A bit of a break from the norm for me here, but I’ve got to write about Ready Player One, a novel by Ernest Cline that I’d have to say is essential reading for anyone even remotely interested in the the films, music and video games of the 80s.
If you’re a fan of the 80s and Video Games in particular, it’s your Geek Nirvana of a book, the entire thing is packed cover-to-cover with Pop Culture references. On top of that, it’s a great read too.
The story is set in the near-future, where every man and his dog spends most of their waking day connected to The Oasis, a massive virtual reality simulation/game which has pretty much taken over the world. Its creator, an 80s fan named Halliday, dies and leaves one last game, a search for the Easter Egg. Halliday releases a video when he dies which is chock-full of references to games, TV, films and music from the 80s, challenging everyone using the Oasis to search for his hidden Easter Egg. The first one to do so, inherits the entire thing.
Cue individuals, clans and corporations devoting their whole lives to it, some aiming to get it no matter what the cost. The rest of book is played out through video game challenges, movie and game references, music and just about anything to send someone of my age careering straight into Nostalgia City. I’m not going to give away any more of the plot than that, I want other people to discover it as they go, just as I did.
If you’re into video games in particular, you have to read it, it’s as simple as that. If you enjoy treasure-hunts, adventure, and the 80s, the same is true. It’s absolutely brilliant and I urge anyone to give it a go. As I have very little time to actually read anything these days, I bought it as an audiobook from Audible and listened to it during my work commutes and at lunch, and the narration by Geek favourite Wil Wheaton just adds to the atmosphere.