Ready Player One is a new, critically-acclaimed sci-fi book from author and self-described seventies/eighties protonerd Ernest Cline. Cline is currently on the book tour circuit, traveling around the country in is his Back to the Future-inspired DeLorean and doing a number of interviews promoting the book. Being a '70s/'80s protonerd, it's not surprising that Cline is a Rush fan. He was recently featured on the cover of the Austin Chronicle sporting a Rush Time Machine Tour jersey and was the subject of an article titled The Geek Shall Inherit the Earth. He was also recently interviewed for eMusic (thanks RushFanForever) and had the following to say about Rush and 2112 in particular:

... Rush is like the band for the nerdy outcast kids of the '70s and '80s. Their lyrics are all about being an outcast. Really smart lyrics, too - stuff aimed at more literate people.

[2112] was this epic space fantasy story about a revolt against this totalitarian Federation of Solar Federations. Which was just awesome for a kid who's into Dungeons and Dragons, science fiction and Rush. It's not my favorite Rush [album]; it's not that listenable, but I just appreciate it for its grandiosity and overall epic nerdiness. ...

... [They Might Be Giants] were one of my favorite bands, too. And if you're going to pay tribute to nerdy music you've got to give a shout out to Rush and Devo and They Might Be Giants; they're like the holy trinity of nerd bands. ...