Source: http://www.ernestcline.com.License: All Rights Reserved.

Paperback version, published June 5, 2012. Cover design by Jim Massey, with an illustration by Whiskytree Inc.

Mekon(2010) is a digitization and expansion of Black Body (1973) by Peter Steiner — annoyingly, The Northern Block fails to mention this phototype-era typeface as the source of the revival.

With the tiny spyhole counters and the "eating" 'C', the typeface is reminiscent of Pac-Man, as Capillya AKA That Cover Girl points out. On her blog, she talked with the author about the covers designed for the various editions of his Ready Player One. Ernie Cline:

I love the hardcover design, because the design and color remind me of the cover of Vonnegut's Breakfast of Champions, one of my favorite books. Along with the title, the 80s style font and the tiny 8-bit avatar leaping for the key hint at the plot in an alluring way. Both I and my publisher wanted a cover that would appeal to all sorts of readers and not just science fiction fans, and think the hardcover design does that really well.

Source: http://www.ernestcline.com.License: All Rights Reserved.

Hardcover version (first US edition), published on August 16, 2011. Designer unknown.

Source: http://websta.me.License: All Rights Reserved.

"A happily obsessive fan's homage to her favorite book." — elissastein

Source: https://www.flickr.com.Vernon Barford School. License: CC BY-NC-SA.

NYT Bestseller variant cover