Ready Reader One

This is something of a gamer geek novel - so I preface all my views with the caveat that like Neal Stevenson's REAMDE it may appeal to those, like me, of a certain sub-culture. The story-line itself is not so remarkable, civilization in deep decline in the next few decades yada yada. What makes this story interesting is the alternative that the majority of the population turn to in order to escape and a challenge that arises therein.
It is fast paced story that never seemed to drag. It has a great 1980's sub-plot if you have fond memories of early games, TV, books, film and computers. I found the characters and their gamer-style issues with RL (real-life) accurate and engaging. I found myself looking forward to the drive to work in the mornings (when I get to listen to my audiobooks) which doesn't often happen to me!
The narration by Wil Wheaton (of ST:TNG fame and avid gamer) is excellent, a really good choice and nice kind of twist as you will find out if you choose to listen.
All in all I consider this one of my best ever spontaneous buys on Audible after being a member for many years - highly recommended.

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42 people found this helpful

Great fun for geeks and children of the 80s

Wil Wheaton is the perfect narrator for this fun adventure story. I'm not a gamer but enjoyed the cultural references immensely particularly the music. I found the characters believeable and endearing and was even a little moved by a revelation about one of them towards the end. I can really see this as a film and have been mentally casting ever since.



It's a light read but I was completely gripped to the extent of going for long walks so that I could justify binge listening!

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9 people found this helpful

Back to The 80s

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. This is a great book for anyone who remembers the 80s - especially if you were a young teenager at that time.

What other book might you compare Ready Player One to, and why?

None that I have read.

What does Wil Wheaton bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

The narration was excellent. The characters were really brought to life. I smiled when he intoned the smilies added to the text messaging

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Ready Player One? - Can You Successfully Navigate the 1980's?

Any additional comments?

I was a little worried that this was a young adult type of book. I still don't know if that is the demographic the author was aiming for or not but there was enough "oh I remember that" moments in the book to make me believe the story was written for my age group. The storyline is nothing ground breaking but the book is written in such an entertaining way with lots of 80's references to keep a "kid of the 1980's" engaged and enthralled enough that the story sometimes takes a bit of a backseat. I just wish the author had included more references to the importance of Rock music during those magical times.

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3 people found this helpful

I love this book

Loved it, listening to it is one thing but having It read to you is so much more thrilling

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2 people found this helpful

Brilliant book! :)

I love this book and didn't want it to end. And perfectly narrated by Wil Wheaton.

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1 person found this helpful

Definite recommend

If you are 30-40 years old and have been interested in geek culture, gaming and movies from the 70s, 80s and 90s, then this book is for you. Fast paced and littered with nods to famous movies and games that caused me to smile each time I knew the subject matter. Thoroughly enjoyable and interesting enough that even if you are not in the target age bracket it will still keep you entertained.

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1 person found this helpful

Beautifully written & narrated

Highly recommended for the exciting storyline, the nostalgia fest for those of us old enough to remember dungeons and dragons and the assorted 80s iconography, and the sheer entertainment value. The best narration I've heard in ages. Well worth it.

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1 person found this helpful

Brilliant!!

Amazing narration and a great story. Not my usual go to book but I definitely recommend this audiobook.

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Great book but.....

Wheatons narration is superb and cannot be faulted on this book. The story is a clever idea and has some lovely geek and nerd references to suit everyone. That being said I found Clines writing to lack real substance. His characters (both in the real world and as avatars) are very flat. He also waffles too much in unnecessary places. I suspect this is why his second book Ready Player Two hasn’t been well received. It’s a shame because with some minor editing and a bit more thought to the actual protagonists this could have been a truly superb book and maybe even a cult classic in the years to come.
Personally I think Spielberg did a better job of the characters in the movie. In the book they come over as mostly unlikable and annoying but this is due to the lack of character depth more than the characters themselves.

Points for effort tho and worth a read.

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Fantastic on all fronts

winderfully enticing book, i felt as though it was written just for me, and the delivery from will wheaton was suprisingly impressive.

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