Why a good book is a secret door

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“I can’t believe that I gave my panties to a geek.”

“I can’t believe that I gave my panties to a geek.”

Que Knight Rider theme song.

I was introduced to Knight Rider when blasting 80’s/90’s songs with my parents and aunt and uncle on one of our driving adventures when I was in high school. I have yet to actually watch the TV series, but the theme song catches my ear every time…and do I even need to mention David Hasselhoff and the Pontiac Trans Am.

My mom also exposed me to her love of Ms. PacMan—the one and only “video” game my mom has ever showed any interest in. Though I grew up playing the PlayStation adventure version of good ol’ regular PacMan, I still secretly love the sound of PacMan dying (despite the defeat that sound signifies.

I love Lord of the Rings (though I admit I have never read any of the books).

I have read me some Shakespeare (and The Tempest is actually my favorite).

Star Wars is my thing. The Goonies, Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, and Ferris Buller’s Day Off are all in the collection of movies I enjoy watching. And Footloose is definitely a favorite.

Cap’n Crush is my family’s favorite dessert!

“Pour Some Sugar on Me” is a regularly listen to song. I secretly love “Time After Time”—except when listening to it on repeat when watching my parent’s prom video.

Etc.

Though I had several recognitions to 80’s pop culture references while reading Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One, I still struggled to understand and recognized the overflowing amount of references to my parent’s childhood. The ample amount of references bogged down my reading, due my curiosity in the references, but did not diminish my complete pleasure of reading this brilliant, fun, and extremely nerdy novel. My investment in the character and finding the three gates led me towards having a difficult time setting the novel down to engage in the real world. I was captivated by the story line, the unique characters, the fun references, and the dense themes hidden within. Filled with games, movies, and adventure, the novel also did a great job at supporting ides such as global warming, technology overdrive, prejudices, etc.

While I was completely captivated and content when reading the novel, the end left me completely off balance. Most novels leave me…unsatisfied? Because I am not yet prepared to leave the world in the novel. But Ready Player One left me with an unsatisfying desire for more. Though it is a great possibility of it being intentional on Cline’s end, I needed more. I needed more of a conversation regarding the more dense elements of the novel…the destruction human kind had on the world, the intense illusion of reality (and that damn red button), the conversation in regards to gender…

I understand the aesthetic Cline intended for such an ending, but I think an emphasis on these topics throughout the novel could have clarified the purpose of the novel—the purpose of spending time on so many 80’s pop culture references. Despite my desire for more, I admire Cline taking on such a beast of a novel. It is smart, fun, geeky, “force”ful, entertaining, moving, captivating, and thought provoking.

…..

In my Educational Psychology class the professor asked the entire room of future teacher if robots could replace out jobs as teachers. Instantly debate, questioning, and resistance emerged.

Aftering taking a passenger seat in the conversation and little to people discuss their thoughts on the matter, I pulled out Ready Player One…and those that knew the novel just smiled and nodded—“great example”.

I think Ready Player One demands the same question…can real human interactions be replaced by technology? What are the limits and the boundaries? Can artificial replace the natural?

I argue that in a way, yes, teachers could be replaced by robots and technology. According to the novel, humans can reach this extreme level of connectedness through technology. But, as a person who will soon be depending on human interaction to eat, live, and survive I argue that human cannot be replaced—even Halliday urges, “Don’t hide in here forever.”

I think this novel urges us to recognize technology—to admire it. To value it. To see the fun and pleasantries of it. To utilize it for good. But I also think it urges us to recognize the beautiful, authentic world in which we live (Happy Earth Day!) and the amazing humans within it.

I think it urges us to find a balance.

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