REVIEW: Ready Player One

It isn't often that a New York Times-bestselling author drops by my corner of the blogosphere. In fact, of my 837 posts, this is the first time it's happened. Today, I welcome author Ernie Cline, who's building a nice little resume after penning the movie Fanboys and now his first novel, Ready Player One. Mr. Cline was gracious enough to join me for an interview, but first let me throttle his book in my review.

Ready Player One takes us to a grim future where the Great Recession never ended. Humanity has grown complacent and watched the world fall to pieces. Thankfully, people have a place to escape from all of this: the OASIS.

It's World of Warcraft on Venom (Bane's Venom, mind you). Or Second Life, but only awesome and with an actual purpose. The OASIS is the ultimate media-converged virtual world where anything is possible. Like the Matrix, without the people-as-batteries thing.

The book follows Wade Watts, a teenager searching for a better life. Wade, like everyone else, spends the majority of his time interacting in the virtual world. Through his avatar Parzival (the other spellings were already taken), he makes friends, goes to class, and basically eats and breathes a simulated world that's much better than actual reality.

The OASIS world was created by a reclusive billionaire named James Halliday, a mystical Steve Jobs-like figure who enjoys an almost cult-like following. A child of the eighties, Halliday relished video games, movies, and sci-fi and fantasy, incorporating them into his life and basing entire "sectors" of the OASIS on things ranging from Blade Runner to Star Wars and Dungeons & Dragons. Upon his death, Halliday buried an "Easter egg" deep in the bowels of the virtual world program, vowing that anyone who found it would inherit the OASIS and all his wealth.

The Hunt spawns an entire subculture of online egg hunters (called "gunters" in the book) hellbent on finding Halliday's Easter egg and claiming the wealth, power, and privilege that would surely follow. The gunters and their freewheeling ways are threatened by a corporation called IOI (its agents are called Sixers) that employs vast numbers of people and resources to solve Halliday's riddles. If they win and take over the OASIS, it would surely result in a grim future full of microtransactions, subscription fees, and general corporate greed.

Wade becomes the first person ever to crack one of Halliday's clues, leading him down a virtual rabbit hole of eighties movie, music, book, and game references. Each clue becomes more and more vital, each reference more and more obscure as Wade and his friends Art3mis and Aech try to stay a step ahead of the IOI and its never-ending supply of goons. Other than a little hyper-competitiveness and mutual antagonism, they're mostly up to the challenge.

Watch out for giant robots, X-wings, flying DeLoreans, arcade showdowns, and a little RPG magic. Ready Player One plunges readers into an OASIS of their own where anything is possible and even the little guy has a shot at the high score.

LOVED:
-Cline knows his geek culture and drains every last drop from it
-Pop culture lovers may actually witness their own heads explode
-fast-paced
-immensely detailed world
-likeable characters
-some nice surprises tucked away throughout
-I would love to try that "you're in the movie" thing

DIDN'T LOVE:
-bad guys were a little stock-quality, "evil for evil's sake"
-need to brush up on those Japanese robot shows
-pop culture references may lose or turn off some readers
-found a few of the characters stereotypical
-certain age groups will not enjoy or "get" this book

THE VERDICT:

Ready Player One is a seriously entertaining read. If you love the eighties, pop culture, video games, and imagination, READ IT NOW. If you don't love any or all of those things, I'll admit the depth of movie, book, and gaming references could be deep and intimidating.

Still, I'm giving it a coveted Field of Dreams on the Ray Liotta Quality Meter (a brief explanation of the Ray Liotta Quality Meter)

QUESTION: Your book is steeped in geek culture. I'm sure you knew most of it going in, but did you have to research any of it? Which areas of geekdom required a little extra effort?

ERNIE CLINE: I didn't really do any research into the geek culture elements, unless you count my entire life prior to writing the book as "research." I only referenced things from my own life, as a way of maintaining my own interest in writing the book. I did occasionally look things up online, but only to make sure I was remembering something correctly. Most of the real research I did for the book involved studying virtual reality technology and haptics.

QUESTION: The OASIS seems to be the next evolution in gaming/roleplaying. How close do you think we are to the total immersion shown in Ready Player One?

ERNIE CLINE: It's difficult to say. We've been promised "virtual reality" since the 80s, but the technology still isn't quite there. We still play video games and browse the web on two-dimensional screens. But it seems like we're inching closer to something like the OASIS every day. The US military is constantly developing more and more advanced VR tech, as a way to train soldiers to deal with combat situations in a consequence-free environment, and haptic technology is also getting more and more advanced. It seems likely that sometime in the next few decades, something like the OASIS will emerge. If it does, I think an awful lot of people will become addicted to it.

QUESTION: The book has so many nods and references, and then the OASIS itself has its own set of rules. How did you keep it all straight? Did a series "bible" figure into your world-building? Did you "map" out the different realms/sectors found within the OASIS?

ERNIE CLINE: The first few years I spent working on the story, I spent most of my time filling notebooks ideas and details about the OASIS and how it would work. I did create a map of all the OASIS sectors, while I was sorting out how travel within the simulation would function, and how each sector would be divided up into zones with different properties. It took me a long time to figure everything out, but it was necessary to get all of those details clear in my mind before I could begin to tell the story.

QUESTION: What were the struggles of seeing the book in print? How long has the process taken?

ERNIE CLINE: The main struggle for me was just finishing the book. I took me nearly a decade, working on it off and on between various day jobs and screenwriting projects. I would get frustrated and set the novel aside, sometimes for a year or more, before finally coming back to it for another try. Eventually I sold the option to one of my screenplays, and that allowed me to quit my day job and just focus on finishing the novel for a year. That was when I finally finished it, in late 2009. Once the book was finished, it only took me a few months to find an agent and sell it to a publisher.

QUESTION: What (or who) are some of your writing inspirations?

ERNIE CLINE: A lot of writers inspire me, and many of them are mentioned in my book. I'd say my three biggest influences are Douglas Adams, Kurt Vonnegut, and Neal Stephenson.

BONUS QUESTION: What's your next project/what are you working on right now?

ERNIE CLINE: Right now I'm working on a geeky coming of age movie about growing up in the 80s, in the spirit of American Graffiti and Dazed & Confused. I'm writing the screenplay and I also plan to produce and direct. Wish me luck, because I'm going to need it.

ALL TOGETHER NOW: GOOD LUCK, ERNIE!

He drives a DeLorean. For real. Well, sort of.
Ready Player One is available at most major retailers and e-tailers, including Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble

Follow Ernie Cline on Twitter @erniecline

Visit his website HERE

I read the book via a library loan on my Kindle. Interview conducted via email. I would like to again thank Ernie for his time!

REVIEW: A Game of Thrones

A Game of Thrones is the first book in George R.R. Martin's epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire. I've known about these books for a while, and by that I mean I've nearly fainted when noticing their doorstop-perfect build while browsing for books at the bookstore. Seriously, if you had to use a paperback to kill a man, pick up a George R.R. Martin book. The first book was released in 1996, which means I'm really getting a jump on this thing (it's okay; I was late on The Godfather, too). No doubt, the popularity of the HBO series (which I have not seen) also piqued my curiosity.

To try to condense the plot of A Game of Thrones would be a fool's task. Thankfully, you've come to the right place. Using the viewpoints of multiple characters (I think there are eight main ones), George R.R. Martin treats us to a sweeping tale of love, lust, vengeance, betrayal, duty, honor, family, power, redemption, and pretty much every other theme you can think of.

The Stark family, I think, is really the focus of the book. Ned Stark is the lord of Winterfell, a bleak, wintery land that could give Hoth a run for its money. When his friend King Robert comes to ask Lord Stark to take on the duties as his number-two (the King's Hand), Ned reluctantly agrees. The decision is a pivotal one, setting up a series of moves and counter-moves that take the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and move characters around like chess pieces.

King Robert was once a brave and bold man, but now he is no true king. After marrying a woman from the shifty Lannister family, the king grows fat, belligerent, and unobservant. He enlists Ned as help, taking Lord Stark away from Winterfell and moving him south. Let's just say a lot of bad things happen (one of Ned's sons suffers a grievous injury, it turns out King Robert's former King's Hand was murdered by one of the Lannisters, Ned and his family are branded as traitors, succession of the King's line comes under question, Ned's bastard son--hated by his wife but loved by Ned--joins a dangerous group of rangers tasked with keeping watch of evil forces north of a barrier called the Wall).

Meanwhile, in a different book, the former royal family displaced by King Robert's line struggles to gain a foothold. The Targaryen family was cast out as rulers after a mad king...um...went crazy. King Robert led a rebellion against him...and most of the Targaryen line was wiped out, save two surviving heirs, Daenerys and Viserys Targaryen. Viserys, who's kind of a spoiled, idiotic brat, arranges to sell his sister as wife to Khal Drogo, the powerful leader of a wild people called the Dothraki. Daenerys' story is one of pain, suffering, more pain, more suffering, loss, and rebirth. Seriously, nothing good happens to her. Then again, nothing good happens to anyone in A Game of Thrones.

The book has several subplots, most of them compelling. There's the journey of Ned's brave bastard son Jon Snow; the emergence of Ned's oldest trueborn son Robb as a pivotal figure in the Seven Kingdoms. The other Stark children have their own cruel adventures as well. The dwarf of the Lannister clan--Tyrion--also plays a large role in the events that unfold, as do the machinations of his sister (King Robert's wife) and brother (Jaime "The Kingslayer").

Old families clash; old allegiances whither and die while others are forged anew.

Winter is coming...and it is good.

LOVED

-Tyrion the Imp; this guy gets most of the good lines and provides all of the book's scant levity with his wit
-Epic, sweeping scope
-Complex, well-developed world that feels real and steeped in history
-No character is safe from injury or death--you never know what's going to happen
-Really felt like there were strong characterizations for most of the principles
-Ned Stark, damn him, is one honorable man (as are his sons...even the bastard Jon Snow)
-Most of the plots and subplots are deftly juggled and intertwined
-Direwolves!
-Main houses all managed to seem unique

DIDN'T LOVE

-I wish someone would strangle the blasted crows and ravens; "corn, corn, corn!"
-Don't expect to laugh at the wacky antics of the Stark family
-A sense of hopelessness runs throughout the whole book
-The length; good God, the length...not for the faint of heart
-A lot...and I mean A LOT...of characters to juggle and keep straight
-Prepare for medieval sex that is both crazy and comical
-"Ser" in place of "sir"--my mind couldn't get used to this even after 800,000 pages

THE VERDICT

I don't read a lot of fantasy books. Sweeping tales of kings and knights hold a certain appeal, but I've never really been into those types of stories. In this case, I thought I'd try something different.

To my utter surprise and shock...A Game of Thrones gets a scintillating 5 out of 5 on the Ray Liotta Quality Meter (what is this?).

REVIEW: In Her Name: EMPIRE

I am a reader as well as a writer, so today I'm launching what I hope will be the first in a series of book reviews. This will be, unfortunately, a sporadic feature because I tend to read in spurts.

Today, I'm tackling IN HER NAME: EMPIRE, the first in an epic sci-fi/fantasy saga by Michael R. Hicks.

The book follows the rise of Reza Gard, a young boy kidnapped and forced to live among a mysterious warrior culture known as the Kreelan. The aliens are, of course, at war with humanity...and Reza is one of the unfortunate youths taken from a child labor world for orphans.

Yeah...Reza's had a real great life. His parents were killed when the Kreelan invaded his home planet. He blames their deaths on the aliens and vows revenge, surviving an encounter with a spiritual leader that leaves them both scarred.

A few years later, Reza is a boy on the cusp of manhood when the Kreelan strike again, invading the hated planet where Reza and other adolescents toil as little more than slave labor. Reza is kidnapped and forced to live among the aliens, first as an animal, and then...well...pretty much as an animal.

As he grows and changes, Reza begins to understand the enemy and adopts their warrior ways. Against all odds, he emerges as a top fighter and improbably becomes the potential savior of the Kreelan race. He takes a mate--forbidden for eons because of a "curse" upon the predominantly female species--and learns to value their ways, eventually confronting a heartbreaking decision concerning his true loyalties.

This is a coming-of-age tale at its finest, a book that takes little time to get started before turning into a rip-roaring read.

LOVED:

-Reza has every right to be ticked off at the universe, but his indomitable will keeps him going
-Mixes a little sci-fi with a fantasy vibe
-Sweet, improbable romance involving Kreelan warrior
-Fight scenes are well done and visceral
-Goliath is the reliable steed every hero deserves
-Colonel Wiley & Kreelan armor shaper were especially memorable characters
-Bloodsong idea

DIDN'T LOVE:

-The character of Muldoon and his perverse ways could repulse some readers from the get-go...I really struggled to get through these parts
-Kreelan mythology required a few read-throughs before I "got it"
-on rare occasions, the book did get a little too "talky" with some overly-explanatory dialogue
-"Suddenly" used a bit too much (personal pet peeve that probably won't bother you)
-Some scenes could use a little tightening

THE VERDICT:

IN HER NAME: EMPIRE hits level four on the Ray Liotta Quality Meter (what is that? Find out here). A fun, escapist read perfect for the summertime!

This is a self-published book of very high quality. Hicks has two direct sequels and a second trilogy of prequel books detailing the "first contact" between humanity and the Kreelan Empire.

The best thing about this book? It's FREE. Author Michael R. Hicks offers IN HER NAME: EMPIRE on his website as a free ebook download IF you sign up for his email newsletter (get it here).

Disclaimer: I signed up for the author's newsletter to obtain a free copy for review and have no personal connection to Michael R. Hicks. I read the Smashwords version on my Kindle.

QUESTION: EMPIRE is a coming-of-age tale that evokes sci-fi/fantasy classics. What other works do you count as inspirations?

MICHAEL R. HICKS: To be honest, I was rather surprised that IN HER NAME had such an element of fantasy, because I've read very, very few fantasy books. I only managed to get through the Lord of the Rings after seeing the movies, and off the top of my head I can't remember a single other fantasy book I've read.

The sci-fi side of the house is a different story, if you'll pardon the pun. I grew up with Heinlein and Asimov, among others, and count Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle as huge influences (my most favorite ever book is THE MOTE IN GOD'S EYE). But David Drake, David Weber, Scott G. Gier...there are really too many to list.

QUESTION: What can you tell readers about how you developed the Kreelan & their culture? Were there any real-life influences?

MICHAEL R. HICKS: This is always a hard question to answer, because I don't really have an answer. I first get ideas for stories as a snapshot in my mind, like a visual epiphany. I don't know the details, only the kernel of the story. For IN HER NAME, that actually began late in high school and early in college, when I got an idea for a story that later morphed into a novel. But I didn't intentionally base it on anything from the real world, although I'm sure I embedded elements of things I know subconsciously. From there the story just started playing out like a movie in my mind at night while I fell asleep, and the next day I'd furiously write down what I could remember, replaying the movie in my head.

And that's how I write today, although I have more of a conscious influence over the movie: I can now largely hit the mental play button at will. I just don't know what's going to appear on the big screen until it happens!

QUESTION: What frustrates you about the book/publishing process? Is there anything about your books you'd like to change?

MICHAEL R. HICKS: I think I've largely left my frustrations with the process behind, because I now understand where the rough spots are and can either avoid them or minimize the bumps. And for any author who's frustrated or annoyed with how things are, I'll say this: be joyous and happy that the technology is now available to self-publish, particularly for ebook platforms, because it's made all the difference. And, with few exceptions, it's free for authors/publishers to use. Yes, there are annoyances. Yes, it's not perfect. But if you spend some time to learn what to do and do it, it's not that huge a deal.

As for changing anything about my books, in a perfect world I'd probably go back and rewrite or revise some things, both to correct some lingering bloopers and maybe to make the existing books better. But the readers seem to be happy with them as they are, and keep asking for new books, so I'm simply working on putting out more books, as fast as I can.

QUESTION: What's this Summer RV Tour you've been blogging about?

MICHAEL R. HICKS: My wife and I love RVing, and this summer we decided to take a big trip through New England and eastern Canada. We had intended to do book signings along the way, and while we did a couple, that didn't pan out quite as we'd hoped, mainly because we had put together such an aggressive schedule. But I did come up with a number of story ideas and got some good research material, and we also saw a ton of cool things and met some great people (including some long-time fans in Pennsylvania). We plan on traveling a lot more once I'm out of my day job, and if we're ever in the area of interested readers, feel free to let me know so we can hook up!

QUESTION: What's next for the IN HER NAME series? What other projects are you working on?

MICHAEL R. HICKS: Oh, jeez! I'm currently working on the next book of the IN HER NAME series, DEAD SOUL, and hope to have it out by the end of September. This will finish off the "start of war" trilogy that began with FIRST CONTACT and continued with LEGEND OF THE SWORD. Next up, I think, will be a sort of historical romance novel with a sci-fi twist set in the Second World War. Then I'll probably put out the first sequel to SEASON OF THE HARVEST, then get to work on the third IN HER NAME trilogy that will close the story arc between where DEAD SOUL ends and EMPIRE begins. I'm also planning to do a fourth trilogy telling of the foundation of the Kreelan Empire, and I've got a list of projects beyond that. There's lots of stuff to write!

The IN HER NAME series is available at most major e-retailers, including Amazon.com, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, Kobo Store, and the Sony Reader Store

Follow Michael R. Hicks on Twitter @KreelanWarrior!

You'll find his official website HERE

Introducing the Ray Liotta Meter

I love my meters.

Perhaps too much.

The following is in response to a buddy who said I needed a Ray Liotta meter on my blog.

I heartily agreed with him and came up with a sliding scale called the Ray Liotta Quality Meter.

It's basically a letter grade or five-point system for reviews.

You can debate which Ray Liotta movie is the best or worst, but I had to come up with something using the Netflix Watch Instantly catalog, which unfortunately features neither Hannibal nor Operation Dumbo Drop, which were the original choices for the "bad" end of the meter. Heck, I would've settled for Turbulence!

These are ranked in order of my favorite Ray performances, not necessarily the relative quality of the movies involved. I'm saying this in hopes that the Scorsese fans can forgive having Field of Dreams as the "best" rating...it's my all-time favorite Ray performance.

Anyhow, here's what I came up with, thanks to some quick screencaps:

No Escape: You're an 80s-style action movie made in the mid-90s. Two featured characters include two "guys who are in everything" -- Ernie Hudson and Lance Henriksen. There's some fun to be had here, but Ray sums it up best: "Tonight we'll bury the father. Tomorrow we'll start rebuilding the compound. Tomorrow we start all over again."

Muppets from Space: Harmless. Forgettable. A bit formulaic. It's all right, just not great, and there's no razzle-dazzle quality about it. but it does have the one scene where Ray Liotta randomly shows up as a security guard, and that saves it from the scrap heap. Barely. "So long! Bye-bye! What a handsome family."

Cop Land: Reach this level, and you've got some good, even some great, qualities. But there's something holding it back. Even though Ray comes in at the end, guns blazing, it can't quite make it all the way up to the top. But I still love it, even for its flaws. "Bein' right is not a bulletproof vest, Freddy!"

Goodfellas: From smooth criminal to coked-out whackadoo to key state witness, Ray plays all the angles in this gritty crime drama. This is a 4 out of 5, a B+, an admirable achievement. Funny how that works, huh? "It's just, you know. You're just funny, it's...funny, the way you tell the story and everything."

Field of Dreams: Seldom will a review hit the rarified air of this unassuming Iowa cornfield. This is Ray at his restrained finest, a young, earnest ballplayer given another chance at the Show. And there's even a bit of that Liotta Craziness: "Ty Cobb wanted to play, but none of us could stand the sonuvabitch when we were alive so we told him to stick it! (maniacal laugh)."