A couple of dude bros, a la Bill and Ted, here named Chip and Pete, find the long lost journal of Nikola Tesla in an old government desk drawer, and following its instructions find themselves on an adventure by way of the INTERDIMENSIONAL TRANSFER APPARATUS (which is always referred to IN CAPS in the journal). Chip and Pete travel to other versions of the infinite possibilities by opening evenly spaced doors in an infinite gray hallway.
Written as an epistolary (Chip writes emails on his phone to his ex-girlfriend), Chip and Pete make some poor decisions, hilarity ensues, and with a few new friends they save the world. Where the Hell is Telsa? is a really funny book, with empathetic and cheeky underdog protagonists that you just want to do well, even if they’re not that smart. This silly romp, complete with fun accents provided by the author himself in the audiobook version, even comes with Bobo, the cute alien creature they befriend in the interdimensional hallway (blink, blink).
Whereas the comedy is the highlight, the scifi odyssey and love story are only a backdrop. With Tesla’s name in the title, I am disappointed in the lack of science and the simplistic portrayal of Tesla himself. Does a fabricated invention that allows travel between dimensions diminish the incredible legacy of the man himself? Hopefully most readers unfamiliar with Tesla will followup on his eccentric life and precocious contributions to science.
Recommended as a fun and easy read with a few nods to science and scifi! Be prepared to laugh out loud!
I received a free copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
“Official Interdimensional Travel Observation #2: you’d think that meeting yourself in another dimension would cause a total freak-out of the infinite order, pants-pissing, screaming, etc. But it’s the total opposite: weirdly calming. Like “Hey bro, I know you! Let’s go get a beer.”