Armada (novel)

Armada is a science fiction novel written by Ernest Cline, published in 2015. The story follows Zack Lightman, a high school student obsessed with video games, who discovers that a video game he excels at, also named Armada, is actually a simulator used by the U.S. military to train pilots for a real alien invasion.

Zack soon learns that the Earth is under threat from an alien race, and he, along with other skilled gamers, are recruited to pilot drones and defend the planet using the skills they've honed in the virtual world. The novel explores themes of escapism, video game culture, government conspiracies, and the responsibility that comes with extraordinary abilities.

The narrative draws heavily on science fiction tropes and references classic science fiction films and literature, similar to Cline's previous novel, Ready Player One. Armada received mixed reviews, with some critics praising its nostalgic appeal and fast-paced action, while others criticized its predictable plot and reliance on genre conventions. The novel was a New York Times bestseller.