Hello everyone! I recently finished reading Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. If you don't know what it's about it is basically a story with a dystopian feel that takes place in the not too distant future. The protagonist is a young man named Wade Watts. The Oasis is an extremely realistic VR game that has been integrated into every part of society across the globe. When the creator of The Oasis dies alone it is revealed that he had hidden three easter eggs in the game which led to three keys, which in turn opened three separate gates. The first person to open all three gates would inheret over 200 billion dollars (if memory serves) and controlling interest in his company. Anyway, I do recommend the book as by the end of it I found that I had thoroughly enjoyed it. The reason I'm bringing this up is because I don't remember reading a book other than this one that was so noticeably info dumping as frequently as this book does. Of course, by the time I read the last page all of the info dumps didn't really bother me anymore. Is this a common thing in books? I was under the impression that info dumping was to be avoided. Or, for those of you who have read it, would you describe the book in this way? Do you agree or disagree with my assessment that there was a lot of info dumping? I have mostly read fantasy books in my life, and I understand that when you're building a new world there is quite a lot that needs to be explained to the readers, however it just seems that other authors have done a much better job of it. Or maybe I'm just being a stickler!
I don't think so. Sounds about as bad as just massive amounts of exposition to parts that already happened earlier on. Which is also not common. It just depends on the author I suppose. IDK. O_O
I couldn't stand that book (possibly because I listened to it rather than reading it so I couldn't skim over all the damn info-dumps) but it's certainly seen a lot of success, so other people obviously don't mind what I minded.
I also tried to read this book after a couple of friends squeed over it like excited anime characters. I shared @BayView's experience. The cultural cues and signals that seem to make this book so popular are not ones that find purchase on me.
The book was decent for what it was, though I did get the impression that the author (Ernest Cline?) had to fire every creative bullet he could come up with to get there. I think he only did one other book (Armada?) and it was a dud. I don't expect we'll see too much more from him, though the Spielberg movie in production has quite a bit if potential. He strikes me as a guy who had one good idea but no real writing prowess that would lend itself to more stories down the road. And to be honest I don't think he had anything to say about anything, other than the dorks will inherit the earth. I think he benefited a bit from doubling down on fanboy dorkdom where critical literary analysis can take a breather for geek-out street credibility. And wish-fulfillment. Never underestimate the power of wish-fulfillment, of which, Cline is one of the most egregious cases I can think of, though that still clearly resonated with readers. Not just authorial wish-fulfillment either, but a world that quite literally becomes a video game where only the dorks and nerds have a chance to survive. Forget the "cool" kids. They're totally fucked in the new world order. Revenge of the Nerds: Global Domination. I liked the book, but really only for the novelty of the gag, which he did well. Being of a similar age with a like-minded disposition probably helped. But overall there was too much jelly and not enough toast. ETA: and before anyone jumps in to defend dorkdom, I was card carrying member long before it was cool.
I already have CrossCode to tide me over with virtual reality MMO stories, thanks. I'm pretty much pooped on the "nerd goes into another world" formula from virtually everything Japanese nowadays, so I might pass on western Sword Art Online.
I could barely make it through one--there's no way I would have read for more than one. I agree with someone up-thread saying the book was coasting on nostalgia, rather than the current story or plot. And I guess I just don't find nostalgia all that appealing.
I never minded the info dumps in this story because I found it extremely interesting. I enjoyed reading about how Oasis came to be and how it was used. The only thing that really irked me was the dumps he did after a time jump. One page he's just entering fame for finding the first key and getting to know Artimis, a few pages later, he's rich and going with her to the best clubs in his flying Dolorian and owns a small planet. The part where he worked for the sixers also seemed to just fly in and out.
