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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

BY ERNEST CLINE

Ready Player Two

Armada

Ready Player One

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ernest Cline is a #1 New York Times bestselling novelist, screenwriter, father, and full-time geek. He is the author of the novels Ready Player One and Armada and co-screenwriter of the blockbuster film adaptation of Ready Player One, directed by Steven Spielberg. His books have been published in over fifty countries and have spent more than one hundred weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his family, a time-traveling DeLorean, and a large collection of classic videogames.