Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline

 

Oh my goodness. This book went so far off the deep end that not even infinite space can save it. 

There was almost something good here, some real questions to think about. It could have gone in the direction of, How technology interferes with relationships  or How humanity's dependence on technology can get us into trouble. The book could have delved into humanity's psychological need for escapism. There were any number of interesting and intelligent routes the author could have taken, but instead, we ended up on The Afterworld -- a virtual planet dedicated to Prince -- for an insanely long time, all while people's lives hung in the balance.

Ready Player Two picks up -- after a lot of exposition -- a few years after the first book ends. The "five" heroes of Ready Player One have settled into their positions as owners of GSS with Og advising, and the business growing. Wade (Parzival) is lonely and more dependent on the Oasis than ever, with nothing to really do. 

With all the access he's gained as Halliday's heir, Wade discovers an unreleased piece of tech known as an ONI headset. They're different than the suits worn in the first book because the ONI actually detaches your consciousness from your body, and puts it into your Oasis avatar. This allows you to feel virtual experiences like you're really living them. The only catch is your mind separates from your body in order for this to happen.

Everyone but Samantha (Art3mis) agrees to release the ONI into the world, so out it goes and everyone is hooked. At the same that this happens, a new quest appears in the Oasis that only the heir can complete. The 7 Shards of the Siren's Soul. Wade teams up with his crew, and with a little outside help, it begins.

Then, like last time, there's some serious trouble and a powerful enemy (not the Sixers this time) and Wade is forced to think fast, while puzzling out the quest, to save the day.

What is nice is that it takes the collective knowledge of all the players to get the job done. Wade doesn't have all the insider knowledge himself. In fact, he would've failed the quest if he'd worked alone.

The crazy starts after once we move on from the quest. Without revealing the specifics, the book ends up in this 2001: A Space Odyssey place, with copies of people's consciousness awakening in a virtual reality on a trip through space. The book gets into it more eloquently, and I promise I didn't really ruin anything for you. But, you need to know the ending is just weird and almost uncomfortably sorted out -- like the end of a Spielberg movie.

Parts of Ready Player Two met my expectations after liking book one, but most did not. It's a sequel you can avoid -- I promise.

Also by Ernest Cline:

• Ready Player One
• Armada

Armada by Ernest Cline

Let me preface this by saying that I love authors who go retro in any way, especially since going retro these days means diving into 80's and early 90's culture, also known as my childhood. Ready Player One moved both forward and backward at the same time with it's combination of a dystopian future and a preference for the "old school," and Armada attempts to do the same by combing a love for traditional arcade video games with the possibility of a real space invasion.

The difference, though, between these two books is that Ready Player One takes you on journey that's a slow build. Armada happens fast, quickly jumping from an introduction to our main character, Zack Lightman, to an array of fast-moving action and dire situations. This means very few other characters beside Zack can build any momentum on their own. Everyone else in the book is tied to Zack - what they do for him or with him. What they say to Zack and what he sees of their actions crafts the entire story. With everything coming at you so fast from a singular perspective, some of the zing is definitely taken out of the story.

And it's such a fun story (but not a new one.) The idea that video games are really just simulators preparing the people of Earth to fight against insurmountable odds - how can it not be fun? Throw in an homage to old rock n' roll and traditional video arcades and you're putting people into nostalgia heaven. Watch out for the ending though. It's a little Spielberg-esque (everything wraps up a bit too neatly.)

All that being said, I think the best thing about this book is how the characters respond to making the wrong decisions. Guilt, denial, remorse - these emotions within the book feel very real and bring down the fantastical aspects of the plot, which I believe does the book good.

It's not going to be the best book you've ever read, and it won't meet your expectations if you think it's going be like Ready Player One, but it's an enjoyable adventure story that also has space travel in it, and a few unexpected surprises.

Also by Ernest Cline

• Ready Player One