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  • Ready Player One

  • By: Ernest Cline
  • Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
  • Length: 15 hrs and 40 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (27,593 ratings)

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Ready Player One

By: Ernest Cline
Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
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Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

The book behind the major motion picture directed by Steven Spielberg.

Now a major motion picture directed by Steven Spielberg.

A world at stake. A quest for the ultimate prize. Are you ready?

It's the year 2044 and the real world has become an ugly place. We're out of oil. We've wrecked the climate. Famine, poverty and disease are widespread.

Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes this depressing reality by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia where you can be anything you want to be, where you can live and play and fall in love on any of 10,000 planets. And like most of humanity, Wade is obsessed by the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this alternate reality: OASIS founder James Halliday, who dies with no heir, has promised that control of the OASIS - and his massive fortune - will go to the person who can solve the riddles he has left scattered throughout his creation.

For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that the riddles are based in the culture of the late 20th century. And then Wade stumbles onto the key to the first puzzle.

Suddenly, he finds himself pitted against thousands of competitors in a desperate race to claim the ultimate prize, a chase that soon takes on terrifying real-world dimensions - and that will leave both Wade and his world profoundly changed.

If you loved Ready Player One and can't wait for more, check out Armada, Ernest Cline's latest geek masterpiece!

©2011 Ernest Cline (P)2012 Penguin Audio
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Editor reviews

Earth’s future is bleak in the gripping sci-fi fantasy audiobook Ready Player One, written by the brilliant Ernest Cline and narrated by American actor Wil Wheaton. Set in the near future, most of the human race have locked themselves into a virtual reality to escape the planet that the past generations had destroyed. Within this virtual existence lies the answer to infinite riches and Wade Watts spends every second on the treasure hunt. It is a frenzied race with countless players, all infected with desperation. The danger is intense and will affect them all.

Critic reviews

"Wildly original and stuffed with irresistible nostalgia, Ready Player One is a spectacularly genre-busting, ambitious, and charming debut." (Independent)

"Part intergalactic scavenger hunt, part romance, and all heart." (CNN)

"Ernest Cline’s novel deserves to be a modern classic." (SciFiNow)

What listeners say about Ready Player One

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First audio book

Very easy to follow nice story looking forward to the movie if the big screen can bring this to life they will have a big hit 👍

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Brilliant best book I have listened to this year

Enthralling contemporary subject liked the sci-fi element and the use of the virtual world of the intranet as an escape from the reality of a world of pollution, poverty.and decay. Get Ready Player One is a captivating book of romance, adventure, crime, computer hacking and friendships.

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Fantastic

Astoundingly good book, full of pop culture references while being set firmly in the future.
The reading was a bit flat - just one voice rather than a cast - and there wasn't any expression of excitement or fear.
Recommend especially to all those who like computer games and played them years ago

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Excellent

If you like pop culture trivia you will love this. Absorbing plot and excellent narration.

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Excellent!

I loved this book - so full of 80's pop culture references, just my cup of tea. Wil Wheaton reads it well enough, although he could have done with a little more intonation (but that is just my opinion). I had seen the film which is what prompted me to purchase the audio book - I was not disappointed.
Thoroughly reccomend.

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So much better than the movie

Was recommended this book because of how much I love 80’s pop culture
Really fun to listen to and easy for me to retain the information being read to me

Really recommend

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I really enjoyed this audiobook

filled with retro arcade and music references, with a great storey,
I really recommend this book

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Nostalgic, Exciting and Intriguing

It’s a great balance of world building and mystery. Once in the story just makes you want to keep listening! Absolutely fantastic performance by will Wheaton

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Fun adventure book to remove yourself from reality

Great book to blank your mind and build this world with limitless creativity.

What resonates with me is that if a technology like this existed, our society wouldn't be much different. The Oasis gives people a feeling of false connection and achievements just like how our social media and multiplayer games do.

It's a fun adventure book. Definitely worth a read before bed to drift off to.

This is my first fiction audio book, I have only bought educationaldevelopment books so far and will be sure to buy more fiction entering 2020.

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totally different from the film but so much better

totally different from the film but so much better its almost as if they were too different stories

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