This Friday, it’s going to be READY PLAYER ONE, the much-anticipated debut from screenwriter and “unrepentant geek” Ernest Cline. This one’s been an in-house favorite for some time now, complete with some unexpected fans (people I suspected wouldn’t be into it at all, like Marcia, our Library Marketing VP, who loved it).
The plot is complicated. But know that it’s 2044, almost everyone lives in a virtual world, there is a massive fortune to be had from that world’s founder, puzzles to be solved to get it, and one unsuspecting guy who gets caught at the center of history’s most massive and desperate game of…well…80s and 90s trivia?
Everyone is a geek about something. What kind of knowledge would you love to be tested on if the prize were the biggest fortune the world has ever seen (like, your dream Jeopardy category)? Leave your answer in the comments to be eligible to win an ARC! You’ll have until Monday.
Some additonal praise for Cline’s debut:
“An exuberantly realized, exciting, and sweet-natured cyber-quest. Cline’s imaginative and rollicking coming-of-age geek saga has a smash-hit vibe.”–Booklist, starred review
“This adrenaline shot of uncut geekdom, a quest through a virtual world, is loaded with enough 1980s nostalgia to please even the most devoted John Hughes fans… sweet, self-deprecating Wade, whose universe is an odd mix of the real past and the virtual present, is the perfect lovable/unlikely hero.”–Publishers Weekly
Cupcakes! (ridiculously) Sounds like a great title–can’t wait to read it 🙂
Hard one, that. Probably Art History or literature. Although, quite honestly, when confronted with any question I’d most likely go blank… so… I’ll go with limericks instead.
I went to college just to be able to win at Trivial Pursuit. The original Genus edition so this would be my choice of game!
I didn’t put a specific category but I prefer the arts category.
I used to love the Pop Culture Jeopardy show on VH1 – that would be the only type of Jeopardy I could win! So, yeah, useless pop culture information.
wow, this book sounds wonderful! i think I’d want to be tested on 90’s rock music, or native plants of Florida, or Toni Morrison’s books. it would have to be something obscure or suoer specific like that for me to even stand a chance.
Dream category? Tertiary X-Men characters. Yeah, I could give you Maverick’s real name (and, heh, not the Top Gun Maverick), the disease he contracted and his mutant power.
I would fear the judgment of the Jeopardy-watching audience who would watch me win though.
The only useless trivia I know are : book titles /authors and Gone With the Wind trivia. Useless so far anyway !
I’ll take food for $100. Sounds interesting – thanks for sharing.
My ultimate jeopardy category would probably be matching books to authors… or just classic literature in general. As a reading geek I have read (and can strangely remember) way too much..
I think it would have to be werid pop songs from the 80’s. One hit wonders. But I always did pretty good in the geography catagory for Trival Pursuit!
I’d want to be tested on knowledge of my own life!
Magazines — Sassy, Jane, Spy, Talk — if they put it on the newsstand. I devoured it.
I’m pretty good at children’s literature. I love getting that on the Wii Jeopardy game. Either that or something dorky like…Freaks and Geeks episodes. I really like that show!
Movies, I pretty sure I could answer a winning question in that topic.
I like Kev’s comment out being tested on his own life that would work for me to lol.
Kiddie lit or animals or theater or vegetarian cooking or yoga or relaxation. I’d take that whole board.
I love that category on jeopardy that’s (before and after) where you have to put two words together from one clue. I think I would be good at that! I love solving word problems. I love any kind of puzzles in general so this book sounds awesome!