BookShelf: Ready Player One

I've started reading all of the digital books I keep downloading and collecting in my computer. It takes me about a whole day to finish one book if I have the whole day free, otherwise one book can easily take me about three days (while I read it between class, while I relax before studying or a little before bed). Ready Player One is one of those books which I have recently closed and put away (virtually speaking).

I just want to recommend this book to everyone. It's just that good. It has a great background, an amazing plot and brilliant characters. I liked how futuristic the entire set up of the book was, with Earth running out of resources and almost everyone hiding away in a virtual world. The virtual world (called OASIS) itself was also amazing.

The book is a lot like Sword Art Online. The virtual world, a seemingly impossible mission and the friends you make along the way (I hated the last bit about SAO though.........) but there were several aspects that differentiate the two of them. First of all, Ready Player One has better developed characters. Those in Sword Art Online appeared to be stereotypical cardboard characters with no mission in life but to fawn over Kirito (lame).

Secondly, Ready Player One had a main character who was relatively easier to relate to. No, Wade wasn't a super gamer at OASIS right from the start. He was stuck at the beginner island for most of his online life until he started solving the puzzles. Kirito, on the other hand, was a champion player right from that start since he was a beta tester but we didn't get to see him work his way up.

Thirdly, the female characters. Art3mis and Asuna are alike when you consider their overall intelligence and ability to battle. I think that's where the similarities end. Art3mis used her intelligence to try to win the competition by herself and Wade respects her for that (he doesn't try dragging her into his plans and making her play a part in them). Asuna uses hers to help Kirito. Art3mis knew a relationship in a game was futile and cut it off (resulting in character developement from Wade), Asuna didn't (heck, Kirito and Asuna got married in-game).

There's several similarities at the same time. The fact that beating the competition made Wade the game master (ie he was given the same status as Anorak, Halliday's avatar) just like how Kirito was able to access Heathcliff's status (Kayaba Akihiko's rank as game creator) in Alfheim Online. Secondly, the fact that both, Art3mis and Asuna are older than their respective love interests (sorry, had to point that out).

I think my favorite character out of all five them would be Aech and Art3mis. If you read the book, I think you'd know why xD