Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Broadway Books
Pages
372
Description
"THE NEW NOVEL FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF READY PLAYER ONE It's just another day of high school for Zack Lightman. He's daydreaming through another boring math class, with just one more month to go until graduation and freedom--if he can make it that long without getting suspended again. Then he glances out his classroom window and spots the flying saucer. At first, Zack thinks he's going crazy. A minute later, he's sure of it. Because the UFO 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 the earth from alien invaders. But what Zack's seeing is all too real. And his skills--as well as those of millions of gamers across the world--are going to be needed to save the earth from what's about to befall it. Yet even as he and his new comrades scramble to prepare for the alien onslaught, Zack can't help thinking of all the science-fiction books, TV shows, and movies he grew up reading and watching, and wonder: Doesn't something about this scenario seem a little too... familiar? Armada is at once a rollicking, surprising thriller, a classic coming of age adventure, and an alien-invasion tale like nothing you've ever read before--one whose every page is infused with author Ernest Cline's trademark pop-culture savvy"--… (more)
Collection
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2015-07-14
Physical description
372 p.; 8 inches
ISBN
0804137277 / 9780804137270
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User reviews
LibraryThing member mhanlon
I found this one really tough to get through. I enjoyed Ready Player One, and that's why I grabbed this book the second I saw it available.
But even as early at page 16 I noted that I was feeling like the author was just stalling, the writing and action stagnated: "First I needed a moment to prepare
Shortly thereafter we get a list, which I felt was Ernest Cline just loosening his belt buckle as if after a big Thanksgiving meal, saying, "Ah, *now* I feel more comfortable," as if just a straight up, three plus page list of video game nerd porn was exactly what he'd been dying to work into a book all along.
By page 38 we were watching other people play video games, only the literary version of it. I know... I *understand* that people watch other people's video game escapades online and even, in some cases, in vast auditoriums around the world. I had the sinking feeling that I'd wandered into the wrong room, say the back room in a dirty old arcade where the lighting isn't so great, there's a peculiar smell, and maybe I didn't want to be in there, after all. The vicarious thrill of watching someone play something with no real consequences isn't particularly thrilling. I didn't like the gaggle of guys fondling and espousing different controller types (in the page 44 corner of the room), they just seemed kind of... unwell.
The writing just seemed more stilted than Ready Player One, as well. Instead of figuring out a better way to give us the backstory of the company who created these video games (or maybe leaving it out altogether?), we're told in this way:
"I clicked through to [Chaos Terrain, the games' developer]'s website's "About Us" page and scanned it. As a longtime CT super fan, I already knew quite a lot about the company's history..." and then we get the contents of the web page, as dictated by the super fan of Chaos Terrain.
But that's the book. It felt to me like I was doing the reading equivalent of watching someone play a video game, only with a lot more lists of older video game and sci-fi movies and their characters. There are a lot of tangents that you might think make a reappearance later in the book, something worthwhile having remembered, but I guess they're intended as quick-ish one-liners, jokes that fall flat about as often as they work.
But even as early at page 16 I noted that I was feeling like the author was just stalling, the writing and action stagnated: "First I needed a moment to prepare
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myself." I prepared myself by sighing a little bit and hitching up my nerd pants, which I'd put on specially for the reading of this book.Shortly thereafter we get a list, which I felt was Ernest Cline just loosening his belt buckle as if after a big Thanksgiving meal, saying, "Ah, *now* I feel more comfortable," as if just a straight up, three plus page list of video game nerd porn was exactly what he'd been dying to work into a book all along.
By page 38 we were watching other people play video games, only the literary version of it. I know... I *understand* that people watch other people's video game escapades online and even, in some cases, in vast auditoriums around the world. I had the sinking feeling that I'd wandered into the wrong room, say the back room in a dirty old arcade where the lighting isn't so great, there's a peculiar smell, and maybe I didn't want to be in there, after all. The vicarious thrill of watching someone play something with no real consequences isn't particularly thrilling. I didn't like the gaggle of guys fondling and espousing different controller types (in the page 44 corner of the room), they just seemed kind of... unwell.
The writing just seemed more stilted than Ready Player One, as well. Instead of figuring out a better way to give us the backstory of the company who created these video games (or maybe leaving it out altogether?), we're told in this way:
"I clicked through to [Chaos Terrain, the games' developer]'s website's "About Us" page and scanned it. As a longtime CT super fan, I already knew quite a lot about the company's history..." and then we get the contents of the web page, as dictated by the super fan of Chaos Terrain.
But that's the book. It felt to me like I was doing the reading equivalent of watching someone play a video game, only with a lot more lists of older video game and sci-fi movies and their characters. There are a lot of tangents that you might think make a reappearance later in the book, something worthwhile having remembered, but I guess they're intended as quick-ish one-liners, jokes that fall flat about as often as they work.
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LibraryThing member cameling
From the author of [Ready Player One] this novel is centered around a teenage boy, Zack Lightman, who, when he's not working at his part time job in a video games store, plays an online videogame Armada. He daydreams about his father, who died in a factory explosion when he was an infant and then
Convinced he's dreaming, Zack finds himself enlisted as a Lieutenant for the Earth Defense Alliance, and his job now is to protect Earth from attack by aliens. One day a schoolboy, the next the potential savior of Earth, Zack is thrown into manning an actual fighting craft, shooting down alien fighter ships, and making decisions to disobey orders because he's certain his actions are justified.
I kept thinking that at some point, Zack will wake up to find it was really all just a dream, but kudos to the author for not writing something predictable.
It's a fun campy read, but nowhere near as good as RPO.
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one day in school, looking out the window he sees an alien ship. Convinced he's dreaming, Zack finds himself enlisted as a Lieutenant for the Earth Defense Alliance, and his job now is to protect Earth from attack by aliens. One day a schoolboy, the next the potential savior of Earth, Zack is thrown into manning an actual fighting craft, shooting down alien fighter ships, and making decisions to disobey orders because he's certain his actions are justified.
I kept thinking that at some point, Zack will wake up to find it was really all just a dream, but kudos to the author for not writing something predictable.
It's a fun campy read, but nowhere near as good as RPO.
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LibraryThing member Sparrowlicious
Hoping for some good female characters again. (See Art3mis from Ready Player One and you-know-who.)
LibraryThing member lorannen
A rehash of all the same problems I had with Ready Player One, but so much worse. It seemed like he just wanted to cram all the nostalgic pop culture references he forgot to include in RPO onto a page, and this was the end result.
LibraryThing member crtsjffrsn
Zack Lightman lives for video games. He plays them and excels at them, and his after school job just happens to be in an arcade and game store. And the game he's the best at is Armada, a space invader multiplayer flight battle simulation. But maybe there's a bit more to his talent and obsession
If you take Ender's Game and set it on modern Earth, you'll get something like Armada. Video games as a training ground for an epic space battle against an alien race? A protagonist who is involved in an altercation that indicates he might have anger issues? Being thrown into battle before one is ready? A leadership that isn't completely honest about the facts of how things got to where they are? Yeah, it's all here. It's not the exact same story, obviously, but it's clear what inspired this tale very early on and throughout the book.
While it's likely imperative to make the story work, the ease with which Zack is able to do things and get out of troublesome situations quickly seemed a bit much to me. Even in science fiction, I like to have a fair sense of a realistic basis--I didn't think we got that as much as we could with this protagonist. That said, it wasn't too much that I turned me off completely.
Ultimately, this was an entertaining read--and a quick one, too, despite its length. I think fans of science fiction, especially space opera (and extra points for those who enjoyed Ender's Game, would enjoy this book, as well.
[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.]
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than even he realizes on its face. And he quickly learns there is much more to the video game he's been playing than he could have imagined when he starts seeing the machines from the game in the sky near his school. Thankfully all those hours at his computer have helped prepare him for what's to come.If you take Ender's Game and set it on modern Earth, you'll get something like Armada. Video games as a training ground for an epic space battle against an alien race? A protagonist who is involved in an altercation that indicates he might have anger issues? Being thrown into battle before one is ready? A leadership that isn't completely honest about the facts of how things got to where they are? Yeah, it's all here. It's not the exact same story, obviously, but it's clear what inspired this tale very early on and throughout the book.
While it's likely imperative to make the story work, the ease with which Zack is able to do things and get out of troublesome situations quickly seemed a bit much to me. Even in science fiction, I like to have a fair sense of a realistic basis--I didn't think we got that as much as we could with this protagonist. That said, it wasn't too much that I turned me off completely.
Ultimately, this was an entertaining read--and a quick one, too, despite its length. I think fans of science fiction, especially space opera (and extra points for those who enjoyed Ender's Game, would enjoy this book, as well.
[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.]
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LibraryThing member darrow
This may just be the worst book I have ever endured and I am a geek, movie buff and video game player. It contains not even one original idea. It is a blatant rip-off of The Last Starfighter and Enders Game both of which Cline refers to in several places. At least they had an element of
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believability. The plot is supposed to be taken seriously but it is completely ludicrous. I kept hoping that before the end it would be revealed that the protagonist was suffering from mental delusions. No such luck. Avoid, and read "Ready Player One" instead. Show Less
LibraryThing member reading_fox
Silly. But highly enjoyable anyway. It never takes itself too seriously and retains a sense of fun throughout. It isn't as good as Ready Player One, it doesn't have the depth of character, the intrigue or the social commentary. But it's still a fine read and had me laughing at several points. Quite
Zack is a typical american flyover town high school student - although better than most at playing video games. Exceptionally better than most because he's made it into toe world top 10, and still manages to have a life, attend school, and even have a part-time job with a particularly benevolent game-store owner.
However he's thoroughly jerked out of his old life when staring out of the window in class he spots a UFO flying over the trees. Not just any old UFO though, one that looks suspiciously like the prime enemy in his video game. Maybe his late dad's rambling theories were true after all - that video games and the whole SciFi industry have been deliberately manipulated to train a new generation in alien combat.
In some respects the least believable aspect - or the least internally consistent issue - is that Zack can be that good at gaming without living in a cave for the entirety of his life. Again an issue that RPO managed much better. The rest of it runs at a similar level, the bosses are shallow and easily manipulative, the girl just falls for him - although she does save his life - and the alien; well that would be telling.
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short it's a fast read, though one I doubt I'll be returning to.Zack is a typical american flyover town high school student - although better than most at playing video games. Exceptionally better than most because he's made it into toe world top 10, and still manages to have a life, attend school, and even have a part-time job with a particularly benevolent game-store owner.
However he's thoroughly jerked out of his old life when staring out of the window in class he spots a UFO flying over the trees. Not just any old UFO though, one that looks suspiciously like the prime enemy in his video game. Maybe his late dad's rambling theories were true after all - that video games and the whole SciFi industry have been deliberately manipulated to train a new generation in alien combat.
In some respects the least believable aspect - or the least internally consistent issue - is that Zack can be that good at gaming without living in a cave for the entirety of his life. Again an issue that RPO managed much better. The rest of it runs at a similar level, the bosses are shallow and easily manipulative, the girl just falls for him - although she does save his life - and the alien; well that would be telling.
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LibraryThing member ingrid98684
This is, truly, the worst book I have ever read. Don't read it. It was a physically painful experience. Earnest Cline is dead to me
LibraryThing member GSB68
Very good second book from Ernest Cline. Very entertaining and I loved all the SciFi references.
I do feel like the book was a little short and while the action was frantic the main character is just pulled through the story as things line up perfectly for him.
Still a very fun bit of escapism that
Review from Edelweiss EARC.
I do feel like the book was a little short and while the action was frantic the main character is just pulled through the story as things line up perfectly for him.
Still a very fun bit of escapism that
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sets up the probable sequel nicely.Review from Edelweiss EARC.
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LibraryThing member c.archer
Awesome story! The best combo of science fiction, video gaming, and war writing all combined into a fantastic book. And I liked it anyway.
LibraryThing member stefferoo
For fans of Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One, I don’t think there’s any other book coming out this year as highly anticipated as his second novel Armada. The new book is again a novel with pop culture references galore, but whereas Ready Player One was like a love letter to the 80s set in
Needless to say, as an avid gamer with particular penchant towards massively multiplayer online (MMO) games, I must shamelessly confess to having a natural inclination to stories of this type; more than once, reading Armada made me wish that Eve Online and Dust 514 played like the games described in the book, or that Star Citizen was released already. And I think if you enjoyed Ready Player One, you’ll enjoy this one too. In many ways the two books are different, but in many ways they are similar as well -- both are stories about average young men in the position to save the world, thanks to their super awesome Powers of the Geek!
We begin the story with an introduction to our protagonist Zack Lightman, worrying that he might be losing his mind. Staring outside the window during one his boring senior math classes, Zack spies a flying saucer in the sky, and not just any kind of flying saucer. The spaceship looks exactly like an enemy Glaive fighter in Armada, his favorite first-person space combat flight sim MMO. In the game, players from all over take the role of drone pilots, controlling Earth Defense Alliance ships to do battle with alien invaders. Zack’s been playing the game so much, he’s starting to think he’s hallucinating it in his real life as well.
Turns out, the good news is that Zack’s not crazy. The enemy fighter he glimpsed was as real as it could be. The bad news is, so is the Earth Defense Alliance and the war against the aliens. Governments around the world have known about this imminent attack for decades, and all the science fiction films and video games since the 70s have been preparing humanity for this very moment. Since their inception, online games like Armada and its companion ground-based first-person shooter Terra Firma have been training and honing the skills of potential recruits for the coming battle, right under everyone’s noses. As one of the highest ranked players in Armada, Zack is enlisted with other skilled gamers into the EDA’s forces.
It should have been a dream come true. In fact, the entire book reads like a wish fulfillment fantasy for any gamer who has ever wanted their favorite video game to be real, and to be the big damn hero of their own epic adventure. But still, Zack can’t shake the feeling that there’s something wrong. For example, if this real, why then are the aliens acting exactly like the way they would in his games and in all the science-fiction movies he grew up with? Zach realizes that life is imitating art when it really shouldn’t be – and it’s this concept that invalidates the idea that Armada is nothing but just another version of The Last Starfighter, Ernest Cline style. Yes, the author has adapted that idea for his book, but at the same time he’s also subverted it, so that certain sections almost read like a tongue-in-cheek, satirical look at what audiences today expect to see out of an alien invasion story.
The story of Armada is thus actually quite clever, despite it being undeniably cheesy. We reach a saturation point with many of its ideas – some of which border on the totally ridiculous – that frequently call for a good deal of suspension of disbelief on the reader’s part (and not least because entrusting the fate of the entire human race to a bunch of regular civilian gamers is a dubious idea; if you even spend three minutes exposed to the general chat of any popular MMO, you can kind of infer why). And yet, the book is also undeniably fun. Simply put, the cheese works, the same way it worked for a film like Galaxy Quest which parodied a lot of well-known tropes but still functioned incredibly well as its own action-adventure story. The result is that someone not familiar with gamer culture or references to sci-fi movies like Star Wars (of which there are many) can still enjoy this book. Of course, gamers will no doubt love it, and as an addict to online gaming and all things Star Wars, I think Armada is in many ways a lovely tribute to fans. Still, ultimately I believe its inclusiveness will be what makes it successful.
If you’re looking for a fun read, you’ll get it. Ernest Cline uses similar gimmicks in Armada that he used in Ready Player One, but the story is altogether different and enjoyable even if it’s not as complex. And while its characters and plot aren’t particularly deep, Armada isn’t aiming to be a literary masterpiece. Instead, the book lets loose, not caring how far it goes in its quest to provide the maximum entertainment value for your time. I loved this book, devouring it as soon as I got my hands on it and I sure don’t regret doing so at all. I can think of no other science fiction novel coming out this summer that would make a better beach read.
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not-too-distant future, Armada takes place in present day with a shift in focus to all things sci-fi and gaming. Needless to say, as an avid gamer with particular penchant towards massively multiplayer online (MMO) games, I must shamelessly confess to having a natural inclination to stories of this type; more than once, reading Armada made me wish that Eve Online and Dust 514 played like the games described in the book, or that Star Citizen was released already. And I think if you enjoyed Ready Player One, you’ll enjoy this one too. In many ways the two books are different, but in many ways they are similar as well -- both are stories about average young men in the position to save the world, thanks to their super awesome Powers of the Geek!
We begin the story with an introduction to our protagonist Zack Lightman, worrying that he might be losing his mind. Staring outside the window during one his boring senior math classes, Zack spies a flying saucer in the sky, and not just any kind of flying saucer. The spaceship looks exactly like an enemy Glaive fighter in Armada, his favorite first-person space combat flight sim MMO. In the game, players from all over take the role of drone pilots, controlling Earth Defense Alliance ships to do battle with alien invaders. Zack’s been playing the game so much, he’s starting to think he’s hallucinating it in his real life as well.
Turns out, the good news is that Zack’s not crazy. The enemy fighter he glimpsed was as real as it could be. The bad news is, so is the Earth Defense Alliance and the war against the aliens. Governments around the world have known about this imminent attack for decades, and all the science fiction films and video games since the 70s have been preparing humanity for this very moment. Since their inception, online games like Armada and its companion ground-based first-person shooter Terra Firma have been training and honing the skills of potential recruits for the coming battle, right under everyone’s noses. As one of the highest ranked players in Armada, Zack is enlisted with other skilled gamers into the EDA’s forces.
It should have been a dream come true. In fact, the entire book reads like a wish fulfillment fantasy for any gamer who has ever wanted their favorite video game to be real, and to be the big damn hero of their own epic adventure. But still, Zack can’t shake the feeling that there’s something wrong. For example, if this real, why then are the aliens acting exactly like the way they would in his games and in all the science-fiction movies he grew up with? Zach realizes that life is imitating art when it really shouldn’t be – and it’s this concept that invalidates the idea that Armada is nothing but just another version of The Last Starfighter, Ernest Cline style. Yes, the author has adapted that idea for his book, but at the same time he’s also subverted it, so that certain sections almost read like a tongue-in-cheek, satirical look at what audiences today expect to see out of an alien invasion story.
The story of Armada is thus actually quite clever, despite it being undeniably cheesy. We reach a saturation point with many of its ideas – some of which border on the totally ridiculous – that frequently call for a good deal of suspension of disbelief on the reader’s part (and not least because entrusting the fate of the entire human race to a bunch of regular civilian gamers is a dubious idea; if you even spend three minutes exposed to the general chat of any popular MMO, you can kind of infer why). And yet, the book is also undeniably fun. Simply put, the cheese works, the same way it worked for a film like Galaxy Quest which parodied a lot of well-known tropes but still functioned incredibly well as its own action-adventure story. The result is that someone not familiar with gamer culture or references to sci-fi movies like Star Wars (of which there are many) can still enjoy this book. Of course, gamers will no doubt love it, and as an addict to online gaming and all things Star Wars, I think Armada is in many ways a lovely tribute to fans. Still, ultimately I believe its inclusiveness will be what makes it successful.
If you’re looking for a fun read, you’ll get it. Ernest Cline uses similar gimmicks in Armada that he used in Ready Player One, but the story is altogether different and enjoyable even if it’s not as complex. And while its characters and plot aren’t particularly deep, Armada isn’t aiming to be a literary masterpiece. Instead, the book lets loose, not caring how far it goes in its quest to provide the maximum entertainment value for your time. I loved this book, devouring it as soon as I got my hands on it and I sure don’t regret doing so at all. I can think of no other science fiction novel coming out this summer that would make a better beach read.
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LibraryThing member souleswanderer
I read Ready Player One and was thrilled! Having grown up in the 80's and experienced all of his pop culture references first hand along with being an avid gamer, Ernie's debut novel was a trip down memory lane. So with reckless abandon I jumped headlong into his second offering Armada.
The premise
After the first few chapters one realizes that this is a rehash of the Last Starfighter, Enders Game, Starship Troopers (movie only) all rolled into one, and unfortunately even with the retro pop culture references, I found the novel rather deflating after the joy of RPO. Those not familiar with the older movies, might just be conned into thinking this is something new, but the letdown felt like listening to a balloon deflate in under 3 seconds.
As someone else said, it felt rushed as if he was trying to satiate the demand for another novel, I know my voice was among those. I would rather have waited longer for something comparable to the freshness of his first novel.
The premise
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read well, high-school on-line gaming fanatic happens to look out of the school window and thinks he hallucinates an alien spaceship from the latest video game he's been playing. The kid inside me grins thinking how cool would that have been to break up the monotony of class? After the first few chapters one realizes that this is a rehash of the Last Starfighter, Enders Game, Starship Troopers (movie only) all rolled into one, and unfortunately even with the retro pop culture references, I found the novel rather deflating after the joy of RPO. Those not familiar with the older movies, might just be conned into thinking this is something new, but the letdown felt like listening to a balloon deflate in under 3 seconds.
As someone else said, it felt rushed as if he was trying to satiate the demand for another novel, I know my voice was among those. I would rather have waited longer for something comparable to the freshness of his first novel.
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LibraryThing member melissarochelle
Read from May 21 to June 13, 2015
Had this come before Ready Player One, I probably wouldn't have read it because I'm not into spaceships and Star Wars/Trek-esque science fiction movies or video games. But instead it has the unfortunate timing of coming after one of my favorite books of the past
All the 80s love is part of what made RPO so amazing. This one has a similar feel, but not for anything I'm super into. A lot of the references and movie quotes were lost on me. Sure I've seen some of the movies mentioned, but typically once and then I forgot about them. And one movie mentioned a few times, I've never seen at all (Close Encounters...nope. Never watched it).
In Armada we meet Zack, a kid who's dad died in a poop explosion. He's got issues and he's pretty sure his dad was crazy. He's gone through all of his dad's old stuff and found a conspiracy theory filled notebook. Zack is worried he's going crazy, too, when he spots alien spaceship from his favorite video game outside his high school. But by the next day, Zack learns maybe he isn't so crazy after all and just maybe there are aliens getting ready to attack...
Had this come before Ready Player One, I probably wouldn't have read it because I'm not into spaceships and Star Wars/Trek-esque science fiction movies or video games. But instead it has the unfortunate timing of coming after one of my favorite books of the past
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decade. It is NOT a bad book. For the right person, it will be just right. In fact, if you haven't read RPO yet, read this one first. All the 80s love is part of what made RPO so amazing. This one has a similar feel, but not for anything I'm super into. A lot of the references and movie quotes were lost on me. Sure I've seen some of the movies mentioned, but typically once and then I forgot about them. And one movie mentioned a few times, I've never seen at all (Close Encounters...nope. Never watched it).
In Armada we meet Zack, a kid who's dad died in a poop explosion. He's got issues and he's pretty sure his dad was crazy. He's gone through all of his dad's old stuff and found a conspiracy theory filled notebook. Zack is worried he's going crazy, too, when he spots alien spaceship from his favorite video game outside his high school. But by the next day, Zack learns maybe he isn't so crazy after all and just maybe there are aliens getting ready to attack...
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LibraryThing member grizzly.anderson
In Armada, Ernest Cline's sophomore book, all the conspiracy theories about government agencies monitoring video games, hiding knowledge of aliens, and world government are more-or-less true and collide with Cline's nostalgia for games, music, and movies.
Zack Lightman is an angry teenager who
Unfortunately it has Ready Player One, its super-star older brother to live up to, and that is really too much to ask. In that first novel the obsession with nerdy 70s & 80s pop culture was an integral part of the plot, and introduced smoothly. In the first pages of Armada Cline starts laying on it on with a trowel, I'm sure because he loves it, and because he feels obligated to provide what people expect. When an explanation does come along, it's a sort of wall-paper over the cracks job.
That said, if you share the nostalgia you'll have fun picking out all the more subtle references to games, movies, tv and music. There are the obvious ones that get completely spelled out for the reader, and the more subtle ones, in borrowed plot elements, and winking acronyms, and character names. I'm sure a large number of them went right by me as Zack goes from high school to elite fighter pilot finally finds his long-lost father, Xavier Ulysses, meets the girl of his dreams, fights aliens and saves the world, all in two, maybe three days.
Zack Lightman is an angry teenager who
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happens to be one of the 10 best players in the world of Armada, which just happens to be a training/recruitment tool for the coming epic battle with the aliens from Europa. And by coming, I mean one day after the novel opens and a few hours after Zack finds out that it all for real. Of course, the invading aliens are JUST LIKE the bad guys in a video game, including increasing difficulty, mini-bosses and an enrage timer in the final boss fight. If that seems a little hokey, it is intentionally so, and Cline wraps it nicely into the story line from early on. On that level, Armada is a decent popcorn munching sort of story that will make a good summer action movie.Unfortunately it has Ready Player One, its super-star older brother to live up to, and that is really too much to ask. In that first novel the obsession with nerdy 70s & 80s pop culture was an integral part of the plot, and introduced smoothly. In the first pages of Armada Cline starts laying on it on with a trowel, I'm sure because he loves it, and because he feels obligated to provide what people expect. When an explanation does come along, it's a sort of wall-paper over the cracks job.
That said, if you share the nostalgia you'll have fun picking out all the more subtle references to games, movies, tv and music. There are the obvious ones that get completely spelled out for the reader, and the more subtle ones, in borrowed plot elements, and winking acronyms, and character names. I'm sure a large number of them went right by me as Zack goes from high school to elite fighter pilot finally finds his long-lost father, Xavier Ulysses, meets the girl of his dreams, fights aliens and saves the world, all in two, maybe three days.
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LibraryThing member BenjaminHahn
(Spoilers) I enjoyed Armada but only because I include myself in the audience that Cline is pandering to, the gaming community. I have to agree with other reviewers that observe Cline's tendency to connect every simile he uses to pop culture. It's worse at the beginning of the story and it feels
I love playing video games, RPG's, board games, reading comic books, and watching action movies, but really these things are simulations of what real life has to offer. This story, in effect, champions their consumption in a non-sarcastic way, and proposes gaming as a skill capable of saving the world. It's like patting a gamer on the back and saying "No, no, don't get up off the couch, you're extremely narrow skill set is totally valid, and could someday be used to save the planet from an invading alien force." Don't get me wrong, Cline's idea is fun if not derivative, but at least in Ready Player One, the main character learned the value of getting physically fit and having face to face interactions with his friends. The disconnect between the gaming world and the real world has been covered in some great nonfiction books, but I haven't seen it handled well in novels. Armada is no exception. It's a bit self-congratulatory. It's as if Cline is saying "Look guys, I made a world where we are all hero's and we don't have to do anything different, just keep playing our video games." Ok, enough ranting.
All that being said, the book was still fun to read from a nerd point of view. I enjoy references to my youth even if they are a bit blunt. The father and son relationship contained some good writing too. Design wise, the dust jacket for the actual book is pretty sweet. A cool minimalist cover and a schematic for the interceptor on the inside. Also, in the back, there is copy of Xavier's combat playlist. I was surprised to see that no one had replicated it on Spotify yet.
I could see how this would make a good script for an entertaining sci-fi film. I enjoyed the read, but literature it is not. Sort of like how I love playing video games, but it is no substitute for the real world. I hope Cline's next book branches out from 80's nerd culture, or at least he explores more of the more subtle themes in escapism (a la Chabon).
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sloppy. I don't know how, but I think there is probably a better way to write gamer culture into your narrative. Ready Player One was similar but novel at the same time. This time around it was seemed a little forced. There were also some odd logic holes here and there near the end that I'm still trying to wrap my head around. I love playing video games, RPG's, board games, reading comic books, and watching action movies, but really these things are simulations of what real life has to offer. This story, in effect, champions their consumption in a non-sarcastic way, and proposes gaming as a skill capable of saving the world. It's like patting a gamer on the back and saying "No, no, don't get up off the couch, you're extremely narrow skill set is totally valid, and could someday be used to save the planet from an invading alien force." Don't get me wrong, Cline's idea is fun if not derivative, but at least in Ready Player One, the main character learned the value of getting physically fit and having face to face interactions with his friends. The disconnect between the gaming world and the real world has been covered in some great nonfiction books, but I haven't seen it handled well in novels. Armada is no exception. It's a bit self-congratulatory. It's as if Cline is saying "Look guys, I made a world where we are all hero's and we don't have to do anything different, just keep playing our video games." Ok, enough ranting.
All that being said, the book was still fun to read from a nerd point of view. I enjoy references to my youth even if they are a bit blunt. The father and son relationship contained some good writing too. Design wise, the dust jacket for the actual book is pretty sweet. A cool minimalist cover and a schematic for the interceptor on the inside. Also, in the back, there is copy of Xavier's combat playlist. I was surprised to see that no one had replicated it on Spotify yet.
I could see how this would make a good script for an entertaining sci-fi film. I enjoyed the read, but literature it is not. Sort of like how I love playing video games, but it is no substitute for the real world. I hope Cline's next book branches out from 80's nerd culture, or at least he explores more of the more subtle themes in escapism (a la Chabon).
Show Less
LibraryThing member grizzly.anderson
In Armada, Ernest Cline's sophomore book, all the conspiracy theories about government agencies monitoring video games, hiding knowledge of aliens, and world government are more-or-less true and collide with Cline's nostalgia for games, music, and movies.
Zack Lightman is an angry teenager who
Unfortunately it has Ready Player One, its super-star older brother to live up to, and that is really too much to ask. In that first novel the obsession with nerdy 70s & 80s pop culture was an integral part of the plot, and introduced smoothly. In the first pages of Armada Cline starts laying on it on with a trowel, I'm sure because he loves it, and because he feels obligated to provide what people expect. When an explanation does come along, it's a sort of wall-paper over the cracks job.
That said, if you share the nostalgia you'll have fun picking out all the more subtle references to games, movies, tv and music. There are the obvious ones that get completely spelled out for the reader, and the more subtle ones, in borrowed plot elements, and winking acronyms, and character names. I'm sure a large number of them went right by me as Zack goes from high school to elite fighter pilot finally finds his long-lost father, Xavier Ulysses, meets the girl of his dreams, fights aliens and saves the world, all in two, maybe three days.
Zack Lightman is an angry teenager who
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happens to be one of the 10 best players in the world of Armada, which just happens to be a training/recruitment tool for the coming epic battle with the aliens from Europa. And by coming, I mean one day after the novel opens and a few hours after Zack finds out that it all for real. Of course, the invading aliens are JUST LIKE the bad guys in a video game, including increasing difficulty, mini-bosses and an enrage timer in the final boss fight. If that seems a little hokey, it is intentionally so, and Cline wraps it nicely into the story line from early on. On that level, Armada is a decent popcorn munching sort of story that will make a good summer action movie.Unfortunately it has Ready Player One, its super-star older brother to live up to, and that is really too much to ask. In that first novel the obsession with nerdy 70s & 80s pop culture was an integral part of the plot, and introduced smoothly. In the first pages of Armada Cline starts laying on it on with a trowel, I'm sure because he loves it, and because he feels obligated to provide what people expect. When an explanation does come along, it's a sort of wall-paper over the cracks job.
That said, if you share the nostalgia you'll have fun picking out all the more subtle references to games, movies, tv and music. There are the obvious ones that get completely spelled out for the reader, and the more subtle ones, in borrowed plot elements, and winking acronyms, and character names. I'm sure a large number of them went right by me as Zack goes from high school to elite fighter pilot finally finds his long-lost father, Xavier Ulysses, meets the girl of his dreams, fights aliens and saves the world, all in two, maybe three days.
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LibraryThing member BenjaminHahn
(Spoilers) I enjoyed Armada but only because I include myself in the audience that Cline is pandering to, the gaming community. I have to agree with other reviewers that observe Cline's tendency to connect every simile he uses to pop culture. It's worse at the beginning of the story and it feels
I love playing video games, RPG's, board games, reading comic books, and watching action movies, but really these things are simulations of what real life has to offer. This story, in effect, champions their consumption in a non-sarcastic way, and proposes gaming as a skill capable of saving the world. It's like patting a gamer on the back and saying "No, no, don't get up off the couch, you're extremely narrow skill set is totally valid, and could someday be used to save the planet from an invading alien force." Don't get me wrong, Cline's idea is fun if not derivative, but at least in Ready Player One, the main character learned the value of getting physically fit and having face to face interactions with his friends. The disconnect between the gaming world and the real world has been covered in some great nonfiction books, but I haven't seen it handled well in novels. Armada is no exception. It's a bit self-congratulatory. It's as if Cline is saying "Look guys, I made a world where we are all hero's and we don't have to do anything different, just keep playing our video games." Ok, enough ranting.
All that being said, the book was still fun to read from a nerd point of view. I enjoy references to my youth even if they are a bit blunt. The father and son relationship contained some good writing too. Design wise, the dust jacket for the actual book is pretty sweet. A cool minimalist cover and a schematic for the interceptor on the inside. Also, in the back, there is copy of Xavier's combat playlist. I was surprised to see that no one had replicated it on Spotify yet.
I could see how this would make a good script for an entertaining sci-fi film. I enjoyed the read, but literature it is not. Sort of like how I love playing video games, but it is no substitute for the real world. I hope Cline's next book branches out from 80's nerd culture, or at least he explores more of the more subtle themes in escapism (a la Chabon).
Show More
sloppy. I don't know how, but I think there is probably a better way to write gamer culture into your narrative. Ready Player One was similar but novel at the same time. This time around it was seemed a little forced. There were also some odd logic holes here and there near the end that I'm still trying to wrap my head around. I love playing video games, RPG's, board games, reading comic books, and watching action movies, but really these things are simulations of what real life has to offer. This story, in effect, champions their consumption in a non-sarcastic way, and proposes gaming as a skill capable of saving the world. It's like patting a gamer on the back and saying "No, no, don't get up off the couch, you're extremely narrow skill set is totally valid, and could someday be used to save the planet from an invading alien force." Don't get me wrong, Cline's idea is fun if not derivative, but at least in Ready Player One, the main character learned the value of getting physically fit and having face to face interactions with his friends. The disconnect between the gaming world and the real world has been covered in some great nonfiction books, but I haven't seen it handled well in novels. Armada is no exception. It's a bit self-congratulatory. It's as if Cline is saying "Look guys, I made a world where we are all hero's and we don't have to do anything different, just keep playing our video games." Ok, enough ranting.
All that being said, the book was still fun to read from a nerd point of view. I enjoy references to my youth even if they are a bit blunt. The father and son relationship contained some good writing too. Design wise, the dust jacket for the actual book is pretty sweet. A cool minimalist cover and a schematic for the interceptor on the inside. Also, in the back, there is copy of Xavier's combat playlist. I was surprised to see that no one had replicated it on Spotify yet.
I could see how this would make a good script for an entertaining sci-fi film. I enjoyed the read, but literature it is not. Sort of like how I love playing video games, but it is no substitute for the real world. I hope Cline's next book branches out from 80's nerd culture, or at least he explores more of the more subtle themes in escapism (a la Chabon).
Show Less
LibraryThing member jmoncton
First, I loved Ready, Player One. It's one of those books I recommend to sci-fi fans. And I was fortunate to work the Armada event at Kepler's Books with over 400 people attending to hear Ernest Cline speak. What an amazing author! He was engaging, funny, and waited until past closing to talk to
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all of his fans and sign their books, including adding a MTFBWYA (May the Force Be With You Always) for all of the fans who were wearing Star Wars gear (which was a lot). So, if my rating for this book was based on how fabulous a person Ernest Cline is, I would give this book 5 big stars. But, this book, although enjoyable, is no Ready Player One. It was witty and funny, but lacked the dimensions of creativity exhibited in his first book. The story also seems a bit too much like a B-rated movie. The basic premise is that Earth is invaded by aliens, but the top brass of all the major countries in the world have already known about this threat, so they have been training people to fight these aliens by creating video games that mimic that Earth technology and weapons, as well as the type of ships the aliens would be seeing. Sound a bit like Ender's Game or a typical sci-fi movie? Still a good fast read that will keep you entertained. Show Less
LibraryThing member avanders
Loved it. So, I don't know if I would have loved it as much had I not been listening to Wil Wheaton (at 1.5 speed)... he's a great audio reader! But since I don't know until I do read it myself, I can only base my opinion on the audio version. And it was just wonderful. It's true sci-fi with aliens
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and spaceships and moon bases, but it's also a very accessible book about a kid who's lost his dad when he was a baby and grew up obsessed with video games, only to discover there's a LOT more to his obsession than it would appear. Yes, there are a lot of references to games and classic sci-fi movies and famous persons in the science and sci-fi genre (Carl Sagan being at the top of that list), but for me, it did not interrupt the story at all and, rather, gave it depth and humor and personality that I think the story, without the nostalgia, might have lacked. Overall, I just really loved this book. I have NO complaints about the book (at least, the audio version), and I will definitely get the actual book as well to read it "on my own" ;) Show Less
LibraryThing member Melodym1995
This book was absolutely delightful! I loved Ready Player One, and Ernest Cline did not disappoint with Armada! I actually had the chance to get my book signed by him, and that was an amazing experience. This book will keep you reading and on the edge of your seats the whole way. There is even a
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playlist in the back of the book, perfect for listening to while you read. While this book might seem like a knock off of movies like The Last Starfighter (heck, they even mention the movie in the book), it isn't. There is a nice little twist at the end, and the whole thing rocks! Show Less
LibraryThing member krau0098
I read Ready Player One by Ernest Cline and absolutely loved it, so I was very curious to read Cline’s next book. This was a decent book with an interesting premise. I thought it was a bit predictable, but it was fun to read all the same.
I listened to this on audiobook and it was narrated by Wil
Zack Lightman has two obsessions: the video game Armada and the vintage video game and sci-fi materials his dad left behind after his death. He spends most of his time obsessing over both. He works at a video game store and avoids any topic involving his future (much to his mother’s frustration). Then he sees a spaceship outside his window...a spaceship from the video game Armada. Imagine his surprise when a secret organization offers him a position fighting for the human race...it’s a position he’s been training for his whole life through the video games he plays.
As Zack reels from the information that video gamers across the globe have been unknowingly training to save humanity from alien invasion he can’t help but feel that something is a bit off. The way the aliens react seems familiar and a bit stupid...what exactly is going on here?
This was a well science fiction story with a few big twists. There is a lot of 80’s paraphernalia in here again, which should appeal to those who enjoyed Ready Player One. There is also a lot of video gaming which should appeal to gamers. I mean isn’t it kind of every gamers’ dream that their gaming skills will one day save the world? Not to mention that the whole idea of your everyday human controlling drones in war seems like something that maybe isn’t all that far in the future.
This book takes place over the span of a day, and man what a day it is. A lot happens in the day and one revelation after another leaves poor Zack reeling. I really enjoyed Zack as a character, and I loved the great relationship he has with his mom (his mom is pretty darn cool).
I just couldn’t give this 5 stars because it was so predictable. There are just too many things in here that are supposed to be twists that were absolutely predictable right from the beginning of the book. I think maybe there was too much foreshadowing throughout the story and it just made the big reveals kind of...well...boring.
Overall this is a decently done science fiction novel that was a fun read. It should appeal to fans of 80’s gaming culture and gamers in general. There is the whole alien invasion theme to it so fans of those kind of stories will probably enjoy this. This book didn’t have the same level of awesomeness as Ready Player One, but let’s be honest that is a pretty hard book to follow up. It’s a fun read and I would recommend it.
I listened to this on audiobook and it was narrated by Wil
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Wheaton. He did a fantastic job narrating this book. The characters all had distinct voices and Wheaton did a great job portraying emotion as well. I really enjoy listening to audiobooks narrated by him.Zack Lightman has two obsessions: the video game Armada and the vintage video game and sci-fi materials his dad left behind after his death. He spends most of his time obsessing over both. He works at a video game store and avoids any topic involving his future (much to his mother’s frustration). Then he sees a spaceship outside his window...a spaceship from the video game Armada. Imagine his surprise when a secret organization offers him a position fighting for the human race...it’s a position he’s been training for his whole life through the video games he plays.
As Zack reels from the information that video gamers across the globe have been unknowingly training to save humanity from alien invasion he can’t help but feel that something is a bit off. The way the aliens react seems familiar and a bit stupid...what exactly is going on here?
This was a well science fiction story with a few big twists. There is a lot of 80’s paraphernalia in here again, which should appeal to those who enjoyed Ready Player One. There is also a lot of video gaming which should appeal to gamers. I mean isn’t it kind of every gamers’ dream that their gaming skills will one day save the world? Not to mention that the whole idea of your everyday human controlling drones in war seems like something that maybe isn’t all that far in the future.
This book takes place over the span of a day, and man what a day it is. A lot happens in the day and one revelation after another leaves poor Zack reeling. I really enjoyed Zack as a character, and I loved the great relationship he has with his mom (his mom is pretty darn cool).
I just couldn’t give this 5 stars because it was so predictable. There are just too many things in here that are supposed to be twists that were absolutely predictable right from the beginning of the book. I think maybe there was too much foreshadowing throughout the story and it just made the big reveals kind of...well...boring.
Overall this is a decently done science fiction novel that was a fun read. It should appeal to fans of 80’s gaming culture and gamers in general. There is the whole alien invasion theme to it so fans of those kind of stories will probably enjoy this. This book didn’t have the same level of awesomeness as Ready Player One, but let’s be honest that is a pretty hard book to follow up. It’s a fun read and I would recommend it.
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LibraryThing member Melodym1995
This book was absolutely delightful! I loved Ready Player One, and Ernest Cline did not disappoint with Armada! I actually had the chance to get my book signed by him, and that was an amazing experience. This book will keep you reading and on the edge of your seats the whole way. There is even a
Show More
playlist in the back of the book, perfect for listening to while you read. While this book might seem like a knock off of movies like The Last Starfighter (heck, they even mention the movie in the book), it isn't. There is a nice little twist at the end, and the whole thing rocks! Show Less
LibraryThing member avanders
Loved it. So, I don't know if I would have loved it as much had I not been listening to Wil Wheaton (at 1.5 speed)... he's a great audio reader! But since I don't know until I do read it myself, I can only base my opinion on the audio version. And it was just wonderful. It's true sci-fi with aliens
Show More
and spaceships and moon bases, but it's also a very accessible book about a kid who's lost his dad when he was a baby and grew up obsessed with video games, only to discover there's a LOT more to his obsession than it would appear. Yes, there are a lot of references to games and classic sci-fi movies and famous persons in the science and sci-fi genre (Carl Sagan being at the top of that list), but for me, it did not interrupt the story at all and, rather, gave it depth and humor and personality that I think the story, without the nostalgia, might have lacked. Overall, I just really loved this book. I have NO complaints about the book (at least, the audio version), and I will definitely get the actual book as well to read it "on my own" ;) Show Less
LibraryThing member c.archer
Awesome story! The best combo of science fiction, video gaming, and war writing all combined into a fantastic book. And I liked it anyway.
LibraryThing member jmchshannon
Ernest Cline knows how to make geeky cool. While his second novel is by no means as good as his debut novel, Armada is still fun. The focus this time is on science fiction movies of the late 1970s and 1980s. I suspect the fact that I have seen every single one of the movies referenced in the book
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at least once may contribute to my general loving of the story. In any event, I found Zack’s battle for Earth to be thoroughly entertaining and well worth the read. Show Less
Awards
Lariat Adult Fiction Reading List (Selection — 2016)
Call number
FIC H Cli