Try free for 30 days
-
Ready Player One
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 15 hrs and 40 mins
Add to basket failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from Wish List failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Ready Player One
Buy Now for $26.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Buy it with
-
Armada
- By: Ernest Cline
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,386
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,288
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 1,288
Zack Lightman is a dreamer. He fills his days with wishful thoughts of life on other planets and spends hours playing videogames, neither of which have helped him make friends or find a girlfriend. His refuge from the daily disappointments of life is Armada - an online space-fighter simulator based on defending Earth from an alien invasion. It’s when he’s playing that he feels closest to his father, a champion gamer who died when Zack was a baby.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A fun ride, if a little derivative
- By Todd on 28-07-2015
-
The Martian
- By: Andy Weir
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 10 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,518
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,837
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,821
Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive - and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Lacklustre
- By H Jones on 05-06-2020
-
Artemis
- By: Andy Weir
- Narrated by: Rosario Dawson
- Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,787
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,458
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,454
Jazz Bashara is a criminal. Well, sort of. Life on Artemis, the first and only city on the moon, is tough if you're not a rich tourist or an eccentric billionaire. So smuggling in the occasional harmless bit of contraband barely counts, right? Not when you've got debts to pay and your job as a porter barely covers the rent. Everything changes when Jazz sees the chance to commit the perfect crime, with a reward too lucrative to turn down.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Well it's no "The Martian"
- By Craig on 18-11-2017
-
Project Hail Mary
- By: Andy Weir
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 16 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 12,818
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 11,781
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 11,755
Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission - and if he fails, humanity and the Earth itself will perish. Except that right now, he doesn't know that. He can't even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it. All he knows is that he's been asleep for a very, very long time. And he's just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Not the Martian but just as good
- By Anonymous User on 08-05-2021
-
Good Omens
- A Full Cast Production
- By: Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett
- Narrated by: Adjoa Andoh, Allan Corduner, Chris Nelson, and others
- Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 334
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 302
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 300
According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (the world's only completely accurate book of prophecies, written in 1655, before she exploded), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner. So, the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring. Everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent recording of one of my favourite books
- By Wendy on 13-08-2022
-
Vicarious
- By: Rhett C. Bruno
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton, Katherine McNamara
- Length: 13 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 34
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 34
In High Earth, digital entertainment is everything. Shows. Virtual worlds. Simulations - there’s something for everybody in a city where working for a living has been rendered obsolete by technological advancements. Even a short walk outside to visit with others is no longer necessary. Just load into the network and you can be with anyone, anywhere. For Asher Reinhart, nothing compares to Ignis; a live reality show that pushes human beings to their very extremes.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Performances are pheromonal
- By Anonymous User on 21-04-2021
-
Armada
- By: Ernest Cline
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,386
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,288
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 1,288
Zack Lightman is a dreamer. He fills his days with wishful thoughts of life on other planets and spends hours playing videogames, neither of which have helped him make friends or find a girlfriend. His refuge from the daily disappointments of life is Armada - an online space-fighter simulator based on defending Earth from an alien invasion. It’s when he’s playing that he feels closest to his father, a champion gamer who died when Zack was a baby.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A fun ride, if a little derivative
- By Todd on 28-07-2015
-
The Martian
- By: Andy Weir
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 10 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,518
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,837
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,821
Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive - and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Lacklustre
- By H Jones on 05-06-2020
-
Artemis
- By: Andy Weir
- Narrated by: Rosario Dawson
- Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,787
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,458
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,454
Jazz Bashara is a criminal. Well, sort of. Life on Artemis, the first and only city on the moon, is tough if you're not a rich tourist or an eccentric billionaire. So smuggling in the occasional harmless bit of contraband barely counts, right? Not when you've got debts to pay and your job as a porter barely covers the rent. Everything changes when Jazz sees the chance to commit the perfect crime, with a reward too lucrative to turn down.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Well it's no "The Martian"
- By Craig on 18-11-2017
-
Project Hail Mary
- By: Andy Weir
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 16 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 12,818
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 11,781
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 11,755
Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission - and if he fails, humanity and the Earth itself will perish. Except that right now, he doesn't know that. He can't even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it. All he knows is that he's been asleep for a very, very long time. And he's just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Not the Martian but just as good
- By Anonymous User on 08-05-2021
-
Good Omens
- A Full Cast Production
- By: Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett
- Narrated by: Adjoa Andoh, Allan Corduner, Chris Nelson, and others
- Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 334
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 302
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 300
According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (the world's only completely accurate book of prophecies, written in 1655, before she exploded), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner. So, the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring. Everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent recording of one of my favourite books
- By Wendy on 13-08-2022
-
Vicarious
- By: Rhett C. Bruno
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton, Katherine McNamara
- Length: 13 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 34
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 34
In High Earth, digital entertainment is everything. Shows. Virtual worlds. Simulations - there’s something for everybody in a city where working for a living has been rendered obsolete by technological advancements. Even a short walk outside to visit with others is no longer necessary. Just load into the network and you can be with anyone, anywhere. For Asher Reinhart, nothing compares to Ignis; a live reality show that pushes human beings to their very extremes.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Performances are pheromonal
- By Anonymous User on 21-04-2021
-
World War Z
- By: Max Brooks
- Narrated by: Christopher Ragland, Rupert Farley, Nigel Pilkington, and others
- Length: 13 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,685
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,503
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,502
The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched firsthand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the United States of America and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet. He recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living - or at least the undead - hell of that dreadful time.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
#NailedIt
- By Danno on 18-05-2015
-
I Am Legend
- By: Richard Matheson
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 5 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 217
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 202
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 200
In I Am Legend, a plague has decimated the world, and those unfortunate enough to survive are transformed into blood-thirsty creatures of the night. Robert Neville is the last living man on earth. Everyone else has become a vampire, and they are all hungry for Neville's blood. By day, he stalks the sleeping undead, by night, he barricades himself in his home and prays for the dawn.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
I liked the movie better (insert shame)
- By Anonymous User on 19-08-2020
-
We Are Legion (We Are Bob)
- Bobiverse, Book 1
- By: Dennis E. Taylor
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,601
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 3,267
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,258
There's a reason We Are Legion was named Audible's Best Science Fiction Book of 2016: Its irresistibly irreverent wit! Bob Johansson has just sold his software company for a small fortune and is looking forward to a life of leisure. The first item on his to-do list: Spending his newfound windfall. On an urge to splurge, he signs up to have his head cryogenically preserved in case of death. Then he gets himself killed crossing the street. Waking up 117 years later, Bob discovers his mind has been uploaded into a sentient space probe with the ability to replicate itself.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
So much better than I expected
- By Rob on 13-09-2017
-
The Maze Runner
- The Maze Runner, Book 1
- By: James Dashner
- Narrated by: Mark Deakins
- Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 394
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 350
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 347
When the doors of the lift crank open, the only thing Thomas remembers is his first name. But he's not alone. He's surrounded by boys who welcome him to the Glade - a walled encampment at the centre of a bizarre and terrible stone maze. Like Thomas, the Gladers don't know why or how they came to be there - or what's happened to the world outside. All they know is that every morning when the walls slide back, they will risk everything - even the Grievers, half-machine, half-animal horror that patrol its corridors, to try and find out.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Where were these amazing books when I was young?
- By Paulie on 20-09-2014
-
Jurassic Park
- A Novel
- By: Michael Crichton
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 15 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,284
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,167
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,164
An astonishing technique for recovering and cloning dinosaur DNA has been discovered. Now humankind’s most thrilling fantasies have come true. Creatures extinct for eons roam Jurassic Park with their awesome presence and profound mystery, and all the world can visit them - for a price.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Make The Lost World available!!
- By Anonymous User on 10-07-2019
-
Divergent
- Divergent, Book 1
- By: Veronica Roth
- Narrated by: Emma Galvin
- Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 579
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 522
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 525
For 16-year-old Tris, the world changes in a heartbeat when she is forced to make a terrible choice. Turning her back on her family, Tris ventures out, alone, determined to find out where she truly belongs. Shocked by the brutality of her new life, Tris can trust no one. And yet she is drawn to a boy who seems to both threaten and protect her. The hardest choices may yet lie ahead…. A debut novel that will leave you breathless.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Completely Addicted
- By Sally on 24-07-2014
-
Drive
- An Expanse Short Story
- By: James S. A. Corey
- Narrated by: Jefferson Mays
- Length: 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 2
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 2
A novella set in the universe of James S. A. Corey's New York Times best-selling Expanse series, now a Prime Original series. This story will be available in the complete Expanse story collection, Memory's Legion.
-
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
- By: Douglas Adams
- Narrated by: Stephen Fry
- Length: 5 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,481
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 3,072
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,070
One Thursday lunchtime the Earth gets unexpectedly demolished to make way for a new hyperspace bypass. For Arthur Dent, who has only just had his house demolished that morning, this seems already to be more than he can cope with.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Not the original book, story changed quite a lot.
- By Damian M. on 06-05-2020
-
The Sandman
- By: Neil Gaiman, Dirk Maggs
- Narrated by: Riz Ahmed, Kat Dennings, Taron Egerton, and others
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,522
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 3,140
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,136
When The Sandman, also known as Lord Morpheus - the immortal king of dreams, stories and the imagination - is pulled from his realm and imprisoned on Earth by a nefarious cult, he languishes for decades before finally escaping. Once free, he must retrieve the three “tools” that will restore his power and help him to rebuild his dominion, which has deteriorated in his absence.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
incredible
- By Anonymous User on 17-07-2020
-
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
- A Hunger Games Novel
- By: Suzanne Collins
- Narrated by: Santino Fontana
- Length: 16 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 967
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 872
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 870
It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the 10th annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to out charm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute. The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Not too bad, not that good either
- By Chris Joe on 06-06-2020
-
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
- By: Neil Gaiman
- Narrated by: Neil Gaiman
- Length: 5 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 677
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 608
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 608
This is what he remembers, as he sits by the ocean at the end of the lane: A dead man on the back seat of the car and warm milk at the farmhouse. An ancient little girl and an old woman who saw the moon being made. A beautiful housekeeper with a monstrous smile. And dark forces woken that were best left undisturbed.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Into the Ocean!
- By Juju Brisvegas on 30-04-2017
-
Mushoku Tensei
- Jobless Reincarnation (Light Novel), Vol. 1
- By: Rifujin na Magonote
- Narrated by: Cliff Kurt
- Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3
Kicked out by his family and wandering the streets, an unemployed 34-year-old shut-in thinks he’s hit rock-bottom—just as he’s hit and killed by a speeding truck! Awakening to find himself reborn as an infant in a world of swords and sorcery, but with the memories of his first life intact, Rudeus Greyrat is determined not to repeat his past mistakes. He’s going to make the most of this reincarnation as he sets off on the adventure of a second lifetime!
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.
Publisher's Summary
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!
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)
More from the same
What listeners say about Ready Player One
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Nicholas Hallam
- 03-09-2017
Reindeer Flotilla Setec Astronomy
Firstly, I would like to say Will Wheaton did an amazing job at narrating, he kept my attention throughout the duration of the book. You could tell he enjoyed reading Ready Player One (Especially when he was referenced in the book).
Ernest Cline seems to have a way of painting a picture in the reader/listeners mind, without lingering on the story for to long. The story was intriguing, sometimes predictable... But I didn't mind, as it had a lot of interesting references, and the predictability was still entertaining.
I would happily recommend this book.
IOI-655321
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
19 people found this helpful
-
Overall2 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story2 out of 5 stars
- Michael
- 30-07-2016
Barely engaging
Will wheaton did a fine job but unfortunately he couldn't make the story better than the trite garbage it is. With a main character that is too smart and barely suffering from any actual consequences, a story that is for the most part predictable and insufferable as it proceeds to reference the 80s as much as possible. I really tried to like this book, especially as some light hearted listening but it crossed the line one too many times with its lifeless characters and deus ex machina aplenty.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
15 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mark
- 30-11-2015
Simply Brilliant.
Love, love, loved this. I think it's one of my top 5 audio books. Amazing.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
12 people found this helpful
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story2 out of 5 stars
- Ross
- 04-06-2016
story is silly and not believable at times
the main character is very annoying and it seem silly that he knows every reference to every pop culture topic. will wheaton is a great narrator it is an alright listen overall.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- glenn urquhart
- 23-01-2016
Enjoyable fan-service romp. Wil Wheaton great.
Yes it unashamedly riffs off blatant and continual nostalgia but it was just a really fun romp.
Wil's narration was great and good to hear female characters not getting the wussy, inspipid, breathy read most make narrators give them.
I got most of the references, but not all, and I'm not sure you'd get as much out of this story if you aren't somewhat familiar with the 80's or old-school videogames, but I found it utterly ridiculous fun and didnt want it to end.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story2 out of 5 stars
- Tracey
- 27-05-2016
Not my cup of tea
This book is well written and easy to follow (even for a computer game dumbo), it is very descriptive and explained well, I just found it boring and hard going. Again, just not for me.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
10 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 09-08-2017
A book that can't be put down
Be prepared to put aside important things as Ready Player One takes over your time.
With a plot as sound as the content, this is one book that engages you from start to finish. Relatable to anyone from a teenager to a 40 year old, there are references that both ends of the spectrum will find appealing and will justify the investment in time spent enjoying game/movie/comic culture over your life.
Really a great read and I highly recommend it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall1 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story1 out of 5 stars
- Jeremy
- 01-05-2018
Waste of my time.
This was recommended to me on reddit, turns out to be glorified teenage fanfiction.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 02-04-2018
So good!
I was hooked from the first line and it held my attention till the very end. Loved the 80’s nostalgia and gaming references. The movie was different enough to book that you could experience them separately without the details being repeated. My 11 yr old was also hooked (there were one or two slightly inappropriate references for his age but 13 and up would probably be fine). Highly recommended!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall1 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story1 out of 5 stars
- Jack
- 15-04-2017
Beware
For 80's geeks only, anyone else will feel compelled to sympathise with the Evil Corporation villians.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Gabriele
- 08-09-2012
Where's the sequel?!
This was an incredible book, with both the writing and performance being top-class. I have never read a book much like this, yet I was deeply thrown into the story and really felt for the characters and the world around them.
I would recommend this book to those of you have ever had any interest in computing, retro gaming and retro film. It really is a 80s pop-culture book with an incredible setting and back story.
To be honest, I was upset when the book ended. The only question that came to my mind was: Where is the sequel?!
Hopefully one might be made soon... I know Ernest Cline hasn't ruled it out yet!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
27 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- James
- 02-05-2015
Recommended from The Martian - didn't disappoint
I don't think I would have chosen this book had it not been a recommendation from someone after I had read Andy Weir's 'The Martian'. While the setting is very different the heart of the story is similar with the main character struggling to solve problems.
Wil Wheaton gave a fantastic performance and while at the start I associated his voice as his own I quickly became to hear it as the characters'.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall1 out of 5 stars
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars
-
Story1 out of 5 stars
- Hampus
- 16-11-2020
WIL WHEATON IS THE WORST NARRATOR OF ALL TIME!!!
That was the worst narration performance I have ever heard. What a dork.
Stop saying the word "Then" like your whole existance depends on it, it does not fit the storyline.
"AND THEN I sat down" "THEEEEEN I opened the book" "AAAAAAND THEEEEEEEEEEEEN I put my suit on"
The book also sucked. It is like it was written by a elementary kid who got some help from one of his parents to make it have a little bit more substance.
This is one of the few instances where the film is way better than the book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- W1M0
- 14-10-2017
Fun Concepts, Odd Character Responses
I reached a point where I got irritated with the main character (not the performance).
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- Eszter
- 17-06-2014
Fun but shallow
Would you try another book from Ernest Cline and/or Wil Wheaton?
Yeh I'd give them a shot but I wouldn't expect depth from Cline. Wheaton was a great narrator - he was perfect for the job.
What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?
The VR world was cool and the idea of being able to explore so many worlds.
The least interesting parts where the info dumps. So many info dumps!
What about Wil Wheaton’s performance did you like?
He was really enthusiastic and got into the story a lot. Very good performance.
Do you think Ready Player One needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?
It would be good if it examined itself a bit more so if that were to happen I'd give a sequel a shot.
Any additional comments?
Definitely not self aware enough. I find it hard to believe that a few decades on from now we'd be so utterly obsessed with the 80s that we'd build and ENTIRE UNIVERSE dedicated to it. I get it that this book was meant to be a fun romp back into the 80s but it neglected the future aspect of the story a lot. The implications of a society SO stuck in the past - what about the present? What about all those NEW games, books, movies, music vidoes and TV shows?
-- side note - the author likes LISTS a LOT - it got mega irritating him saying "games, books, movies, music vidoes and TV shows" about a hundred times as if he was trying to meet a word count. Give it a rest already!
*cough*
Anywho...it felt like...this book used all the high tech stuff as just an excuse to go back to the 80s and have a giant nerd-gasm about 8bit arcade games 'faded Space Invaders tees'. While it was a fun adventure with some pretty good characters, I felt it ultimately too shallow for my tastes.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall1 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story1 out of 5 stars
- Joseph Johnson
- 03-09-2015
Raw nostalgia for a simpler, more offensive age.
I don't know why but audible deleted my last two reviews (they were civil) so I've going to keep this short.
This book is quietly and casually homophobic, sexist, racist and transphobic. The plot is a relentless love letter to the 80s, the last decade when you could be a bigot unchallenged.
For the uncritical mind there is a mediocre cyberpunk adventure to be enjoyed.
it's supposed to be a book for geeks, but if you know that d&d mages don't have healing spells then you know more than Ernest 'Cynical' Cline
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 02-09-2020
amazing book!!! sooo much better than the film
i think ive read around 200-300 books (and probably 50-100 audiobooks) and i would honestly say this is by far the best audiobook ive read to date, and as a standalone book its the best ive read. (please note i may be a little biased due to me studying computer science and being a gamer\geek)
will's performance was amazing, i was so surprised at how well he brought the book to life. when it comes to an audiobook, the narrators job is to help bring the emotions, suspense, anxiety, and elation that the author is trying to portray, and he did that to perfection.
this is the first 5* review ive ever given, and its worth every one of them. i just wish the book had of been just 1 extra chapter, although in my heart i knew it was the right time to end the book... i just wanted more!!!
i would absolutely recommend this book to anyone, i dont know what more to say as i dont want to mention anything about the story, so just read this book :)
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- David Gleerup
- 23-08-2020
The best book I have heard so far
Loved it :)
The best book I have heard so far, can only recommend it. Especially if you like computer and grew up in the 80s :)
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Alicia
- 16-03-2020
Great narrative arc
I loved how this dystopian universe where everyone escapes from the dreary polluted world to enter the fantastic virtual world that has been created. The thrill and tensions between the players and the ones that control the system makes it all the more gripping.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Marius Vorster
- 21-09-2018
Game adventure of note
The story takes you on journey of self discovery, strained friendships and bravery through a epic game quest. The gamers underdogs against a corporate machine that will cheat and stack all cards in their favour for the ultimate prize.
A good read, the well researched 80s facts brought back some memories and the flow was well maintained. If you like retro gaiming and RPGs and your up for an adventure then this book is for you.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 05-04-2018
This Book Changed My Life 💙 New Hobbies Found 💜
I never read books.
Always thought ....
" pffft, Naaaaaaa. . This is for nerds " ... BORING! ..etc.
So just brought one of those alexa devices, set it up added some skills played some music and all the other stuff when you get something new etc..
Came across this audible app and how you get a free audible book on sign up, something free always sounds good so went for it, thought nothing off it just did it for the sake of it.. after sign up the first book I see is Ready Player One, so just thought yeah that will do as I planned to see the movie soon which a the time movies beat books any day was my way of thinking THEN!!
Man how I was so wrong, I went on to have the book play while I was preparing to sleep, thinking yeah this will make me doze right off ... 6 hours later I was now sat up with a drink and snacks excited to find out what happens next ! totally amazed !
so for the regular bookworms this book may not do much justice I guess, but for me it will be the first book I have read/listened from start to finish and what has now made me want to read or listen to more and more from here on out.. I have a new hobby and it is thanks to this amazing book. .. please guys give it a try .. especially non book readers... it may change your perspective on thins 😃😃😃
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
171 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Robyn
- 21-03-2016
Surprisingly enjoyable!
On paper, I was not supposed to like this book. It's about a teenager who spends his entire life in an online virtual reality world playing a quest (reminds me of my weekly challenge to get my kids off their i-stuff and outside for a bit!) BUT - this story is actually all about paying homage to the 80s, plus a bit of rom-com for good measure!
Absolutely loved it!! Once I started, I couldn't put it down. If you're into your 40's/50's and enjoy a bit of '80s nostalgia, then this one's not to be missed!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
70 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Hannah
- 28-07-2014
Are you ready to begin?
What made the experience of listening to Ready Player One the most enjoyable?
First and foremost, Wil Wheaton is a first-class narrator - he has absolutely the most perfect voice for audiobooks (not too bassy, not too nasally) and doesn't do too badly with accents either (unlike some other narrators which have caused me to return books!). Secondly, the world of Ready Player One is - as noted in the novel - everything any reader or gamer has ever dreamed of: essentially a 'holodeck' experience. It is the book's exploration of the pros and cons of this system that draws you in - in Star Trek we see people using the holodecks for recreation, essentially living out episodes in an ongoing drama; but as Ready Player One points out....why would you ever leave?
What other book might you compare Ready Player One to, and why?
I have desperately been searching for something else as engaging and exciting as RPO since I finished reading! My recommendations would probably be to read other books which effectively create alternative worlds - perhaps 'The Knife of Never Letting Go' by Patrick Ness, 'Peter and Max' by Bill Willingham and 'Divergent' by Veronica Roth.
What does Wil Wheaton bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
As I mention above, Wil is an excellent reader. He has an obvious love for the subject matter and, having been an actor on Star Trek 'The Next Generation' and a teenager in the late 80s and early 90s, has a strong familiarity with many of the pop culture references. Wheaton sounds like he is having an absolute ball with this reading!
If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
'What would you sacrifice to win the ultimate prize?'
Any additional comments?
Read (.....listen to). This. Book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
44 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mark G
- 09-04-2014
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.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
42 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Simon
- 25-02-2018
Radio, Video, Boogie in a Suitcase!
Oh what a ride this was! For sure it helps that I am precisely the target consumer for this having had my teenage years across the 80s. And yes I loved the video games of the time and of course have long lived in thrall to a certain Canadian Holy Trinity who feature so prominently.
Even so, having questioned the wider appeal of some other LitRPG-style books this one blows away any such doubts. While there are stats and game rules in this that's not at all the key feature. It's a wonderful space opera of a game within a story. The nostalgia of 80s pop culture, video games, music and all the rest of it is a massive bonus for me and those with interests in the decade but the story more than stands on its own considerable feet.
Cline imbues his dysfunctional geeks with warm character, gives them personality and even a certain twisted nobility as they battle corporate evils in an online quest that boils over with real-world implications. Towards the end I was willing them to succeed and genuinely enthralled with this curiously geeky adventure.
Of course to be the real deal an audiobook needs a good narrator and for this book Wheaton strikes precisely the right tone and hits all the right notes.
Yeah, yeah, I know this isn't going to win any Booker prizes but it's pure entertainment on a stick!
Five Stars all the way.
GAME OVER
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
30 people found this helpful
-
Overall1 out of 5 stars
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars
-
Story1 out of 5 stars
- "tommypot"
- 26-07-2018
Awful fan fiction
I was only about 10 minutes into listening to this audiobook when I got a bad feeling that I had just wasted my months credit on a terrible book. I stuck with it but unfortunately I was right... this is not a good book. At all.
Paper thin character with a dislikable hero. A silly concept taken way too seriously. Terrible dialogue. Poorly written. The amount of times Cline uses the word ‘perfectly’ is ridiculous (“such and such a thing fit perfectly”, “such and such a pop culture reference was recreated perfectly”, “I tried such and such and it worked perfectly”). The story is nerd wish fulfilment that obsessing over pop culture minutia will somehow make you the saviour of the world.
I listened to this because I was interested in the premise of a run down world where everyone spends their time in virtual reality, but the world building is really under-baked. Hardly any time is spent in the real world so you don’t really care why the character want to escape it in the Oasis, and the virtual world is just a mishmash of pop culture references. Cline spends so much time listing references or with mundane descriptions of old games and movies and it becomes very tedious. I can’t count the amount of times I rolled my eyes at how ham fisted the references became, and seriously this very silly concept was being taken. Listing references is not a substitute for world build, story and character, but that’s what this book is.
I’ve no problem with a good trashy book but this is basically dull fan fiction. Generally I don’t mind Wil Wheaton but his narration just added an extra layer of authenticity to the toxic nerd culture the main character live in and generally takes the ridiculous story way too seriously.
What I’m trying to say is this book is basically awful.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
28 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Martin
- 22-09-2016
Listened in 2 days.....
Best book I have listened to this year. I am not sure why the description did not really draw me to this book before but so glad I eventually gave in to curiosity. I am a big fan of online gaming, star trek, sci fi fantasy etc etc... so I am probably a bit nerdy I guess and I think it most definitely helps with this book. I enjoyed so much in this one, the 80's nostalgia mixed with the dystopian future just worked so well. Having Will Wheaton narrate this book was fantastic and made me smile a lot in certain places that it was him narrating, I am pretty sure he smiled himself at certain parts too whilst narrating. Aside from the fun part of him being narrator for obvious reasons he is actually a superb narrator and did such a good job with this, I would not hesitate to listen to him narrate anything. Love this story and everything about it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
25 people found this helpful
-
Overall2 out of 5 stars
-
Performance2 out of 5 stars
-
Story2 out of 5 stars
- Daniel Lyons
- 02-06-2015
Look at all these things from the 80s
This book was a chore to finish. Wheaton's performance was passable bordering on poor for the most of if, and even then it was the best part. The story was dull, uninspiring and the entire book was carried on its references to geek culture and nothing else. Give it a miss.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
14 people found this helpful
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- BadgerHead
- 12-01-2015
Second Life: Fanboy edition
Would you try another book written by Ernest Cline or narrated by Wil Wheaton?
I'd have to be thoroughly convinced that it was better than this one.
What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)
Deus ex machina. Nothing unexpected. No subtlety; just unabashed everyone-gets-everything-they-want. In other words there was no real feeling of threat or risk.
What three words best describe Wil Wheaton’s performance?
Very mildly annoying.
Could you see Ready Player One being made into a movie or a TV series? Who would the stars be?
I wouldn't want to this see this made into a movie. Hollywood generally struggles to make people sitting in rooms logged into the internet look exciting or thrilling.
Any additional comments?
It was a solid story, I listened to the whole thing, and it was a semi interesting premise. That said there is nothing original in this story - it was the answer to the question of "what would happen if the matrix met Second Life?" - and played out a bit like a fanboy's wet dream. Lonely gamer finds justification for being a lonely gamer.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
14 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- steven
- 11-05-2012
80's Teenager!
If you were born around 1960-1975 you will love the nostalgia in this book. A light SciFi romp, easy listening, but with lots to recomend it. Cline researched the history of video games and infact PS's like a true Geek! but managed to carry the storyline along without loosing my interest. Even a reminder of the great Rush LP 2012. Lighten up for a while, give it a go, you'll be glad you did :)
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
13 people found this helpful
