Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Reading Guide Questions
Use these questions to guide your understanding of the novel as you read it. You do not
have to compose written responses to these questions, rather, you should use them as a
guide for reflecting on and responding to the novel. We will discuss these questions in class.
1. The OASIS becomes a part of daily life for users around the globe. What virtual realms
(Google, Facebook, iCloud) do you depend on? What is at stake in the war against IOI, the
internet service provider that wants to overturn Halliday’s affordable, open-source approach? Is
it dangerous to mix profit and dependence on technology?
2. Explore the question of identity raised in the novel. What do the characters’ avatars tell us
about their desires and their insecurities? In reality, does our physical appearance give false clues
about who we really are? How does Parzival, transformed into a celebrity gunter, become
Wade’s true self?
3. With a narrator who vividly captures the human experience, Ready Player One delivers a
world that is easy for us to imagine. In the novel, what was at the root of the grim downturn for
Earth’s inhabitants? Could your community start looking like the stacks by the year 2044?
4. How does love affect Wade’s rational mind? Would you have given Art3mis the tip about
playing on the left side to defeat the lich (page 99, chapter ten)? Did you predict that she would
turn out to be a friend or a foe?
5. How does public school in the OASIS compare to your experience in school? Has author
Ernest Cline created a solution to classroom overcrowding, student apathy, and school violence?
6. In his Columbus bunker, Wade puts on so many pounds that he can no longer fit comfortably
in his haptic chair. How would you fare in his weight-loss program, described in chapter
nineteen, featuring a simulation gym, coaching from Max, and a lockout system that restricts his
diet and forces him to exercise?
7. Wade’s OASIS pass phrase is revealed on page 199, at the end of chapter nineteen: “No one in
the world ever gets what they want and that is beautiful.” What does this philosophy mean to him
at that point in his life?
8. How is the novel shaped by the 1980s backdrop, featuring John Hughes films, suburban shows
like Family Ties, a techno-beat soundtrack, and of course, a slew of early video games? Did
Halliday grow up in a utopia?
9. Discuss Bryce Lynch’s financial situation, rigged so that Wade could infiltrate IOI. When
does Wade become willing to “die trying”? How did you react to the image of debtors being
forced into indentured servitude?
10. Wade doesn’t depend on religion to make moral decisions or overcome life-threatening
challenges. What does the novel say about humanity’s relationship to religion? What sort of god
is Halliday, creator of the OASIS universe?
11. Despite their introverted nature, the book’s characters thrive on friendship. Discuss the level
of trust enjoyed by Halliday and Og, and among Wade, Aech, Art3mis, Daito, and Shoto. How is
true power achieved in Ready Player One?
12. In the closing scenes, Halliday’s reward proves to be greater than mere wealth. What is
Halliday’s ultimate prize? How did the rules of Halliday’s game help him determine the type of
player who would likely win?
13. In his quest for the three keys, Wade is required to inhabit many imaginary worlds, including
movies, video games, and a simulation of Halliday’s childhood home. Which of these virtual
realities appealed to you the most? What sort of virtual reality is provided by a novel?
Source:
http://www.kpl.gov/uploadedFiles/Books/Book_Club_in_a_Bag/guide-ready-player-one.pdf
1.Describe the extent and impact of global climate change in the novel. What caused the global
energy crisis? How has it impacted society? Do you think it is possible that we will see a global
energy crisis of this magnitude by 2044? Support your answer with data.
2. On page 25, Wade Watts explains how he creates a mechanism for recharging his device using
“a rack of old car batteries and a modified exercise bike.” Based on principles of physics, explain
how this mechanism could work.
3. Watts describes preparing to play OASIS on page 26 and gives further details about the
system on page 58. Explain how the technology involved in the components of the system work
(for example, haptic technology, retina scans). How much of this technology currently exists?
4. OASIS stands for “Ontologically Anthropocentric Sensory Immersive Simulation.” Examine
the etymology of each of the words in the system’s name. What do they tell you about the
functions of the system? Examine names from other fields of science. How are scientific names
generated? What can the etymology of a scientific name tell you about an organism or object?
5. Explain the code that allows for the creation of avatars. What allows them to interact with
each other?
6. Since OASIS is free to access, how is the virtual world in Ready Player One monetized? Do
you think this model makes sense? Explain your answer. Rebecca Skloot’s book The Immortal
Life of Henrietta Lacks raises questions about the ownership of biological materials. Can similar
questions be raised about the ownership of virtual commodities? Debate these questions as a
class.
7. In computer programming, what are “Easter eggs?” What is involved in programming an
Easter egg into a game, application, program, or site?
8. Once Wade begins to advance in the online egg hunt, he acquires more advanced equipment to
use in OASIS. Read the descriptions of the technology on pages 191– 193. How much of this
technology currently exists in some form? Explain how it works.
9. What would be difficult about creating a system as expansive and immersive as OASIS? Do
you think such a system will ever be created? Would people be willing to exchange real
experiences for virtual experiences? Explain your answer.
10. In addition to providing a source of recreation, OASIS also provides access to education.
How could virtual reality or other similar technology revolutionize the classroom experience?
What steps have we already taken to promote “virtual classrooms” or distance learning? Do you
think this type of learning will eventually replace the traditional classroom?
Source:
http://images.randomhouse.com/teachers_guides/9780307887443.pdf
