Review: Ready Player One, Ernest Cline

Review of Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ready Player One was an enjoyable read. It is however loaded with a great deal of 80s references and nostalgia. I understood 90% of the films, games and gadget references that litter the story line because I grew up in the eighties and experienced many of these things first-hand. So for me, the references made sense and brought up some fond old memories. I suspect that self indulgence and reminiscing over old memories is a strong part of what makes this book a good read. But if you do not have a strong interest in 80s popular culture, I fear that you may get completely lost with this book.
The portrayal of Japanese people in Ready Player One is severely clichéd. Everyone is bowing constantly and saying, 'You have honour.' That aspect of the book could have been improved.

That said, the story itself is engaging, and the characters are likeable. The plot was well worked out and had enough twists and turns to keep me on the edge of my seat, wanting to know what happens next. That's not an easy thing to achieve. The book is well thought out, and has an interesting story line. There were some interesting concepts introduced, and the virtual world called OASIS was detailed and credible. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Ready Player One. It is an accomplished first novel and worthy of a five star rating.

Ernest Cline

I would recommend this book to anyone who grew up in the eighties and has a history of geekiness.  Amazon

[Posted by: Peter James West, author of the science fiction series: Tales of Cinnamon City.]

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