• Where the Hell Is Tesla?

  • A Novel
  • By: Rob Dircks
  • Narrated by: Rob Dircks
  • Length: 5 hrs and 4 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (5,924 ratings)

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Where the Hell Is Tesla?  By  cover art

Where the Hell Is Tesla?

By: Rob Dircks
Narrated by: Rob Dircks
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Publisher's summary

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)

What listeners say about Where the Hell Is Tesla?

Average customer ratings
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  • 4 out of 5 stars
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    3,145
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Story
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Had A Blast Listening To This One!


Wow, one of the funniest stories I've listened too this year! I loved the adventures of Chip and Pete! The plot and characters were hilarious! This is one of those stories no matter what type of mood you are in, as soon as you start playing it, you are guaranteed a smile, and a laugh. I'm definitely keeping this story on my iPad for days I need a pick me up or a good laugh.

Not only was the story AWESOME, the narration was PERFECT! I'm skeptical about authors who narrate their own stories (I've heard a few bad ones), but Rob Dirks totally nails it! I know he delivered this story just like he imagined it, and you can hear and feel the passion he has for both the story, and characters. I can't imagine anyone not liking this one!

Absolutely worth a credit and the time!

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72 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

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.

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67 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

JGC review

very creative but fragmented in continuity, too much swearing and dude it's PETE AND I....

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51 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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You Need This Book

Witty, well written, and completely enchanting. Dricks balances mad-cap crazy with a sincerely and honesty that tire the story together. The realistic characters (including a furry alien) are endearing and grounded as they navigate a multiverse. I was sad to say goodbye when it ended. A very special book and the author's narration is fantastic. Listen. Listen now.

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33 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Absolutely hilarious

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.

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28 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

cute, cheesy, and wonderfully done!

Listened to this on the wife's recommendation. i didn't know what to expect at first, but things quickly take off and you're running right away! This book is just plain fun and I'm looking forward to more from this author!

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23 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Best Tesla-inspired Story In the Audio Stacks

Fictionalized Tesla stories were in vogue a couple of years ago, but after listening to a few of them, I decided to forego purchasing any others because, far too often, they seemed overworked and boring. They took themselves, science, and Tesla wayyy to seriously. Tesla's real life story held more intrigue than many of the fictional versions did. When I found the Dircks story, I listened to the excerpt out of a strange compulsion, possibly from mental programming from all the past Tesla tales. I'm glad I pushed the play button on this one. In my opinion, and despite all of the obligatory "dude" vulgarity, Dircks has written a laugh-out-loud, can't stop listening story in which Tesla is given his due as a futurist and scientist, well ahead of his time. Chip and Pete are also fun characters with the type of "bro" friendship that would play well in a feature film. This is a slick, well-told tale. Could it have been told with less use of the "F" word? Absolutely. The potty humor was a bit overdone too. However, a real argument can be made that the characters are people we know and they certainly ring true to life, no cardboard stereotypes here. So,it's all a matter of staying true to the characters, and the author did that. I'm hoping this is the first in a series. Would love a "What the blank Is Einstein Thinking?" or "Don't Trust Edison!" If he could pull off the same kind of madcap, LOL intellectualism that he managed in the Tesla story, Dircks might just be the inventor of a new and very popular genre.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Not my kind of humour

The heavy handed teenage boy humour sort of put me off, but I kept on going until the end.
There is one single plot and nothing that really grabbed my attention.
I found the use of correspondence interesting and a source of comical moments, so that did not bother me.

I guess you're supposed to identify with the main character. He's a loser. He's not particularly good at anything. He's helpless in many situations and useless most of the time. Sure. That's anyone.
But he's so proud of it? In the latest chapters he BRAGS about not helping because he's so useless and annoying that he's a nuisance. That is so irritating.
The last time I felt so "ugh" about a character's attitude was Paul Atreides but at least he helps. (so much it's unrealistic)

I dunno. I guess this isn't bad if it's your thing, but I won't be reading any further. I have Young Adult books that develop much more layered and engaging characters. And storylines. Plural. That.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I was smiling throughout the entire 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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Great adventure story

I like to get my geek on with alternative universes involving historical characters. This fits the bill. This was in my wish list for a long time and I am sorry about that because it was an enjoyable adventure about alternate universes. I don't like comparing with other other authors but it was a cross between the excitement of Peter Clines and the heart of John Scalzi. Not quite there yet, but enough to be really enjoyable. The only thing that might put it over the top is if Wil Wheaton would have narrated. The author did a good job it's just these are the kind of characters Wheaton really embodies.

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