Melanie's Muses
Menu
Dave -
Now for something completely different. It’s a book review from me. Yes, you read that correctly- a book. Not a movie, or music or tv show. It’s a first for me so let’s see how this goes.
I previously collaborated on the Ready Player One article with Jenn about the movie which we loved. It was based on a book. In November, they released a sequel to the book called Ready Player Two. Since I don't read much, I didn't actually read the first book but loved the movie. I wanted to see what happened next so I decided to pick up the new book and give it a shot. No word on if a movie deal is in place so I know it would be at least 2 years with all the special effects if a deal is worked out.
Ready Player Two picks up shortly after Ready Player One ends. Wade Watts aka Parzival and the rest of the High Five are now the owners of GSS and in control of the Oasis. We start out mostly seeing Wade living the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous and insights to his daily life as the others are just popping in for video chats for the owners’ meetings. Wade releases a Halliday invention on Oasis users-- ONI headsets which dominate all your senses, making everything in the Oasis seems more real. With the ONI headset and the inherited Robes of Anorak, which give him invulnerability and invisibility, he is free to roam the Oasis and hide from fans and haters alike. One of his fans is LOhengrin, and her team dubbed themselves the LOw Five. More on them later. Parzival finds another of Halliday's hidden quests specifically designed for whoever won the first contest. It a quest to find the Seven Shards of the Sirens Soul.
The book starts a little slow. A lot of the early stuff is used to set up things that happen later. But there is a 3-year gap between everything that happens early on and when things really get going. It's roughly 70 or so pages into the story when Lo contacts Parzival about finding the first shard. That's when things pick up. The good news about that is the story gets steamrolled from there. The rest of our team -- Art3mis, Aech, and Shoto join Parzival on his quest to find the rest of the shards.
As a movie fan, I was reading trying to imagine everything how things would happen if they made the movie. We already have the main character designs from the first movie so that gives us an advantage. But these challenges are immersive. I have to say, I don’t know it would turn out. This quest is fantastic but incorporates going into video games, and 80's movies-- actually into the movies, and one involving Prince (as in The Artist Formally Known As, His Royal Badness, The Purple One)! Yes, THAT Prince! Recreating the movies could be done with a lot of work but I know Prince doesn't license his songs very often and that he is no longer with us, his estate may not either and it would also involve licensing his likeness. If they can't do that, they are going to have to rewrite that whole section. With all the rights they'd have to get for recreation of everything, I see it inflating the budget.
The story of Ready Player Two is one hell of a ride through 80's Pop Culture with references and Easter eggs sprinkled throughout. So, keep those eyes peeled and be ready to geek out over everything you are about to read.
Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now is a member of the VIPers Spotlight Lounge team for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features -check out his "31 Days Of Halloween Movies"
Melanie here - The Code Word For This Article Is Play! Make a note - Then Tune In Sunday For More Details! All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!) |