"Lewis Carroll with a touch of Mark Twain. On the surface, The Wheel of Nuldoid is a wonderfully playful fantasy for kids, with an adult philosophy primer below. A fantastic trip all around." —IAN GURVITZ, Television Writer/Producer
"This is the greatest book I've ever read." —ASHLEY TABACH; Los Angeles, California
“If you’re a fan of The Hobbit and The
Wizard of Oz, you’ll love The Wheel of Nuldoid! Woody takes the
reader on a whirlwind trip to a hundred magical places that are both wildly
funny and awe-inspiring. If you think funerals are fun and weddings are
depressing… you might be a Nuldoidian.” —JEFF FOXWORTHY, author
of New York Times Bestseller,
Dirt on my Shirt
"Without a doubt, the funniest, finest,
most comprehensive book ever written about the creatures of Nuldoid." —TED DANSON, actor
"This is an awesome book. I would really
recommend it to anyone over the age of seven or eight. I found that as
I was reading it, I actually could block everything out that was going
on around me, and I was just engrossed in the story. Very creative!
Please make it a movie too!" —CHRISTOPHER ROGERS, Florida
"Holy Lloyd an' Floyd, yas gots we talkin' jus lika dem Noids! What a fantastic book. I couldn't put it down and as soon as I turned the last page I flipped it right back to the front and read it again. Loved it! The creatures of Nuldoid are so original and entertaining in their behavior, outlook on life and death, and especially their speech patterns, not to mention a great story that there is no way this book won't become the next Harry Potter.I'm anxiously awaiting a sequel." —CHANCE CRESANT; Northridge, California
"I'm writing to say that I love your
book. It is one of the best I've ever read! And it's absolutely true. I
love the social commentary and historical accuracy. Reading it, I
sometimes think I'm just like a Nuldoid, though not as extreme. When
you mentioned slowing down when people tell you to speed up, for
instance, I yelled out loud, 'Finally! Somebody gets it!' As I do the
same thing myself. I love the unpredictability and belligerence of the
Nuldoids, and am amused by the religously conspiratory ways of the
Oidenoids. This is one of the best and most flavorful books I've ever
read. Hib nobb del noid!" —DOROTHY SCHNEIDER, Northern California
"Russ Woody is a masterful storyteller. He
writes with insight, warmth and a great sense of humor about a lot of
surprising things like death, life and short, quarrelsome creatures. There
is so much to keep readers turning the page. Get on board for a wild
ride." —DAVID KESSLER, co-author
with Elisabeth Kübler Ross of "On Grief and Grieving"
"Unbeknownst to most 'crustoids,' as humans are referred to in The Wheel of
Nuldoid, Earth's rotation is powered by a giant wheel situated in the center
of our planet. Specifically, it is powered by crystals that are located in the
upper crust, but which are collected every so often by the creatures who dwell
around the Wheel of Nuldoid. Nuldoids are rather amicably disagreeable
creatures, who love nothing more than to argue and insult one another. Their
existence is not known to many, but more than a few notable names in history
have journeyed to Nuldoid and seen the Wheel for themselves. Add to this list
the name Warren Worst, whose story is told in bright detail in The Wheel of
Nuldoid. This book tells of the journey of Warren, Lily, and Leo to Nuldoid to
restore the crystal power and save the planet. "This book is an absolute
treasure, a story that would be great fun to read to one's children over the
course of many late-night bedtime storytelling sessions. Who knew that such
delightful little creatures, full of quarrels and bad grammar, could exist? The
world beneath the surface of Earth is full of wondrous things, all detailed with
vivid awe. The story is unpredictable, which makes it that much more of an
adventure to read; for instance, due to the nature of death in Nuldoid, many
characters are killed off completely unexpectedly. This is sad, from a certain
angle, but the story continues along so smoothly that the reader quickly becomes
engrossed in the next segment of the adventure. The plot twists and turns and
snakes around a good bit, leaving you continuously wondering who's really good
and who's bad. Ultimately, you will be left rooting for our three heroes:
Warren, Lily, and Leo. All three are multi-faceted characters who the reader
grows to truly care about. The ending is a bit of a surprise, but ultimately
extremely satisfying. The Wheel of Nuldoid is a great story to get lost in."
—HOLLY SCUDERO, Sacramento Book Review (SacramentoBookReview.com)
"I bought the book at BayCon yesterday. Just finished reading it
and wanted to let you know I thought it was absolutely brilliant. Your
style is engaging, the world is wonderfully well-built, and the twists
kept me guessing what would happen next right up until the end. And I
loved some of the little details about the Nuldoids' world, like the
Delnoids and their status, Ed's book about what a lousy ruler he is,
and the visitor list at the end. A++ would read again, will recommend." —PHOENIX MADRONE, Age 20
“This
is such a good book that I don't even want to give anything away. Just get the
book and READ IT. It starts off with the grandfather telling a story to his
grandchildren on his deathbed. The children are afraid that he will die in
front of them. The story starts and...................well I'll just let you get
the book and read it. I'm good at telling to much info to where the story would
be told.” —CHRISTY; Little Rock, Arkansas
"I
really enjoyed the book because of all the imagination in it and how Nuldoid is
so very different to our world. I was really sad to finish the book was because
I enjoyed it so much. I hope there is a sequel." —EMMA CAMPBELL, Age 11 Melbourne, Australia
“The book is a humorous sardonic
look at the very center of our world, where a society of short, quarrelsome
creatures live and operate the machinery that rotates the earth, started as a
screen play in the 1980s. Woody set the story aside and didn't pick it up again
until shortly after the onset of the Iraq War.
"’I had always wanted to revamp it
as a novel. So to tell you the truth, I won't say it was a blatantly left-wing
catalyst that had me pull it out again but that was a big part of it. I was
frustrated at the beginning of the Iraq war that no one was hearing those whose
voices were in descent. The fact that the media was so behind the war and that
anyone who spoke out against it was either ignored or publicly crucified was
disturbing to me,’ he said. ‘To me the book is really about the importance of dissent
in society.’" —KYRA GOTTESMAN, The Buzz Chico Enterprise Record
"I loved it. It was original, it was witty, and I literally carried it wherever I
went when I was reading it. I loved the Nuldoids, mostly for their linguistics,
but also for their personality, originality, hilarious antics, and, admittedly,
their (Nuldoidian) vulgarity. All in all, a very good, inspiring fantasy story. Looking
forward to reading more of your books." —DANIEL ROMERO, California
"I finished Nuldoid last night, and I have to say I loved it. It was probably one of the most fun books I have read in a long time. Thank you!" RODNEY BARNES, Fayetteville, GA
"This book came across my desk as just another project to read. By the end of the
first chapter I was sucked into the world of the Noldoids, the mischievous tone
that the author sets with these vibrant characters allows you to escape and
imagine what a world "under" the earth might be like. Be prepared to whisked
away on a fanciful journey where funerals are parties and politicians pick up
the trash. I heartily recommend 'The Wheel of the Nuldoid.'" —NATALIE KHOURY, Pelagius Films, Inc.
"Met the author and artist at Baycon 2009. As they seemed to be relatively
engaging and somewhat sane toids, bought the book. It was a delight...the deeper
you delved into Nuldoid, the story became more and more affecting. By the end,
you were rooting for Warren and Lily and Leo, and all their Nuldoid companions.
A real hoot, but a hoot that touches upon spirituality and life-after-death
issues." —CYNTHIA CRAVENS, California
"The first chapter, with its humor and promise of adventure, drew me in
instantly and I was anxious to see where the following pages would take
me. When 6th grade teacher Warren Worst learns one of his students,
Leo, is living alone, Warren invites Leo to stay with him for a while.
But it's not long before two strange little men arrive and convince Leo
to help them find a "treasure." What Leo doesn't know is that the
treasure is a crystal that powers the earth's rotation, and these men
plan to kidnap Leo. Leo finds himself in a city at the center of the
earth called Nuldoid while his teacher Warren and his neighbor Lily
follow. There they see the amazing wheel of Nuldoid and learn its
powerful secret. But the wheel isn't working properly, and that has a
profound affect on Earth. Leo learns that he is the key to saving
millions of lives, but he might have to forfeit his own. The intriguing
plot and memorable characters make this one fantasy you won't want to
put down."—CHRISTINA LEWIS, Kidsbookshelf Review Kidsbookshelf.com
"As a major reader I loved this book. It was impossible to put down and I laughed
and smiled all through it. If you like Fantasy and comedy this is the book to
read. I know Russ Woody really well and he is funny, creative, and
serious... rarely serious. He is a great person and a great writer. If you want to
hear my full review look up The Wheel of Nuldoid on Amazon.com and read the
review." —OLIVER AMBROS, Age 13
"What I was not prepared for was my sheer enjoyment from reading it. I can't say
enough good things. I fully expected a children's fantasy novel and was
pleasantly surprised to find a well evolved meaningful story that is both
appropriate and entertaining for children and thought provoking and insightful
for adults. This is one of those rare books that transcend time and place with
smart, funny and relevant insights. This is sure to be a classic and I fully
expect to see the world of Nuldoid carry on for a very long time to come. I
myself am excited to read more." —MICHAEL WOLPER; Los Angeles, California
"I
got the book some days ago and let me tell you I just simple loved it. The
first day I took the book to school, I couldn’t stop reading it and my best friends are already asking me to lend them the book! Even one of my
teachers (who only reads biography) wanted to read the book. I simply couldn’t
put it down, I really liked Kyle and Morton, also loved how the ending
turned out. I truly have no words to say
how REALLY good it was. I just loved it." —LIA B.; Miami, Florida
"I bought this book on the recommendation of my son's 4th grade
teacher, as she said we both would like it. She was right! Hilarious
and clever, this book was so much fun reading together with my son. You
will use your imagination in a great way, you will have no choice. How
the author created a whole group of people with language, customs and
all their indiosyncrasies is amazing. The thing that stands out most
with this book was how a fantasy world was created in conjuction with
our own real world. Waiting for the sequel and the movie!!!" —BILL MAHKOVTZ; San Jose, California
“Wildly imaginative, quite possibly crazy, and a
delight to read.So hilarious and wise about love and death, that anyone
who doesn't love it should be incarcerated at Gitmo and broken down by the
torture which our nation performs so beautifully.”—RICHARD DRESSER, playwright
“I love this book. What seems like a
light-hearted romp through a world of small creatures and fantastic settings,
becomes a significant story about life, love, death and rebirth. An
intoxicating journey, fun all the way through. I didn’t want to stop reading.” —MARSHA MASON, actress
"By the end (of the book), it had
unexpected depth and richness. It's so hard to be fantastical and
funny, but even more to be fantastical and funny and still make it a
real novel. It tells a well-wrought tale about characters that I came
to care about, and felt that I knew as living souls, not just authorial
puppets.
"I have found many of the
images - the places and events - stuck in my mind now days after finishing it, which is especially an accomplishment because of the physics of the world, what with directions and up and down all being wrong. I still ended up with a strong sense that I had seen stuff, which may not have been at all the stuff (Woody) saw in (his) head when writing it but what the hell. The cliff ledge with both ends cut off, the Fishing Worms, the gears of the wheel and the shoelace, the green-guts exploding heads, the colored rubber ball test and Ed all have stuck with me. And I
really liked the list of visitors." —GLENN GERS, Screenwriter Los Angeles, California
“Vivid imagery, unforgettable characters and
wisdom for the ages are just a few of the delights that await all who travel
into the magical, mystical world of Nuldoid. Settle into a comfortable chair,
you won’t want to move for hours. A brilliant read for adventurers young and
old.”
—BJ NATHAN HEGEDUS; Portrait of a Bookstore, Studio City, California
"My 11-year old son yelled from his bed about an hour
ago, "Mom, can you get me ice chips? I don't want to stop reading." The
book that was too good to put down? "The Wheel of Nuldoid."" —NELL SCOVELL, Television Writer/Producer
“Hollywood writer/producer Russ Woody
has birthed a world and populated it with a slew of two-foot-tall grumps.
Woody envisions a world at the
center of our own that is in some way responsible for keeping Earth rotating.
The upside-down tale—complete with exploding heads, quivering mucus and other
gross-out elements designed to appeal especially to pre-teens—has a logic all its
own. Call it "circular logic.
"Nuldoid is a
place 'where north was south and great was mediocre, where conflict and
dissent and bickering were good and welcome things and where spit was
greasy.' It's 'Hib nobb del noid' (literally "Within dat
circular circle, circles all dat is to be moved in dat circle"), referring
to the 'belief that everything exists in a circle. Therefore happiness is
next to unhappiness, evil is next to good, fat to thin.' Argument produces
essential movement.” —DAN BARNETT, The Buzz Chico Enterprise Record
Nuldoid Testimonials!
"Lewis Carroll with a touch of Mark Twain. On the surface, The Wheel of Nuldoid is a wonderfully playful fantasy for kids, with an adult philosophy primer below. A fantastic trip all around." 
“Hollywood writer/producer Russ Woody
has birthed a world and populated it with a slew of two-foot-tall grumps.
Woody envisions a world at the
center of our own that is in some way responsible for keeping Earth rotating.
The upside-down tale—complete with exploding heads, quivering mucus and other
gross-out elements designed to appeal especially to pre-teens—has a logic all its
own. Call it "circular logic.
