Ready Player One

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. In Ready Player One, the large corporation IOI makes liberal use of workers forced into their employ to pay off their debts. What do you know about indentured servitude in the real world?

Teaching Suggestion: Use this question to set up an understanding of the role of corporate greed in the theme of Dystopia Versus Utopia that plays out in the book.

• a short PBS article on indentured servitude in the US
• a more in-depth Insider article on forms of indebted slavery

2. Virtual reality technology is a fast-developing part of our real world. What are your experiences with VR? What do you know about plans for the future of the technology?

Teaching Suggestion: Use this question to gauge students’ understanding of how the themes of Reality Versus Escapism and Dystopia Versus Utopia present in the novel apply to the real world despite the futuristic and fantastical elements of the story.

• a CNET compilation video of Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement about the Metaverse
• a one-minute promotional trailer for the virtual world of Second Life

Short Activity

Create your own OASIS avatar using paper, collage, or your computer. What would your OASIS avatar look like? Consider including representations of some of your avatar’s surroundings. What items might be important to include in your virtual home, and what kind of ship would you drive?

Teaching Suggestion: This activity can help explore the theme of Reality Versus Escapism and help students connect to the idea of creating idealized (or not) representations of themselves in virtual spaces. Discuss how these virtual representations can help symbolize internal aspects or negate undesired realities.

• a ResearchGate chapter excerpt of a text on technology and identity exploring the creation and use of avatars