Ready Player One

 Grades 9 - 12      

 

RV's piled up on one another with boy climbing them all

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline    

     

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

     In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines, puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. 

     But when Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win—and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.  

     

 Discussion Questions    

     

  • Did the author do a good job of world-building? Could our community start looking like the stacks by the year 2044?
  • The OASIS becomes a part of daily life for users around the globe. What virtual realms (Google, Facebook, flickr) do you depend on? Is it dangerous to mix profit and dependence on technology?
  • Explore the question of identity raised in the novel. What do the characters’ avatars tell us about their desires and their insecurities? In reality, does our physical appearance give false clues about who we really are?
  • How does public school in the OASIS compare to your experience in school? Has the author created a solution to classroom overcrowding, student apathy, and school violence?
  • Wade’s OASIS pass phrase is revealed on page 199, at the end of chapter nineteen: “No one in the world ever gets what they want and that is beautiful.” What does this philosophy mean to him at that point in his life?   

 

Activities