Where the Hell is Tesla? A Novel

The style is juvenile, with too much cursing and the characters are about as shallow. I expected more of a story but I guess I would have to wait for the next book(?). I would like to see the author work more on his characters.

Insanely creative story telling and entertaining dialogue make for a wild ride through multiple dimensions with two slackers who can't stay out of trouble. Add in a multiverse destroying evil mastermind and Nicola Tesla himself and the stage is set for interdimensional high jinks on an unprecedented scale.

If you like alternate universes and buddy stories this is a must read!

The style is juvenile, with too much cursing and the characters are about as shallow. I expected more of a story but I guess I would have to wait for the next book(?). I would like to see the author work more on his characters.

Insanely creative story telling and entertaining dialogue make for a wild ride through multiple dimensions with two slackers who can't stay out of trouble. Add in a multiverse destroying evil mastermind and Nicola Tesla himself and the stage is set for interdimensional high jinks on an unprecedented scale.

If you like alternate universes and buddy stories this is a must read!

This was mindless schlock. I cannot in good conscience recommed it. It was full of plot holes and unlikely, poorly developed characters. Nevertheless, I didn’t put it down and finished it in a single reading. Sometimes mindless schlock with no redeeming qualities is just what the doctor ordered.

A pleasant and sometimes entertaining story is ruined by poor writing and substandard characterization. No idea why there are so many positive reviews of this novel. It definitely needed an editor. The annoying first person narrator portrayed as a slacker dude is so clumsily done and it is so intrusive, that I didn't just lose patience with the character. I lost patience with the writer.
The story was sufficiently amusing that I wish someone would rewrite this or else produce a cable tv movie based on it. As it was, I couldn't finish the book. Not only was the writing weak, but the reactions of the characters often seemed illogical or artificial. Everything was desigend to push along the story except for all the intrusive "humor" and sentimentality that the author clumsily splattered most sections with. I had to just skim past these bits to follow the story.
So I'd say 3 to 4 stars for the story. 1 at best for the writing.

The writer uses popular slang sometimes vulgar which detracts from the storyline, which could have been interesting. The writing is generally unrefined. I would ask the store for my money back but it was only 99 cents. Generally I have found that the 99 cent books displease me more than the free books do. The write-ups seem good to include the reviews and the plot seems interesting. I then get sucked in and am disappointed. This book is such a book.

I was extremely pleased when I read my complimentary copy of “Where the Hell is Tesla?”. I now have a new go to for my favorite authors. For Horror I read Stephen King, for Legal Thrillers I read John Grisham, and now for Comedy (plus much more) I read Rob Dircks.

As advertised, this adventure, in addition to being hilarious, gave me a dose of Sci-Fi, love, loyalty, and many unexpected twists and turns through multiple dimensions that kept me hanging on until the very end. This book made me laugh at a time when I could really use one. And after reading it, I can honestly answer “Nikola Tesla” in response to the question “Name one person dead or alive (I think he may be both) who you would like to have a drink with?”.

I just can’t wait for the sequel. Perhaps Chip and Pete will now take their “dudeism” through time travel. It doesn't matter what they do, as long as they bring Bobo (just plain awesome!) along for the ride!

Review originally published at Lomeraniel dot com Audiobookreviews.

On his first day as a security guard for the FBI, Chip Collins finds a lost journal of Nikola Tesla, where there is an explanation about one of his inventions, unknown to the world: The Interdimensional Transfer Apparatus. Chip and his friend Pete decide to see how the ITA works, but get lost in it. Only Tesla will be able to help them, but first they will need to rescue Tesla.

After loving The Wrong Unit I had to listen to this one too. I really like Dircks style, and although he is not a profesional narrator (as far as I know he just narrated his own books), he has great narration and audio production skills.

This is kind of an epistolary novel, each chapter is an email from Chip to his ex-girlfriend Julie, where he explain the latest events and also tries to make amends to try to gain her heart again. Chip is one of those people who just appreciates what he is lost when it is too late and things get ugly. I am forgiving him because he is totally hilarious, and deep down he has a good heart.

I was very curious about how Tesla was going to be portrayed and used as a character in the novel, since he is a very interesting historical character, really unappreciated but very important nonetheless. Just let me tell you that if you are expecting something real about Tesla, you will not find in in this book. Tesla is just used as a forgotten genius with quite some great inventions under his belt, a visionary, who spent his last years forgotten and broke. He might as well have created something like the ITA and then fallen into oblivion.

I laughed out loud listening to this book, but I have to say that I expecting something more. It could be that I tend to dislike when authors abuse of Deus ex Machina, and there is a lot of it here (it's even mentioned in the text). The book was all the time ridiculously funny, but with time that got old (for me, at least). The concept of the ITA and the infinite hall was very graphic, but the rules about combinations and other stuff were quite arbitrary and it seemed that changed depending on what was needed at the moment.

Rob Dircks did a great job narrating this book, and it amazes me that he does not do this professionally. He delivered different voices for all the characters, even using a different accent for Tesla. Everything is done in a subtle way, and the audio production is spotless.

This book starts sort of slowly, with some lame and predictable jokes, two slacker Bill and Ted characters, and the usual drinking, slobby behavior, smartmouth comments, and vague loserish vibe. But wait. You'll be pleased if you just drive on a bit. Once we find Tesla's journal and start the transdimensional adventure it's like going from black and white to color in the movie "Wizard of Oz".

An actual, clever, plot develops. The action picks up, as does the suspense. Chip and Pete develop into real characters who engage the reader's attention and sympathy. The humor becomes less slapstick and obvious, and reflects real wit and style. Because the book is presented as a running collection of e-mails that Chip is sending to his estranged girlfriend you get short, punchy chapters, with lots of changes in tone and topic. It becomes a manic stream of consciousness kind of tale, and as our hero/narrator Chip becomes more and then less unhinged the story also veers around wildly and unpredictably. Rather than being disorienting, this immediacy imparts great energy, and the reader always feels in the moment with Chip and Pete as they navigate a bizarre multi-dimensional universe of alternate Earths.

There's even a dark villain threatening these Earths. This means that instead of only just playing open-a-portal-and-find-a-new-weird-Earth, our heroes actually have to go somewhere and do something along with new companions, so you get a plot and a resolution instead of just a grab bag of clever alternate Earths.

The upshot is that there is some very funny stuff mixed in with odd characters, some deadpan humor, a weird space opera story, and a manic charm that is never too over the top. An awfully nice find.

(Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

Where the Hell is Tesla? by Rob Dircks follows the antics of Chip and Pete as they travel through the Interdimensional Transfer Apparatus, a device designed and created by Nicola Tesla. The Interdimensional Transfer Apparatus acts a portal to parallel universes. Having inadvertently gotten lost, Chip and Pete wander through in the Interdimensional Transfer Apparatus and different parallel dimensions trying to figure out how to return to their own universe. Soon they discover that the only way to get back to their own universe is to find and save Nicola Tesla himself from the evil villain, Who, and save the universes.

This novel is hilarious. I was smiling throughout the entire book. It is written entirely as emails from Chip to his ex-girlfriend. At first I wasn’t sure if this would work well. But it was perfect. It really allowed the reader to get to know Chip and Pete, through Chip’s eyes. Ultimately, this isn’t a story to take too seriously. That being said, it was well written, and humor was intelligently incorporated. And the style chosen allowed the reader to see how Chip’s emotions do and don’t change as he and Pete experience this somewhat traumatic adventure. The plot is just so funny. There is a lot of silliness with almost every aspect of the novel. They find an odd creature in the Interdimensional Transfer Apparatus and they travel to other dimensions. In these universes, they have all types of adventures, including almost being killed, low gravity, super heroism, and they meet different versions of themselves. I really liked how the different versions of Chip and Pete and how they were so different. It really makes you think about how someone becomes who they are. While Chip’s emails are full of stories about their silly antics, and an ongoing comedic commentary, there are also coping mechanisms for the despair and loneliness that is plaguing him in the Interdimensional Apparatus as he and Pete continue their journey. I also really like all of the other characters in the story and their interactions with Chip and Pete were fun to listen to. The plot doesn’t lag much as a result of the comedic commentary even when there are no real actions being taken. The format of the emails helps with that.

This novel was narrated by Rob Dircks himself and I must say I’m impressed. He did a great job with the delivery with voicing Chip and the other characters through Chip’s voice. I wonder if this is because he wrote the characters and so knows the characters really well.  I would like to hear another novel narrated by him. The production quality was also good. I would recommend this novel to anyone who likes fun, hilarious, science fiction stories.

Audiobook was provided for review by the author.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog

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Do you remember that episode of "The Simpsons" where Homer travels back in time and messes something up in the past so when he goes back to his own time, things are very different, and then he has to keep going back to try to fix his mistake? Or do you recall the episode of "Family Guy" where Stewie and Brian travel to multiple parallel universes? Rob Dirck's "Where the Hell is Tesla?" is kind of like those episodes. Or, if you're one of THOSE people, it's this generation's "Gulliver's Travels." (...You know, just with less satire.)

I admit I'm into this kind of irreverent story told from the point of view of a guy who's too stupid to live, who is able to stumble along through pure luck. You know the plot: Chip is a regular (but dumb) guy who finds Nikola Tesla's lost notebook in a desk and uses it to travel to other universes with his buddy. They get lost, get into trouble, and need to get home. And save the multiverse as it turns out.

Take this book for what it is: a fun, lighthearted adventure. Don't look for symbolism or themes. Do look for zany twists, humor and slapstick goofiness.

I had a lot of fun reading this book and I have to give Dircks credit. He went for it and fantastically succeeded in creating a goofy, trippy tale that never let up in its pace or its humor. I can imagine some people not enjoying this book, but they would be the rare exception.

"Where the Hell is Tesla?" is definitely worth your time.

WHERE THE HELL IS TESLA?

Author: Rob Dircks

Type of Book: Audiobook Unabridged

Narrator: Rob Dircks

Length: 5 hours and 5 minutes

Genre: Science Fiction Comedy

Release Date: March 24, 2015

Publisher: Goldfinch Publishing

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

* I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

A hilarious and incredibly creative book that will have listeners laughing out loud and wanting to hear more.

Hired as a lowly security guard at a defunct FBI storage facility Chip Collins finds an old book in the drawer of an abandoned desk.

It turns out that the book is the Diary of Nikola Tesla who was a famous inventor. Inside the diary Tesla claims that he created something he calls a "Inter-dimensional Transfer Apparatus." He includes the last known location of the device.

Chip, and his best friend, Pete, set out to find the "Inter-dimensional Transfer Apparatus." The two bumbling fools literally fall into it.

What follows is a a terrific story. It is witty, funny, thought provoking and interesting.

Chip and Pete find themselves stuck in a hallway with an infinite number of doors that lead to an infinite number of possible dimensions.

Realizing that in their excitement they had forgotten to mark which doorway it was that they had entered through, they know they are in trouble. They need to figure out how to get home and along the way they need to save the infinisphere and all the possible worlds from being destroyed by an evil genius.

The nice thing about having the author act as the narrator for his audiobook is that he knows the story inside and out. He knows exactly how he wants to convey each scene and is able to inject subtle nuances into his narrative.

This book is written as if it were a story being told to Chip's girlfriend through a series of emails. This allows the listener/reader to feel like they are truly seeing inside Chip's mind. What could be more personal than a heartfelt email to someone you love who you aren't sure you will ever see again?

Chip's emails are full of humor and actually made me laugh out loud numerous times. For an audiobook to actually make me laugh (not just chuckle) is very rare. That feat takes some serious skill, both by the author and the narrator.

I highly recommend this audiobook. I am sure that reading the book would be enjoyable as well, but I think the best way to experience WHERE THE HELL IS TESLA? is through the audiobook format.

I rate both the book and the narration as 5 out of 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Rob Dircks does copywriting and design at the award-winning ad agency he owns with hisbrother Dave called Dircks Associates.

He has authored two books. He I now spends his time building Goldfinch Publishing to help other independent authors get their stories told. For more information visit his website at:
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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.

I am so tired of getting blurbs about books saying that they are "for fans of Terry Pratchett" or "as funny as Douglas Adams"... but here's the thing... this one really is! I just finished listening to the audio book, read by the author (and this guy reads as well as he writes.), and it had me laughing through the majority of a long and tedious drive. One word of warning... don't pick it up if bad language offends you. BUT in his defense, the author was not using the swear words to try to get the laughs, those came from the sheer absurdity of the prose. I can't wait to start the second one!

I found the characters to be too annoying to continue. It was like the author was trying to hard to have "cool" dialogue. This is the exact opposite opinion I had of "The Wrong Unit" by the same author. That book was fantastic. Read it instead.

Received free audible copy for honest review **

My question is, “Where did my time go?”

I’m lucky I listened to this on a night when I didn’t have to get up early the next morning. My winding down ritual has become sitting on the front porch listening to a book and playing solitaire. I started Where the Hell is Tesla? about ten o’clock, giggling through the first chapters. The next time I looked at the time, it was midnight! And I didn’t want to stop!

Formatted in a series of emails to his girlfriend, Chip tells the story of how he pressured his friend Pete to investigate the content of Tesla’s journal. You’d think it would be annoying to read emails. But, it really isn’t. Chip is an incessant writer and would make a very good anthropologist, if he let go of the word “dude.” And the non-stop cussing. (If you’re sensitive to that, do not, I repeat, do not delve into this world.)

Something between Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure and Dude, Where’s My Car? This is a highly entertaining jaunt through dimensions.

"Funny but much foul language!"

Overall 4 Stars
Performance 5 Stars
Story 4 Stars

This book really did make me laugh several times, but I had to take off a full star because of the foul mouth on Chip, the main character.

When Chip, a security guard at an old FBI warehouse finds a lost journal written by the famed inventor Nikola Tesla, he decides to take his best friend, Pete, to try and find the ITA, a device Tesla invented which enables a person to travel to other dimensions in the multiverse.

They find it in a closet in the room of the New York hotel where Tesla died in 1943. When Chip and Pete go through the portal they find themselves in a long hallway with doors spaced every six feet. They decide to explore this hallway only to realize too late that all of the doors look exactly alike and they have no idea which one is the one that leads back to their own universe. Hence begins the search for the way back home and much hilarity ensues.

Honestly, except for the fact that Chip can not speak an entire sentence without cursing, this is a 5 star book! If the profanity doesn't bother you then this book will probably be even funnier to you.

The author, Rob Dircks, does a fantastic job with the narration! Although their voices are different, I kept comparing him to Wil Wheaton. I love Wil Wheaton so to me this is one of the highest compliments I can give him! Good job Rob Dircks! Good job!

I received this book from the author for free in an exchange for an honest review.

Where the Hell is Tesla ?

I received a free audible edition of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Chip is a likable guy, kind of a man-blonde in that he's both smart and dumb at the same time. A man after my own heart because I am the same way.
During the abundance of free time he has at work, he discovers a book that will change his life forever. Tesela's long lost journal.
Let the weirdness and hilarity begin!
Enter Pete the best friend and Bobo the fuzzy alien. Chip, Pete, and Bobo adventure across the multiverse in search of the door the two men entered the great multiverse hallway of possibilities through and then promptly lost. Will Chip and Pete ever find their way home?
This book had it all, a great narrator (the author is multi talented yay!) Lots of laughs, absurd Sci fi, loyalty amoung besties and even a little cheesy romance.
When I started listening to "Where the hell is Tesla?" The last thing I expected was to find a book to shelve amongst my favorites, but thats exactly what i got.
If you are open to feel good laughs and fuzzy aliens, why not give this book a try ?

This book was, well, pretty interesting. Like my headline says, I think I liked it. I read it through and never considered not finishing it, so that was good. It was a little bit "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" with some Star Trek and Dr. Who thrown in. The narrative gimmick (hint: it involves emails) wore a bit thin about two-thirds of the way through the book, but I don't think it really distracted from the overall story. For me, the two main characters got a little annoying as the story went on, and I think the author intended for the audience to feel the opposite. With that being said, I didn't really affect my view on the overall book one way or another.

As far as the story itself, it was interesting and weird all at the same time. The concept itself was unique. This isn't a book that I'll be thinking about for days after I finished it, but I enjoyed the story while reading it. It's not a difficult read by any means. For the price (currently $3.99) I'd recommend it, and if you've got a Kindle it's free in the Lending Library, so that's a bonus. Overall, not bad at all.

I search the the store/Audible library for books that fight my light-hearted (not taking self too seriously), good-hearted (you get it), imaginative, engaging, engrossing, just plain fun books. Comedy is hard; comedic writing is harder. Especially across a variety of dimensions in the multiverse. For ANYONE who enjoyed the late Doug Adams' Hitchiker's Guide to the Universe series, you'll also enjoy Where the Hell is Telsa? I sure did. You grok it? (reference to another favorite, Stranger in a Strange Land to establish a constellation of values).

Rob Dircks, who has a name almost as strange as the dimensions we visit with Chip and Pete and assorted friends, most especially the Bobos, does not only a fine job of writing (Good for you, Rob!) also is the perfect narrator who gets every nuance. (Yes, this book even has nuances).

Enjoy. Don't say I didn't warn you.

I loved this book. Nikola Tesla was an underappreciated scientist/inventor and this book pays tribute to him in a funny, science fiction story. The story is told in the first person by the major protagonist who is travels interdimensionally. However he tells his story through a series of emails to someone back on Earth. This allows author Rob Dircks to use an informal writing style making this book fun to read. Although the story is silly, it is silly done well and I recommend it for fans of science fiction. I also liked the tribute to Tesla as he was so important to modern life.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley for review purposes.

This is a speculative fiction story about an unproduced invention of Nicola Tesla. While this story has a pretty decent plot, the real charm is the way the story is told and the way the characters are developed. The writing is sharp, witty, funny, and sounds like a buddy telling you about a crazy adventure he just had. There is little science in the book and the twists and turns are nothing earth shattering, but the ride is so much fun you don't care about that because neither are the point of the story. The characters are fully fleshed out as real people who will probably remind you of someone you know.

If you want a fun read with lots of clever, modern humor; this is the book for you.

The language in this book is definitely for an older audience with curse words every 5 seconds, so if you aren't a fan of profanity, this isn't the book for you (but you should have already guessed that from the title).

I certainly wasn't expecting this. Even though it took a very simple approach, it was incredibly well written. The author managed to build the characters quickly, interject new characters skillfully, and paint very vivid worlds. To top it off, it was a FUN read! I think he may have a sequel in mind and I can't wait for it. Really, if you want to spend some time simply being entertained, this is the book. The only other author to come close to making me laugh this much, out loud, while reading, is Terry Pratchett. My cat may never recover from the bursts of explosive laughter as she tried to sleep on my lap. I'd give this thing four thumbs up if I had four thumbs. Oh, wait, I just need to find an alternate me....right through this door....

This was an incredibly fun book to listen to. The narrator did a great job in turning the excellent writing into a really enjoyable book. I'm going to buy the paper copy for my partner because it's the kind of book I want to share with everyone. It's sort of a sci-fi adventure, but also has this underlying love/loss from the main character realizing "I'm a douche". I'd recommend this book to anyone who has even a hint of interest in science or anyone who likes a good buddy movie. It's all these things and more.

I really, really tried to finish this book and got within 25 pages. It just got more and more weird and reminded me of a very long paper written by a middle school student. There were so many quirky turns it was hard to follow the plot. (Was there a plot?) Between Chip, his friend, Bobo ( an androgynous furry creature), their clones, the villain Who (who looked like Santa), Margaret Thatcher (no relation) and the 186 year old Nikola Tesla it was just a jumble of bizarre happenings and chase scenes strung together. If not for the language, it would probably be about a 4.1 on the Accelerated Reader tests. The only reason it's that high is because Tesla and Meg raise the bar with some thoughtful, often true, conversation.

Imagine two very unlikely heroes stumble onto alternate realities, all because of an old journal written by Nichola Tesla. Imagine they have adventures, cheat death any number of times, and still have time to needle each other.

Meet Chip and Pete. Chip as the narrator is honest about the countless times he's taken advantage of Pete's friendship and his wallet. One revelation near the end may be too far for even Chip.

The boys are trapped in infinite alternate realities, trying to get back. Oh, and rescuing Nichola in the meantime. And meeting a girl. And saving the world.

And defining what it means to be a friend.

Great narration by the author. His performance of his words was pitch-perfect.