Book Blog Example

I love being active and inquisitive, and enjoy nothing more than interacting with my surroundings: exploring the woods, creating art, baking something delicious. Living a life where my sense are fully engaged is my idea of happiness.

Out of Touch With Reality

For the characters in the dystopian setting of Ready Player One, the novel by Ernest Cline, their goal is the exact opposite. That entire world is focused on being as UNinvolved with reality as possible. Maybe that's because real life, in this imagined future, is bleak and discouraging, with a ravaged environment, greedy citizens, and little hope...? For whatever reason, all the characters in the book are completely obsessed with spending all their time, money, and energy in a realm of virtual reality.

Good Guys Always Win

Using this background, Cline firmly establishes the novel's theme: dedication and hard work do pay off, even in difficult circumstances. It's a sort of good-guys-always-win kind of feeling.

A Trip to the O.A.S.I.S.

One way this theme is shown is through the setting. Most of the story takes place within the O.A.S.I.S., the virtual reality consuming everyone's lives. As Wade journeys through this electronic land, trying to win the ultimate prize, he encounters many obscure and specific references to 80s pop culture, in various forms. In every instance, Wade is able to survive and even excel, due to the time and effort he put into researching such topics. His extensive knowledge saves him, time and again, proving that doing your homework does come in handy.