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A Hundred Thousand Worlds
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A Hundred Thousand Worlds
Unavailable
A Hundred Thousand Worlds
Audiobook12 hours

A Hundred Thousand Worlds

Written by Bob Proehl

Narrated by MacLeod Andrews

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

Valerie Torrey took her son, Alex, and fled Los Angeles six years ago--leaving both her role on a cult sci-fi TV show and her costar husband after a tragedy blew their small family apart. Now Val must reunite nine-year-old Alex with his estranged father, so they set out on a road trip from New York, Val making appearances at comic book conventions along the way. 

As they travel west, encountering superheroes, monsters, time travelers, and robots, Val and Alex are drawn into the orbit of the comic-con regulars, from a hapless twentysomething illustrator to a brilliant corporate comics writer stuggling with her industry's old-school ways to a group of cosplay women who provide a chorus of knowing commentary. For Alex, this world is a magical place where fiction becomes reality, but as they get closer to their destination, he begins to realize that the story his mother is telling him about their journey might have a very different ending than he imagined.

A knowing and affectionate portrait of the geeky pleasures of fandom, A Hundred Thousand Worlds is also a tribute to the fierce and complicated love between a mother and son--and to the way the stories we create come to shape us.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateJun 28, 2016
ISBN9780735208124
Unavailable
A Hundred Thousand Worlds
Author

Bob Proehl

Bob Proehl is the author of A Hundred Thousand Worlds, a Booklist best book of the year. He has worked as a bookseller and programming director for Buffalo Street Books in Ithaca, New York, a DJ, a record store owner, and a bartender. He was a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellow in Fiction and a resident at the Saltonstall Arts Colony. His work has appeared on Salon, as part of the 33 1/3 book series, and in American Short Fiction.

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Reviews for A Hundred Thousand Worlds

Rating: 3.9883720651162795 out of 5 stars
4/5

43 ratings5 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Such a great read, though I was leery at the start. Short chapters, each with a corresponding POV character shift, and four primary character arcs/threads to follow. Luckily, the interconnectivity of the characters and their stories led to a fantastic read that was more an emotional mother-son story amidst the comic books/sci-fi/geekery tableaus of the convention circuit in which the story occurs.

    Thus, a great read if you want a nonstandard mother/son relationship or just a solidly written and developed story of, about, and around comics and general geekish things.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is the kind of book that really gets under your skin and you can't stop thinking about. On the surface it is about the comics industry and the cons that go with it. You don't have to be a fan of either and it is probably best you are not. The author obviously knows what he is writing about, but it seems he chose to only show one side of the industry. That was a negative for me. He did include plenty of Easter Eggs for fans which was nice. Now on to the pluses which far outweigh any reservations I had about this book. At its heart it is about the relationship between a mother and son. About relationships between friends, colleagues, and lovers. About how we use stories to navigate our way in the world. Also, how these stories influence who we are and who we want to be. All told beautifully. I can't remember the last book I marked so many passages in because I didn't want to forget what the author had to say. As in any good story don't rush to get to the end. Instead relish the journey.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A Hundred Thousand Worldsby Bob Proehl2016Viking4.5 / 5.0I love Bob Proehl! Fun and imaginative, Proehl is an ambitious writer and quickly becoming a favorite author.I really connected with Alex, the young son of Valerie Torrey, who was once on a popular, cult hit TV series called Anomaly. It's the 10 year anniversary of Anomaly. Valerie is set to make guest appearances and sign autographs at comic conventions across the USA. Alex knows his mom is taking him on a trip to see his dad, but he doesnt realize for how long. Along the way, they stay in hotels, and meet a wide variety of people, some that influence Alex in many ways. Alex loves to read and lives much of his life through the adventures he reads. The more I read of Alex, the more I loved him.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I thought this book was going to be kind of goofy but it was so much more. Yes, there was moments that had me laughing and smiling but this story was about love, friendship, loyalty, magic, superheroes, and happy endings. Every character introduced in this story had a purpose and a distinct voice. For example, Val used to be in a sci-fi show. Yet, she does not wear the celebrity banner; instead, her favorite role is playing "Mom". She has her hands full with Alex. He is full of wonderment and wisdom. I like how he believed that there was magic still out in the world. Additionally, the story that he co-authored with Brett was great. Brett is a writer/illustrator of a comic series. Alex and Brett's bond brought out the best in each other. Brett treated Alex with respect and in turn Brett got some of his youth back. Then, there is Gail. She is a female comic book writer. She does not let the fact that she is in the minority keep her from staking her claim. I like her "can do" attitude. Finally, as I was reading this book, I was transported into the story. It was like I was a fellow companion with the group as they traveled. I hope to one day visit Comic-Con in person and not just in the story books. True comic fans will appreciate and be thrilled with this book.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    *reviewed from uncorrected egalley*

    fiction (sci-fi/tv/comic geekery and fandom). I liked the layers at first, but sort of got bored with the details of the tv series and the mundane conversations of those in the comic book writing/drawing biz. I might have stuck with it longer if I'd had a hard copy (since my ereader stopped working and I have to view these egalleys on the computer). I suspect it could be a very good book, but I might only recommend it to those who are into these topics of fandom.