 | |
| Author | William Sleator |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Publisher | Dutton Juvenile |
Publication date | June 4, 2001 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover & Paperback) |
| Pages | 161pp |
| ISBN | 978-0-525-46441-9 |
| OCLC | 45661814 |
| LC Class | PZ7.S6313 Mar 2001 |
| Followed by | The Boxes |
Marco's Millions (2001) is a science fiction novel by William Sleator. It is a prequel to the main book, The Boxes .
The protagonist is a boy named Marco who likes to travel. He often secretly rides buses far from home, though only his telepathic sister finds out. One day, his sister sees strange lights in the basement, and she and Marco investigate. They find a portal into another dimension, and thus the adventure begins. Marco finds strange insect-like creatures there, who are convinced that Marco/Lilly can save their dimension (and as a result save Earth) from their god, which is a naked singularity. None of their family members know about this portal, so Lily and Marco secretly need to save this dimension. Time is valued differently than on Earth in that universe, as 1 minute on the other dimension is roughly 21 minutes on Earth. Saving the other dimension would mean being missing for several days on Earth. So, Marco tells his parents he going to his friend Nat's for vacation, while he'll actually be in the other dimension. The creatures (who communicate telepathically) tell Marco he must go on a giant swing and retrieve a small bag at the very top. This will be risking Marco's life. He retrieves the bag and brings it back to the ground. Next, he must go to the naked singularity and bribe it not to destroy the universe by giving it the bag's contents. The singularity values the contents very much and says it will not destroy the universe, but with one cost (continued in The Boxes).
Roger Sutton in his review for Horn Book Magazine said "while the book has the far-out ideas and expert pace that Sleator's fans admire, there's an added dimension of poignancy in the character of Marco, both in his intense bond with his sister Lilly and in his restlessness: obsessed with travel even as a young child, intently riding buses and trains, he has, by the time he reappears as an adult in The Boxes, become something of an intergalactic Flying Dutchman." [1] Diane Roback in her review for Publishers Weekly said that this novel was "more satisfying than its predecessor, and full of strange and startling details, this curious fantasy will spark readers' imaginations and send them right back to The Boxes for a glimpse of Marco's future." [2] Trevelyn E. Jones in his review for School Library Journal said that "Marco is a substantial protagonist; the other characters, while less well-rounded, are convincing enough to advance the story. The book is a successful prequel to Sleator's The Boxes (Dutton, 1998), but also stands on its own." [3]
The Boxes and Marco's Million's series was supposed to have a third book but was never made. In an email to a fan in 2006, he wrote the following:
"Some day I would like to write a third book in that series, called MAD MARTHA. Of course it is about Aunt Martha being mad at Marco for stealing her box.
But my editor says sequels never sell as well as the original. So I don't know when this will happen."
It is unknown if any of the book was written down at any time.
Singularity or singular point may refer to:
Doctor Stephen Strange is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in Strange Tales #110. Doctor Strange serves as the Sorcerer Supreme, the primary protector of Earth against magical and mystical threats. Strange was introduced during the Silver Age of Comic Books in an attempt to bring a different kind of character and themes of mysticism to Marvel Comics.
William Warner Sleator III, known as William Sleator, was an American science fiction author who wrote primarily young adult novels but also wrote for younger readers. His books typically deal with adolescents coming across a peculiar phenomenon related to an element of theoretical science, then trying to deal with the situation. The theme of family relationships, especially between siblings, is frequently intertwined with the science fiction plotline.
Franklin Benjamin Richards is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is usually depicted as a supporting character in Fantastic Four. He has been portrayed as a child and as a budding superhero, albeit inexperienced.
Marvel 1602 is an eight-issue comic book limited series published in 2003 by Marvel Comics. The limited series was written by Neil Gaiman, penciled by Andy Kubert, and digitally painted by Richard Isanove; Scott McKowen illustrated the distinctive scratchboard covers. The eight-part series takes place in a timeline where Marvel superheroes exist in the Elizabethan era; faced with the destruction of their world by a mysterious force, the heroes must fight to save their universe. Many of the early Marvel superheroes — Nick Fury, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and Spider-Man — as well as villains such as Doctor Doom and Magneto appear in various roles.
Dormammu is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in Strange Tales #126. He is the brother of supervilainess Umar and the uncle of superheroine Clea who rules over the Dark Dimension. Dormammu is a recurring antagonist of the superhero Doctor Strange.
Adam Strange is a fictional space adventurer appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by editor Julius Schwartz with a costume designed by Murphy Anderson, he first appeared in Showcase #17.
The Planiverse (ISBN 0-387-98916-1) is a novel by A. K. Dewdney, written in 1984.
The City of Ember is a post-apocalyptic novel by Jeanne DuPrau that was published in 2003. The story is about Ember, a post-apocalyptic underground city threatened by aging infrastructure and corruption. The young protagonists, Lina Mayfleet and Doon Harrow, follow clues left behind by the original builders of the City of Ember, to safety in the outside world.
Clea Strange is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Clea first appeared in the Doctor Strange feature in Strange Tales #126. She is a sorceress, the disciple, lover, and eventual wife of Doctor Stephen Strange, and his successor as Sorcerer Supreme.
The Bartimaeus Sequence is a series of young adult novels of alternate history, fantasy and magic. It was written by British writer Jonathan Stroud and consists of a trilogy published from 2003 to 2005 and a prequel novel published in 2010. The story follows the career of a teenage magician Nathaniel and a five-thousand-year-old djinni Bartimaeus, whom he has summoned and nominally controls, through the alternative history of the peak of London's domination as a magical oligarchy.
The Monarchy was an American comic book series written by Doselle Young with art by John McCrea. It was published by WildStorm, an imprint of DC Comics. The series focused on ex-Stormwatch members Jackson King and Christine Trelane gathering a team of superheroes for the extra-dimensional Weavers.
The Dweller-in-Darkness is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a demon, one of the Fear Lords, who has clashed with Doctor Strange.
The Boy Who Reversed Himself (1986) is a science fiction novel by William Sleator. The novel deals with an exploration into other dimensions, and provides a journey into the world beyond our own.
Dying Earth is a subgenre of science fantasy or science fiction which takes place in the far future at either the end of life on Earth or the end of time, when the laws of the universe themselves fail. Themes of world-weariness, innocence, idealism, entropy, (permanent) exhaustion/depletion of many or all resources, and the hope of renewal dominate.
The Long Earth is the first novel in a collaborative science fiction series by British authors Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter.
"Secret Wars" is a 2015–16 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics. It recalls the 1984–1985 miniseries of the same name. Released on May 6, 2015, the storyline includes a core Secret Wars miniseries, written by Jonathan Hickman and drawn by Esad Ribić, which picks up from where the "Time Runs Out" storyline running in The Avengers and New Avengers ended. The event also served as a conclusion to the Fantastic Four after Marvel decided to cancel the title due to a film rights dispute with 20th Century Fox and declining sales.
Kaecilius is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, primarily as an enemy of Doctor Strange. The character first appeared in Strange Tales Vol. 1, #130 and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.
Stephen Strange is a fictional character portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise—based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name—commonly known by his academic title and alias—Doctor Strange. Initially depicted as a brilliant but arrogant neurosurgeon, Strange experiences a career-ending car accident. In his search to repair his damaged hands, he discovers magic from Kamar-Taj. He becomes a Master of the Mystic Arts, using his newfound powers to protect the Earth from various threats. In the process, he allies with the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy to combat Thanos, before allowing Thanos to initiate the Blip, himself among its victims, to ensure their ultimate victory five years later upon being restored to life. On his return, Strange remains the appointed Guardian of the New York Sanctum, but finds that Wong has become Sorcerer Supreme, a position Strange himself was in the process of inheriting from the Ancient One prior to being Blipped. Strange later faces several problems from the newly-established multiverse, including a rift between realities created by an interrupted attempt to erase everyone's knowledge of Peter Parker's secret identity as Spider-Man; and a Darkhold-corrupted Wanda Maximoff, whom he must stop from acquiring America Chavez's ability to traverse the multiverse for her own goals.
Godzilla: The Planet Eater is a 2018 Japanese computer-animated kaiju film directed by Kōbun Shizuno and Hiroyuki Seshita, written by Gen Urobuchi, and produced and animated by Toho Animation and Polygon Pictures, in association with Netflix. It is the 34th film in the Godzilla franchise, the 32nd Godzilla film produced by Toho, the final film in the franchise's anime trilogy, and the fourth film in the franchise's Reiwa era.
