Ernest Cline returns with a follow-up to his 2011 sci-fi cult favorite.
Exciting new for all you Ready Player fans. Penguin Random House imprint Ballantine Books today confirmed that a follow-up to Ernest Cline’s breakout hit Ready Player One will be arriving on store shelves this November.
Available for pre-order via Amazon, both hardcover and Kindle, Ready Player Two will serve as a direct sequel to the original 2011 novel, returning players to the OASIS, a massively-multiplayer online universe used by those the world over as an escape from their bleak realities. Famine, mass poverty, those sorts of things.
Set during the year 2045, the original book had you following the adventures of Wade Watts and his loyal band of misfits as they raced against the clock to locate a hidden easter egg left by the late James Halliday—brilliant recluse and creator of the OASIS—thus giving them sole control over the virtual world and his vast $500 billion fortune.
The book spent 100 weeks on the New York Times’ iconic bestsellers list. In 2018, Warner Bros. and Steven Spielberg released an official film adaptation that went on to gross an impressive $582.8 million. According to Cline, Ready Player Two will be a direct sequel to the book as opposed to the film.
Ready Player Two arrives on store shelves November 25th. As of now we know very little in regards to the plot.
If you look closely at the cover, however, you’ll spot a reference to the classic 1982 Activision game Pitfall!. Ready Player One featured references to numerous Atari 2600 titles, such as Adventure and SwordQuest just to name a few. I wouldn’t be surprised if classic gaming once again ends up playing an integral role in the story.
Image Credit: Penguin Random House
