Ready Player One cover art

Ready Player One

Preview
Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Ready Player One

By: Ernest Cline
Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
Try Premium Plus free

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.99

Buy Now for $26.99

About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

The book behind the major motion picture directed by Steven Spielberg.

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!

©2011 Ernest Cline (P)2012 Penguin Audio
Adventure Cyberpunk Science Fiction Fiction Geeky Funny

Editorial reviews

Earth’s future is bleak in the gripping sci-fi fantasy audiobook Ready Player One, written by the brilliant Ernest Cline and narrated by American actor Wil Wheaton. Set in the near future, most of the human race have locked themselves into a virtual reality to escape the planet that the past generations had destroyed. Within this virtual existence lies the answer to infinite riches and Wade Watts spends every second on the treasure hunt. It is a frenzied race with countless players, all infected with desperation. The danger is intense and will affect them all.

Critic Reviews

"Wildly original and stuffed with irresistible nostalgia, Ready Player One is a spectacularly genre-busting, ambitious, and charming debut." (Independent)

"Part intergalactic scavenger hunt, part romance, and all heart." (CNN)

"Ernest Cline’s novel deserves to be a modern classic." (SciFiNow)

All stars
Most relevant  
Love, love, loved this. I think it's one of my top 5 audio books. Amazing.

Simply Brilliant.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Loved it. Such an interesting story of what the future of gaming and society could be like. If you grew up with with Atari or Commodore 64 and still love gaming then this is your book.

Loved it. A must read for any gamer.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Story not 100% original but still an entertaining concept. Very addictive once you get into it. Worth a listen.

Like sword art online

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Great if your super into gaming, if you're like me and just into it a little it can drag along sometimes. Probably wouldn't recommend to anyone who doesn't like computers ;)

Good for gamers!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

I loved the performance that was done for this audiobook and I think that the voice they chose was perfect for the main character But HOLY S### the writing is just astounding how Pretentious it is.

Good Performance Held Back By Pretentious Writing.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

If you’re expecting the book to be like the movie you’ll be disappointed... BUT the differences are huge and great! You get to live through the same amazing story with the same great characters but with new and exciting events.

P.S. the last half of the book is intense and so much better!

The book is better!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Incredible book.
Well read honestly couldn't stop listening.
just wish now that there was a part 2.

Phenomenal

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Amazing story! Would recommend this to anyone who loves adventure, video games and pop culture! Incredible writing and Wills narration really made you feel so involved in the story also! 10 out of 10! Brilliant!

Coolest futuristic adventure ever!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Enjoyed the story.
Enjoyed the performance.
Was great to listen to this futuristic blast from the past.

Really good.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Enjoyed every minute of this beautifully performed audio book. I am going to watch the movie now and hopefully it won't be a let down.

Very entertaining listen.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

See more reviews
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.