Ready Player One

by Ernest Cline · 2008

Ready Player One, set in the bleak year 2045, follows Wade Watts, a teenager living in the poverty‑stricken "Stacks" who escapes his grim reality by immersing himself in the OASIS, a sprawling virtual universe. When the OASIS’s eccentric creator dies, he leaves a series of elaborate puzzles based on 1980s pop culture, promising his massive fortune and control of the OASIS to the first solver. Wade discovers the first clue and becomes the prime target of the corporate behemoth IOI, sparking a high‑stakes, worldwide scavenger hunt that blurs the line between virtual and real life. The novel blends dystopian commentary, adventure, and a love‑letter to retro video‑games and movies, delivering a fast‑paced quest that explores themes of identity, friendship, and the power of imagination.