Book to Movie: Ready Player One Review

Category: Apple Blossom-a story that seduces you

Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopian Fiction, LitRPG

A brief disclaimer: I am not a gamer. I did not grow up with video games; when I am talked into playing video games, they are stressful and not relaxing; and when I am playing, I often end up thinking about all the things I could be doing besides playing. And yet I was thrilled by this “literary role playing game.” Reading Ready Player One feels like all the fun I wish I had playing video games. Almost makes me want to actually play. Almost. Just after this next book…

Ready Player One is set in a dystopic future where the world is a mess, so everyone escapes into the free virtual reality of the OASIS (sound eerily familiar?). In the OASIS, users can be whoever or whatever they want to be. When the creator of the OASIS dies, he leaves behind clues to his fortune hidden within the OASIS. Everyone in the OASIS has an equal chance of figuring out the riddles and winning the prize. When the main character learns that the corporation, IOI, is trying to win the prize in order to start charging players access to the OASIS, he teams up to win the prize first.

This is your David and Goliath story caught behind the screen of a videogame, and it’s fantastic. Cline marvels the reader with his ability to slide between reality and virtual reality. He intrigues the reader by sending them on the hunt to figure out the riddles and puzzle out the next clue. He champions the underdog and sets the reader on the path to victory. And whether or not every reader gets the pop culture and gamer references, Cline does a great job of embedding readers in his world.

And the movie destroys all of that. This was a classic case of directors and producers taking their “creative license” too liberally. They changed all of the riddles and puzzles, dumbing it down for the audience. They also pull the classic move of relegating the awesome female character to a side piece that only exists as the love interest. If you need convincing from a professional, watch this A-Town Review.