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If I Were An Evil Overlord
Who hasn't dreamed of being an evil overlord?
Today's finest fantasy authors have delivered fourteen tales that run the gamut from humorous to serious, fantasy to science fiction. Certain to appeal to role-playing gamers, fantasy lovers, and megalomaniacs who want to rule the world.
Today's finest fantasy authors have delivered fourteen tales that run the gamut from humorous to serious, fantasy to science fiction. Certain to appeal to role-playing gamers, fantasy lovers, and megalomaniacs who want to rule the world.
306 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 6, 2007
5 people are currently reading
401 people want to read
About the author
Martin H. Greenberg
910 books163 followersMartin Harry Greenberg was an American academic and speculative fiction anthologist. In all, he compiled 1,298 anthologies and commissioned over 8,200 original short stories. He founded Tekno Books, a packager of more than 2000 published books. In addition, he was a co-founder of the Sci-Fi Channel.
For the 1950s anthologist and publisher of Gnome Press, see Martin Greenberg.
For the 1950s anthologist and publisher of Gnome Press, see Martin Greenberg.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
November 30, 2021
It is a standard trope of fiction that the evil overlord is undone by their own cleverness - putting the hero in an elaborate death trap rather than simply killing them and the like. This anthology takes a different look at the situation, with 14 mostly humorous tales in which the EO makes the more sensible decision.
The stories cover a wide range of genres - fantasy, sci-fi, spy thriller, and more - and present a fair range of quality. Tanya Huff's story was the best, I thought, and I also enjoyed the contributions from Jim C Hines, J Steven York, and Steven A Roman. I didn't enjoy the story from Nina Kiriki Hoffman and I thought David Niall Wilson's effort was an interesting concept but left far too many unanswered questions - Kristine Kathryn Rusch's contribution was a bit the same.
Overall, a mixed bag, as is the case with most anthologies, but worth reading. Most of the stories are 20-25 pages, so if you're not enjoying a particular piece, it won't be long before you start another.
The stories cover a wide range of genres - fantasy, sci-fi, spy thriller, and more - and present a fair range of quality. Tanya Huff's story was the best, I thought, and I also enjoyed the contributions from Jim C Hines, J Steven York, and Steven A Roman. I didn't enjoy the story from Nina Kiriki Hoffman and I thought David Niall Wilson's effort was an interesting concept but left far too many unanswered questions - Kristine Kathryn Rusch's contribution was a bit the same.
Overall, a mixed bag, as is the case with most anthologies, but worth reading. Most of the stories are 20-25 pages, so if you're not enjoying a particular piece, it won't be long before you start another.
January 14, 2020
4 stars for the Jim C Hines story >Daddy's little girl<.
I had read it before in the anthology "When the villain comes home" and it sported one of the few proper villains in the collection.
Jenny is full of the qualites you'd expect in a competent and resourceful evil overlord, I honestly think she'd move Peter (author of the legendary Evil overlord list) to shed a tear.
I look forward to getting to the rest of the stories in this one.
Update: there were a couple of other stories I liked but a lot of mediocre ones.
I had read it before in the anthology "When the villain comes home" and it sported one of the few proper villains in the collection.
Jenny is full of the qualites you'd expect in a competent and resourceful evil overlord, I honestly think she'd move Peter (author of the legendary Evil overlord list) to shed a tear.
I look forward to getting to the rest of the stories in this one.
Update: there were a couple of other stories I liked but a lot of mediocre ones.
September 16, 2009
All in all, a good book. Like any compilation of short stories by different authors, some were better than others. Usually, I found I had a preference for the more humorous stories ("Gordie Culligan vs Dr. Longbeach and the HVAC of Doom" for example), but I really feel my favorite stories were the ones that flirted with humor but had a generally serious feel, like Tanya Huff's contribution "A Woman's Work..." (which confronts evil overlord stereotypes without getting heavy-handed about it, and makes excellent points on good governance) or the enigmatically-titled Steven Roman piece, "To Sit in Darkness Here, Hatching Vain Empire."
That being said, there were some stories that by virtue of being too silly or pointless I just didn't like. "Life and Death of the Fortune Cookie Tyrant" feels like it was written by an elementary school kid. "The Next Level" is about a kid who's been abducted and is forced to play a video game to control the fate of an evil empire in an alternate dimension, though they never bother to explain why/how that kid was kidnapped, why this works, or even why it has to be a video game at all other than that it appeals to geeks like me to have video games that control worlds.
All in all, read this book, but skip around and if a story doesn't catch you pretty quick, it's probably not worth it.
That being said, there were some stories that by virtue of being too silly or pointless I just didn't like. "Life and Death of the Fortune Cookie Tyrant" feels like it was written by an elementary school kid. "The Next Level" is about a kid who's been abducted and is forced to play a video game to control the fate of an evil empire in an alternate dimension, though they never bother to explain why/how that kid was kidnapped, why this works, or even why it has to be a video game at all other than that it appeals to geeks like me to have video games that control worlds.
All in all, read this book, but skip around and if a story doesn't catch you pretty quick, it's probably not worth it.
September 9, 2008
A mediocre-at-best collection of stories about Evil Overlords. Tanya Huff and Nina Kiriki Hoffman (no surprise there) wrote the only two stories worth reading. The stories aren't even offensively or impressively bad--just sort of boring and banal.
November 22, 2010
If I Were an Evil Overlord
I picked up this anthology based solely on the title, I have to admit. However, I’m happy to say that it’s a well-rounded anthology with some good stories in here. We see the Evil Overlord from his/her POV, from the second-in-command, from the beginning, near the end, from the minion’s POV, the heir, and the hired hand sent to fix the air-conditioning. We have Seriously Evil Overlords, and others that are so over-the-top that they’re hilarious. In fact, probably half of the stories in here have a tongue-in-cheek tone to them. Comments on individual stories follow, but I’d recommend this anthology for some good, old-fashioned Evil Overlording fun.
If Looks Could Kill by Esther Friesner: As expected, a funny, tongue-in-cheek story about an elf and his sidekick captured by an Evil Overlord. In this case, the Overlord is never seen, but instead the elf and sidekick are visited by the Overlord’s daughter in the dungeon. Hilarity, of course, ensues.
The Man Who Would Be Overlord by David Bischoff: This time we see the Evil Overlord as he tells his tale of how he came to be the Evil Overlord. An OK story, although the build-up to the ending was a little too long . . . or it ended too quick.
Ensuring the Succession by Jody Lynn Nye: Here, the Evil Overlord is attempting to secure his succession by testing his heir for his suitability as Evil Overlord replacement. (This is not a spoiler; did you read the title of the story?) I liked the story, but found myself thinking that parts of the story would have been more interesting if they’d been written from the heir’s POV, rather than strictly from the current Evil Overlord’s POV.
The Life and Death of Fortune Cookie Tyrant by Dean Wesley Smith: This story begins with the first tentative steps of a man destined to be Evil Overlord . . . if he doesn’t make any mistakes along the way. So we get to see how an Evil Overlord might develop. An interesting premise on how the main character gets his powers, and a little tongue-in-cheek overall.
Daddy’s Little Girl by Jim C. Hines: The main character here isn’t an Evil Overlord, but rather a minion who died and has been brought back to life by the Evil Overlord’s daughter to help her take over her father’s business, so to speak. I liked the fact that . . . well, if I tell you what I liked it would spoil the story. But there’s a twist regarding the main character and the daughter that I liked and that made the story different.
Gordie Culligan vs. Dr. Longbeach & the HVAC of Doom by J. Steven York: A fun little story where the main character is an air conditioning maintenance man, with an apprentice sidekick. I really enjoyed reading this story, and totally believed that the man’s expertise would enable him to save the day . . . or at least get most of the way there. Lots of fun.
The Sins of the Sons by Fiona Patton: A much more serious take on the theme here than some of the previous stories. I love the world that Fiona creates here in such a small space, and the characters were particularly interesting. The author doesn’t shy away from some of the more gruesome aspects either, giving you just enough details to make you squirm and leaving the rest to imagination. I found the names a little hard to keep track of, but really enjoyed the story overall.
Loser Takes All by Donald J. Bingle: This story starts off a little light-hearted, with the main character intent on playing and winning the video game Ultimate Overlord. The story also has a unique structure, since we are told the rules he intends to play the game (and his life), with little vignettes on the actual game play in progress. It has a slightly darker turn to it by the end though, that I can’t say much about without ruining the story.
The Next Level by David Niall Wilson: Another story that sort of crosses a video game with a main character, although much different than the last story. Here, the computer game is more real than what’s happening in the real world. In fact, the story is more about the supposed computer game than anything else. An interesting take though.
Advisors at Naptime by Kristine Kathryn Rusch: This is a play on that old adage that a “five-year-old could have solved that.” The main character is a five-year-old who simply wants a nap. She doesn’t realize the importance of the job she actually has to do. A fun story with some real tension in it, especially toward the end. The author did a great job of keeping us in the POV of the child—who doesn’t really understand what’s going on around her—while still giving us everything we need to know what’s really going on.
A Woman’s Work . . . by Tanya Huff: A great Evil Overlord in this story, someone who knows what they want, why they want it, and how to get it. The reason this one is memorable is because the Evil Overlord isn’t over the top. She’s smart and practical . . . and will perhaps remind you suspiciously of your mother.
To Sit In Darkness Here, Hatching Vain Empires by Steven A. Roman: A truly evil Evil Overlord here, who perhaps goes a step too far. It takes a little while to get to the main story here, but once you do, the story is interesting and engrossing.
Stronger Than Fate by John Helfers: I like that this story plays on the tropes of the epic fantasy novel . . . probably because I’m an epic fantasy novelist. *grin* There is, of course, a twist at the end that you really should be expecting.
Art Therapy by Nina Kiriki Hoffman: I absolutely love the idea behind this story, where two young boys from the slums vow to aid each other on their climb to Evil Overlord, one being the Overlord and the other their trusted second-in-command. But what happens when the Evil Overlord starts going a little soft? What can the second-in-command do? The answer is obvious and leads to some great humor.
I picked up this anthology based solely on the title, I have to admit. However, I’m happy to say that it’s a well-rounded anthology with some good stories in here. We see the Evil Overlord from his/her POV, from the second-in-command, from the beginning, near the end, from the minion’s POV, the heir, and the hired hand sent to fix the air-conditioning. We have Seriously Evil Overlords, and others that are so over-the-top that they’re hilarious. In fact, probably half of the stories in here have a tongue-in-cheek tone to them. Comments on individual stories follow, but I’d recommend this anthology for some good, old-fashioned Evil Overlording fun.
If Looks Could Kill by Esther Friesner: As expected, a funny, tongue-in-cheek story about an elf and his sidekick captured by an Evil Overlord. In this case, the Overlord is never seen, but instead the elf and sidekick are visited by the Overlord’s daughter in the dungeon. Hilarity, of course, ensues.
The Man Who Would Be Overlord by David Bischoff: This time we see the Evil Overlord as he tells his tale of how he came to be the Evil Overlord. An OK story, although the build-up to the ending was a little too long . . . or it ended too quick.
Ensuring the Succession by Jody Lynn Nye: Here, the Evil Overlord is attempting to secure his succession by testing his heir for his suitability as Evil Overlord replacement. (This is not a spoiler; did you read the title of the story?) I liked the story, but found myself thinking that parts of the story would have been more interesting if they’d been written from the heir’s POV, rather than strictly from the current Evil Overlord’s POV.
The Life and Death of Fortune Cookie Tyrant by Dean Wesley Smith: This story begins with the first tentative steps of a man destined to be Evil Overlord . . . if he doesn’t make any mistakes along the way. So we get to see how an Evil Overlord might develop. An interesting premise on how the main character gets his powers, and a little tongue-in-cheek overall.
Daddy’s Little Girl by Jim C. Hines: The main character here isn’t an Evil Overlord, but rather a minion who died and has been brought back to life by the Evil Overlord’s daughter to help her take over her father’s business, so to speak. I liked the fact that . . . well, if I tell you what I liked it would spoil the story. But there’s a twist regarding the main character and the daughter that I liked and that made the story different.
Gordie Culligan vs. Dr. Longbeach & the HVAC of Doom by J. Steven York: A fun little story where the main character is an air conditioning maintenance man, with an apprentice sidekick. I really enjoyed reading this story, and totally believed that the man’s expertise would enable him to save the day . . . or at least get most of the way there. Lots of fun.
The Sins of the Sons by Fiona Patton: A much more serious take on the theme here than some of the previous stories. I love the world that Fiona creates here in such a small space, and the characters were particularly interesting. The author doesn’t shy away from some of the more gruesome aspects either, giving you just enough details to make you squirm and leaving the rest to imagination. I found the names a little hard to keep track of, but really enjoyed the story overall.
Loser Takes All by Donald J. Bingle: This story starts off a little light-hearted, with the main character intent on playing and winning the video game Ultimate Overlord. The story also has a unique structure, since we are told the rules he intends to play the game (and his life), with little vignettes on the actual game play in progress. It has a slightly darker turn to it by the end though, that I can’t say much about without ruining the story.
The Next Level by David Niall Wilson: Another story that sort of crosses a video game with a main character, although much different than the last story. Here, the computer game is more real than what’s happening in the real world. In fact, the story is more about the supposed computer game than anything else. An interesting take though.
Advisors at Naptime by Kristine Kathryn Rusch: This is a play on that old adage that a “five-year-old could have solved that.” The main character is a five-year-old who simply wants a nap. She doesn’t realize the importance of the job she actually has to do. A fun story with some real tension in it, especially toward the end. The author did a great job of keeping us in the POV of the child—who doesn’t really understand what’s going on around her—while still giving us everything we need to know what’s really going on.
A Woman’s Work . . . by Tanya Huff: A great Evil Overlord in this story, someone who knows what they want, why they want it, and how to get it. The reason this one is memorable is because the Evil Overlord isn’t over the top. She’s smart and practical . . . and will perhaps remind you suspiciously of your mother.
To Sit In Darkness Here, Hatching Vain Empires by Steven A. Roman: A truly evil Evil Overlord here, who perhaps goes a step too far. It takes a little while to get to the main story here, but once you do, the story is interesting and engrossing.
Stronger Than Fate by John Helfers: I like that this story plays on the tropes of the epic fantasy novel . . . probably because I’m an epic fantasy novelist. *grin* There is, of course, a twist at the end that you really should be expecting.
Art Therapy by Nina Kiriki Hoffman: I absolutely love the idea behind this story, where two young boys from the slums vow to aid each other on their climb to Evil Overlord, one being the Overlord and the other their trusted second-in-command. But what happens when the Evil Overlord starts going a little soft? What can the second-in-command do? The answer is obvious and leads to some great humor.
November 19, 2021
I'm not the best audience for this book, but my faculty book club chose this one to read and discuss this semester. The best stories were "A Woman's Work" by Tanya Huff and "Art Therapy" by Nina Kiriki Hoffman. I hated pretty much all the remaining stories with the exception of one that was enough better than earlier installments that I tolerated it a little better. In our final wrap-up discussion, all of us pretty much agreed that those two stories were the best. I'm just thankful this one is complete and that we can move onto something different next semester.
February 21, 2018
Some authors really nailed the Evil Overlord aspect. Some didn't.
Some of the stories were about the people around the Evil Overlord, and those were a mixed set as well.
It was definitely a unique theme for an anthology that wasn't zombies, fantasy creatures, wizards, etc. and it would be cool to see other unique ones.
Some of the stories were about the people around the Evil Overlord, and those were a mixed set as well.
It was definitely a unique theme for an anthology that wasn't zombies, fantasy creatures, wizards, etc. and it would be cool to see other unique ones.
March 16, 2023
I really wanted to enjoy this but "If Looks Could Kill" came across to me as pretty transphobic. I don't think it was intentional, but the way the gender switch was played off as a joke and the character as sexually predatory just left a sour taste in my mouth. I'm going to try to read the rest, and see how it goes, but it didn't hold up for me and was a beginning that made me recoil.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2023
Typical anthology. A couple stories were fine, one was good, most I DNFed. The ones I enjoyed were ones that took the subject (unexpected people becoming evil overlords) serious. Another Goodreads reviewer said it best: "A mediocre-at-best collection of stories about Evil Overlords."
October 29, 2017
A couple of these stories are quite fun. Unfortunately, most of them are kind of obvious and overly purple in prose.
June 7, 2022
Some stories were better than others, but all were well written, just my personal preferences. I really liked " If Looks could Kill," "Daddy's Little Girl," and "A Woman's Work."
November 1, 2024
Some of the stories are 5 stars but then some are lame. So 3 stars.
April 25, 2020
I'm not sure who Martin Greenberg is or what dark god he's made a bargain with, but he always has the funniest anthology ideas.
If I Were an Evil Overlord is explicitly based off the Evil Overlord List (here, if you're unfamiliar), though not all the stories acknowledge that, or even go for humor. It starts out funny with the ever-amazing Esther Friesner then moves through stories until the last story, where the hero? gets put into rehab for not being evil enough. I enjoyed both of those stories, and also A Woman's Work... which I highly recommend for those who miss evil overladies.
More seriously, Ensuring the Succession is great, and while the execution of The Next Level didn't work for me, the idea was good. Really there aren't any especially bad stories, there are a few really standout ones, and the ideas are generally good enough to carry you through. Reccomended.
If I Were an Evil Overlord is explicitly based off the Evil Overlord List (here, if you're unfamiliar), though not all the stories acknowledge that, or even go for humor. It starts out funny with the ever-amazing Esther Friesner then moves through stories until the last story, where the hero? gets put into rehab for not being evil enough. I enjoyed both of those stories, and also A Woman's Work... which I highly recommend for those who miss evil overladies.
More seriously, Ensuring the Succession is great, and while the execution of The Next Level didn't work for me, the idea was good. Really there aren't any especially bad stories, there are a few really standout ones, and the ideas are generally good enough to carry you through. Reccomended.
January 14, 2018
Quite boring. You'd think evil overlords would make for thrilling stories, but none of the authors in this anthology managed to deliver more than predictable, badly written or even outhright copied tales.
I skipped many stories because the writing was just awful.
I skipped many stories because the writing was just awful.
September 8, 2011
This was my when-I-go-out-and-have-to-wait-somewhere book ... until the Kindle.
I'm read about 2/3 of the stories, and sampled the remaining ones to the extent where I could decide I would not finish them.
If I Were An Evil Overlord is the typical anthology, if there is such a thing: some great stuff, some good stuff, some okay stuff, some rubbish. The only new author (to me) was J. Steven York, whose excellent story stood out.
Overall recommended if you like the usual suspects (and I mean that in a good way): Esther M. Friesner, David Bischoff, Jody Lynn Nye, Jim C. Hines, Kristine Kathryn Rusch etc.
I'm read about 2/3 of the stories, and sampled the remaining ones to the extent where I could decide I would not finish them.
If I Were An Evil Overlord is the typical anthology, if there is such a thing: some great stuff, some good stuff, some okay stuff, some rubbish. The only new author (to me) was J. Steven York, whose excellent story stood out.
Overall recommended if you like the usual suspects (and I mean that in a good way): Esther M. Friesner, David Bischoff, Jody Lynn Nye, Jim C. Hines, Kristine Kathryn Rusch etc.
October 15, 2013
This story collection is ambitious and fun. Many of the stories are either not great, or not finished, and I think most of them were probably purpose-written to go together in a collection. Not that there's anything wrong with that! I would still recommend reading it to anyone who is interested in 'evil overlord' stories. Especially if you remember "The Evil Overlord Checklist" being one of the best things on the nascent internet. Just don't expect a polished, cherry-picked collection and do prepare your brain to have fun with these jolly meditations on what it means to be morals-free, narcissistic/nihilistic, and in possession of the means to rule the world. Some of the stories are wonderful, and all of them are passable, especially if you're willing to overlook atrocious grammar. Especially tense agreement. (Which would clearly be my hubristic downfall if I were an evil overlord. (Clearly I've been reading too many "World's/America's/Century's Best" collections lately and not enough of this kind of gritty collection that trains writers up to make it into the other kind.)
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php...
http://legendspbem.angelfire.com/evil...
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php...
http://legendspbem.angelfire.com/evil...
currently-reading-anthcoll
July 31, 2022If Looks Could Kill • novelette by Esther M. Friesner [as by Esther Friesner ]
The Man Who Would Be Overlord • novelette by David Bischoff
Ensuring the Succession • novelette by Jody Lynn Nye
The Life & Death Of Fortune Cookie Tyrant • shortstory by Dean Wesley Smith
Daddy's Little Girl • novelette by Jim C. Hines
Gordie Culligan vs. Dr. Longbeach & the HVAC of Doom • novelette by J. Steven York
The Sins of the Sons • novelette by Fiona Patton
Loser Takes All • novelette by Donald J. Bingle
The Next Level • shortstory by David Niall Wilson
Advisors At Naptime • shortstory by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
"A Woman's Work ..." by Tanya Huff reprinted in Finding Magic and Nights of the Round Table reread 3/9/2015
To Sit in Darkness Here, Hatching Vain Empires • novelette by Steven A. Roman
Stronger Than Fate • shortstory by John Helfers
Art Therapy • novelette by Nina Kiriki Hoffman
The Man Who Would Be Overlord • novelette by David Bischoff
Ensuring the Succession • novelette by Jody Lynn Nye
The Life & Death Of Fortune Cookie Tyrant • shortstory by Dean Wesley Smith
Daddy's Little Girl • novelette by Jim C. Hines
Gordie Culligan vs. Dr. Longbeach & the HVAC of Doom • novelette by J. Steven York
The Sins of the Sons • novelette by Fiona Patton
Loser Takes All • novelette by Donald J. Bingle
The Next Level • shortstory by David Niall Wilson
Advisors At Naptime • shortstory by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
"A Woman's Work ..." by Tanya Huff reprinted in Finding Magic and Nights of the Round Table reread 3/9/2015
To Sit in Darkness Here, Hatching Vain Empires • novelette by Steven A. Roman
Stronger Than Fate • shortstory by John Helfers
Art Therapy • novelette by Nina Kiriki Hoffman
September 29, 2010
Anthologies, especially fantasy anthologies, can often be hit-and-miss affairs, a sort-of Russian Roulette of the literary kind. Many times I have read anthologies in which most of the stories were duds, with only one or two real winners and one or two real bombs--I'm talking nuclear-warhead, weapon-of-mass-destruction bombs. However, I was pleasantly surprised upon finishing If I Were An Evil Overlord. Taken as a whole, the stories rate better-than-average, with several rating excellent. (Those by Tanya Huff, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Jody Lynn Nye, Jim C. Hines, and, my personal favorite, Esther Friesner were highest on my list.) Perhaps it was the subject matter which inspired such sparkling creativity. After all, when it comes to the subject of what you would do if you were an Evil Overlord, well, how could you not get creative with that?
July 8, 2013
I picked up this anthology based solely on the title, I have to admit. However, I?m happy to say that it's a well-rounded anthology with some good stories in here. We see the Evil Overlord from his/her POV, from the second-in-command, from the beginning, near the end, from the minion's POV, the heir, and the hired hand sent to fix the air-conditioning. We have Seriously Evil Overlords, and others that are so over-the-top that they're hilarious. In fact, probably half of the stories in here have a tongue-in-cheek tone to them. Comments on individual stories follow, but I'd recommend this anthology for some good, old-fashioned Evil Overlording fun.
If I Were An Evil Overlord review at SFReader.com
If I Were An Evil Overlord review at SFReader.com
June 9, 2010
The first story was a humorous fantasy piece whose punchline was "the person the nasty Elf hero thought was the Evil Overlord's beautiful daughter was actually a BOY! Hawhaw!"
Not the strongest starting point, IMO.
It was probably the worst of the bunch, and there were some amusing stories in here. Particularly memorable is a piece about an air-conditioning technician foiling the Evil Overlord's plan and saving the world (with the help of an electrician) whilst on a routine repair call.
Not the strongest starting point, IMO.
It was probably the worst of the bunch, and there were some amusing stories in here. Particularly memorable is a piece about an air-conditioning technician foiling the Evil Overlord's plan and saving the world (with the help of an electrician) whilst on a routine repair call.
August 20, 2011
After hearing so much about this particular collection of short stories, I had to obtain a copy and read it for myself.
I was not disappointed.
Most of the stories were quite good (only a few of them were what you'd call not too great, but then again this is my own take on those stories and you may like them).
Overall, a great volume of collected short stories based on the theme of being an Evil Overlord.
Well worth a reading.
I was not disappointed.
Most of the stories were quite good (only a few of them were what you'd call not too great, but then again this is my own take on those stories and you may like them).
Overall, a great volume of collected short stories based on the theme of being an Evil Overlord.
Well worth a reading.
January 4, 2013
I generally love the bad guy in novels and found them essential to make a good story. It was therefore with great pleasure that I found this collection which puts them in the spotlight.
Some novels were really great, I particularly appreciate Tanya Huff's one figuring a great female overlord aware of all the tropes of the genre. Some novels were of course less interesting than the others, but it was overall a great read, with lot of humour and originality.
Some novels were really great, I particularly appreciate Tanya Huff's one figuring a great female overlord aware of all the tropes of the genre. Some novels were of course less interesting than the others, but it was overall a great read, with lot of humour and originality.
March 31, 2014
A good collection of stories, I tended to like the funny ones more - but even the serious tales were well written, and of the 14 there was only one or two that I would say I "didn't like". The first story, "If Looks Could Kill" was definitely my favorite. I had never heard of these 14 authors before, but if I found something else written by them in the future, I can imagine picking it up and trying it out!
November 25, 2016
I loved this anthology's concept, as one of my goals in life is to become an evil overlord. While it cannot be used as a handbook towards becoming a successful one, it does deliver some hints and tips as to how to react within diverse scenarios. You must keep in mind that four year old are essential towards finding plot errors.
No anthology is perfect, and within the scope of this one, I would say it's pretty good. An enjoyable read.
No anthology is perfect, and within the scope of this one, I would say it's pretty good. An enjoyable read.
December 15, 2013
Another great collection of themed short stories about Overlords. Here you will also find a nice Whiteviper tale by David Bischoff. I'm not sure I like the ending so much, as it was rather abrupt. However, in Bischoff fashion, it was full of dark humor and mild gratuitous violence. A nice combination that I've come to enjoy from these stories.
September 3, 2010
Themed anthology that I suspect was inspired by the "If I Was An Evil Overlord..." document[s] that have been knocking around the Net for years. Some took the idea seriously but most of them went for the humor. 14 stories so most of them are fairly short.
owned-unread
May 9, 2010I bought this in ebook format at fictionwise.com, but the publisher decided they wanted more money, so I couldn't download it.
Fictionwise refunded my money after a few weeks, so now I have to decide if I'll ever buy this again.
Unlikely.
Fictionwise refunded my money after a few weeks, so now I have to decide if I'll ever buy this again.
Unlikely.
May 26, 2016
Interesting short stories about people who want to be "Evil Overlords" or are "Evil Overlords" how they got there, or are getting there with some very interesting twists. Had me laughing over a few of them
September 26, 2007
I really liked this anthology. It was a good mix of light and dark stories and a few of the stories were quite funny.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews