What do you think?
Rate this book
The Adventures of the Imagination of Periphery Stowe: a future fairy tale
A story of whimsy about a boy and his hallucinations. In search of a cure for the poison that is slowly killing him, Riggs Bombay, the boy who is not afraid of one single thing, sets off in a lung-shaped airship, his toxic hallucinations in tow. While navigating through physical, mental, and spiritual realms, Riggs discovers a most peculiar book, which drives his quest to the farthest reaches of the universe. There, despite the efforts of power-hungry scoundrels, eccentric philosophers, insatiable spirits, and creepy old men, Riggs must deliver the book into the hands of the one person who wants absolutely nothing to do with it! A “fairy-tales for adults”, The Adventures of the Imagination of Periphery Stowe begins in a world learning to cope without eternal youth, and ends in the ancient mind of Periphery Stowe himself. Ages ago, Stowe discovered the secret of eternal youth, but he botched the process just as folks were starting to get used to it. Riggs Bombay journeys through the mind of Periphery Stowe, a mind that some suspect encapsulates the whole of reality. Spiritual agencies, intent on keeping death right where it belongs, pursue Riggs and his four lovable hallucinations through space and time as he attempts to deliver Stowe’s old storybook to the ultimate source of this twisted and endearing universe.
310 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 30, 2004
1 person is currently reading
15 people want to read
About the author
Josh Wagner
40 books29 followersJosh Wagner was born with a hole in his heart, a Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD). He’s fine now.
Wagner’s writing has been described as lyrical, whimsical, and incisive. He works primarily in the realm of magical realism and fantastic fiction. Having studied Creative Writing and English literature at the University of Montana, he went on to earn his MSc from the University of Edinburgh.
Wagner has released four novels ("Shapes the Sunlight Takes," "Deadwind Sea", "Smashing Laptops," and "The Adventures of the Imagination of Periphery Stowe"), several stage plays ("Salep & Silk" and the collection "Bleached Bones"), graphic novels ("Fiction Clemens", "Sky Pirates of Neo Terra"), the short story/poetry collection "Nothing in Mind," and the novella "Mystery Mark," collaboratively illustrated by Theo Ellsworth. His short fiction has been published by Cafe Irreal, Not One of Us, Cleaver Magazine, Medulla Review, Lovecraft eZine, and Image Comics.
His first graphic short appeared in Image Comics "24Seven vol. 2", which was nominated for an Eisner award. "Fiction Clemens" won Project Fanboy's 2008 "Best storyline" award. His short play "Bleach Bone" won the 2012 Westcliffe Center's New Rocky Mountain Voices competition.
Wagner spent his formative years close to the ocean and then later in the mountains. Torn between these forces, Josh can’t sit still for very long. He rarely lives anywhere for more than a year, and his constant travels contribute to the particular imaginative flavor of his work.
He is currently living in Ireland working on his PhD and developing a suite of novels called The Changing Things. He is facinated by rhizomes, paradoxes, things left unsaid.
Wagner’s writing has been described as lyrical, whimsical, and incisive. He works primarily in the realm of magical realism and fantastic fiction. Having studied Creative Writing and English literature at the University of Montana, he went on to earn his MSc from the University of Edinburgh.
Wagner has released four novels ("Shapes the Sunlight Takes," "Deadwind Sea", "Smashing Laptops," and "The Adventures of the Imagination of Periphery Stowe"), several stage plays ("Salep & Silk" and the collection "Bleached Bones"), graphic novels ("Fiction Clemens", "Sky Pirates of Neo Terra"), the short story/poetry collection "Nothing in Mind," and the novella "Mystery Mark," collaboratively illustrated by Theo Ellsworth. His short fiction has been published by Cafe Irreal, Not One of Us, Cleaver Magazine, Medulla Review, Lovecraft eZine, and Image Comics.
His first graphic short appeared in Image Comics "24Seven vol. 2", which was nominated for an Eisner award. "Fiction Clemens" won Project Fanboy's 2008 "Best storyline" award. His short play "Bleach Bone" won the 2012 Westcliffe Center's New Rocky Mountain Voices competition.
Wagner spent his formative years close to the ocean and then later in the mountains. Torn between these forces, Josh can’t sit still for very long. He rarely lives anywhere for more than a year, and his constant travels contribute to the particular imaginative flavor of his work.
He is currently living in Ireland working on his PhD and developing a suite of novels called The Changing Things. He is facinated by rhizomes, paradoxes, things left unsaid.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 12, 2011
This book was so much fun! It had so much imagination, color, and excitement! This is an amazing 'grown-up' bed time story.
August 9, 2013
Souls and memories transferred to rocks, hallucinations as travel companions, a vortex that bends time, space and mind to bring all worlds together and tear them apart, characters merging between each other and the real and imaginary, airships with lungs and jaws and teeth, the list goes on.
"The Adventures of the Imagination of Periphery Stowe" is one of the most fun books I've ever had the pleasure to read. Not since "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" has my imagination been tickled so wonderfully. Much like Periphery himself, I felt like a little boy again, going on a journey through the unknown and leaving behind the drudgery of everyday life.
Josh's descriptions and metaphors read like the finest poetry, building worlds and images that leave lasting impressions so vivid you can taste them. Dialogues are both mysterious and quirky. Lots of giggling occurred.
Perhaps most importantly, as soon as I finished the last sentence, I wanted to go back and read it again (which I will).
Highly recommended.
"The Adventures of the Imagination of Periphery Stowe" is one of the most fun books I've ever had the pleasure to read. Not since "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" has my imagination been tickled so wonderfully. Much like Periphery himself, I felt like a little boy again, going on a journey through the unknown and leaving behind the drudgery of everyday life.
Josh's descriptions and metaphors read like the finest poetry, building worlds and images that leave lasting impressions so vivid you can taste them. Dialogues are both mysterious and quirky. Lots of giggling occurred.
Perhaps most importantly, as soon as I finished the last sentence, I wanted to go back and read it again (which I will).
Highly recommended.
May 25, 2012
This is a fantastic book! So out there, literally. The writing is lyrical, the characters like no others you will ever find in a book and the story carries you on one crazy, surreal adventure after another. If you like Jasper Fforde meets Time Bandits, you'll love this book. I want a t-shirt that says "I heart Riggs Bombay!"
August 2, 2013
Souls and memories transferred to rocks, hallucinations as travel companions, a vortex that bends time, space and mind to bring all worlds together and tear them apart, characters merging between each other and the real and imaginary, airships with lungs and jaws and teeth, the list goes on.
"The Adventures of the Imagination of Periphery Stowe" is one of the most fun books I've ever had the pleasure to read. Not since "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" has my imagination been tickled so wonderfully. Much like Periphery himself, I felt like a little boy again, going on a journey through the unknown and leaving behind the drudgery of everyday life.
Josh's descriptions and metaphors read like the finest poetry, building worlds and images that leave lasting impressions so vivid you can taste them. Dialogues are both mysterious and quirky. Lots of giggling occurred.
Perhaps most importantly, as soon as I finished the last sentence, I wanted to go back and read it again (which I will).
Highly recommended.
"The Adventures of the Imagination of Periphery Stowe" is one of the most fun books I've ever had the pleasure to read. Not since "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" has my imagination been tickled so wonderfully. Much like Periphery himself, I felt like a little boy again, going on a journey through the unknown and leaving behind the drudgery of everyday life.
Josh's descriptions and metaphors read like the finest poetry, building worlds and images that leave lasting impressions so vivid you can taste them. Dialogues are both mysterious and quirky. Lots of giggling occurred.
Perhaps most importantly, as soon as I finished the last sentence, I wanted to go back and read it again (which I will).
Highly recommended.
May 2, 2017
Not long ago I was on a kick of re-reading The Chronicles of Narnia and all the Wizard of Oz books. What struck me now, forty years later, was that they weren't so much novels as fairy tales, which have a whole different set of rules and a different storytelling method. To wit: everything takes a back seat to the *story*. Characterization, literary effect, scene setting, description, dialogue ... What propels a fairy tale is WHAT HAPPENS NEXT, because that's what kids care about.
The Adventures of the Imagination of Periphery Stowe is a fairy tale for grown-ups. It's very much driven by WHAT HAPPENS NEXT, and as with the best fairy tales like Narnia and Oz, weird things happen that characters take in stride, which gives the whole novel that wonderful childlike quality where magic is simply accepted.
If you're looking for a linear plot this ain't it, but the writing is gorgeous, the events are fascinating, the characters are wildly entertaining (Riggs' hallucinations are my favorites), and if you go along for the ride, you'll feel like a kid again. Or possibly an adult on really good drugs.
The Adventures of the Imagination of Periphery Stowe is a fairy tale for grown-ups. It's very much driven by WHAT HAPPENS NEXT, and as with the best fairy tales like Narnia and Oz, weird things happen that characters take in stride, which gives the whole novel that wonderful childlike quality where magic is simply accepted.
If you're looking for a linear plot this ain't it, but the writing is gorgeous, the events are fascinating, the characters are wildly entertaining (Riggs' hallucinations are my favorites), and if you go along for the ride, you'll feel like a kid again. Or possibly an adult on really good drugs.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews