READY PLAYER ONE Author Ernie Cline Scores Big on Deal For His New Novel

I still haven't read Ernie Cline's debut novel Ready Player One, but I know it's a beloved book in the geek community and it's very high on my list of things to check out. Steven Spielberg is currently developing a film adaptation (which may or may not feature Gene Wilder's return from retirement), and Cline's second book, Armada, sold film rights to Universal before it was published. Now the author has a third book in the works, and he's scored a pretty nice deal to write it.

THR reports that Cline has secured a deal with Crown Publishing (the same company that published his first two books) in the low-to-mid seven figures to write a third book, and while no details about the book are available, insiders are claiming it's another sci-fi novel. Well, they always say to "write what you know," and despite a somewhat more muted response to Armada (which came out this summer) in comparison with the raves Ready Player One received, it seems like Cline still has a good grasp on what he knows best. I wonder if this book will specifically be about gamers, since those were the protagonists of his first two novels?

Considering how quickly the rights to his previous books have sold to film studios, we're guessing the announcement of a movie adaptation of this third book isn't too far away either. Have you read Cline's work? Are you excited about the upcoming movie adaptations? Let us know what you think below.