Ready Player One - Ernest Cline

Read 03.16.18

Previous to picking up Ready Player One, I haven’t read any fiction novels for over a year, but I decided to do so in anticipation of the upcoming movie release.

Ready Player One is set in 2044, a distant (but near?) future in which virtual reality technology has advanced far enough for humanity to coexist in both the physical and virtual worlds. The virtual world, called OASIS, was created by James Halliday, a billionaire who upon death, announces that his fortune is hidden within the OASIS— instigating a world-wide treasure hunt involving corrupt corporations, cooperative communities (clans), and dedicated individuals (Gunters). Ready Player One follows the perspective of Wade Watts (aka Parzival) in his search for the Halliday’s Easter Egg.

Beyond the pleasure of being engaged in a fast-paced plot that stimulates personal gaming experiences of unlocking achievements and progressing through quests, Ready Player One questions the concept of genuineness.

A virtual world composed of virtual societies formed by virtual identities, where you can be and do anything you can think of, is an attractive idea. And as the more “real” it gets, the more it would serve as an escape from reality— an immersive, digital paradise. Bullied kids role-playing as powerful warriors, or the less fortunate masquerading as wealthy businessmen and women. It may come to a point where such individuals prefer the virtual over the physical, and understandably so. The question is, then, if such phenomena come to be, where virtual and physical worlds co-exist but cannot be co-inhabited (since your actions in the virtual world are not translated nor replicated in the physical), should the degree of immersion be regulated? If a family member decides to fully dedicate their lives to living in the virtual realm, should we respect that decision? It is a tricky question. In Ready Player One, the virtual world isn’t just a game, but a functional society with a government, jobs, currency, and infrastructure. The book mentions how in the virtual world, minorities can distance themselves from their identities and obtain far more opportunities than they would in reality. However, would allowing such personas to pursue their virtual lifestyle be truly beneficial? For the individual, maybe, but it could also be argued that continuing to run away from the problem would only lengthen its lifespan in the real world. I for one, do not have a definite answer. Under the circumstances that this “virtual world” only operates as a video game in which players fight, level-up, and complete quests, things would be more black-and-white. However, given the technological advancements and the possibility for virtual reality to truly be a different reality, things are more gray than anything else.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Ready Player One and will definitely be purchasing a ticket to the movie.