On a walk and talk with a GF, when I told her about my adventures in Second Life, she recommended Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. The story, set in 2044, shows a society that spends more time in an online avatar driven world called OASIS, than they do in real life. When the creator of OASIS dies, he leaves a puzzle with the prize being that the winner would become the heir to his estate.
The creator of OASIS, Halliday, was a teen in the 80’s so all of the puzzle solutions were found in obscure 80’s video games, movies, music, and role playing games. I enjoyed the nostalgia; this book is an 80’s tribute.I enjoyed the descriptions of the online game components, comparing them with what I experience in Second Life.
The protagonist, Wade, was a high school senior and a devout Halliday fan. When he solves the first puzzle, he’s famous, but also a target for the corporation whose goal is to win the prize first Relationships in real life vs online are explored. Ummm, that cute girl avatar may be dude. The story unfolds with how the puzzles are solved.
Because this encompasses 2 of my favorite things, I really enjoyed the book.
