by: S. Scott Stanikmas

Author Ernie Cline is on fire lately. His first book, Ready Player One, recently got a hard street date for the film adaptation and his second book Armada has been tearing up best-seller lists since debuting in July.

Now the author has a third book announced from Crown Publishing. Signing a deal reportedly in the low seven figures, the title and plot are being kept tightly under wraps. Insiders say that the book will still stay firmly in Cline’s comfort genre of science fiction.

I loved Ready Player One. It was geeky and charming and actually gripping. I found myself constantly not wanting to stop reading even though I had things to do (like work and eat). I haven’t read Armada yet, but I’m looking to fit it into my schedule ASAP.

Cline has been likened to a literary Joss Whedon or J.J. Abrams, which is some seriously high praise. He seems to have avoided the sophomore slump with his second book. I just hope the pressure doesn’t get to him with this third book.  It would be a shame because most fans and critics only think you’re as good as your last piece of work

Ready Player One dealt with players in a virtual reality world searching for a hidden Easter egg that would give them control over the entire virtual world. Armada saw a gamer pulled into an alien battle based on the video game he had been playing. Could Cline’s other book also have such heavy gamer-influenced overtones? I can’t wait to find out.