
And then Wade stumbles onto the key to the first puzzle. And, like most of humanity, Wade is obsessed by the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this alternate reality: OASIS founder James Halliday, who died with no heir, has promised that control of the OASIS - and his massive fortune - will go to the person who can solve the riddles he has left scattered throughout his creation.įor years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that the riddles are based in the culture of the late 20th century. Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes this depressing reality by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia where you can be anything you want to be, where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets. Famine, poverty, and disease are widespread. It's the year 2044, and the real world has become an ugly place.
