THE ART OF READY PLAYER ONE

BOOK GINA MCINTYRE | TITAN BOOKS

Batman, Gremlins, Thundercats, Space Invaders, Garfield (!)… And that’s just the image on page 100. One of the best things about Art Of books is being able to savour details that whizz by on the big screen.

Given that Ready Player One could alternatively be titled ‘Blink And You’ll Miss It: The Movie’, this tome’s handy for ‘Gunters’ looking to prise more pop-culture nods from Spielberg’s VR epic. And there’s the bonus level of Easter eggs that didn’t make it past the pitch, either because they didn’t fit or permission wasn’t granted (“Almost all the studios were cooperative,” says producer Donald De Line). Mind you, if the familiar-looking chair on page 152 had made it in, fans’ heads may have exploded…

Shots of actors studded with ping-pong balls are present and correct, but it’s mostly about the digital concept art – so finely rendered it’s sometimes hard to tell apart from frames from the finished film.

If the pics invite you to linger, the text is quite a speedy read. Still, all bases are covered: after delving into the main characters’ genesis, author McIntyre offers a set-piece-by-setpiece breakdown; unlike some books of this ilk, it doesn’t shy from third-act specifics. Another plus is Spielberg’s input, which happily extends beyond the obligatory foreword. As on screen, the whole section’s a highlight, full of how-did-they-do-that gold, (sadly) unused concepts, plus a delightful picture spread of some ballroom dancing zombies. Matthew Leyland