It's not an eighties reference, you can't expect him to get it right!
Ready Player One guy is coming out with his new book...
- Thread starter Schattenjäger
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It's not an eighties reference, you can't expect him to get it right!
The Smoking Bun
Banned
This thread, Jesus! And here I thought the references to Metal Gear and LIBMO in my own novel were a bit too much. To elaborate, the protagonist hides in a box to infiltrate a gang hideout and plays a game I called "Maybe This Time!" which I imagined as Limbo crossed with Bridge To Terabithia.
Ernest Cline would have the protagonist screech, "Yeah! Metal Gear style! I can't believe you fell for that! Epic Fail!"
Ernest Cline would have the protagonist screech, "Yeah! Metal Gear style! I can't believe you fell for that! Epic Fail!"
WhateverItTakes
Banned
Oh my god its like the cringiest gaf post ever, yet
This. THIS. He somehow managed to describe a scene in not only the dullest way possible, but without actually telling us anything.
This. THIS. He somehow managed to describe a scene in not only the dullest way possible, but without actually telling us anything.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
It's funny because it also describes his prose.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
He's doing to male nerd culture what Meyer did for female nerd culture.
PhoncipleBone
Banned
Twilight was not tied to female nerd culture. At least not in the way Cline's stuff is tied to gaming culture.
The Smoking Bun
Banned
Can you imagine a Collab? Edward thought Bella was as beautiful as Aeris was when Cloud Strife first gazed upon her in Final Fantasy Seven.
Joe Shlabotnik
Banned
Having read RPO, there is literally nothing surprising to me about those excerpts.
The Smoking Bun
Banned
How would you make a reference while also managing to make non-fans of the reference understand the meaning? Like could you say, "Jon Lake's favorite color was black. Black shoes, black suit and probably a black soul. It wouldn't be uprising to find out he would choke people in his spare time just for doubting him."
Does the above scream Darth Vader or just generic bad guy?
Don't worry. Once my book gets published, you can hate on me (lol!) and forget all about Cline.
Does the above scream Darth Vader or just generic bad guy?
Don't worry. Once my book gets published, you can hate on me (lol!) and forget all about Cline.
No fucking way
Wait, I just noticed that he says that everything is both ergonomic and prioritizes form over function. I can't
If it's any consolation, I really don't think writing a single book makes you a millionaire in this day and age, and the movie he's so psyched about is never happening. Spielberg signs up for 50 new projects a day, then he dumps all of them at once for one that takes his fancy 6 months later, I'm surprised king geek Cline doesn't know that.
PhoncipleBone
Banned
He thought that there were A-Wings at the Battle of Yavin. Why would he know anything about Spielberg's tendencies?
I'm honestly curious how much he makes.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
We now live in a world where Meyer is not a bad writer. Thanks Cline.
It would be the perfect 4 quadrant movie. Sparkling vampire protagonist for the girls and sexy video game reference spouting heroine for the guys.
PhoncipleBone
Banned
I didn't say that Meyer was a good writer. I said that Twilight was not tied to female nerd culture in the way that Cline's work is tied to gaming. Meyer is still a shit author, but we have yet to have an equivalent book for fangirls.
Or have we? I haven't read Fangirl, so I don't know if that is all about reference dropping.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
I feel like simply writing a novel that doesn't quote pop culture makes you a better writer by default though.
PhoncipleBone
Banned
Fair enough, lol.
And there is nothing wrong with referencing pop culture as long as you don't lean on it as a crutch, which Cline seems to do.
A good example of something doing pop culture references and nerd stuff well is Chuck.
PhoncipleBone
Banned
It doesn't sound cool enough to use as a reference.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Cline just takes it to the next level of idiocy, where it feels like every page is a reference to something he heard of somewhere.
I put Chuck and The Big Bang Theory in the same category of wallowing in nerd culture, but they look fine when compared to the pages of this that I've read.
Pilgrimzero
Member
Finished it yesterday.
My biggest issue is all the pop culture references feel really forced.
I can sort of forgive the other stuff for being tropes. The elite pilots needed to save the world are 16 year old kids who play video games etc.
Heck apparently most of the "elite" people of the Earth Defense Force are old gamers, which I guess is supposed to explain why even they are tossing out 80s references.
Even the stuff about the femme fatale seemed really clichéd, but I can forgive it for being about teenagers and the end of the world. So emotions running hot 2 ways.
As for the pop culture stuff, I think I liked them least because they were more about sci fi tv shows/movies which of course has to do with the subject of the book.
I figured out about 75% of the ending before I got there. I would read a sequel just because of the mystery that is left hanging.
I read a review that said this would make a good movie. And assuming they tone the pop culture stuff back it could be a fun popcorn flick.
TLDR: It's not as good as RPO (which I loved), but it's a quick fun read with some eye rolling.
My biggest issue is all the pop culture references feel really forced.
I can sort of forgive the other stuff for being tropes. The elite pilots needed to save the world are 16 year old kids who play video games etc.
Heck apparently most of the "elite" people of the Earth Defense Force are old gamers, which I guess is supposed to explain why even they are tossing out 80s references.
Even the stuff about the femme fatale seemed really clichéd, but I can forgive it for being about teenagers and the end of the world. So emotions running hot 2 ways.
As for the pop culture stuff, I think I liked them least because they were more about sci fi tv shows/movies which of course has to do with the subject of the book.
I figured out about 75% of the ending before I got there. I would read a sequel just because of the mystery that is left hanging.
I read a review that said this would make a good movie. And assuming they tone the pop culture stuff back it could be a fun popcorn flick.
TLDR: It's not as good as RPO (which I loved), but it's a quick fun read with some eye rolling.
Man such a game would be such a cancerous tumor of design and would be more behind than Duke Nukem forever
PhoncipleBone
Banned
Wallowing in nerd culture? That is not how I would describe Chuck at all.
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
Don't you know? The best ice cream flavor is when you make them mix all of the buckets into one
Then they dump it on the floor for you to eat you piece of human garbage
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Admittedly it's been a while since I've seen Chuck, but I remember various Star Wars and other related references. lol
(The bigger problem with the show was how it ended every year because they thought they were cancelled anyway).
PhoncipleBone
Banned
There is weaving some references into the narrative like Chuck did, but it never went so overboard to the point of distraction. The writing and character work still held its own without the references.
forgeforsaken
Member
RPO already made it clear he has no idea about game design. Look at all the stupid game breaking easter egg weapons he had in Oasis even with its somewhat harsh death penalties.
I want to do a comic where the superheroes and villains spend 90% of the time referencing comics.
Captain Allstar:" Remember the time Magneto wanted to create the ultimate mutant but ended up turned into a baby?"
Dr.Destrctor:" Remember when Nate Grey fell in love with the clone of his mother?"
Captain Allstar:" Remember the time Magneto wanted to create the ultimate mutant but ended up turned into a baby?"
Dr.Destrctor:" Remember when Nate Grey fell in love with the clone of his mother?"
Pilgrimzero
Member
The difference is, the creator of the game had the backing of the secret Gov organization that NEEDS these alien fighting simulators to get out onto the market.
So while the game designers idea may have been "crazy" how and why and what the games true function is important to the idea of it existing.
PhoncipleBone
Banned
I would read it.
a black book government organization is less scarier than gaming nerds that believes they has been slighted.
Persue this dream Slayven
Bring it into the service of the story. Wrap your prose around it. Make it advance your themes and characters. Here's one that sticks with me, from American Gods.
This was a very tender moment in the epilogue where Shadow breaks out of his shell and a little joy flows into his character. What makes it work?
1) Mr. Nancy is a god who specializes in songs. He's been a kind of a father figure to him in the book (in contrast to Shadow's other, less sympathetic father figure, Mr. Wednesday). So you can see this as a father and his son sharing a moment on common ground (the music).
2) Voices and language are a big part of the novel because it is about immigrants and immigration. Pretty much every character's voice is described except Shadow's. See, the conceit of the narrative is that Shadow is this big, solid, man-shaped hole in the world, so everyone gets to be colorful except for him. In the end, when he's learning to be alive, he gets a little bit of that color as well.
3) Gaiman draws from a lot of songs and American literature for the novel, because it's a road trip story about America. He got permission specifically to quote this song for this scene. It's not a haphazard reference like just about every reference is in RPO/Armada. Here's the song.
This is a song about being a flawed, but good-hearted human. About dealing with the ups and downs of life. It is a fitting one for him to sing here, on the cusp of discovering the joys of life.
4) The song is actually written out. It's done in a way so that people who are curious about this little bit of American history are tempted to go out and look for the whole thing. This is very important for a book that gets translated, which it did, to ten different languages for ten different countries. You can't expect everyone to know about 70s blues, but you can engage them to take an interest in it.
I've been told that particular page is different in the retail release (that excerpt is from an e-arc, apparently):
higgsboson1997
Member
It's funny how both Kingkiller and Ready Player One are loved so much on Reddit, but hated on NeoGAF. Why is that?
I, personally, didn't like either, but didn't hate them too.
I, personally, didn't like either, but didn't hate them too.
one site is overrun with barely literate racists and misogynists
Ape Gone Insane
Member
Different approaches. The love for those two books will typically be found in recommendation threads in the books subreddit (organised by populist voting) and dedicated subreddits (geared towards fans/theories/speculation) so it's kind of self-promoting.
There is arguably more room for a more critical dissection of populist books on GAF. That said, I've seen a lot of love for Kingkiller on GAF. I seem to be in the minority for disliking it.
Or maybe we're just all grumpy bastards that only like Infinite Jest.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
In the future, Shenmue 3 caused everyone who played it to get cancer and die. Obviously.
I liked RPO and I'm looking forward to reading Armada.
I liken them to summer blockbuster films whose entire purpose is to just entertain me for a little while.
I'm the type of person that will end up going into the book thinking it's terrible just because other people are telling me so. I tend to shy away from the reviews until I've made my own opinion about the material.
I love to read, though. I can find enjoyment even in kids books. I'm reading Animorphs to my kids right now, and I think I'm enjoying it as much as they are.
So I guess I'm going to stay positive and hope I enjoy the quick read.
I liken them to summer blockbuster films whose entire purpose is to just entertain me for a little while.
I'm the type of person that will end up going into the book thinking it's terrible just because other people are telling me so. I tend to shy away from the reviews until I've made my own opinion about the material.
I love to read, though. I can find enjoyment even in kids books. I'm reading Animorphs to my kids right now, and I think I'm enjoying it as much as they are.
So I guess I'm going to stay positive and hope I enjoy the quick read.
And racists are lining up to read Name of the Wind, why?
"Reddit was like Mos Eisley Spaceport. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy."
Am I doing it right?
White power fantasy?
I'm trying to remember if there are POC in Name of The Wind. The only ones I remember are the Adem, the notAsians who practice notKungfu and regurgitate notZen-koans. Also they have low sex inhibitions so Kvothe gets laid a lot at the height of his yellow fever.
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