Through sheer force of will and brainpower, he’d once again turned science fiction into science fact, without much regard for the long-term consequences.
In this sequel, Wade slowly begins to realize that the person he idolized isn’t the hero he initially believed him to be. He slowly comes to the realization that Halliday was a man with many flaws, lack of empathy and consideration for others being among them. On the other hand, it could be argued that it is this lack of regard for the consequences that enabled him to turn fiction into fact in the first place.
For less than the cost of an iced latte, you could now safely experience just about anything that human beings could experience.
The new technology enabled the users to completely tangibly experience the simulated world without any repercussions. It created an idyllic world, a utopia where anything is possible. On the other hand, issues of the real world have become completely neglected. It raises a question of fictional reality vs. reality and the effects of it on the humanity. At the end Wade creates an artificial version of himself, which becomes independent, but he decides to never use the OASIS technology to replace his body again.
Humanity had just become the recipient of another strange and wonderful and unexpected gift…
The novel ends on a positive and hopeful note when it comes to humanity and the artificial intelligence. Rather than avoiding the inevitable, a compromise has been made that makes it possible to preserve humanity and accept and use the technology to move forward. The message at the end is that the technology isn’t there to replace the human body and human reality, instead, it is there to improve it.
