By Hilal Ustuk
LONDON (AA) – Days before a Steve Spielberg adaptation of his bestselling science fiction novel is due to hit theaters, writer Ernest Cline reflected on the sometimes uneasy dynamic between reality and fantasy in people’s lives.
In the 2011 book and film, “I feel like there is a message about celebrating what you love but also finding a balance in your life between escapism and dealing with reality,” the 45-year-old writer of Ready Player One told Anadolu Agency in London.
Set in a dystopian world in 2045, the film of the same name depicts the mastermind of a virtual reality world called OASIS who creates a treasure hunt before he dies and pledges his fortune to whoever can find it.
“For me it’s a primarily a fun action adventure story, a treasure hunt inside a virtual world,” said Cline, who also co-wrote the film’s screenplay.
“But also there are themes running through both the novel and the film about striking a balance between fantasy and reality, and that escapism is an essential thing I think for humans.”
People need “art, poetry, music, and cinema and video games,” said Cline, to “enrich your life, and also it’s part of your culture and connects you to other people.”
Unfortunately, according to Cline, people are already feeling the destructive effects of Internet addiction and spend too much time staring at screens.
“Their real life suffers as a result of the time they spend online,” he added.
“The Internet becomes more immersive and perhaps in virtual reality when you log on the Internet, you go inside of it. And it would be even harder to pull yourself back out,” he explained.
He said that in Ready Player One, “characters in part are escaping our wrecked environment due to climate change and also an energy crisis.”
“These are real genuine concerns that I have, especially as a parent, I worry for the future. I hope that the reality of 2045 depicted in the novel and the movie isn’t the one that my daughter inherits,” he said.
“Technology changes every aspect of our lives and changes the way we do business and communicate with our family, and even our elections,” he said.
“It’s the most powerful communication tool that we’ve ever created, but we also use it to isolate ourselves sometimes.”
– Working with Spielberg
Cline said famed, Oscar-winning director Steven Spielberg — who brought Ready Player One to the big screen — was one of the biggest inspirations in his writing the novel and becoming a storyteller.
“I grew up watching his films and they had a profound effect on me and changed the course of my life, and so I’m not sure if I would have written Ready Player One if I hadn’t grown up watching Steven’s movies,” he said.
“So getting to work with him to bring my own story to the big screen is just the coolest thing that ever happened,” he added.
The film, starring Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Lena Waithe, and Ben Mendelsohn, opens worldwide, including Turkey, this Friday.
