Ready Player Two

Writing a sequel to a novel that’s had as remarkable a life as Ready Player One is an incredible privilege, but it was also a daunting task. During the years I spent working on this story, I often found myself haunted by the words of the great Billy Joel: Don’t ask for help, you’re all alone. PRESSURE.

Thankfully, I wasn’t alone, and I did have help. Lots of it. I never could have written this novel without the steady supply of love, support, advice, and inspiration provided by my brilliant and beautiful wife, Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz. She is my anchor, my best friend, the best mom and stepmom ever, the funniest person in our marriage, and the true Queen of Itsalot.

I’m also grateful to all of the young people in my family and my life who constantly re-electrified my spirit and imagination with their own while I was writing this story: Reenie, Libby, Addison, Scarlett, Lily, Cian, Declan, Lucas, Camillo, Ramiro, Harrison, and Cavanaugh.

As always, I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my tireless, unstoppable team, my manager and producing partner, Dan Farah (aka “the Jersey Jedi”) of Farah Films & Management, and my literary agent, Yfat Reiss Gendell, along with her entire staff at YRG Partners. I’m incredibly fortunate to have you both as my friends and earliest development partners.

I’m also eternally grateful to my brilliant editor, Julian Pavia, for his patience, honesty, guidance, and friendship. I also want to thank his father, the late George Pavia, for being my friend Julian’s dad, and for making the world a cooler and kinder place as a result.

My sincere thanks also go out to everyone at Ballantine and Penguin Random House, including (but not limited to!) Chris Brand, Sarah Breivogel, Gina Centrello, Debbie Glasserman, Kim Hovey, Mark Maguire, Rachelle Mandik, Madeline McIntosh, Kathleen Quinlan, Quinne Rogers, Robert Siek, Caroline Weishuhn, and Kara Welsh.

Another huge thank you goes out to my friend Wil Wheaton, for once again lending his incredible acting talent to the audiobook of this novel. Wil doesn’t just read the text—he performs it—and his iconic performance is the reason the audiobook for Ready Player One debuted at #1 when The New York Times launched their audiobook bestsellers list….and remained there at the top of the list for five solid months. Thank you for joining forces with me once again, Wil!

I’d also like to take this opportunity to express my thanks to the entire cast, crew, and producing team of the Ready Player One film adaptation, for making so many of my dreams come true. Stepping on to the set each day was like taking a tour of my own imagination. Every writer should be so lucky.

I am especially grateful to Steven Spielberg, for giving me his feedback on this story, and for his encouragement while I was writing it. I also want to thank him for his kindness and generosity, which are both somehow just as boundless as his enthusiasm and creativity.

For their friendship, advice, support, and encouragement, I also want to thank Sima Bakshi, Chris Beaver, Sean Bishop, Laurent Bouzereau, George Caleodis, Darren Esler, Matt Galsor, Bobby Hall, Mike Henry, Hugh Howey, Sarah Kay, Jeff and Tonie Knight, Kjell Lindgren, George R. R. Martin, Tim McCanlies, Matt McDonald, Mike Mika, Zak Penn, Robert Rodriguez, Patrick Rothfuss, John Scalzi, Andy Shockney, Jay Smith, Jed Strahm, Craig Tessler, Howard Scott Warshaw, Andy Weir, and Chris Young.

I also owe a long overdue thank you to one of my favorite writers, Jonathan Tropper, for letting me quote, “People who live in glass houses should shut the fuck up,” in Ready Player One. Attribution at last! If you enjoy great writing, please do yourself a favor and check out his work.

Once again, I also want to thank all of the writers, filmmakers, actors, musicians, programmers, game designers, and geeks whose work I’ve paid tribute to in this book. These people have all entertained and enlightened me, and I hope that this story will inspire others to seek out their creations.

Finally, I want to thank you, Dear Reader, for coming along on another adventure with me.

MTFBWYA,

Ernest Cline

Austin, Texas

September 9, 2020