Ready Player One
In the year 2044. reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts *really* feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines--puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. But when Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win--and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape. (Provided by publisher).
Themes & atmosphere
Books in conversation with Ready Player One
A few of the closest reads from our full list.
What you might want to know about Ready Player One
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
In 2045, most people live inside the OASIS. When its creator dies, he leaves his fortune to whoever can solve a series of 1980s-era puzzles. Wade Watts, a poor teen in the stacks, decides to compete.
Yes. Steven Spielberg directed a 2018 film adaptation. The film changes many specific 1980s pop-culture references because of licensing limits but preserves the core OASIS quest premise.
Yes. Ernest Cline published Ready Player Two in 2020. Reception was mixed; many fans of the first book found the sequel weaker.
Ready Player One was written by Ernest Cline, published in 2011 by Broadway Books.
Ready Player One is 462 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Ready Player One takes most readers 7 to 10 hours to finish.
Ready Player One is a standalone novel by Ernest Cline, not part of a series.
Ready Player One is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.