Cline's books are both very cinematic stuff, so it surprises me not one whit that Spielberg is all over this. The pictures Cline paints are clear as daylight and lent soul by the central theme of Zack's utter devotion to the idea of his father.įunnily enough, I remember thinking as I read this that it read a bit like the novelisation of a movie, or indeed the script for one. The language is entirely functional and the sheer momentum of this story needs no help. Several times I am jarred slightly by a choice of adjective or simile. It’s not full of stirring descriptions or memorable quotes. The writing is not amazing or life-changing. It really sounds as though Cline had a ball writing this, particularly some of the wise-cracking dialogue, and that kind of enjoyment is contagious. A nerd’s wet dream, it’s sharp and humorous, giving the reader an almost immodestly fun ride.

Like its predecessor Ready Player One, Armada features the same endearingly enthusiastic tone, like your best friend chewing your ear off about their latest obsession. Thankfully, my long association with nerds has given me the vocabulary to cope, and even if you don’t care about the 80s or gaming, if you have any interest in the nature of modern sci-fi writing, I’d encourage you to give this a try. Zack, a dreamer already dealing with some anger issues and worried about his own grip on reality after spending too much time living in the world of his father’s games, notes and conspiracy theory-filled journals, thinks he must finally have lost the plot when one day he sees a ship from global hit game Armada circling the skies outside his classroom window.īut it soon becomes clear that these is a lot more at stake here than one teenager’s sanity, and this is maybe the first time in history that being a really, really good gamer can be called a life skill – a skill crucial to the future of the human race.ĭespite my clearly being a member of the target audience, my kinship with the subject matter here ends abruptly at the word 'gaming'. His father died in an explosion at 19, when Zack was just a baby, and the young doppelganger lives in a virtual shrine to the memory of his dad, who bequeathed his obsession with (yes.) 80s movies and games to his son by way of a collection of possessions in the attic of the home Zack and his mother now share with just the ageing beagle, Muffitt. Enter Zack Lightman, an 18-year-old gamer who lives with his mom in Oregon.

Armada 2 ernest cline