Ready Player One Virtual World Chatroom Recreated in Second Life; Ready Author Ernest Cline Approves, May Visit

If you're a fan of Ready Player One, Ernest Cline's acclaimed novel about future virtual worlds and other cyberpunk goodness, you can click here to visit a Second Life recreation of The Chatroom, a key setting for the novel. It was built by an SLer named Baldtraveller Shan, and it impressed Ernest Cline himself so much, Cline says of it: "I haven’t logged on to Second Life in many moons, but this may lure me back. It looks like a really fun place to hang with your peeps and play some Discs of Tron." (Sounds like Cline visited SL as research for Ready Player, which wouldn't be a surprise.)

If you haven't read the novel yet, let Mr. Traveler explain the significance of the setting:

"In the book there is a character named Aech," he tells me. "Pronounced like the letter H. In the virtual world called The Oases, which is much like Second Life. (But fixed.) Aech had a virtual area called The Chatroom. It was a hangout/private place designed like a basement of a house in the 80’s. It is here that Aech and his friends would meet chat and generally hang out."

Click to teleport and hang out, and who knows, you may meet a savvy avatar there who might be the author who originally imagined this place.

Photo by Mr. Traveler.

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Comments

[Sans]

Great book. I've probably read it four times and listened to Wil Wheaton read it five times. Definitely going to check out Aech's livingroom. :) Thanks!

[Phoenix Psaltery]

Sans and I just paid a visit and discovered that unless you are one of Baldtraveller's friends, you are confined to a space that lets you view the basement, museum-style. A trifle disappointing.

[Vaki]

Yeah -- you can't actually go hang out. You're welcomed by ban lines and under construction signs. That's a shame; I'd love to go hang out with more fans of the book.

[Baldtraveller Shan]

Opps. I forgot to turn that off. It used to be a private build area for my store. All fixed.

[Metacam Oh]

Heard about the book here from your blog Hamlet picked up a copy and enjoyed it. A lot of cool ideas for a future metaverse.

[Baldtraveller Shan]

UPDATE: I have taken that problem that i had with the security and in the spirit of the book create a bit of a game out of it. Now when you arrive you again will not be able to get strait in. You will need to complete a game within Secondlife in order to get into the Aech's Basement. Its not real hard but give it a shot. Im sure it will evolve in time.

[TechJeeper]

Just played through the challenge to gain entry to the basement and it was great! Thanks for the hard work Bald, you rock! RPO is such a great book!