A graphic novel version of Ready Player One goes on sale today. Released to coincide with the 15th anniversary of the original novel, it is published by Cornerstone in the UK, and Ten Speed Graphic in the US.

From the publisher –

Immerse yourself in the electrifying world of Ready Player One with this gorgeously illustrated graphic adaptation of the #1 New York Times bestselling sci-fi novel.

A world at stake. A quest for the ultimate prize. Are you ready?

In the year 2045, reality is an ugly place. The only time Wade Watts really feels alive is when he’s jacked into the OASIS, a vast virtual world where most of humanity spends their days.

When the eccentric creator of the OASIS dies, he leaves behind a series of fiendish puzzles, based on his obsession with the pop culture of decades past. Whoever is first to solve them will inherit his vast fortune – and control of the OASIS itself.

Then Wade cracks the first clue. Suddenly he’s beset by rivals who’ll kill to take this prize. The race is on – and the only way to survive is to win.

Completely illustrated with breathtaking full-colour artwork, this stunning graphic novel adaptation brings you into Wade’s exhilarating quest like never before!

When Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One was released 15 years ago, it made a massive cultural impact. Whilst it didn’t necessarily trigger a huge wave of 1980’s rediscovery, it was a major bestseller. Steven Spielberg adapted the novel into a movie in 2018, and a sequel novel, Ready Player Two, was published in 2020. It could also be argued that although it isn’t LitRPG itself, the gamified virtual world in the book inspired a whole new set of readers to explore the Lit RPG genre.

This new graphic novel, by Ernest Cline with illustrations by Meredith Laxton, offers 320 pages of full colour artwork. If you weren’t a fan of the visual style of the movie, or are just interested to see a different take on it, this is your chance to check out a new interpretation of both the dystopian world the book is set in, and the virtual world of the Oasis.

Ready Player One the Graphic Novel is available now in hardcover and digital formats, with a paperback to come at some point in the future.

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