An Almost Impossible Story is a new 332-page illustrated version of my award-winning novel, published in August 2022 under the imprint Evidentia Originals – a series of fiction and non-fiction books. You can now buy a copy of An Almost Impossible Story from Amazon in print, and it will soon be available as an ebook (Kindle) and as an audio-book (Audible). The initial text-only novel won the 2020 Reader Views Award (Austin, Texas) for best book of humor/satire of the year. The initial audio-book version won the Wild Card Award at the 2020 San Francisco Book Festival.

Why an illustrated version?

An Almost Impossible Story is a new illustrated version of a novel, Mind the Gap, which I brought out just before the pandemic started. Then came the global public health crisis, and the whole world took a pause.

Meanwhile, I completed a feature-length documentary film during that fateful year. In directing and marketing this film, The Blinding Sea, I was increasingly drawn to the power of images, and the idea of adding illustrations to a novel, after the fact, so they would complement but not pre-empt the text.

In weaving text and images together in this new edition, I have decided to change the title of the novel to An Almost Impossible Story.

This novel is partly based on a true story. But it would spoil all the fun if I told you exactly what I mean by “partly” and “true story!” I don’t intend to present this as a roman à clef, where each character rigorously represents a real person, whether living or dead.

I hope you enjoy An Almost Impossible Story!

Excerpt from the review of the initial text-only version of this novel by Reader Views:
“Mind the Gap by George Tombs is one of the most unique stories I’ve read in some time. With quirky characters, a colorful storyline and an overall feeling you’ve just stepped into another world, it’s a lively, humorous dance revealing the very definition of family dysfunction. It’s a coming of age story about Richard Grey who is basically at odds against the world. Or at least his world…. This is such a fun read! The writing is brilliant, the author creating a world with vivid imagery through his words. It’s witty and engaging with a plot that arouses a natural curiosity – it’s hard to put down once you get started!" – Reader Views
Link to entire review:

Excerpt from the review of the initial text-only version of this novel by Kirkus Reviews:
“The Canadian writer/filmmaker’s first novel is a seriocomic dysfunctional-family saga and magical-realist coming-of-age tale that will put some readers in mind of John Irving’s work—if Irving had a fondness for hockey. The well-drawn characterizations carry along a plotline that seems a bit too bumpy and meandering for its own good. Fortunately, the characters are sympathetic, vulnerable, and oddball enough to make the rocky journey worthwhile, and some of Tombs’ details—especially in his portrait of a shady book publisher—have an impressive realism.
“An effective novel of family and society from a writer with a flair for the offbeat.” – Kirkus Reviews
Link to entire review: