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Ready Player One Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Ernest Cline (Author), Wil Wheaton (Narrator), Random House AudioBooks (Publisher)

27,364 ratings

in Cyberpunk Science Fiction

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Brought to you by Penguin.

Now a major motion picture directed by Steven Spielberg.

A world at stake. A quest for the ultimate prize. Are you ready?

It's the year 2044 and the real world has become an ugly place. We're out of oil. We've wrecked the climate. 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 10,000 planets. And like most of humanity, Wade is obsessed by the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this alternate reality: OASIS founder James Halliday, who dies with no heir, has promised that control of the OASIS - and his massive fortune - will go to the person who can solve the riddles he has left scattered throughout his creation.

For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that the riddles are based in the culture of the late 20th century. And then Wade stumbles onto the key to the first puzzle.

Suddenly, he finds himself pitted against thousands of competitors in a desperate race to claim the ultimate prize, a chase that soon takes on terrifying real-world dimensions - and that will leave both Wade and his world profoundly changed.

If you loved Ready Player One and can't wait for more, check out Armada, Ernest Cline's latest geek masterpiece!

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Product details

Listening Length	15 hours and 40 minutes
Author	Ernest Cline
Narrator	Wil Wheaton
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com.au Release Date	05 April 2012
Publisher	Random House AudioBooks
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B00NPCJ1BO
Best Sellers Rank	172 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) 1 in Cyberpunk Science Fiction 2 in Adventure Science Fiction 3 in Science Fiction Adventures

Customer reviews

5 star		78%
4 star		15%
3 star		5%
2 star		2%
1 star		2%

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Top reviews from Australia

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Rabid Reader

2 and a half stars

Reviewed in Australia on 7 December 2018

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This is really strange, because this rating started off as a 3 and went to a 2 and a half as I was writing and thinking of what I wanted to say. So why did this happen? Well here goes--and I'm only trying to be honest here, so please sheath the claws, I know some dedicated fans get a little rabid.
1: World building: I honestly liked the authors take on the world where our hero lived, and because we got the lowdown at the very beginning I could "picture" his life and world more clearly from the get go. LOVED the world building as it's easy to "see" what the author wanted you to.
2: Characters: Now here we have a little bit of a let down-FOR ME. Although our hero started out great, and I immediately empathised with him, that quickly changed. It was over -for me - as soon he turned into my worst nightmare - a Mary Sue - he simply could do no wrong, and obviously had a photographic memory, and was an expert at, well, pretty much everything, yada, yada, yada. If you haven't guessed yet, I HATE Mary Sues with a vengence. They should all die hideously--- something involving getting eaten alive by a business of rabid ferrets. Personally, I like characters to have to work for their prize, and if they suffer a little by doing that, then that's all for the better. I want to see them "grow".
3: The secondary characters: No growth whatsoever, what could have been a fun enjoyable group became just back-ups to the Mary Sue and what he was doing. And that was a real pity as they had some great potential.
4: 80'S Nostalgia: Whilst I have to admit, I enjoyed all the references at first ( I grew up in the 80's after all). I really started to get a bit aggravated (well pi$$ed of to the extreme if I'm honest) every time something was mentioned .... like say he made a reference to Liven On A Prayer, it would be Liven On A Prayer by Glam Metal Band, Bon Jovi, from their Slippery When Wet album that was released in 1986 on the Mercury Label, etc,etc,etc. After the initial references I started to become a little peeved because the book started to sound like an add for the 80's, and although I had one hell of a good time then (from the bits I still remember ;D ), it actually started to distract from the story. It was just way, way to overdone - for my tastes.
Finally 5: Actual story: The story itself could have been great fun, it had the potential to be a wonderful adventure because of a really cool premise, but, FOR ME, it was ruined by the all of the annoyances listed above. Sorry to all the fans out there, but I'm just not one, and although I didn't loathe it, I didn't really like it either. For me it's more of a 2 and a half.

6 people found this helpful

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Robert D. Crane

For geeks of all ages

Reviewed in Australia on 14 October 2016

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The past and the present are the two themes that suck you into this book. If you grew up during the dawn of the PC era then much of the nostalgia the book details will appeal. If you enjoyed being part of the technology in 80 and 90's then I'll be you'll enjoy this book even more. If you are however interested in where technology is taking us then I think you'll also find this a great read.

The book explores two future worlds, reality and that encompassed inside a virtual world where characters are not limited by their physical environment. It also details the struggle of the individual against the 'mega' corporation that have also proliferated thanks to technology. In the end it is perhaps a book about the fact that human beings need other human beings for them to exist fully. No matter what the technology, in the end it all probably comes down to desire for us to experience real human to human relationships.

You'll enjoy this book if you enjoy technology (old or new). You'll also enjoy this book if you enjoy a good story and rooting for the underdog. Most of all I think you'll enjoy this book if you enjoy solving puzzles and achieving goals. This should be a book that makes you think about where technology is taking us and the possibilities it provides, both good and bad.

Great read, with real world implications. If you love technology, then you'll love this

5 people found this helpful

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Kevin Magee

My favourite book ever, But I enjoyed the 80s

Reviewed in Australia on 3 March 2018

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I believe if you enjoy fast paced, page turning sci-fi, adventure, action with a few laugh along the way you will either like or passionately love and appreciate this book. The degree of how much you enjoy it will be subject how much you experienced and enjoyed of the 80s youth culture (games, movies, fashion, technology, books, tv, music, etc). The writer is a both an artist and a genius in how he brings this all together to make a fun, thrilling and exciting story loaded that engages the reader on every page AND if you are an 80s geek like me who (all my teens years we’re in the 80s) you may find yourself surprisingly transported back to relive happy and fun memories of that time, even ones that you may have forgotten. Many thanks to this gifted author, I had a smile on my face reading every page. BTW some reviews I read prior to reading this book criticised the writing style - with all due respect I actually found it perfect for the first character represented and the time frame referenced. I think the writing style will connects better for every teenage year you spent in the 80s. Give this book ‘a go’ before you see the movie.

2 people found this helpful

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Skip Lightly

A terrific cyberspace adventure story filled with 80's nerd nirvana trivia

Reviewed in Australia on 28 June 2019

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Ready Player One is a great story, a journey to find a hidden treasure in cyberspace. Parzival/Wade Watts is a relatable character to just about everyone, I mean who hasn't had near crippling anxiety when talking to a girl you have a crush on when you were a kid. Art3mis and H (Ach) are engaging as well and the dialogue between the characters is natural and enjoyable and a little nerdy. The Villain is alway an important part and Nolan Sorrento is a good mix of mean, petty cunning and effective. You enjoy seem him struggle and almost succeed (spoiler alert). The switching between real world and cyberspace is enjoyable in their stark differences and I personally like how Cline uses the small flaws and blemishes to bring his characters to life. Will Wheaton does a great job with the Audiobook too. I only wish Cline had added transformers into the story as I am a big fan of 1982-1986 transformers.

I hope you find this nerdy parody of an 80's nerd nostalgia meets cyberspace science fiction Indiana Jones story as enjoyable as I did.

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Amazon Customer

So I just plain didn’t enjoy this book

Reviewed in Australia on 14 April 2018

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So I just plain didn’t enjoy this book. If you are looking for a nice switch off brain and immerse yourself in a book about basically the authors fantasy of flying every sci fi movie spacship while swinging a lightsaber then by all means read this. If you where hoping for anything deeper. I wouldn’t bother. Interesting concept. Reasonable twist near the end. About the same amount of teenage angst as twilight. And a believable potrayal of the future.

2 people found this helpful

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Ally A

I loved this book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 August 2016

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I loved this book! As a woman in her 40s, I'm definitely not the target market for this. It’s a young adult book, and scifi, both of which I don’t usually read. However, as a bit of a gamer geek and an 80s nut, this was recommended to me by friends, and I’m so glad I read it – it was just brilliant!

It’s set in a dystopian future in 2044 – oil has run out, the climate is a wreck, and most people escape reality by spending their lives inside an immense virtual reality video game called the OASIS (similar to Second Life, if you’ve ever played it). It has its own currency, and kids even go to school inside the game. The creator of the game, James Halliday, died years earlier, without an heir to his immense empire, but left a video will with clues/easter eggs to be tracked in the game. Whoever solves these will inherit the OASIS, and the immense wealth that goes with it, and it’s an international obsession. Halliday was a teenager in the 80s and remained fixated with the era, so this means that everyone who is trying to solve the puzzle is just as fanatical, leading to some wonderful references. Wade Watts, our protagonist, is one of the millions trying to crack this. He’s a teenager, stony broke, living with his aunt, and at the bottom of the OASIS food chain. Through a combination of luck and skill with 80s arcade games, Wade somehow manages to be the first solve the first clue, and that’s when everything changes.

I’m not going to give you any spoilers, but I can’t recommend this highly enough. Great characters, very nasty baddies, loaded with 80s references, and actually worryingly possible – it’s definitely worth a read. Oh, and Steven Spielberg bought the film rights – the movie will be released in 2018. I hope he does it justice.

70 people found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Slick mix of Virtual Reality and 80's pop culture!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 July 2017

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Started this yesterday and it immediately sucked me in. I loved the premise - billionaire computer games developer dies and leaves a fortune to the first person to find an Easter egg hidden in the virtual world he created.

As we meet the principal protagonist we find that the world of the 2040s is in bad shape. The planet is beset with rampant global warming, economic collapse and the majority of its inhabitants living on government subsidies. So far, so, standard dystopian future! However the thing that moves this from a standard YA dystopia and into the realm of a bestseller are three key features; the hero Wade Watts, the world building and the massive amount of 80’s pop culture references.

Wade has real problems to struggle against; no mother or father, living on his own, no friends his own age and only the quest for the easter egg to keep him focused. A fat kid from the wrong side of town living on his wits and natural intelligence. With no friends or family he has to constantly fight for everything he possess.

The world building is excellent with the reader immediately able to visualise the world of deprivation, global warming and the end of oil. A world so terrible that most of the population has moved into the virtual world to get away from the grim reality of everyday life. The mechanics of the virtual world are also well detailed and thought out. As I was reading the book I kept thinking of a fully immersive version of Warcraft. The book is written from a first person perspective. The reader effectively lives inside Wade's head, which helps a lot with Wade being able to explain a lot of the 80's cultural references.

About half way through we meet the evil corporation trying to thwart our heroes plans. These "bad guys" are simple, one dimensional, greedy corporate goons. Having worked in the financial services sector for many years I recognised, their motivations and methods immediately. The bad guys are cheap and cheesy and a stark contrast with the heroes who are street punks living in a virtual world. The evil corporations motivation is greed and the heroes are motivated by fun, friendship, glory and the pursuit of the prize. Who you gonna root for — come on?

The final third of the book works well with our heroes facing bigger and more complex challenges. The finally is also well done and fun.

All in all an excellent, fun yarn. The book is well written, great entertainment with a blistering pace. If you are looking for a deeper meaning, or insight into nerd culture, this is probably not the book for you.

16 people found this helpful

lindsayemma

This is a brilliant book!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 31 August 2018

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Can I just say that this book is absolutely brilliant!
So very clever, fascinating, funny, enthralling - I didn't want it to end!
I read the book after watching the film - this is the way to go- the book fills in so many details and you do not mind that the story has so many differences because you know that the book came first and the film obviously had a great deal of limitations the book did not.
Read this book it is excellent!
I loved it!

13 people found this helpful

John D. Payne

Good but not great

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 September 2018

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The concept of this book is much more exciting than the writing of it, unfortunately, which is probably what Spielberg saw in it when he made the movie (which bears only a passing resemblance to its source material). I think the main problem is that the author knows more about playing video games than crafting a good story. I got bored of his descriptions of the main character Wade playing games in the OAsIs. I'm a casual gamer myself, but I'm not sure there's any way of describing the playing of Pac-Man that doesn't make people want to skip a few paragraphs ahead. The story of the treasure hunt is mildly amusing, but the fact that it's all told in past tense doesn't really do it any favours. I would've liked to have seen more of the outside world as well which he briefly described earlier on. In fact, nearer the end we do get to see more of it, and this was my favourite part of the story. I thought that maybe things would improve as the stakes were raised, but it all becomes a bit too safe again. In the movie, there's a great scene in which Wade is in the OAsIs whilst also in the back of a moving van. This makes for great tension and juxtaposition, but in the book (SLiGHT SPOILER) he's safely tucked away in a secure house. There are some exciting moments in there somewhere, but they don't seem to have any great effect on the main character, he just carries on with the hunt. The authors knowledge of eighties movies and video games is admirable to a point, but it doesn't really make for a great read, although I did make it to the end, so maybe I saw a smidgen of potential in the debut author's scribblings. Good luck to him.

9 people found this helpful

Steve Gardiner

Ready... Steady... Go!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 July 2017

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I surprised myself by really loving this - I'm not really one of the target audience - I was in my thirties in the 1980s, and though I got a lot of the references, quite a few went right over my head. But that didn't really matter; Ernest Cline's enthusiasm for the decade shines through, and the plot is a real rollercoaster. You can see why Spielberg is directing and co-producing the film; it feeds into his inner child and fit well with his SF canon.

Having read some of the critical reviews of the book, I think they're missing the point - they compare it (often very unfavourably) with other, more highbrow authors' works. This isn't a highbrow book, it's simply a highly entertaining and imaginative romp, and on those terms it succeeds fully. I'm looking forward to further books by Cline. I'm waiting for his announced sequel Ready Player Two, and I've already downloaded Armada.

13 people found this helpful

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