Ernest Cline wrote the novel adapted into Steven Spielberg’s 2018 film Ready Player One.
Cline’s debut novel, Ready Player One, was published in 2011. It is set in a future where many people escape an energy-stricken world by spending time in a vast virtual reality network called the OASIS. The story follows Wade Watts as he competes in a global contest based on the games and popular culture of creator James Halliday.
Spielberg’s film keeps the central hunt for Halliday’s hidden Easter egg but changes some challenges and pop-culture references. Tye Sheridan plays Wade, known inside the OASIS by the name Parzival, while Olivia Cooke plays Samantha Cook, whose avatar is Art3mis.
Cline also co-wrote the screenplay with Zak Penn. The book’s frequent references to 1980s games, films, music, and technology are a major part of its identity.