A Universe Less Traveled

Intersecting Worlds, Book 1

By: Eric von Schrader

Narrated by: Andy Coco, Jean Ponzi

Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

"Must Reading—and then some." (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

"There have been many tales of parallel worlds, but few have this much heart, imagination, and good old-fashioned storytelling fun." (Steve Pick, radio host and author)

What if there were an alternate universe hidden next to ours? What if you found a way to go there?

Billy Boustany stumbles upon the ability to slip in and out of a surprising new version of his sleepy midwestern city. He discovers a teeming metropolis with iridescent skyscrapers and throngs of tourists from all over the world. He meets quirky characters and joins in wild parties. This adventure is most fun he's had in years.

Who can he tell about it? They're bound to think he's crazy or, even worse, they might make him stop going there.

Then, his college student daughter learns his secret—and she wants in on the action. Together, they explore further into this odd, funny world until they reach its most amazing destination, a magnificent city of Native Americans that has sprung up at an ancient site.

Billy also encounters a formidable enemy—the Knights, a secret society determined to keep people like him out of their world. They warn him to stay away—or else.

The story of another accidental traveler, a financial genius who finds his into the same city in the 1920s, reveals the alternate history of how this strange world came to be.

Honorable Mention in Science Fiction, 2022 Writer's Digest Self-Published E-book Awards.

©2020 Eric von Schrader (P)2022 Eric von Schrader

Critic reviews

"Tone and world-building are delightful. Characters all come alive as unique people. Well done!" (Writer's Digest)

Good story with a (mostly) believable alternate world.

Nice, light, alternate world story. Engaging story that pulled me in and kept me along for the rude. Likeable characters and a pretty believable alternate world to visit. Definitely worth your time!

Excellent!

I loved the story line! It was such a good read!! I can’t wait to read the next one!

Truly great book

What a fun interesting read. I typically don’t read fiction, but this really pulled me in. Identifiable characters, clever plot line that remains engaging throughout the book, and fun for your brain thinking of just the possibilities of what if.

A Fun Journey through Two Worlds

Really enjoyed this one, but I'm always down for parallel universes, alternate histories, or time travel. I think I'd have liked more...a lot of action was crowded into the last hour or so, but all the history and background had to be laid. Being a ham radio op, it was nice to see a nod to my favorite hobby, some inaccuracies notwithstanding. Aside from a couple tiny editing issues...one repeated sentence and a similar repeated phrase a bit later on, I enjoyed the audiobook and the narrators. Looking forward to the next one.

Interesting Alternate Universe Story

This is a really good introduction into an interesting alternate/parallel universe series. (At least, I hope the series continues.) I didn’t totally enjoy the female narrator, but there was nothing distracting in her reading that would detract from the story. I am definitely looking forward to seeing where things go from here.

Bad Narrator

One of the narrators was decent, there other read the book like someones grandma reading Dr Seuss to her grandkids. Wring emphasis on wrong parts. Story was slow and boring. Made through maybe 2 chapters. Will try for a refund. Wish the preview had both narrators.

The female narrator is the absolute WORST!!

I haven’t even finished the book yet, but I felt the need to inform anyone that’s about to download this book that there are two different narrators. The one featured in the “sample” clip is decent, but the female who opens up the book at chapter 1 (and seemingly narrates each odd numbered chapter) is so bad that I almost can’t listen to the book anymore.

It’s a shame because I really want to hear this story, as the sample chapter and the summary made it sound so interesting and so far, it is pretty good. (I’m 7 chapters in)

It’s a shame that they hired such a horrible narrator to ruin the telling of a great story. Her voice is annoying and abrasive and her over-acting and delivery are enough to make me want to not listen to the rest of the story. Thankfully, the other narrator is fairly good and not nearly as grating on the ears as the woman narrator. She sounds like an old, elementary school teacher, reading a nursery rhyme to a bunch of 6 year olds. Her tone and inflection are amateurish and I wouldn’t be surprised if this is her first voiceover job. Whoever directed her did an awful job.

The story seems like it’s going somewhere and I intend to continue listening, but I wanted to give a little “caveat emptor” to anyone on the fence about whether or not to waste an Audible monthly credit on this book. If you don’t mind the horrible narration, I guess it’s worth it, but if I could get my credit back, I’d take it. Sorry to the author, Eric von Schrader - I’m sure this isn’t how he envisioned his hard work.