Ready Player One is a wonderful geeky adventure through the 80s and 90s from the viewpoint of the future written by Fanboys screenplay writer Ernest Cline.  The setting is in the near future and just about everyone on the planet interacts with each other through OASIS, a fully immersive virtual reality.  From games to schools to businesses, most people live the bulk of their life in this virtual world.

The main plot revolves around Egg Hunting.  The creator of the world died five prior to events in the book and left all of his fortune and the company to the first person to clear three gates.  In order to find clues to the whereabouts of the gates players hunt for Easter Eggs left around the world.

In order to help them on their quest these Easter Egg Hunters study the creator’s love of 80s pop culture.  Throughout the book the characters play many old arcade games and watch 80s movies with reverence because the world creator loved them.  From Zork to D&D, 80s video games play a huge role in the story as well.

One of my friends complained that the author did not describe the world outside of OASIS enough in the book.  I disagree with this statement.  What we know of the world is that it is bleak and the populace is poor and down trodden.  There is not much to say other than that and the world of OASIS is much more interesting.

This book appeals to any child of the 80s, especially those who consider themselves geeks and nerds.  Cline also makes one feel as though they are immersed within OASIS along with the characters.  I personally would love to have someone create a similar game for me to play, but we are many years away from something on this scale.  And now for the scores; IGT gives Ready Player One an impressive 10 on the d10 of geeky culture.