Immersing himself in a technological virtual utopia to escape an ugly real world of famine, poverty, and disease, Wade Watts joins an increasingly violent effort to solve a series of puzzles by the virtual world's creator. It's the year 2044, and the real world is an ugly place. Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you...

It's just another day of high school for Zack Lightman. Then he glances out his classroom window and spots the flying saucer. At first, Zack thinks he's going crazy. 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 are protecting the earth from alien invaders. But what Zack's seeing is all too real. And his skills--as well as those of millions...