in the absence of actual examples, fiction can and sometimes does function as thought experimentation. It can be valid, although in this case, I would argue is

in the absence of actual examples, fiction can and sometimes does function as thought experimentation. It can be valid, although in this case, I would argue is not, because Ready Player One does not actually offer any real critique of the OASIS or of the metaverse concept generally; in the story, the OASIS is the damsel in distress, not the aggressor.