Ernie Cline in his DeLorean (by Kay Chinn)

Ernie Cline asked every reader this question before signing for them. For geeks, '80s pop culture lovers, people who like his science fiction book "Ready Player One," "Star Wars" or "Star Trek"--- it’s a big deal. 

“Yes, it’s like Elvis or Beatles,” Cline said. “You kind of like both, but you get to have a preference.”

With his 1981 DeLorean parked in front of the Book Soup on Sunset Blvd, Cline spent Monday evening with his readers sharing his writing experiences and signing his first novel "Ready Player One."

To celebrate the paperback release of his novel, Cline is taking his DeLorean on a book tour. After the tour, he will give way his car to the first person who finishes his online contest. 

“I always wanted to hold a contest to mirror the contest in the book,” said Cline. 

He hid a typographic Easter egg in the book, which is a web address that leads to an online video game based on the plot of the novel. Hidden in that game is a secret room that contains another web address, which leads to a second video game. 

The second game will be open online on July 1. Winners of the second game will find the address to a third and final video game opening online on August 1. The first person to win all three video games will receive his DeLorean as the prize.

Cline didn’t hide his passionate love for his car, even if he thinks buying a DeLorean seems “silly.” 

“It’s my dream car. I’ve always wanted one,” he said. “Even before I saw "Back to the Future," I saw one at a museum when I was 10- years- old and I just fell in love with it. I thought it was the coolest car I’ve ever seen. It looked like a UFO. Then I saw "Back to the Future," which is one of my favorite movies of all times. And I just [knew] I wanted to own one some day.”

Such passion motivated him to write "Ready Player One" to include all the '80s pop culture elements.

“I wasn’t sure I could even publish it,” Cline said. “I just wanted to try to write a book to see if I can do it. They tell you for the first book, you should always write about what you want to read, and what you know. What I know is video games, the '80s, pop culture and all that stuff.”

Cline has sold the film rights of his book to Warner Brothers with himself as the screenwriter. He said he finished the first draft of the screenplay a long time ago, but it takes time to revise and develop the film. He is also currently working on his second novel. 

Take a look at Cline's DeLorean and sit down at Book Soup: