Tag: ready player one

MoviesReviews

Ready Player One the Movie!

Posted on by J.W. Martin

Okay, okay. Let’s all settle down, now! It’s time to talk about the RPO movie.

If you’ve been following my blog for more than a few hours, you probably already know that I’m a pretty obsessive massive RPO fan. I’ve read it multiple times, and listened to the audiobook a few times. Easily one of my faves, if not THE fav (who can choose, though?)

First, I have to say that they changed a lot. Too much, in my opinion. I’m not one to get stuck on small details, either. Small changes, here and there, to adhere to the shortened timeline are okay. Big changes don’t sit nearly as well with me, and there were some pretty big ones in the movie.

That being said, there were still a lot of things about this movie that I liked, and even some things that I absolutely LOVED! 

The visuals are absolutely stunning. The world(s) inside the Oasis were great. Some were even better looking on screen than they were in my head. And the Stacks! Holy crap. Did they build a perfect replica of the Stacks? I say no. I say they cast some kind of magic spell on a copy of RPO (probably a hardcover) and the set rose directly out of the pages. They looked SO great!

Pop Culture references were still EVERYWHERE! Music, movies, games, characters. There were so many that there’s no way I caught them all. My wife and I were listing ones that we saw and kept saying, “Really? I didn’t see that! Cool!”

So. Should you go see Ready Player One if you love the book? Yes. If you love the world created in this book, you need to see this movie. Because even though the plot has had some pretty big alterations, this movie still takes place in the Ready Player One world.

It’ll help if you go into it thinking it’s more of a retelling than a direct adaptation. But seriously. Go see it.

Fun fact about this post: You don’t need a fun fact for this post. It’s all about RPO and movies. How can it get any more fun than that?
Discussion

DISCUSSION: Pop Culture References in Books

Posted on by J.W. Martin

Okay. This is kind of a strange one, but I run into it all the time. I’m knee-deep into a novel and the prose drops a reference to someone like Taylor Swift, or a piece of ‘current day’ technology like Samsung Galaxy S8. It always makes me pause.

It has nothing to do with my opinions or preferences. I’m an iPhone user, and I don’t normally listen to Tay-Tay, though her songs have a habit of worming their way into the core of my brain. It’s not about what or who I prefer.

I wonder about the person who’s going to be reading that book 10 years from now. 20 years from now. Are they going to know who Taylor Swift is? Will Samsung even be a company then? Probably. But maybe not.

What I’m getting at is that these references have an expiration day. And if you’re reference is expired, doesn’t that take something away from your book? It’s certainly not always the case. Just look at one of my favs, Ready Player One.

RPO is near non-stop references to 80s pop culture, and it works very, very well. But there’s a difference. Ready Player One basically tells you in the beginning, you’re going to hear a bunch of things about the 1980s, get ready (player one)! Also, each reference is given a quick origin as it’s brought in. It’s not just a name dropped in, the way so many of them are.

 

There’s also something about references from the past. If you were to read a book written in 2018 that references an actress from the 60s, I think you can get away with that. In 10 or 20 years, she’s still going to be an actress from the 60s. But if that book drops the name of the latest teen heart-throb, that guy probably won’t be around in 5 years. Sorry, heart-throbs, nature of the business.

Then again, maybe I’m just nuts. 

Is it just me? How do you feel when you come across a pop reference?

Fun fact about this post: As I wrote this post, my cat was asleep beside me, with her head resting on an ARC, and totally left a little cat drool on it!

 

AllDiscussion

Ready Player… Two? RPO is getting a sequel!!!

Posted on by J.W. Martin

It’s no secret, I love Ready Player One.

So you can imagine how pumped I was when I heard that Ernest Cline is working on a sequel. The Verge quoted him revealing the project in progress, though he was unable to give any more details.

Let’s speculate for a moment, shall we? First off, I think Ready Player Two is a perfect title. And what would be really cool is to see the story surround an entirely new group of Oasis users who keep having run-ins with a super-powered, super-user version of Parzival/Wade.

However, Cline is really good at going in a direction I didn’t even know existed. Which is fine. Whatever he comes up with, I’m sure it’ll be great.

Fun fact about this post: EVERYTHING ABOUT RPO IS FUN!
MemesTop 5 Tuesday

Top 5 books that need a spin off book/series

Posted on by J.W. Martin

Against all odds (a.k.a. A few days without internet) I’m back to make a post. Might as well make it one of my favourite memes, Top 5 Tuesday hosted by Shanah @ Bionic Bookworm. This week is the top 5 books that deserve a spin-off book or series. Pitter, patter, let’s get at ‘er.

Six of Crows book cover

Six of Crows – Jesper Fahey

A prequel featuring the wise-cracking sharpshooter with untrained Grisha abilities? Yes, please!

Lorien Legacies – Number 5

A controversial character, to say the least. Is he evil? Good at heart? Who knows? But I’d like to find out. I’d also like to see more scenes where he smiles sadistically and tells someone, “You like to kill, let’s see who’s better at it.”

Harry Potter – Severus & Lily

I want to read about Severus, Lily, and James and their time in school. We got the slightest glimpse of it in book 6 & 7, but it would easy to do more. Even one for each year at Hogwarts.

Ready Player One – Pretty much every character, but James Halliday most

Seriously, I’d read just about any spin-off, but one about Halliday would be amazing. It could go through a lot of his history, but a big chunk on his time developing the Oasis. Based on the book, he was mainly just shut in during that time, but all the interesting stuff could happen inside the Oasis as he battles bugs, viruses, and hackers.

Red Rising – Sevro & The Howlers

Sevro is arguably the best parts of the Red Rising trilogy. Can you imagine chapter after chapter of him and his mates, donning their wolf cloaks and howling as they take down small bands of Golds?

Fun fact about this post: Sevro & The Howlers would also be a decent name for a punk rock band.
MemesTop 4 Thursday

Top 4 Non-Fluffy Books

Posted on by J.W. Martin

Top 4 non-fluffy books (not necessarily books without romance, but books where any romance isn’t fluffy.) Thanks to Ally Memes @AllyWritesThings for hosting this bi-weekly meme. Check out her upcoming topics here.

The Red Rising Trilogy

Yeah, there’s love and slag. But the real mushy stuff happens between books. Darrow and Mustang are obsessed with each other, but it’s not mushy, mainly because they spend most of their time pretending not to be obsessed with each other.

Ready Player One

Parzival and Artemis end up in a relationship by the end, but really, they spend most of their time as friends/team mates.

I Am Legend

This one may not be fair. There are no people for Robert Langdon to do any lovey dove stuff with. And even if there was a scene where he lit some candles, had a long bath, and had some self-romance, it was obviously cut from the final version.

Fight Club

There’s love there, but it’s about a far as you can get from mushy.

Fun fact about this post: There are absolutely no fun facts about this post, except for that fact that there are no facts…
A to Z

Top 5 Male Leads

Posted on by J.W. Martin

This was a lot harder to narrow down to 5 than I thought it would be! Just a warning to all Potterheads: I left Harry out the running. Not because he’s not a great lead—he absolutely is—it just felt like such an obvious choice that it would be like telling you all that the sky is blue, water is wet, and french fries are delicious.

This Top 5 Tuesday meme is hosted by the Bionic Bookworm. I’d tell you to go follow her blog, but let’s face it, you already are!

Enzo

The only book I’ve read so far where the narrator is a dog, and it left a deep impression on me. I don’t think any character could be as caring and as loyal as a canine narrator. Endlessly selfless, unconditionally loving, and completely adorable!

Larry Underwood

Stephen King’s The Stand is a sprawling book with dozens of characters, and more than one of them could be considered a main. So, why did I choose Larry? Most of the characters in The Stand walk this path that starts at human being and ends at near sainthood. They all become leaders of men, willing to give their lives for what’s right. They become morally perfect. I think I might be looking for the term ‘goody-two-shoes.’ Not good old Larry. Sure, he grows, but at the end of the story he’s still recognizable as Larry Underwood. Fun-loving, guitar playing, not-always-making-the-best-decision Larry!

Arlen Bales

In a world where everyone is terrified of the demons that rise from the Earth’s core each night, Arlen is the only one who wants to fight; and he starts doing it when he’s still a boy. In the first book of the Demon Cycle, The Warded Man, we get to watch Arlen in his quest for ways to fight, and kill, demons. In that search he goes from barely surviving to becoming a killing machine.

Wade ‘Parzival’ Watts

He’s the kind of guy you can relate to. You probably know someone just like him and you can’t help pulling for him to win in every possible way. When someone messes with him, it’s like someone’s messing with your kid brother, or your best friend. Wonderfully flawed, and always interesting, Wade fights for the everyman; especially those of us that grew up in the 80s.

Tyler Durden

His name is Tyler Durden and, as crazy as he is, you can’t help but buy what he’s selling. He makes you rethink your whole world and face the truths that you’ve known all along, but chose to ignore. Do we own too many things that no one needs? Of course, but who doesn’t love things? Should everyone’s credit be set back to zero? Yes, please! Do we all really just need a good punch in the face? Not sure about that one. I can think of a few people, for sure. The man’s means are a little unorthodox, but you can’t argue with his vision.

How did I do with my list? Who’d I leave off that you think should be there?

First Lines Friday

First Lines Friday — July 7, 2017

Posted on by J.W. Martin

First Lines Fridays is a weekly meme hosted by Wandering Words.

What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

Rules:

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
  • Finally… reveal the book!

“Everyone my age remembers where they were and what they were doing when they first heard about the contest. I was sitting in my hideout watching cartoons when the news bulletin broke in on my video feed, announcing that James Halliday had died during the night.”

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Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

I don’t remember where I originally heard about Ready Player One, but it was an instant classic for me, easily soaring to the top of all my all-time favourite books.

If you like video games and/or grew up in the 80s this book will feel like it was custom made for you. If you don’t like video games and didn’t grow up in the 80s… you’ll still probably love this book. It’s just that damn good.

Goodreads synopsis:

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. 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.