Where the Hell is Tesla?

Where the Hell is Tesla? #1

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 reading 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.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Humor, Audiobook, Fantasy, Time Travel, Comedy

396 pages, Paperback

First published March 15, 2015

About the author

Rob Dircks is the #1 Audible bestselling author of You're Going to Mars! , the Where the Hell is Tesla? series, The Wrong Unit , and more (including the anti-self-help book Unleash the Sloth! 75 Ways to Reach Your Maximum Potential By Doing Less ). He's also got a drawerful of screenplays and short stories, some of which appear on his original audio sci-fi short story podcast Listen To The Signal, also narrated by the author.

Rob's a member of SFWA (Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America), and is a big fan of classic science fiction. When not writing, he's helping other authors publish their own work with Goldfinch Publishing, writing and designing for the award-winning ad agency he owns with his brother (appropriately called Dircks Associates), and generally doing what he calls "sampling": video production, audio production, app development, photography, guitar, reading, cooking. (Note the absence of the phrases "going to the gym" and "running iron-man triathalons.") He lives in New York with his wife and two kids. You can get in touch at robdircks.com.

Reviews

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a bit of a tricky book to review. If you can imagine the shows Sliders or Quantum Leap, but replace the characters with Bill and Ted (or maybe the cast of Futurama?), then you might be able to get a feel for what this book is like.

We follow Chip and his buddy Pete as they accidentally get lost in the multiverse after stumbling across a portal created by Nikola Tesla. Although well-meaning, the two are quite bumbling, so many silly and fun shenanigans ensue.



This book is very amusing, but it definitely requires that you be able to suspend your disbelief significantly. If you can just go with the flow and not question some of the inconsistent sciencey bits and logic gaps in the epistolary format, then you will have a lot fun listening to this.

Strongly recommend (with the above caveats) to those who enjoy things like 14 but are seeking something a bit lighter.

Thanks so much to Rob Dircks for providing me with a review copy of this audiobook!

P.S. You guys are following this author, right? He regularly shares lots of fun stuff on his blog -- don't miss out ;)

[Edward Goetz · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you dig the idea of the Multiverse and don't mind furry little aliens giving everybody the finger, this book is for you. It's like Dark Matter by Blake Crouch, except it's way funny and features a couple of guys who act like grown-up Bill and Ted from "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" (and use a lot of profanity).

Pete and Chip find their way into the multiverse, meet said furry little alien, act like superheroes, then save mankind in the Epic Battle to Save the Multiverse.

This is the funniest book I have read (listened) to all year. I really recommend Audible for this.

Seriously, this book will make you laugh and cheer you up if you are feeling down. Enjoy.

[donna backshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bees knees, Where the Hell is Tesla? is quite the fun little taste of mind candy! If you like your science fiction of the "romp around the multiverse" variety, then this novel may be for you! As well, if you were a fan of Scooby Doo in your youth, you'll probably also get a kick out of it. (Don't ask me why I said that, it's just a vibe I got and felt compelled to voice it)

Chip and Pete aren't the brightest guys in our world, but what they lack in brains they make up for in enthusiasm for shenanigans in all forms. This duo discovers a portal created back in the 1940s by Nikola Tesla that opens into a Matrix-styled hallway with literally countless doors into different permutations of the universe. They can get in, but being the slackers that they are, they don't consider making sure they can get back out. Think Dude, Where's My Car?, but with an R-rating because they don't effing care who they insult in any dimension.

"Geez, I can't believe it's been a year since I forgot your last birthday."

In this comedy of errors, Chip and Pete have some spectacular banter, and they acquire some fun monikers: Awesome Man and The Brute. They also acquire a nerdy girl -- not named Velma, in case you were wondering -- and a furry little creature named Bobo.

Meeting new beings, different versions of themselves, and a hilarious cast of people, Chip and Pete skip and step their way in and out of trouble on their search for Tesla, probably the one person in the multiverse who can help them make their way back to "their" universe. It may come as a surprise, but these bumbling boys in men's bodies eventually ***not-so-spoiler alert*** meet Tesla himself.

As always, Rob Dircks does an awesome job narrating his novel. He adds personality and punch to each character's words and deeds. If you like other works by Dircks, I know you'll find yourself laughing along with this one too.

[Rob Dircks]

I'm the author, so not sure what I'm supposed to say about the book, but I had a blast writing it, and I hope you enjoy it!

[Kirsty ❤️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I like space themed books, I like funny books, I like science related books even though half the time I don'd understand half of what's written. I like it when an author throws the whole kitchen sink in and gives you tons of information to work with. And I like it when a book is just pain bonkers. This...gave me all of the above. 

Inter-dimensional time travel. A weapon that looks suspiciously like a TV remote control, friendship and romance. And seriously no matter how hard I tried to imagine something else, Bobo the alien just stayed in my imagination as an Ewok. 

This book is a ton of fun and I really enjoyed it. I downloaded this and the second instalment as free arcs from netgalley and looking forward to starting the next one

[Willow Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome Book

This book was hilarious!!! Brilliant!!! A Perfect Read!!!

This is the second book I've read by this author and I absolutely loved them both. The humor in here made me bust out cracking up a lot. I think comedy is difficult to nail just right in books but Rob does it very well.

Chip was the best! I loved reading his journals to Julie. Freaking funny as all get out. Pete was the epitome of what a best friend should be. Together they were crazy and wonderful. I loved how each door was a suprise. Good or bad. And I can't leave out sweet little Bobo.

If you need a light read to lighten things up and give you a few laughs with some outrageous yet witty humor, this book is for you.

[Alison · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 23%.

Another book buried in my TBR pile. TBH, if you read the blurb I think you'll get a very good idea of the writing style and the Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure type of gormless characters that narrate the story. It was fast-paced and different but ultimately I didn't warm to either of the main characters and I found the blokey writing a bit irritating after a while.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

[Diane Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely funny sci-fi book. If you liked Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy or John Dies at the End, this book is equally zany. It also has some romance. I really loved the ending and, of course, Bobo. The description of the villain is hilarious.

I received this audiobook for free on Goodreads but that has in no way impacted my review.

[Amanda Lyles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me laughing so hard. Pete and Chip were such doofuses and yet were the best heroes for the story. I loved all the Bobos and while I wasn't sure about Meg I eventually came to like her. She had some interesting conversations with Nikola Tesla. I would recommend this book to everyone.

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay so just having a good idea and using Tesla's name does not guarantee a good book...or even a pretty good book.

I think the main problem for me here is I don't find the author's humor funny. I know I'm supposed to find it absurd and just side-achingly hilarious.

I don't.

I bought this as part of a package deal so i can't even return it. I finally laid it aside. If I ever come back to it, finish it and think better of it I'll tell you. I'm sure some of you will like it as the humor will be a matter of taste.

Can't recommend. Sad.

[Hamid Babayev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the book of the year, but one of the funniest.

[Marta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a dude-bro comedy of Chip and Pete, who go onto alternate dimensions to find Tesla, while blundering through many silly worlds and adventures. In the vein of “Dude, where is my car”, or Bill and Ted, or Harold and Kumar, our protagonists verge on the line of being dumb douches (Chip’s term) and loveable losers. Along the way they acquire the doglike alien Bobo, who becomes their one true friend and saves them several times from multiverse-destroying baddies.

The book is written as a series of emails from Chip to his girlfriend Julie, begging her to call the FBI to rescue them. The emails evolve from being desperate to genuine love letters, as Chip and Pete grow from bumbling idiots to superheroes (low gravity), Pete finds love, and they continue a correspondence with Tesla by witing into his cross-dimentional diary.

I picked this up on the Audible sale because, well, Tesla, and I do enjoy dude comedy. The author reads which is not doing any favors to the book, but by halfway through I got used to it.

You gotta be able to tolerate sophomoric humor and have to suspend disbelief all the way through it, so this book is not for everyone. I found it an entertaining, quick listen.

[Nospin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 star humorous sci-fi buddy romp

Very entertaining sci-fi comedy as buddies discover Tesla's journal and travel through Interdimensions

The audience for this work would be males in their 20s. While I laughed quite a bit, the lack of distinctive voices for the two main characters sometimes made it hard to follow. There is a lot of profanity in this book's dialogue which some readers may find off putting.

I received this Audible book in consideration of an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Alex Mu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun, easy, comedic listen. Basic story is: a slacker type and his best friend (the more responsible one of the two) stumble into a transdimensional adventure guided by the journal of Nicola Tesla. There is a good mixture of worlds that they stumble upon, some more like their world than others, and the realities are explained nicely. The format of the story is a series of emails that Chip (main slacker who has some growing up to do) sends to his (ex?)girlfriend. I’ve read a couple of books lately that are a series of journal entry- type and this follows the same kind of formatting.

The narration here was better than I had hoped. The author narrates his book which normally gives me pause (and is actually why the book sat in my wish list for a bit), but he had a good range of voices, and female characters are normal sounding (i.e. not falsetto or whiny). Since the book is kind of like a buddy comedy, the tone with which the lines are delivered are essential to getting the full enjoyment of the book. Rob Dircks delivers on that.

Basically, I liked the book. If I had to complain about anything it would be that for the most part the chapters are split by the email chain; which means at the beginning you get the chapter title and then the email heading including subject line. But the email subject line is the same as the chapter title. Basically the beginning portion of each chapter gets a bit repetitive. But once you get used to it, it’s not as annoying. Like I mentioned, I had this book in my which list for a little while (mostly because I wasn’t sure about the author narrating and whether it would be as funny as the sample suggested it would be). I ended up receiving the book in exchange for a review and am glad I did. The book is funny. There is some language in it, so be aware of that, but the language fits with the character and isn’t thrown in there just because.

If you are looking for something light, fun and adventure-like, pick this up. (Sidenote: you don’t have to be a fan of Tesla to enjoy the book. Who he was and what he did for the world is generally explained in the story. If you are a fan of Tesla (or electricity for that matter) and would enjoy a story that kinda pays homage to him, you should definitely pick this up).

[I received this book at no cost from the author via goodreads for an honest review]

[Tory Thai · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love dimension jumping books. This was so much fun! Definetly gave me some of the same vibes as Dark Matter or with the weirdness ofJohn Dies At End.

This story really had amazing pacing with something happening nearly the entire time. It did sorta feel super samey with dimension hopping books but it's flare of comedy, quirky characters and amusing situations gave it a distinct flavor.

I'd love to see this made into a movie one day, it'd be incredibly campy and a silly weird time.

My only issue was the format. This book is told in a series of emails sent by the MC to his girlfriend. This was cute at first but by the end I was incredibly grateful that this book was done with. If this was any longer I'd probably would have gotten dangerously close to DNF'ng. Luckily the smaller book size makes it more digestable. I wish it dropped that formatting mid book instead of it just droning on and on with this poor excuse of emails. I mean, who even writes emails like that? Sometimes it just make no sense at all that an email would be written at spur of the moment as described.

Despite the weird format to tell this story this still was a fun book. I enjoyed myself and toughing through it was worth it.

[BridgetT · Rating 5 out of 5]

FUNNY, FUNNY, FUNNY!!!
I listened to it TWICE.
This will be my go-to whenever I need a laugh-out-loud book.

[Tony Calder · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light and enjoyable read, this book is funny throughout but never really reaches "snort your cornflakes" levels. There is a strong Bill & Ted vibe to the book.

[Gavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting, but it was hilarious

[Osman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eğlenceli 👌

[Murat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harika bir çeviri, güzel bir anlatım. Ancak akıcılığını tüm hikaye boyunca koruyamıyor. Okuması yine de çok keyifliydi.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been a long time since I managed to read a book basically in one day, but this one took me less than 24 hours. It's a fun, kind of campy read.

Basically, two best friends (who are also kind of idiots) happen upon the last invention of Nikola Tesla, but without the full instructions, it lands them in an unending hallway with access to infinite universes of the multiverse. The twist: Tesla is still alive and they have to rescue him in order to prevent the "end of everything."

It's written in an epistolary format through emails that the main character writes initially to the friend who goes with him, and then to Julie, the love of his life who he apparently let slip away. The letter style allows for an interesting first person perspective, but because the character is really trying to let Julie (and subsequently us, the readers) get a full grasp of what's happening, it occasionally slips into actual action scenes with strange side notes that somehow both pull the reader out of what's happening and also add to the tension.

The most jarring email/narration moment was when he told what was happening and then did the whole, "wait, let me tell you how I got here" thing they sometimes do in movies. While it did add to the tension, the emails following seemed to forget that these events were past. Starting the email with a reaction as if the action was happening in real time can't work if five emails before you've told me something that happened days later and introduced a flashback.

Having said that, I really liked the casual tone and the banter between the characters. And the lists! The main character had a serious love of lists and adds them into his emails as often as possible.

It was nice to see how all the pieces fit together, even though they were seemingly random up until the last few scenes. It was fun, campy, and quick, which is a good combination for a light, summer read after a long bout of not reading. I'd recommend it for a casual reader who enjoys scifi, but probably also beer pong. It has that kind of vibe.

[Tarık Çayır · Rating 5 out of 5]

En son Marslı‘yı okurken bu kadar heyecanlandığımı ve keyif aldığımı hatırlıyorum (Bilim kurgu türünde). Kitabın dili, konu bütünlüğü, sadeliği ve kurgusu tek kelime ile nefis. Kitabın Türkçe çevirisini yapan Gülşah Nazlı Çaloğlu çok başarılı bir işe imza atmış.

Yerelleştirmeler ve kullandığı argolar okumaya başladığınız an sizi paralel evrenlere sürüklüyor.

Cris ve Pete adında iki yakın arkadaşın maceralarını konu alan kitap Tesla’nın günlüğünü ve birkaç eşyasını bulması ile başlıyor. Arkasından paralel evrenlerle devam ediyor. Yolculuk sırasında yolları Tesla ile kesişiyor.

Son bölümde ise olaylar çok hızlı gelişerek evrenleri kurtarma maceraları başlıyor. Bölümlerdeki maceralar Marvel evrenlerinden hallice. Bu kitaptan çok tatlı dizi ve film olur.

Bilim kurgu romanları okumaktan keyif alıyor ve dünya dertlerini bir kenara bırakmak istiyorsanız Tesla’nın Gizli Makinesi tam size göre. Çok kısa bir sürede okuyacağınız akıcı ve eğlenceli bir eser. Okurken sıkılmayacağınızı temin ederim.

[Vishakha Motwani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Welcome to inter-dimensional space travel.


This book had me cracking up so many times, especially when Chip expects to travel through the inter-dimensional doors like:

But instead he's like, mehhh:

It is quite and if you are too much bothered by swearing, you might want to be prepared, because this one has a lot. Although sometimes that was what made laugh when Chip tries to communicate with Pete through Bobo.

This book can be said to be just a funny way to look at inter-dimensional travel and what might become of you if you were to find yourselves in a totally parallel different dimension.
Thanks to the author/narrator for providing me a free copy for review!

[Tiana Warner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two bros stuck in a multiverse, trying to get home with the help of Nikola Tesla. Yup. It reminded me of John Dies at the End in that it was full of stupid humour that totally made me laugh out loud. The nonsensical sci-fi tone and bits of gallows humour also reminded me of Hitchhiker's Guide. It earned points because it's not just a series of weird/funny events that are only vaguely connected -- it contains a plot and character arcs. Overall, an entertaining read.

[Daisy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such a treat I was sorry it ended so quickly. Dircks has an oddly bent imagination reminiscent of Douglas Adams and this book took me back to the days when I first found Adams and was laughing out loud while reading his books. That imagination paired with a rapid-fire, going off in a million different directions writing style creates a delightful nonstop rollercoaster of hysterical characters, oddball settings, and zinging one-liners. Usually when I see "read by the author" I groan, but this was one of the best narrations I've ever listened to! Funny, clever, and read to perfection I hope the author writes more of these. I almost want to go and listen to it all over again.

[Freyja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bu kitap, normal şartlar altında dikkatimi çekip de arka kapağını bile okuyacağım bir kitap değildi. Çünkü dikkatimi çekmezdi yani... Ama arkadaşım kendine ve bana da aldı, ben de hazır bir şeye başlamamışken okuyayım bari dedim ki açıkçası pek bir ümidim yoktu.

Bence çok eğlenceliydi ve hiç beklediğim gibi değildi. Aşırı akıcı bir kitap, o kadar sayfayı ne ara okumuşum anlamadığım gibi okumayı bırakasım da gelmedi. Karakterler çok sempatikti ve hemen kendilerine bağladılar. Cidden hoşuma gitti hatta bu kadar çabuk bitirmeme üzüldüm bile diyebilirim.

Burada gördüğüm kadarıyla ikinci bir kitap daha var ama daha Türkçe’ye bu bile yeni çevrilmiş. O da çevrilirse alıp okurum. Kafa dağıtmak ve gülmek istiyorsanız bence bir şans verin. Çok beğendim.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this book on a shelf of 'books that you'll probably never hear about if we don't put it infront of your face' and since it touted itself as a Sci-Fi/Comedy featuring Nicola Tesla, I went ahead and picked it up. I am not sorry at all. I would compare it to the John and Dave series (John Dies at the End, This Book is Full of Spiders) in that it's a couple of average guys who end up making some bad decisions and poor choices until they end up saving the world as we know it. Written in the format of a series of emails from a guy to his ex-girlfriend, this book is one that I did not want to put down until it was too late the end.

[Diane Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this new take on a buddy story.

[Lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

i loved it! it is incredibly funny with a touch of the hitchhikers guide of the galaxy. Just became one of my favorites books.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tesla invented a method of trans-dimensional travel, a way to visit all possible universes. That doesn’t seem too hard to believe, right? The FBI had the information about the device, but lost it. Also within the realm of possibility. Tesla’s journal describing the device is found by a newly hired security guard and he and his friend locate the device...

...and that is where the fun starts.

Dircks’ retelling of the exploits of Chip and his friend Pete as they explore an infinite number of universes, meet intradimensional aliens, rescue Tesla, attempt to thwart a creature that is destroying universes one at a time, all while trying to get home is magnificent. It will keep you on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next and find you rocking in your seat with laughter the next.