Ready Player One

I read the book "Ready Player One" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ready_Player_One) last week. It is now one of my top 10 favorite books. I'm looking forward to the movie.

I just read that James Halliday, the main character that designed OASIS, the VR universe and original MMO, was mostly inspired by Richard Garriot.
http://www.ernestcline.com/blog/2011/10/19/how-lord-british-inspired-anorak/

Ernest Cline, the author of the book and who lives in Austin, is a huge RG fan and even met RG and hung out with him.

This book inspired me to give SotA a try again. It has many common features of the book. The overall missing feature though is VR. It's a huge shame that SotA is not designed for VR. The technology for OASIS is not as far away as many may think...

 

I assumed that was the case, because Halliday's early career mirrored garriot's (selling games in baggies out of his store, etc). But I was curious, because ultima was never directly referenced like the multitude of other games.

 

You will be pleased to know that Fyndoro's Tablet of Finding and the Sword of Ba'Heer are both in Shroud of the Avatar.

I'm also excited to see the movie.

 

Well Cline wrote "He (Holliday) was a god among keeks, a nerd über-deity on the level of Gygax, Garriot, and Gates."
I knew immediately the first names of the three Gs there. I don't know if I should be proud or ashamed of that fact. I asked some of my nerd colleagues at work and none of them got more than the first name to Gates.

I think there may have been a planet Garriot in the book. I remember for sure there was a planet Gygax. But yeah, I don't remember a reference to Ultima except that many parts of OASIS reminded me of UO. Cline never mentioned the Amiga either even though he mentioned nearly every other game system and early computer. I think I enjoyed listening to the Metallica like intro to Ultima V on my Amiga more than playing the game

 

It's a great book that also inspired me somewhat to play this game. Any Gunter's out there?

 

Loved this book! <3

 

Isn't Ultima specifically mentioned in the book? I thought it was, in the old "game room" they entered. At any rate, glad to hear they're setting up camp in Brum (Birmingham UK) to start filming, finally. A friend from there posted some pics of dystopian trash trucks with Ohio plates that are for the movie. Exciting!

 

They should put Carhenge in the movie
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carhenge

 

Absolutely!

I've got the book in print and in audiobook, read by Wil Wheaton. When (not if) the Oasis becomes reality, no human will ever see me again.

 

i am a huge fan of VR.

 

He mentions Akalabeth at some point...

“I downloaded every game mentioned or referenced in the Almanac, from Akalabeth to Zaxxon"

 

Old gamer here, long time SciFi/Fantasy reader as well. I never got too involved with arcade video games. (Med school and residency took those 10 years) I did play a Star Trek game on a teletype machine with the modem that you put the phone into after you heard the beeps in 1975.

I listened to Ready Player One, read by Wil Wheaton. While I have read deeper, more emotionally involved, stories over the years, RPO is the book I both itentified with, and enjoyed, the most to date. In fact, it's about time for a re-read.