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  • Armada

  • A Novel
  • Written by: Ernest Cline
  • Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
  • Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (980 ratings)

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Armada

Written by: Ernest Cline
Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
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Publisher's Summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A rollicking alien invasion thriller that embraces and subverts science-fiction conventions, from the author of the worldwide phenomenon Ready Player One 

“Exciting . . . mixes 
Star WarsThe Last StarfighterIndependence Day, and a really gnarly round of Space Invaders.”—USA Today • “A thrilling coming of age story.”—Entertainment Weekly

Zack Lightman has never much cared for reality. He vastly prefers the countless science-fiction movies, books, and videogames he's spent his life consuming. And too often, he catches himself wishing that some fantastic, impossible, world-altering event could arrive to whisk him off on a grand spacefaring adventure. 

So when he sees the flying saucer, he's sure his years of escapism have finally tipped over into madness. 

Especially because the alien ship he's staring at is straight out of his favorite videogame, a flight simulator callled Armada—in which gamers just happen to be protecting Earth from alien invaders. 

As impossible as it seems, what Zack's seeing is all too real. And it's just the first in a blur of revlations that will force him to question everything he thought he knew about Earth's history, its future, even his own life--and to play the hero for real, with humanity's life in the balance. 

But even through the terror and exhilaration, he can't help thinking: Doesn't something about this scenario feel a little bit like . . .  well . . . fiction? 

At once reinventing and paying homage to science-fiction classics, Armada is a rollicking, surprising thriller, a coming-of-age adventure, and an alien invasion tale like nothing you've ever heard before.

©2015 Ernest Cline (P)2015 Random House Audio

What the critics say

“Nerd-gasmic . . . another science fiction tale with a Comic-Con's worth of pop-culture shout-outs.”Rolling Stone

“An amazing novel [that] proves Cline has the ability to blend popular culture with exciting stories that appeal to everyone.”Associated Press

“A fantastic second novel . . . fans of Ready Player One, it is time to rejoice.”HuffPost

What listeners say about Armada

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Not as good as RPO but still solid

The story was everything I loved about movies from the 80s. The pop culture references were fun again but some felt a little forced and repetitive.

Not a fan of the ending but it is what it is.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Wil Wheaton is fantastic

wil Wheaton was great, the story was decent had some twists I expected and one I didn't really see coming. easy book to get through.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

I Love Ernest Cline's Writing!

I rated Ready Player One 5 stars. I liked this one a tad less just because the plot was a little less tight and intense. But it was still a good, fun story with good characters and an interesting conflict. Cline's writing voice is clear and engaging. Wil Wheaton does a great job narrating. I love that EC and WW were both born in the same year as me - 1972.

I'm actually reading RPO now just because this book made me crave more and he's only written two books so far. Can't wait for more.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Loved It

Such a great listen. Will is awesome. The story is awesome. It's a great book just like Ready Player One.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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another great by ernest Kline

great book from start to finish, kept me engaged and wanting more as I read. another gem by kline

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great book and narration

With Will Wheaton narrating and the book itself being so good, this is top of my list for favorite reads!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Startling revelations of human nature

Although I thought the writing was close to copy and past of Ready player one at first, it had quite a surprising ending. Seamlessly depicting human misunderstanding/misinterpretation of culture that leads into an inevitable war cause by the reaction of human behavior. Found it nearly impossible to put down, as it continued to drag my behind closer to the edge of my seat. Great read, keeping my fingers crossed for a sequel.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Great narration, mediocre story.

Overall I enjoyed the audiobook. Wil Wheaton's narration is great. I probably wouldn't have enjoyed the book as much if it weren't for his narration. The story was pretty predictable and the supporting characters weren't very interesting and were under-utilized.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Entertaining tale of adventure

Good story by Earnest Cline, not quite as awesome as RPO, but an entertaining read for sure! Neat plot, lots of fun story twists and humorous narrative voice.
Fantastic delivery by Will Wheaton; he really brought the story to life!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Very Engaging

I liked the pace of the story, with an unexpected ending. Looking forward to his next novel.

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