"So I had nothing to worry about. Nothing at all. Just a giant metal spider locked onto my skull, about to interface with my brain."
My sheer unadulterated delight upon discovering the joyous world of Ready Player One, was almost matched by the announcement of a sequel in the works, so naturally I pre-ordered a copy with rabid enthusiasm. Life, as it is want to do, got in the way of my reading this as soon as it arrived and so I savoured the possibility of a few clear hours to immerse myself once more in the OASIS.
Ignore the detractors. Whilst this may not reach the soaring heights of the first novel, and I think that’s mainly because we’re now familiar with its world and characters, it still makes for a great read.
The band of misfits who supported Wade in his initial endeavours have virtually disbanded. He’s fallen out with the love of his life and only the only contact he has with her and his friends is a series of virtual board meetings necessary to run the GSS. His discover of an Easter Egg leads to a revelation surrounding new technology, the ONI headsets which permit users to literally log-in ( somewhat Neuromancer style) to the OASIS. This amazingly effective tool comes with a potentially lethal drawback, the user can only be online for 12 hours at a time without risking brain damage or worse. The endless possibilities of the new tech allow users to record and share feelings and experiences in a previously unimaginable way.
The appearance of a new riddle challenges Wade to discover seven shards to ‘restore the Siren’s soul’ and once again the adventure begins. This time, however, the appearance of Anorak, an AI copy of inventor, James Halliday, is about to provide some truly high stakes danger, not only for our hero, but for the entire human race.
I fear I’ve perhaps said too much on the topic of plot, so I’ll just leave it there and hope you grab yourselves a copy, so that we can chat about it in detail.
5 out of 5 - Geeks rock!!
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