u003cpu003eu003cbu003eThe bestselling cult classic--soon to be a major motion picture directed by Steven Spielberg.u003c/bu003eu003cbru003e u003cbru003e At once wildly original and stuffed with irresistible nostalgia, READY PLAYER ONE is a spectacularly genre-busting, ambitious, and charming debut--part quest novel, part love story, and part virtual space opera set in a universe where spell-slinging mages battle giant Japanese robots, entire planets are inspired by u003ciu003eBlade Runneru003c/iu003e, and flying DeLoreans achieve light speed.u003cbru003e u003cbru003e It's the year 2045, and the real world is an ugly place.u003cbru003e u003cbru003e Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets.u003cbru003e u003cbru003e And like most of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune--and remarkable power--to whoever can unlock them. u003cbru003e u003cbru003e For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that Halliday's riddles are based in the pop culture he loved--that of the late twentieth century. And for years, millions have found in this quest another means of escape, retreating into happy, obsessive study of Halliday's icons. Like many of his contemporaries, Wade is as comfortable debating the finer points of John Hughes's oeuvre, playing Pac-Man, or reciting Devo lyrics as he is scrounging power to run his OASIS rig.u003cbru003e u003cbru003e And then Wade stumbles upon the first puzzle.u003cbru003e u003cbru003e Suddenly the whole world is watching, and thousands of competitors join the hunt--among them certain powerful players who are willing to commit very real murder to beat Wade to this prize. Now the only way for Wade to survive and preserve everything he knows is to u003ciu003ewinu003c/iu003e. But to do so, he may have to leave behind his oh-so-perfect virtual existence and face up to life--and love--in the real world he's always been so desperate to escape. u003cbru003e u003cbru003e A world at stake.u003cbru003e A quest for the ultimate prize.u003cbru003e u003cbu003eAre you ready?u003c/bu003eu003c/pu003e
