A Christian Fiction Writer Reviews “Ready: Player One”

There are two things you should know before you read this analysis.

First off, this is a review of the novel Ready: Player One, not the film. As of yet, I have not seen the movie.

Second of all, I am breaking this review into two separate parts. As a Christian fiction writer, I feel it is necessary to approach this book from two perspectives: the writing angle, and the Christian content angle. For those only interested in the writing aspect, this will be covered in Part 1. For those interested in the Christian content review, this will be analyzed in Part 2. (Also, spoilers!)

Part 1: The Writing

Ready: Player One is the classic example of a book that is by no means perfect, but what it does well it does very well. It is rare to read a book in which every aspect is well written. You might end up with a strong plot with weak characters, or scintillating characters with shoddy pacing, etc. So, what is the element that Ernest Cline, author of Ready: Player One nailed in this novel?

An extremely compelling plot.

For those unfamiliar with the story, Ready: Player One takes place in a dystopian future in which much of the world lives in squalid poverty. The people of earth spend most of their time jacked into the OASIS, a virtual world which allows users to partake in a simulated paradise. The elusive creator of the OASIS, James Halliday, dies, leaving his vast fortune, and complete control of the OASIS, to the person who can locate an elaborately hidden Easter egg, which is hidden away in the recesses of his virtual universe.

The story follows protagonist Wade Watts, a teenage boy obsessed with unraveling the mystery of the OASIS Easter egg. The story moves quickly as Wade races from clue to clue, trying desperately to reach the egg before the evil corporation IOI finds it and destroys the OASIS forever.

While the concept of an Easter egg hidden within a virtual universe is compelling enough, what really sells the plot of Ready: Player One is the clear passion that Wade, as well as author Ernest Cline, share for the quest. As those familiar with the story are aware, the nature of the egg hunt in Ready: Player One corresponds directly to specific real-life pop culture references like retro arcade titles, role- playing games, and science fiction movies. Much of these references are taken from the culture of the 1980’s, a passion of OASIS creator Halliday, as well as author Ernest Cline.

Ready: Player One’s concept of an Easter egg which can only be discovered by specific knowledge of obscure pop culture references strikes gold in two key ways. First, it plays nicely into the 80’s nostalgia which is currently very prevalent. Secondly, it establishes a very interesting moral: it rewards people for being obsessive.

Throughout the novel, protagonist Wade is presented as the absolute extreme of obsessive. Wade spends every waking hour researching 80’s culture, watching reruns of Family Ties, and perfecting his high scores on Galaga and Pac-Man. Rather than present Wade’s obsession as a cautionary tale, Wade is rewarded for his fixation by advancing through Halliday’s pop-culture puzzles faster than anyone else. We as the readers are drawn into Wade’s obsessions because of his unrelenting passion for them. Rather than pity Wade for shutting himself in as a recluse, we applaud him for his drive and determination.

As stated earlier, Ready: Player One is successful because what it does well, it does very well. That being said, the notable weakness this novel contains is ironically tied directly to its strongest point: the protagonist Wade.

While Wade’s obsession and drive are what draw the reader into the world of Ready: Player One, his lack of depth outside of his obsessions prevent the reader from having any genuine empathy for him. We as the readers care more about Wade’s obsessions than Wade himself.

Don’t get me wrong: readers everywhere are guaranteed to root for underdog Wade, especially when he goes head to head with other egg hunters and the evil corporation IOI. Nevertheless, Wade’s likability is limited solely to his unrelenting drive. We naturally want to see someone who has worked so hard achieve their goal. Outside of the quest, however, Wade is very bland. It is interesting to note that after the quest is over, we as the readers don’t really care much about what happens to Wade. Author Ernest Cline makes the right call by ending the novel soon after the egg is found. The quest is what draws the reader in and keeps them captivated, not Wade himself.

The lack of emotional depth in Wade leads to a weakness in scenes that don’t directly involve the egg hunt itself. The most notable example occurs near the end of the story when Wade infiltrates IOI. Even though Wade’s life is put in jeopardy, we as the readers are relatively unmoved. Aside from mild empathy at Wade’s initial poverty and lack of friends, we are given no real reason to relate to him on a personal level.

In addition to Wade, the supporting characters of Ready: Player One are fairly bland and one dimensional. An exception could be made for Art3mis, fellow egg hunter and Wade’s love interest. What sets Art3mis aside from Wade and the other characters is her desire to change the corrupt world she lives in. Art3mis also possesses a physical deformity which she is ashamed of. This physical flaw adds depth to her character, even though the issue is never really explored to its full potential.

Ultimately, Ready: Player One works by making up for what it lacks in character development by a truly intriguing plot. It may not contain much in the way of emotional depth, but the intricacies of the OASIS and the perplexities of Halliday’s egg hunt are enough to keep readers engaged until the very end.

Part 2: Christian Content

From a Christian perspective, Ready: Player One has some problems.

As far as “surface issues”, there is a fairly healthy dose of strong language sprinkled throughout. While some would argue that this adds realism, any readers sensitive to profanity should be aware before reading. Secondly, there are several sexual scenes and references scattered throughout the novel. While this content is fairly sparse, especially for a contemporary novel, some readers may want to exercise caution.

The main issue with Ready: Player One from a Christian perspective is the overriding atheistic worldview of the characters. Early on, protagonist Wade equates belief in God or any other form of higher power as a naïve fantasy of a bygone era. This view remains unaltered throughout the course of the novel and creates a bleakly pessimistic mood that permeates the entirety of the story. Even the “happy ending” is rendered somewhat hollow by the implied message that human beings are ultimately corrupt and incapable of redemption.

In addition to the overall atheist mood of the story, the protagonist Wade is also difficult to get behind from a moral perspective. Throughout the course of the book, Wade’s desire is to find the Easter egg however he can. Wade’s ultimate goal never really varies from this one desire throughout the course of Ready: Player One. When he does ultimately win the contest, he tells his friend Art3mis that he plans to use the money for good, but as this statement occurs at the very end of the novel, it is hard to put much stock in it.

At the end of the day, Ready: Player One is still a worthwhile read. While there is little to be gained from any sort of an emotional or spiritual perspective, there is much that writers can learn about worldbuilding, quest stories, and the incorporation of pop culture in fiction.

Jonathan Vars is a Christian fiction writer from New England, and founder of the writing website voltampsreactive.com. His latest novel “Like Melvin” is currently available on Amazon and Google Books. In addition to writing, Jonathan enjoys running, hiking, and trying not to freeze to death in the winter.