Armada by Ernest Cline

Armada is a fast paced ride through sci-fi references and pop culture nods. Ernest Cline did a good job of mixing not only 80's references but modern references. I enjoyed that because I understood the current "Leeroy Jenkins" reference and the Patrick Rothfuss nod; in comparison to Ready Player One which mostly focused on the 80s.

What I have learned about Ernest Cline as a writer is that his stories can be a bit predictable. This did not bother me in Ready Player One because of all the action and moments that happened between the beginning and the end. In fact there is a point in that book where I wondered if what I had predicted all along was utterly wrong. But in Armada I found myself predicting what would happen and then turning the page to see it happen, over and over again. The only thing interspersed between these moments were fight scenes, whether real or in the video game, that were described in such painful detail that after the third one it just felt like they were there to take up space.

Armada did have some interesting theories, especially the idea that video games were created and funded by the government to train civilians how to fight aliens, but the theories were not overly original. It felt like Ernest Cline had taken a lot of scenes from his favorite movies and books and then smashed them all together into a novel. Now let me say that this is not a bad thing, it was really nerdy and cool and I loved it, but it just did not make me go "wow" at the end.

The only other complaint I have is the lack of deep underlying narrative. Armada seemed to be just a book about video games and alien invasions and then it turned out to be just that. There is a moment at the end that seems to try to make up for this by implying that humans need to be more compassionate and less war-driven, and I agree, but it did not feel like this was a point being reinforced over and over again throughout the novel.

I did enjoy that there was less of a love story in this novel. And I love that Ernest Cline wrote about a female president and a single mom who is kick ass and other women who can shine in their own right. I love that he writes nerdy books that feel accessible to me, not only as a nerd, but as a woman. Like I stated above, I also loved the many nods to current pop culture. This book was a fast read and full of action, which was a nice change of pace from the last book I read. I enjoyed Armada immensely, I just did not finish it and immediately want to start reading it again like I felt with Ready Player One.

Now perhaps it is not fair for me to compare Armada to Ready Player One. And maybe I would feel differently had I read them in reverse order. But Ernest Cline has only written two books and so it is inevitable that they will be compared. The thing is that I don't know if I would have even read Armada had I not loved its predecessor so much. This book just felt lackluster, I guess.

All of that being said, I think Armada will make a great movie. It has all the elements to help it translate beautifully to film and I will be one of the first in line to watch. I really enjoy Ernest Cline's writing and intend to read the next book he releases. Overall, I just feel that if I had to choose between Armada and Ready Player One to recommend to a reader, it would be Ready Player One every time. But if you like spaceships and video games and have an afternoon to kill, this is a great book for you.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline *spoiler warning*

Original Fan Poster by Harlan Elam @harlanelam on Twitter

I only recently heard about Ready Player One, but once I heard of it I started seeing it everywhere. I took this as a sign form the Book Gods that this was a book I needed to read soon. My husband and I got it for our April Audible download and he zipped through it. I did not start it until last week. I listened to it in 3 chunks. The first night I listened to half of the 15 hours. It was just so good!

Let me start this by saying that I finally am thankful to my father for what I previously considered useless knowledge of 80s pop culture. Thanks to him I actually knew and geeked out over the many, seemingly random, tidbits of 80s music, movies, and games mentioned throughout this novel. That made me feel pretty cool.

I did not grow up in the 80s but still have an appreciation for that decade in my own way. Ready Player One actually takes place in the future but most of the world is plugged into a virtual reality game called the OASIS. Much of the Oasis is inspired by 80s pop culture because the creator grew up during that time. When the creator, James Halliday, dies he leaves a video stating that hidden within the game is an Easter Egg. Whoever finds this easter egg will win a huge prize. I loved the nod to Willy Wonka with this plotline.

The main character, Wade, or Percival as he is known in Oasis, is someone I immediately liked. He was not annoying like I anticipated. I worried that since he is a know it all to an extent that after a few chapters I would end up hating him, but I just kept on enjoying Percival. Art3mis is my next favorite character. I enjoyed her badass-independent woman vibe. Us gamer girls need good representation and Ernest Cline gave us that. He did so as well with an unexpected twist when the reader finds out that Aech is actually a girl, and a lesbian at that. My inner womamly sisterhood did a dance when I read that scene.

What I loved most about Ready Player One, aside from the fact that it was basically one big nergasm, was that Ernest Cline takes the reader on such a journey. I began the novel thinking it would be lame and predictable. Guy wins contest, guy gets girl, nothing exciting happens, the end. And...that is what happens, except there is definitely excitement. By the time the climax happened it did not matter who got the egg, so long as IOI didn't. I got so involved in the whole world of Oasis that I just wanted the true fans and gamers to win the prize. And when the book ends on the boy gets girl scene, it did not feel cliche because Percival and Art3mis had been through so much I just wanted them to be together. Even the tiny bit of cliche-ness felt more like a nod to classic 80s films than a cop out ending.

Overall, Ready Player One was a very textured novel, dealing with themes of reality, creativity, nostalgia, where we come from, and what defines who we are. I am sad that I listened to this as an audiobook, but it has just convinced me to go out and buy a physical copy to read again. This has become a Top 10 favorite. I am anxiously awaiting the film (directed by Spielberg) which I know will be amazing. And I went out yesterday to buy Cline's newest novel Armada. Both of his books are being turned into films and Cline is writing the screenplay for both, something else that I think is pretty awesome.

If you know and love anything about 80s pop culture, if you love gaming of all kinds, if you are a nerd of even the smallest kind...read this book. It might not change your life, but it will make you excited for life.