Lacero by Andy Weir, A READY PLAYER ONE Fan Fiction

March 9, 2018     erinthebooknut     Book review

Lacero by Ernest Cline

 

You may be asking “Why in the world are you reviewing a fan fiction?” There are a couple of reasons. One, this fan fiction is written by a published author in the genre, Andy Weir. Two, READY PLAYER ONE author Ernest Cline  read the story and officially declared it part of the world’s canon. Ergo as someone who has recently fallen in love with this book at its world I had to read it and give my two sense on the story.

First, if anyone wants to read this story, Weir published it for all fans to read and enjoy here.

Now known as “The Weir Canon”, Lacero was a short chapter detailing a possible backstory for the book’s primary villain, Nolan Sorrento. As stated about, Cline has declared this backstory to now be canon, and I’m actually incredibly glad he has. Here’s why:

The one stumbling point of Sorrento as a villain is that he’s a zealot without any reason to be. He is still a relatively small cog in the wheel of IOI management and so even if he does win the Hunt, he would have no personal control over the benefits of winning. Other than the monetary incentives given to any IOI employee for getting the Egg, what possible reason would Sorrento have to get to the point of murder and borderline lunacy to win a video game contest?

The Weir chapter gives readers just that little puzzle piece, which makes the entire book that much more of a deep debate of the merits of technology in a crumbling world. Sorrento becomes an ends justifies the means character, in which the ends are actually pretty sympathetic. Looking at what their world has become and what happened to the people Sorrento loves because of it, it is very hard not to understand and maybe even agree with some of his points.

It’s his methods that turn him from sympathetic character into a devil.

In this chapter you see the character in full zealotry, before he became a member of IOI. The passionate hatred he has for the OASIS is shocking. You can see how he’s had to dial it down to work his way up the ranks, but that spark is still there. Rather than corporate drone, Sorrento is a character full of emotion. With that puzzle piece I believe the story is more complete.

The only reason I’m not giving this story the full 5 is because I think it’s too short. I absolutely want more about this Sorrento and I really enjoyed Andy Weir’s writing. Maybe I’ll have to go give THE MARTIAN another try.

What you  read Lacero? What do you think of it? Share your thoughts in the comments.

From my shelf to yours,

Erin

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