Ready Player One

Ready Player One is a thrilling science fiction novel written by the talented Ernest Cline. Published by Cornerstone in 2012, this book has captivated readers across the globe with its unique blend of pop culture references and futuristic gaming scenarios. The story is set in the year 2044, where reality is an ugly place and 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. A world at stake. A quest for the ultimate prize. Are you ready?

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 ten thousand planets.