It was kind of about saving the world. But above all about a cultural triumphal procession that has a lot to do with the Silicon Valley present out there: nerds now rule the world, and the 80s, from role-playing games to Star Trek, harbor their culture of domination. “Ready Player One” is their story of emancipation and their coronation myth.
That was entertaining and brisk and somehow a bit crazy, but in a pleasant way. So it was only a matter of time before “Ready Player Two”, the cleverly titled successor to the bestseller, should appear (in stores tomorrow).
But anyone who knows even a little about pop culture (others wouldn’t read the book anyway) knows what it’s like with sequels. Wade is sent back through the virtual world, again on a scavenger hunt through pop culture. This time around, a bunch of Prince clones are shooting laser beams from their electric guitars.
But the Tour de Über-Nerd is in a bad mood. Wade’s world has turned from the playful to the compulsive, like those moments in a game in which you have to complete monotonous tasks in order to later be able to survive against the final boss. “Ready Player Two” is, unfortunately, as much fun as “Dirty Dancing 2”, “Ghostbusters 3” or, horribile dictu, the “Star Wars” episodes one to three. Yeah, the one with Jar Jar Binks. Too bad.
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