Shiny New Books

Here's a few new books for you! Granted, you might not be near as excited as I am about these. That's ok. I still like you.

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As a child of the 80's.... *ahem* the LATE 80's.... and a fan of console and computer games, I pretty much gushed over this book when I first read it because I think I got almost every reference in there. To top that, I actually PLAYED Adventure on the Atari, so that was just icing on the cake. However, I've heard that even you young people who were never obsessed with neon clothing, never eagerly anticipated the next John Hughes film, and never knew the joys of rewinding your cassette tapes with a pencil, will still enjoy this book equally so.

Ready Player One

Earnest Cline

The Oasis.

A massive world in virtual reality, immersible only to the extent of your credits. Here, you can be anyone, do anything, and go anywhere. Real life has become challenging. Energy shortages are everywhere, overpopulation has resulted in depleted resources and an economy on the chronic verge of collapsing. A majority of the world spends their days working simply so they can live in the virtual. Shopping, hanging out, schooling; everything is now inside the Oasis.

When the creator of the Oasis, James Halliday, who is worth billions of dollars, passes away, a challenge begins for control of his entire estate, including full control of The Oasis. Somewhere in the vast digital world, Halliday has hidden 3 keys, or Easter Eggs. Find the eggs, solve the riddles, win it all. Egg hunters, known as 'gunters' spend the next 5 years in search of these keys, but after so many years, many have given up. The story has started to become an urban legend.

That is, until Wade Watts finds the first key.

James Halliday is a child of the 80's. His love for that particular decade is the key to solving the puzzles. Wade, known as Parzival in The Oasis, has studied both Halliday and the 80's for 5 years. He knows everything there is to know about both. Wade is also confined to only 1 simulated world in The Oasis. The world where the school resides. He doesn't have the credits to travel to other places. With this in mind, and his knowledge of, not just the 80's, but who James Halliday was as a person, helps him to start the adventure of a lifetime.

It's a global race, filled with adventure, risks, and a constant real world threats by a massive corporation who will stop at nothing for the fortune and control of the Oasis. Wade and his friends must navigate both the virtual and real world to win the race and prevent their beloved virtual world from falling into the hands of those who would only destroy the freedom so many have come to love in The Oasis.

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Did I mention I'm a fan of sci-fi? I also used to collect comic books in college. Ah, those were the good 'ol days.

The comics, not college. (I'm joking! Stay in school, kids.)

I saw that our library seems to lack both of these, and a few of you have asked about graphic novels. Well, here is hopefully the first of many. If you like androids, robots, interplanetary alliances, and giant mysteries, this one's for you.

Don't worry, they won't all be sci-fi.

Descender Volume 1: Tin Stars

Jeff Lemire and Dustin Ngyun

In this graphic novel, mankind has started traveling the stars. Planets have been settled, other alien races have been met, and all have joined together to form the United Galactic Council. Robots and androids have become a fixed accessory in everyday life, from working in factories to being nannies. Humans have prospered and life is good...until The Harvesters show up.

9 massive robots, larger than planets, mysteriously arrive, hovering around planets. No communication can be established, and within hours, intentions are made known as The Harvesters attack.

This story starts 10 years later, when a small companion robot awakens. Tim-21, with a physical appearance of a young boy, was created to be a companion for a human boy on a remote mining planet. Upon learning what has happened, Tim-21 finds himself hunted by humans and robots alike, both for bad and potentially good purposes. Why is he so important? What is his connection to The Harvesters?