The reluctant heir
Wes Edwards didn't ask to become a guardian of the impossible. Unfortunately, the collection didn't ask his opinion.
A dead father. An impossible inheritance. A storage unit full of things that should not exist. Welcome to 616 Reasons to Be a Collector, a novel by Ben Peterson.

01 / The story
A legacy in storage
There are collectors of comics, records, and old things. Then there are collectors of things the world was never meant to find.
The story
Wes Edwards knows a thing or two about collecting. Comics, pop-culture treasures, the little pieces of life we convince ourselves we can’t throw away. What he doesn’t know is what his estranged father was really collecting.
When Harold dies, Wes inherits Storage Unit 616 and its meticulously cataloged contents: impossible artifacts, dangerous secrets, and a mystery that reaches far beyond the walls of a storage facility.
Now a powerful object is missing, a shadowy network is closing in, and Wes has to figure out who to trust. His unlikely allies include old friends, new connections, and a bulldog with more opinions than anyone asked for.
Full of supernatural trouble, comic-book soul, irreverent humor, and unexpected heart, 616 Reasons to Be a Collector is about family, grief, friendship, and the strange things we hold onto.
Because sometimes what we inherit is more than what was left behind.
02 / Inside the collection
The world of 616 is built from forgotten objects, impossible histories, and people who really should have stayed home.
Wes Edwards didn't ask to become a guardian of the impossible. Unfortunately, the collection didn't ask his opinion.
One item is gone. Whatever took it could be the least dangerous part of what happens next.
Ancient mysteries, collectors with agendas, and one very talkative bulldog. Things get weird quickly.
We don't just collect things.
We collect the stories attached to them.
03 / The person responsible
Ben Peterson is a writer, illustrator, designer, and lifelong comic-book fan from Kansas City, Kansas. His creative work has always lived at the intersection of pop culture, storytelling, and the everyday moments that make us human.
In 616 Reasons to Be a Collector, he brings together his love of comics, supernatural mysteries, Kansas City, and the complicated ties between fathers and their children.
04 / Find your copy
Choose your reading format. Amazon currently handles purchasing and fulfillment. These links search for the book until the exact product URLs are added.
Take the collection anywhere. Just don't let the artifacts out of your sight.
Find on Amazon ↗The book-lover's edition. Pages to turn, a shelf to fill, and one more thing to collect.
Find on Amazon ↗For readers who understand that some things deserve a permanent place on the shelf.
Find on Amazon ↗Curious about the book?
Start with the story. Stay for the weirdness.