Where the Hell Is Tesla?

A Novel

By: Rob Dircks

Narrated by: Rob Dircks

Sci-fi odyssey. Comedy. Love story. And of course, Nikola Tesla.

I'll let Chip, the main character, tell you more: "I found the journal at work. Well, I don't know if you'd call it work, but that's where I found it. It's the lost journal of Nikola Tesla, one of the greatest inventors and visionaries ever. Before he died in 1943, he kept a notebook filled with spectacular claims and outrageous plans. One of these plans was for an “INTERDIMENSIONAL TRANSFER APPARATUS" - that allowed someone (in this case me and my friend Pete) to travel to other versions of the infinite possibilities around us. Crazy, right? But that's just where the crazy starts."

Chip's Official Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. The events depicted in the collection of emails did not happen. I have never been in contact with a covert government group attempting to suppress knowledge of the lost journal of Nikola Tesla. I have not been threatened with death if I divulge the secrets contained inside. They did not buy me this handsome jacket (oh crap, you're listening to this - trust me, it looks great on me). They did not come to my place, and liquor me up, and offer to publish this book as a sci-fi comedy novel to throw the public off the trail of the real truth.

Or did they?

I'm kidding. Of course they didn't.

Or did they?

God, I can't keep my big mouth shut.

©2015 Rob Dircks (P)2015 Rob Dircks

Critic reviews

"★★★★★ This novel is hilarious. I was smiling throughout the entire book.” (AudiobookReviewer.com)

"Hilarious time-travel odyssey.” (Kirkus Reviews Magazine, June 2017)

“So many legitimate laugh-out-loud moments, and such an original idea and voice. Great read!” (Dan Bova, Entrepreneur.com)

Comedic romp in the multiverse with Nicola

Rob Dircks' Where the Hell is Tesla? is a light-hearted comedic escapade with the only criticism that it's far too short. Based on the theme of the 80's films, Bill and Ted's whatever or the earlier Hope and Crosby 'on the road' films, two millennial slackers types stumble onto the missing notebook of Nicola Tesla that describes the construction of a transdimensional portal (conveniently located in a NYC hotel closet) leading to an infinity of alternate universes. As they wander about, they encounter varying situations that sometimes include variants of themselves. Their goal is to find Tesla who is being keep prisoner by an evil madman intent on destroying the alternate realities until he can rule the only remaining universe. The tale is related in a series of emails to a girlfriend.

The sci-fi elements are deeply set in the physics realm with alternate realities with all the potential paradoxes handled nicely. In some instances, the boys have near superpower abilities due to different environments. In other cases, they meet vastly more successful versions of themselves. There's a good mixture of bizarre and strange creatures and locals. As expected, their approach and responses to all the strange and unusual happenings is whimsical and offbeat, but they manage to save the day.

The narration is superb with a good range of voices. Most importantly, as a comedy, delivery is critical and comes off with the aplomb of a standup comedian delivering a live show. This is a quick listen due to the nonstop actions and laughs. Caution is advised when listening however, as the jokes are sufficient to cause uncontrolled belly laughs.

Fun

Lite hearted entertainment, nice change from my normal reads. I'm going to look for more rob dircks

Interesting and funny

The format (as emails) was a refreshing honest perspective into the main character. He does curse a lot. It's science meets comedy.

A Wild Ride through the Multi-Verse!

Any additional comments?

There are few novels out there that can make me laugh out loud. Even fewer are those that I seem to connect to on a fairly personal level. Now, I’m not talking about some sort of emotional “oh my, this book just spoke to me, and oh the feels I have” kind of level, I’m talking about a certain level where you pretty much feel that you could actually be the character in the novel. Chip was that guy for me.

Admittedly, I listened to this in audiobook format, and I think that may have been a reason why I connected with it. I think that reading it, while still being an entertaining venture, would have lost something for me. I really felt that in those particular situations that Chip found himself in….I would have done the exact same things, or said the same things! He used humor and mis-placed cynicism to get through a lot of the conflict, and that’s pretty much me.

Narrated by the author, he was able to give Chip this cynical voice that comes across perfectly. He gets the mannerisms, the subtle nuances and awkward silences or chuckles so perfect that you really believe that he IS the characters.

Written in the form as letters, well, e-mails anyway, some letters, mostly e-mails the narrative gives you a more personal insight into these adventures with the Interdimensional Transfer Apparatus invented by Nikola Tesla and getting lost in the multi-verse trying to find him.

There are plenty of references to pop-culture to go around, and I swear, I might have heard wrong, Rob, if you read this, please chime in, but I swear in a quick passing of numerical codes that I heard at the end ID.10T, which if you blink, you miss it. Anyway, there’s even a reference to the iPod…only it’s not a music player, it’s i-Pahd, the H is silent, and I’ll let you read to understand what the i-Pahd does in whatever dimension you happen to find your self in.

Each of the characters are well rounded, and well voiced. You develop true feelings for each of them, and even have to deal with some heart wrenching moments. I don’t know if any of you have seen Quantum Leap, but I kind of got the same feeling I got from the series finale in some places before the end. If you’ve not watched that show before, GET OFF MY LAWN!!

The Bottom Line: Humorous, quirky, and filled with the 30 something buddy camaraderie that can only come from years of knowing each other this science-fiction/comedy is something there isn’t enough of in the world. Dare I compare it to something like a Douglas Adams?? Yeah…I’d say it.

Awesome story! Wish it was longer.

One of my favorite reads in last few years. Great imaginative story and very humorous.

Very creative, very fun story

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to “Where the Hell is Tesla.” Mr. Dircks’ use emails as a platform to tell his story is quite original and the story itself thoughtful as it is whimsical. I blazed through the book so fast that now I miss Chip and Pete and Meg and Tesla. I think you’ll thoroughly enjoy this book.

Entertaining ride through the multiverse!!!

So much fun, loved the storyline and the characters were great, Tesla too, what a crazy old man. Great narration by the author!

I really like this author!

This was a very good book it was hard to stop listening to it. I enjoyed his other book as well.

It kept me hooked the entire way through. The narrator (author) clearly enjoyed reading this book.

Easy to listen to. Easy to follow. For me a all around good sci-fi book!

hilarious fun!

definitely worth the listen, fun with facts and an odd sense of humor that is uniquely engaging. I would recommend this to anyone

Fun, fanciful, whirlwind.

The story was a fun, fanciful whirlwind. It was energetically read and made me laugh out loud several times. Thoroughly enjoyed every minute.