Available:*
Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury) | FICTION PRO | Searching... Unknown |
Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
"A Kavalier & Clay for the Comic-Con Age, this is a bighearted, inventive, exuberant debut." --Eleanor Henderson, author of Ten Thousand Saints
"Proehl creates worlds within worlds within worlds, all of them full of surprise and wonder."
--Charles Yu, author of How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe
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.
Author Notes
Bob Proehl grew up in Buffalo, New York, where his local comics shop was Queen City Bookstore. He has worked as a bookseller and programming director for Buffalo Street Books, a DJ, a record store owner, and a bartender. He has written for the 33⅓ book series and worked as a columnist and reviewer for the arts and culture site PopMatters.com. Proehl currently lives in Ithaca, New York, with his wife, stepson, and daughter.
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Proehl lovingly illustrates the world of fan culture in this debut novel, presenting an accessible story with plenty of insider shout-outs for the true nerds. Years prior, on the heels of a terrible tragedy, Valerie Torrey ran away from a successful career on television. On "Anomaly," an X-Files-type show that inspired a rabid fan base, she and Andrew Rhodes played a time-traveling duo; off the set, they conceived a son. The story unfolds as Val drives their son, Alex, cross-country from Brooklyn to Los Angeles to reunite with Andrew. Alex hasn't seen his father in six years. At nine, he is small for his age and full of wonder, and right at the border of a more adult understanding of the world. Val hasn't told Alex that she'll return to New York without him. Instead she plans the road trip to coincide with her appearances at a number of comics conventions dotted across the country, and, as they draw closer to Los Angeles, doles out stories to Alex from the show that brought his parents together and tore them apart. Along the way, Val and Alex meet Brett, an illustrator who is touring to support his indie comic "Lady Stardust," and Gail Pope, a woman writing a series owned by one of the two major comic book distributors. Gail provides insight into the insular world of professional comic books. The prose can feel a bit heavy-handed in its earnestness, but this is an ambitious debut effort, and Proehl conveys his deep affection for comics and the people who build their life around them. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
An ex-actress and her son trek across America, hitting comics conventions along the way in Proehl's (Flying Burrito Brothers' The Gilded Palace of Sin, 2008) first novel. Six years ago, Valerie Torrey was the star of Anomaly, an X-Files-like sci-fi TV show about two time-travel agents, which has obsessive fans. When an unimaginable tragedy struck, Valerie took her son, Alex, and fled LA for New York, leaving her show and her co-star husband, Andrew Rhodes, behind. Now, she and 9-year-old Alex are headed back across the country to meet with Andrew, and as they travel, the story deftly weaves past and present events until the full account of what happened years earlier is revealed. Along the way, Valerie makes appearances at comic-book conventions, where she meets Gail, a comics writer who draws attention to gender inequality, and Brett, a struggling illustrator. Proehl's observations about convention life are especially keen and insightful without being sneering or belittling. But by trying to appeal to comics fans and nonfans alike, the book sometimes breaks down. For example, in one chapter (conveniently titled "Women in Refrigerators"), Gail discusses at length how comics creators often kill female characters solely to spur male characters to action. While this is an important issue, Proehl just reiterates what most thoughtful comics readers already know, while possibly boring everyone else. The same could be said of Proehl's roman--clef-for-nerds concept: some might enjoy the endless array of thinly veiled icons (e.g. Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny, as well as comics writer Gail Simone, to name a few), but those not fully in the know may feel left behind. The prose sometimes lurches into overwrought, look-at-my-MFA style writing, but it's a testament to Proehl's talents that these stumbles never detract from the rest of the story, which is a genuine and often moving tale of a mother and her son. An appealing debut novel despite a few missteps. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Nine-year-old Alex and his actress mother, Valerie, are driving from New York to Los Angeles with stops at ComicCons in Cleveland and Chicago, where Valerie, the former star of a cult-classic TV series will make appearances. The real purpose of the trip, though Alex doesn't know it yet, is to grant his actor father custody of the boy, thanks to his mother's six-year-long violation of the initial custody agreement. While their story unfolds, readers are introduced to two comics creators: Gail, a writer, and Brett, an artist. Their lives provide a fascinating entrée into the comics industry even as they intersect with those of Alex and Valerie. The relationship between Alex and Brett is especially engaging as the two form an unofficial collaboration on a story that Alex is imagining, one that has interesting parallels to his own life. Story is an important consideration in this absorbing first novel, for every evening Valerie tells Alex a story based on the X-Files-like TV show in which she costarred with the boy's father. Proehl has done an excellent job of integrating all of the story lines and creating memorable characters to populate them. Though not without its melancholy moments, the story is deeply satisfying and will delight both comics fans and general readers.--Cart, Michael Copyright 2016 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Nine-year-old Alex and his mother, Val, are on a cross-country road trip, stopping at comic book conventions en route to Los Angeles. Actress Val is best known for her role as Agent Bethany Frazier from the cult sf television show Anomaly, and her gigs signing autographs for geeky fans help pay the bills and prolong the time she has with her son before she has to deliver him to his estranged father. It has been six years since Val fled her costar ex-husband, taking Alex with her to start a new life in New York. Now she must make good on their custody arrangement, only she hasn't admitted to Alex what's in store. Alex is precocious but still a kid, sweet but increasingly savvy. He strikes up friendships with Brett, a struggling illustrator, and Gail, a lesbian comics writer, and a bevy of costumed women on the comic-con circuit-Red Emma, Ferret Lass, ExSanguina, and -Astounding Woman-helps him understand that he's in charge of writing his own story. VERDICT Readers need not be into cosplay, comics, or superheroes to enjoy this touching first novel about a family deeply affected by tragedy, and a mother's love for her son.-Christine Perkins, Whatcom Cty. Lib. Syst., -Bellingham, WA © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
