Armada

From the Author of READY PLAYER ONE

No cover

Ernest Cline: Armada (2015, Penguin Random House)

384 pages

English language

Published 2015 by Penguin Random House.

ISBN:
978-1-4481-8408-8
Copied ISBN!

View on OpenLibrary

3 stars (28 reviews)

Zack Lightman has spent his life dreaming. Dreaming that the real world could be a little more like the countless science-fiction books, movies, and videogames he's spent his life consuming. Dreaming that one day some fantastic, world-altering event will shatter the monotony of his humdrum existence and whisk him off on some grand space-faring adventure.

But hey, there's nothing wrong with a little escapism, right? After all, Zack tells himself, he knows the difference between fantasy and reality. He knows that here in the real world, aimless teenage gamers with anger issues don't get chosen to save the universe.

And then he sees the flying saucer.

Even stranger, the alien ship he's staring at is straight out of the videogame he plays every night, a hugely popular online flight simulator called Armada--in which gamers just happen to be protecting Earth from alien invaders.

No, Zack hasn't lost his mind. …

4 editions

Review of 'Armada' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

Full disclosure: I read this book only to keep up with the 372 pages we'll never get back podcast (which I recommend and which had also done a running commentary on Ready Player One previously).

I struggle to rate this one fairly ... I mean, if you really liked RP1, you will probably like this one too. If you only sort of liked RP1, you could probably find better uses of your time.

This book really felt like someone trying to capitalize on a previous success; writing on a deadline and just turning in a first draft. The plot was a kind of half-baked pastiche of the Last Starfighter, Ender's Game, Starship Troopers, and that one episode of the Clerks cartoon where Randal is captured and put into slavery because of his prowess at a pyramid building video game.

To its credit, the book is kind of fun at times …

Review of 'Armada' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

I enjoyed Cline's earlier book READY PLAYER ONE and this is very much in the same vein. Suffers some of the same problems: characters equipped with magical technology, resulting in absurd leaps of deus ex machina—but it's a fun and charming read with some interesting ideas. If you're considering this one, I'd read RP1 first; it hits a lot of the same emotional notes while straining reality somewhat less.

Review of 'Armada' on 'Goodreads'

1 star

Tried it, loved Ready Player One. This one however, is horrible. Absolutely horrible. I'm quite nerdy, but this reads as a 15-y/o boy raving about a computergame. Without a plot, or character building or worldbuilding.
No, sorry, not for me.

Review of 'Armada' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

I enjoyed Ready Player One, and was curious as to read what Cline wrote next, whether he could keep up the pace of nerdy retro observations.
Well, he can, but it doesn't make much sense outside of that particularly contrived world.

In Armada, it feels forced and purposeless. I wasn't interested in the characters, and I wasn't particularly sympathetic for their plight. I felt the romance was iffy and the twists were unsurprising. It's a shame, because if it was his first novel I'd probably have enjoyed it more.

Where I could overlook the problems in Ready Player One because of the enormous amount of fun it was, Armada actually make me think less of RPO.

avatar for agd

rated it

3 stars
avatar for agd

rated it

3 stars
avatar for samullen

rated it

3 stars
avatar for buu709

rated it

3 stars
avatar for rbfarr

rated it

2 stars
avatar for whami

rated it

4 stars
avatar for localstatic

rated it

3 stars
avatar for kergoth

rated it

2 stars
avatar for Heavyboots

rated it

1 star
avatar for wazabees

rated it

4 stars
avatar for deggert

rated it

3 stars
avatar for stombeur

rated it

3 stars
avatar for smyth

rated it

1 star
avatar for joergr

rated it

3 stars
avatar for marino

rated it

4 stars
avatar for Lordtrips

rated it

1 star
avatar for balise

rated it

3 stars
avatar for teamdave

rated it

3 stars

Subjects

  • Fiction, science fiction, action & adventure