keeps ignoring his messages and seems to be advancing closer and closer to obtaining the second key.
Suddenly Art3mis discovers the location of the second key and her score jumps into first place. To Wade's shock and horror Aech also discovers the second key. Wade is depressed and feels lost in the hunt as he feels he wasted too much time and didn't focus on the hunt enough. Aech gives Wade a clue and basically leads him to the second key which is located in Zork. Zork is an old video game that has a trophy case and the game is finished when all the trophies are collected.
Wade goes to the planet where Zork is located and he finds a hidden whistle in the kitchen cupboard of the house where Zork is located. Wade then goes to the living room and starts collecting the trophies in Zork. He finishes Zork and collects all the trophies. Once he completes the task he blows the whistle. The Jade Key appears and he takes it. The key is covered by silver foil and he unwraps it to discover the key's clue. Continue your quest by taking the test. Wade reads it over and over but IOI has discovered the key's location so Wade escapes the planet just in time to not be killed in action by the IOI avatars.
Wade continues to recite the bkey's clue in his head and he examines the silver wrapper looking for a hidden message inside it. Chaos is also breaking out in OASIS as everyone now knows where the second key is and IOI is battling gunters and other avatars. Numerous IOI members and gunters are obtaining the Jade key and trying to discover its secret to find the second gate. Wade after some time discovers the clue in the wrapper as it turned into an origami unicorn. Wade knows now he has to take a Voight-Kampff test from blade runner. He finds the closest Voight-Kampff machine and goes there and makes it to the test.
Wade finds himself in the video game black tiger. He has to complete the game as the main character to clear the gate. Wade completes the game and is given a reward for finishing the gate. The reward is a robot. Some robots are missing which means they were chosen already by people who already cleared the gate. Wade chooses a robot and then a picture appears with a key. Wade takes a screen shot and knows exactly where the third crystal key is located.
The crystal key is located on a planet that recreates rush`s 2112 album. Rush was Halliday`s favourite band and he put them in his hunt because of this. Wade goes and obtains the crystal key with ease as he knows Rush`s song by heart. Wade discovers a clue taht the third gate has to be unlocked by multiple people at the same time. Wade comes up with a plan and messages his friends the location of the crystal key but never replies to their emails of why he told them where it was.
Level Three
Going outside is highly overrated
-Anorak's Almanac, Chapter 17, Verse 32
Wade gets arrested by the IOI corporate police after they gain access to his fortified apartment by cutting a hole through his reinforced door that was supposed to keep him safe. Once Wade is arrested he is taken to the IOI corporations main building in Columbus. There he is given his brand new IOI prisoner uniform and equipped with a ear camera that monitors his every move. Wade's fake ID Bryce Lynch owes the IOI corporation over twenty thousand dollars. Wade takes an assessment to see where he will spend his time while paying off the debt to IOI. Wade lies on the assessment so he won't be put on a team that is designated to look for the Easter egg. He is given a job at technical support that pays $28,500 a year. However, IOI charges rent and utilities for all prisoners so after those bills are paid Wade will be in more debt so wade is basically a slave for IOI.
The days pass and Wade becomes a drone picking up phone calls and answering redundant questions for twelve hour shifts. Wade after work spends his nights in a small sleeping cubical that is just large enough for him to lay in. His only access to technology is through the IOI intranet which only provides propaganda and IOI training videos. Wade has become sleep deprived and is falling asleep at work so he has been provided pills to keep him awake during his work shift.
Wade however has a plan which was set in motion by his arrest and is basically to destroy the shield that is surrounding Anorak's castle. Wade previously bought high level security codes for IOI systems but they couldn't be used unless he had access to the IOI intranet. Wade created fake debt and got arrested to gain access to the intranet. Wade has hacked his ear camera and sleeping cubical camera to hide what he is really doing. Wade is searching IOI's files and discovering who is holding the shield generator and what IOI is up to.
Wade discovers that IOI is planning to kill Art3mis and Shoto so he decides to escape earlier than originally planned to warn them. Wade also backs up IOI's data to a hard drive which he will take when he leaves. Wade puts on a uniform of an IOI employee with high security and plans to walk out of the building. He removes his ear camera and attempts to leave the building. Wade is successful up until an IOI employee tell him that his ear is bleeding. Wade then leaves IOI's building and escapes onto the street.
Wade logs into a public OASIS terminal that isn't owned by IOI. He then warns Art3mis and Shoto of the plans to kidnap and kill them. They thank Wade and go on the run and leave their residences to stay safe. They then all come up with a plan for a great battle. A battle to end all battles in OASIS.
Here is where I will let you read the book and enjoy the ending in its entirety with twists and turns. Good luck and leave a comment on your thoughts of the book.
Here is where I will let you read the book and enjoy the ending in its entirety with twists and turns. Good luck and leave a comment on your thoughts of the book.
My Thoughts
Ready Player One is a well written book that brings nostalgia and video games together. The OASIS is a great way to spend your time and the apocalyptic world is a great touch to make people stay in the OASIS to escape their problem filled lives.
The first part of the book really sets the stage for the rest of the book. Everyone is trying so hard to find the Easter egg and they are all part of a team in that they want to beat IOI to the end gate. The notion that anyone can become rich by completing an Easter egg is what keeps the book exciting. The second part of the book is the grind that all video game players know. We read on and learn new skills and new abilities. The second part of the book sets up the battle and the final fight. The third part of the book is the final push where the good guys and bad guys fight head to head. At any point both sides could win or lose. This keeps the reader on their heels and keep reading the book. The ending is great and full of plot twists and turns.
The story progresses constantly and never allows for any boring parts. Anyone who likes video games or nostalgic references from the 70's and 80's can find enjoyment in this book. The book is great and can be enjoyed by people of all ages. I would recommend picking up this book immediately for anything under five dollars as it is worth every penny. As for paying full price I would say buy it if you enjoy video game culture and a great adventure story.
My final rating is 9 out of 10. Almost a flawless book for an avid gamer.
Wade is a great protagonist and is a likable character who everyone wants to succeed. He comes from a troubled family and has little to no money to live in the real world so he seeks refuge in the OASIS. This is an escape for him and he even has to use a public school console because he can't afford his own private console. Throughout the book we get to see Wade grow from a high school student who is lost in video games to a young man who is interested in changing the world and gaining a new look on life.
The first part of the book really sets the stage for the rest of the book. Everyone is trying so hard to find the Easter egg and they are all part of a team in that they want to beat IOI to the end gate. The notion that anyone can become rich by completing an Easter egg is what keeps the book exciting. The second part of the book is the grind that all video game players know. We read on and learn new skills and new abilities. The second part of the book sets up the battle and the final fight. The third part of the book is the final push where the good guys and bad guys fight head to head. At any point both sides could win or lose. This keeps the reader on their heels and keep reading the book. The ending is great and full of plot twists and turns.
The story progresses constantly and never allows for any boring parts. Anyone who likes video games or nostalgic references from the 70's and 80's can find enjoyment in this book. The book is great and can be enjoyed by people of all ages. I would recommend picking up this book immediately for anything under five dollars as it is worth every penny. As for paying full price I would say buy it if you enjoy video game culture and a great adventure story.
My final rating is 9 out of 10. Almost a flawless book for an avid gamer.
Characters
Wade is a great protagonist and is a likable character who everyone wants to succeed. He comes from a troubled family and has little to no money to live in the real world so he seeks refuge in the OASIS. This is an escape for him and he even has to use a public school console because he can't afford his own private console. Throughout the book we get to see Wade grow from a high school student who is lost in video games to a young man who is interested in changing the world and gaining a new look on life.
The antagonist Sorrento is a well written character that has a certain feel of a bond villain that won't quit until he wins the prize at the end of the tunnel. He really isn't in the book that often but when he is he delivers cunning lines and poses a huge problem to Wade and his gang.
The addition of Art3mis to the book allows for the story to have a love like plot. Without her the story wouldn't be the same. She adds some realism to the story and makes Wade forget about the egg at times and give into his primal feelings. Art3mis is mysterious and plays Wade on his heels which is great.
Aech's character is the best friend who gets deserted for the girl. Aech is a good character to add some comedy and a nice chatroom touch to the book. Aech's chatroom is the meeting place where many things go and where the magic was made.
Daito and Shoto are filler characters that add some depth to the story and allow for a foreign touch. They could basically be replaced by any other characters and only really are necessary for Wade to complete the Ultraman quest.
Some other characters make cameos and a couple avatars also. I have omitted some characters to leave some mystery and to allow the reader to discover them.
Some other characters make cameos and a couple avatars also. I have omitted some characters to leave some mystery and to allow the reader to discover them.
references
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline ---- All quotes and references were taken from the book.
The opinions expressed and summary are solely mine. No other person`s opinions are expressed in this article
Thanks for reading
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