‘Armada’: Pop culture book lacks punch of frontrunner

Back in 2011, I was one of many readers of a certain age who was ecstatic to discover 'Ready Player One” by Ernest Cline (no relation). The book is a treasure trove of 1980s pop culture, and for a certain kind of '80s kid, the romp through movies, television, books and especially video games was an unmitigated delight. Steven Spielberg thought so, too, and his movie (which he recently claimed would not include any references to his own work) based on the book is slated to hit theaters in 2017.

In the meantime, Cline is back with another book. 'Armada” has at its foundation a similar premise. In this case, pop culture knowledge and advanced gamer skills appear to be the key to protecting the planet from alien invaders.

Zack Lightman, a high school student with a temper and a gift for gaming, thinks his late father's notebooks are filled with a crazy conspiracy theory about pop culture being used to prepare the planet for an invasion from space. But he soon learns the theory isn't crazy and that his services are immediately required by the Earth Defense Alliance.

It's a good premise, and Cline is careful to nod reverentially to other works built on similar ideas, but the execution isn't nearly as engaging as 'Ready Player One.” The problem may be the extended descriptions of battles, whether those battles are part of a video game or part of the real effort to defend Earth.

There is a decent coming-of-age story amid the shoot 'em up action, and Cline does build some suspense around whether or not humans can puzzle out the aliens' true intentions in time to save humanity. Certainly, Cline's gift for the perfect pop culture reference at the perfect moment is still intact. Nevertheless, 'Armada” doesn't crackle with the energy of 'Ready Player One.”