READY PLAYER ONE NEW EDITION

My favorite book of the last few years has been Ernie Cline's Ready Player One. Not only is it a fun sci-fi take on the Willy Wonka premise, but all of the trials and riddles the protagonist must solve are steeped in 1980s pop culture. Ernie, who also wrote the Star Wars-inspired movie Fanboys, struck gold when he sold the book (his first novel) and Steven Spielberg snatched it up as his next project. They are filming right now! And if that's not awesome enough news, John Williams will be scoring the film! I've been so excited for Ernie. And as a huge fan of the book, I've collected editions from all over the world (Space Invaders are a common cover design motif). I even have a special copy of the first edition that has been signed by many people referenced in the novel- my own personal quest to celebrate the book and connect with the culture of my youth. Now that I finished writing my 1960s spy novel,  I'm inspired to write my next book about the late 1970s and 1980s. Meeting up with my heroes through RPO has been super fun and good preparation to write. So why bring this up now? Ready Player One was just released in a new Large Print edition this week. Check it out at Amazon. Congrats to Ernie Cline on the continuing success of his badass book. Enjoy! 

BOOK PEOPLE ERNEST CLINE

I have a message from the great folks at Book People in Austin: "Looking for a SIGNED copy of ARMADA or READY PLAYER ONE for the perfect geeky holiday gift? Austin's own BookPeople has got you covered!!" I love this image of Ernie in front of that huge collection of his books. I've ordered from Book People and they are wonderful- quick and secure shipping and they offer quite a few signed editions. Buy extras for your friends! More info at Book People and the Ernest Cline website.

STAR WARS ARTIFACT COLLECTION

Deal alert: The massive Star Wars Artifact Edition is now at the close-out price of $99 over at Bud's Art Books. This deluxe edition compiles original artwork from the early Marvel comics. I have a great memory of finding issue #1 when I was a kid. One day I decided to ride my bike further away from home than ever before. There were roads out beyond the perimeter of my mental maps, and I felt them calling to me. It was like my own hero's journey, pushing out beyond my comfort zone to test my mettle and stretch. I set out on my blue Schwinn 3-speed bike. The outer limits thus far had been the country store, where my aunt and I often stopped for Tiger Milk bars on the way back from Westport. But still I pushed on- beyond the Three Bears restaurant and out along a country highway. After what seemed like hours, I came to a roadside shop that sold snacks and magazines. I was always pawing through the spinner racks at grocery stores and pharmacies to find new comics, and I explored their stock as I caught my breath from the ride. Star Wars was a new discovery for me, but I was already stricken with space-mania enough to lock eyes on to the familiar logo on the cover. Marvel actually published #1 in April of 1977- a month before the film made its debut. I didn't see the movie until late summer, so my new treasure was most likely a reprint. I remember my child brain being blown away by the idea that my new favorite movie could also appear as a comic book. I hadn't yet cottoned on to the notion of marketing and tie-in merchandise. I snatched the comic up and tried to ride it home as carefully as I could. I sold off my comic collection years later to fund one of my trips to Japan, but I did pick up some of the Marvel run again in the feverish anticipation of last year's movie and Marvel's re-launch. With these new Artifact editions being produced by IDW, old and new fans can get a behind-the-scenes look at the inked pages printed at their original sizes. About the book: "By Roy Thomas. Art by Howard Chaykin & Carmine Infantino. The first Star Wars Artifact Edition! Featuring scans of original artwork, mainly from the initial 10 issues of Marvel Comics' groundbreaking Star Wars comics, circa 1977, and from other early issues. There is a wealth of extras, including a cover gallery showcasing some of the very earliest work." Originally priced at $125 and up, grab these while you can.