Wally Roux, Quantum Mechanic

By: Nick Carr

Narrated by: William Jackson Harper

Growing up is hard enough without the added pressure of a hiccup in the fabric of space-time.

Wally Roux is a teenage genius with a big imagination and a big heart, who just moved to Savannah, GA, from Maine with his mom, who adopted him when he was an infant. In this charming and sweet solo performance, Wally investigates what is causing a number of strange events and occurrences. He explores and gets lost within space-time - an infinite, indefinable, and mysterious void that you can’t see but when you slice into it you can feel it.

Part science fiction and part coming-of-age story, Wally Roux follows one boy’s journey of self-discovery and self-identity.

Playwright Nick Carr was awarded a commission through the Audible Emerging Playwrights Fund, an initiative dedicated to developing innovative original plays driven by language and voice. As an Audible commissioned playwright, he received funding and creative support to develop Wally Roux, Quantum Mechanic.

Note: Wally Roux contains adult language.

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©2019 Nick Carr (P)2019 AO Media LLC

Could have been just as good

The story could have been just as good without the swearing. I don't feel like I can recommended it to some younger family & friends.

It also felt a little... unfinished. Would have liked to hear more about Wally.

Performance was awesome. I look forward to hearing more read by Mr Harper.

Good story, great narration, but TOO MUCH NOISE

I'd give the book 4 stars overall and 5 for the narration if it had been produced differently. But the sound effects were annoying and sometimes louder than the narration. The story was good, the narrator was great. There was just way too much noise there, too. It did not enhance the listening experience, but instead distracted from it.

Example: I do NOT need to hear the sound of someone chewing with their mouth open in order to envision the scene. I can picture that sound well enough in my head already, thank you.

Laughed, laughed some more, thought really hard, and felt my heart swell

I loved the narration to this story. He had great comedic timing and inflection keeping you on the edge of your seat excited for the next sentence and laughing out loud. The writing was wonderful, and though there were moments of science, it wasn’t anything too heady. I would love to hear more stories about Wally Roux!

Despite what you think...

This is not a book for young kids. Every second word is a swear word or other phrase you don’t want your 10 year old saying. I exaggerate but not by much in some chapters. I downloaded it thinking it would be good for my young son based on the story - but after listening to it first I would not let him listen until he is 18.

Good, but too much foul language

I never met a 13 year old that swore that much, especially when adults were around. I’m not against the use of curse words, I was in the military. I can let loose a string that’ll make most people gape like fish. They are part of our language. I cannot believe a 13 yr old would speak with them in casual conversation with his mother, though.
The overall story was good. It was entertaining enough to find a smile cross my face in several places, intellectual enough to keep my focus. I wish there was a bit more hard science included. That omission was a little disappointing.
I saw a video featuring Nick and William. Nick said the book was about finding your identity. I didn’t get that message. The message I heard was “Think critically.” I liked the writing. I may look for future works by Nick.
William did a good job narrating. It was a bit halting in many places, but as he was voicing a 13 yr old, I think it fit the character.

Coming of age as a super genius (and black)

Wally is 13 years old and having a rough time after moving to the South with his single white mother. There he deals with racism, bullies, falling in love for the first time, oh, and stopping the laws of physics from destroying the world. You see, Wally is a bone fide super genius with a natural talent for fixing anything... thanks including the fabric of time and space on the quantum level.

The race thing, is always there, but not always front and center. The story does not preach at you on that topic... there plenty of other stories to do that. This story transcends petty bigotry. Instead the message here is to be yourself, an individual, regardless of the idiots around you trying to make you be like them.

The story speaks to all of us and particularly to all teens going through discovering who they are and who they want to become.

Well done and recommended.

Great story

Great content and imagination. Love the narrators voice too. You won’t be disappointed with this short story.

i was wrong audience. probably good book for YA

narrator was fine. liked the sound effects. at least it was short or i woukdnt have invested time in finishing it.

Acceptable if viewed as a statement not a story

Excellent narration.
Think of this as a 1 act play and you may enjoy it more.

It does get better halfway in as it is clear that this piece is not really about quantum theory and other than as a source of arrogance, it is not really about science. So the weak support of either doesn't matter. It's not even really about portraying disdain for various stereotypical Christian archetypes. Nor even is it really about racism is various forms. That's why people say it just ended in the middle of the story. It wasn't about the story.
It ended when it completed the statement being made. The piece is about looking at what is and is not and accepting the good and the bad. At least I think so. I'm not going to give it a relisten just to be sure.

I read things too literally and also think that swearing triggering laughter is a pavlovian response. So I didn't find it funny at all. I think I laughed at one thing.

I was repeatedly impressed by the post-production value. I even jumped back when walking once when a raspy sound appeared to come from down and to the right where I was about to step.

The narrator was phenomenal.

Surprise!

I was not expecting to hear a story this good from a freebie. It’s definitely worth the time!