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The Mad Scientist's Guide to World Domination: Original Short Fiction for the Modern Evil Genius
From Victor Frankenstein to Lex Luthor, from Dr. Moreau to Dr. Doom, readers have long been fascinated by insane plans for world domination and the madmen who devise them. Typically, we see these villains through the eyes of good guys. This anthology, however, explores the world of mad scientists and evil geniuses—from their own wonderfully twisted point of view.
An all-star roster of bestselling authors—including Diana Gabaldon, Daniel Wilson, Austin Grossman, Naomi Novik, and Seanan McGuire ... twenty-two great storytellers, all told—have produced a fabulous assortment of stories, guaranteed to provide readers with hour after hour of high-octane entertainment born of the most megalomaniacal mayhem imaginable.
Everybody loves villains. They’re bad; they always stir the pot; they’re much more fun than the good guys, even if we want to see the good guys win. Their fiendish schemes, maniacal laughter, and limitless ambition are legendary, but what lies behind those crazy eyes and wicked grins? How—and why—do they commit these nefarious deeds? And why are they so set on taking over the world?
If you've ever asked yourself any of these questions, you’re in luck: It’s finally time for the madmen’s side of the story.
Between each chapter falls a single-page essay by the editor, by way of introduction to the story ahead; they have titles of their own, but all contain spoilers, so are not listed here (they can be found on the Internet Science Fiction Database if desired). All individual works in this anthology are in short story form, with the exception of Diana Gabaldon's 80-page Outlander novella, and unless otherwise noted, were first published within.
CONTENTS
Foreword - Chris Claremont, The Mad Scientist's Guide to World Domination: Original Short Fiction for the Modern Evil Genius (p9)
01 - Austin Grossman, Professor Incognito Apologizes: An Itemized List (p16)
02 - Harry Turtledove, Father of the Groom (p28)
03 - Seanan McGuire, Laughter at the Academy: A Field Study in the Genesis of Schizotypal Creative Genius Personality Disorder (SCGPD) (p38)
04 - David D. Levine, Letter to the Editor (p52)
05 - Jeremiah Tolbert, Instead of a Loving Heart (2004, p59)
06 - Daniel H. Wilson, The Executor (p68)
07 - Heather Lindsley, The Angel of Death Has a Business Plan (p83)
08 - Dave Wolverton (as David Farland), Homo Perfectus (p96)
09 - L.A. Banks, Ancient Equations (p108)
10 - Alan Dean Foster, Rural Singularity (p123)
11 - Genevieve Valentine, Captain Justice Saves the Day (p133)
12 - Theodora Goss, The Mad Scientist's Daughter (2010, p142)
13 - Diana Gabaldon, The Space Between (2012 Outlander novella, p161)
14 - Carrie Vaughn, Harry and Marlowe Meet the Founder of the Aetherian Revolution (p245)
15 - Laird Barron, Blood and Stardust (p261)
16 - L.E. Modesitt Jr., A More Perfect Union (p276)
17 - Naomi Novik, Rocks Fall (p289)
18 - Mary Robinette Kowal, We Interrupt This Broadcast (Lady Astronaut short story, p298)
19 - Marjorie M. Liu, The Last Dignity of Man (p306)
20 - Jeffrey Ford, The Pittsburgh Technology (p328)
21 - Grady Hendrix, Mofongo Knows (p341)
22 - Ben H. Winters, The Food Taster's Boy (p357)
An all-star roster of bestselling authors—including Diana Gabaldon, Daniel Wilson, Austin Grossman, Naomi Novik, and Seanan McGuire ... twenty-two great storytellers, all told—have produced a fabulous assortment of stories, guaranteed to provide readers with hour after hour of high-octane entertainment born of the most megalomaniacal mayhem imaginable.
Everybody loves villains. They’re bad; they always stir the pot; they’re much more fun than the good guys, even if we want to see the good guys win. Their fiendish schemes, maniacal laughter, and limitless ambition are legendary, but what lies behind those crazy eyes and wicked grins? How—and why—do they commit these nefarious deeds? And why are they so set on taking over the world?
If you've ever asked yourself any of these questions, you’re in luck: It’s finally time for the madmen’s side of the story.
Between each chapter falls a single-page essay by the editor, by way of introduction to the story ahead; they have titles of their own, but all contain spoilers, so are not listed here (they can be found on the Internet Science Fiction Database if desired). All individual works in this anthology are in short story form, with the exception of Diana Gabaldon's 80-page Outlander novella, and unless otherwise noted, were first published within.
CONTENTS
Foreword - Chris Claremont, The Mad Scientist's Guide to World Domination: Original Short Fiction for the Modern Evil Genius (p9)
01 - Austin Grossman, Professor Incognito Apologizes: An Itemized List (p16)
02 - Harry Turtledove, Father of the Groom (p28)
03 - Seanan McGuire, Laughter at the Academy: A Field Study in the Genesis of Schizotypal Creative Genius Personality Disorder (SCGPD) (p38)
04 - David D. Levine, Letter to the Editor (p52)
05 - Jeremiah Tolbert, Instead of a Loving Heart (2004, p59)
06 - Daniel H. Wilson, The Executor (p68)
07 - Heather Lindsley, The Angel of Death Has a Business Plan (p83)
08 - Dave Wolverton (as David Farland), Homo Perfectus (p96)
09 - L.A. Banks, Ancient Equations (p108)
10 - Alan Dean Foster, Rural Singularity (p123)
11 - Genevieve Valentine, Captain Justice Saves the Day (p133)
12 - Theodora Goss, The Mad Scientist's Daughter (2010, p142)
13 - Diana Gabaldon, The Space Between (2012 Outlander novella, p161)
14 - Carrie Vaughn, Harry and Marlowe Meet the Founder of the Aetherian Revolution (p245)
15 - Laird Barron, Blood and Stardust (p261)
16 - L.E. Modesitt Jr., A More Perfect Union (p276)
17 - Naomi Novik, Rocks Fall (p289)
18 - Mary Robinette Kowal, We Interrupt This Broadcast (Lady Astronaut short story, p298)
19 - Marjorie M. Liu, The Last Dignity of Man (p306)
20 - Jeffrey Ford, The Pittsburgh Technology (p328)
21 - Grady Hendrix, Mofongo Knows (p341)
22 - Ben H. Winters, The Food Taster's Boy (p357)
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 19, 2013
224 people are currently reading
5009 people want to read
About the author
John Joseph Adams
368 books982 followersJohn Joseph Adams is the series editor of BEST AMERICAN SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY. He is also the bestselling editor of many other anthologies, such as ROBOT UPRISINGS, DEAD MAN'S HAND, BRAVE NEW WORLDS,WASTELANDS, and THE LIVING DEAD. Recent and forthcoming books include WHAT THE #@&% IS THAT?, OPERATION ARCANA, PRESS START TO PLAY, LOOSED UPON THE WORLD, and THE APOCALYPSE TRIPTYCH (consisting of THE END IS NIGH, THE END IS NOW, and THE END HAS COME). Called “the reigning king of the anthology world” by Barnes & Noble, John is a two-time winner of the Hugo Award (for which he has been nominated nine times), is a seven-time World Fantasy Award finalist, and served as a judge for the 2015 National Book Award. John is also the editor and publisher of the digital magazines LIGHTSPEED and NIGHTMARE, and is a producer for Wired's THE GEEK'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY podcast. You can find him online at www.johnjosephadams.com and on Twitter @JohnJosephAdams.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 325 reviews
December 20, 2016
I don't really like short story compilations. I'd rather have 800 pages than 80. BUT this was a VERY cool anthology of short stories by fantastic authors about Mad Scientists. Some were artistic, some were Dr. Horrible-esque, and all were very very enjoyable! Definitely recommend to turn your head around on the bad guy we see in all our genre faves!
June 3, 2016
This anthology contained 22 short stories. As with most anthologies the quality varied wildly. I was initially drawn to this anthology because it sounded like a fun premise and it contained short stories from Austin Grossman and Theadora Goss. In the end I was shocked that I liked many of the other short stories better than the ones that caught my eye. Grossman's opening story was actually a bit of a flop. The Goss story fared better, but was only enjoyable rather than anything memorable.
My favourites were David D. Levine’s “Letter to the Editor”, Jeremiah Tolbert’s “Instead of a Loving Heart”, and Marjorie M. Liu’s “The Last Dignity of Man”. All three tales were interesting and emotionally engaging and left me wishing they had been full novels! Naomi Novik’s “Rocks Fall” and Genevieve Valentine’s “Captain Justice Saves the Day” also deserve a special mention. I'll be pursuing more short stories or full novels from these authors at some point in the future.
The only truly awful story in the collection was Harry Turtledove’s “Father of the Groom”. I'll be avoiding his books!
Some short thoughts and my rating for each of the individual stories:
"Professor Incognito Apologizes: an Itemized List" by Austin Grossman
I was actually a bit disappointed in the opening story. Which is a pity as it was the one I was most looking forward to reading. It was not half so much fun or interesting as Soon I Will Be Invincible was. I wonder if that is because the itemized list premise just did not work out well in audio.
This is basically a list where Professor Incognito apologizes to his girlfriend for a few things. Mostly from keeping secrets from her, but also about the fact that he is secretly a supervillan and has just succeeded in selling out the planet earth to an invading Martian horde! It had a bit of humor and a offered an interesting commentary on the nature of a relationship, but on the whole was nowhere near as funny or interesting as Grossman's Soon I Will Be Invincible.
Rating: 2.5 stars.
"Father of the Groom" by Harry Turtledove
In this short story the father of the groom decides to literally make his new daughter in law into a bridezilla. It sounds like it should be a good premise for some light hearted hilarity. Unfortunately it did not play out that way. The omnipotent narrator gave the whole story a pompous and arrogant feel.
Rating: 2 stars.
"Laughter at the Academy" by Seanan McGuire
This tale featured a very different sort of mad scientist. A devious and murderous psychologist who used her own special area of study to push scientists in other fields into madness.
The story was OK, but had no real hook that grabbed my attention.
Rating: 2.5 stars.
"Letter to the Editor" by David D. Levine
This was the first truly engaging story in the anthology. This is the story of Doctor Talon, the arch nemesis of the famed alien superhero Ultimate Man. He explains, in the form of an open letter to the wider world, that rather than a mad scientist supervillain he is actually a misunderstood saviour of humanity.
I found our narrator's tale to be an engaging and fascinating one. The story had an incredible and unique take on a superman like hero.
Rating: 4.5 stars.
"Instead of a Loving Heart" by Jeremiah Tolbert
This was another excellent short story. The tone was surprisingly sad as this story was told from the POV of ZED03 an android slave/servant of a mad scientist. The mad scientist in question is seeking to create an even greater AI in the hopes that it will eventually supplant humanity and in doing so prove its creators genius. ZED03 was once fully human before his mad master ripped his brain from his body and placed it in his now inhuman shell. ZED03 fears becoming obsolete once his masters new creation comes into existence and despairs over the fact that he can no longer create the art he used to love while a human. He was a fascinating character.
Despite this being one of the shorter stories in the anthology we still got a glimpse of potentially interesting world. It is a pity this was never expanded into a full length novel as there was infinite potential for more fascinating stories in this world.
Rating: 4.5 stars.
"The Executor" by Daniel H. Wilson
This was another strangely sad tale. It was about a man who desperately wanted to save his daughter's life. To do see he needs a lot more money than he has the ability to earn. The solution is a simple one. He needs to attempt to pass the tests of The Executor. The Executor is a genius AI who was created by a mad scientist 200 years ago. The robot guards, and successfully manages, the largest fortune in the world. A fortune that can be claimed by any member of the mad scientist's descendant's who can pass the Executor's tests. Unfortunately for our the Executor is not the only one with a vested interest in making sure no one passes his test.
The futuristic world seemed an interesting one and the lead character was easy to sympathize and root for. The only real flaw in this story was that Wilson tended to slow the pacing by being overly descriptive in his writing.
Rating: 3.5 stars.
"The Angel of Death Has a Business Plan" by Heather Lindsley
This proved to be another very engaging story that had a good blend of action and humor while also managing to be strangely dark. The Angel of Death is an aspiring supervillain in her own right, but a lack of funds has forced her to set up as a counsellor and superhero surrogate for other supervillians. She helps boost their self confidence or simply listens to their villainous monologues! She has her own dreams of world domination and means to follow her own advice to see her goals achieved.
In a world packed with larger than life superheroes and supervillains our determined narrator proved to be the stand out character. I'd have prefered a different ending, but I guess it was in keeping with the tone of the story.
Rating: 4 stars.
"Homo Perfectus" by David Farland - another 3 star
This was actually a super creepy story. A new employee for a brilliant pharmaceutical company finds herself being tested by the company's director and founder while thinking she is on a dinner date. Our mad scientist in this one came across as part spy and part date rapist as he uses his drugs to manipulate both himself and his date. The twist at the end was fairly interesting and just about saved the story from being too disturbing.
Rating: 3 stars.
"Ancient Equations" by L. A. Banks
This was a mix of fantasy and sci-fi as the mad scientist in question was trying to summon a Goddess with a mix of magic and physics. This mad scientist was perhaps the craziest in the whole anthology, but it was also easy to sympathize with him as he was trapped in a lonely and isolated existence.
If I had to pick for faults, I'd say the tone of this story was just a bit crude at times for my liking. The ending was also left open to the readers imagination.
Rating: 3 stars
"Rural Singularity" by Alan Dean Foster
I'm not sure what to say about this story. Like most of Alan Dean Foster's work it is perfectly readable, but not particularly memorable. A journalist is dispatched to a rural farm to investigate the reports of a two-headed chicken. It is a slow news week and the journalist expects to get there and find the whole thing is just a money grabbing hoax. Except it turns out it is not. The farmer's daughter is not entirely sane, but she is a genius, and her inventions go far beyond just some genetically mutated chickens.
The story was OK.
Rating: 3 stars.
"Captain Justice Saves the Day" by Genevieve Valentine
Brenda is the assistant to a crazed mad scientist. The guy might be an evil genius, but he cannot even competently deal with people for long enough to order a pizza! The madman's last assistant has disappeared without a trace and Brenda suspects she know why when her boss suggests she let him strap her to his latest doomsday device as a damsel in distress lure to entice the heroic Captain Justice. Brenda mulls the idea over before decided to give it a try.
This story was both fun and humorous. Brenda was a likeable character and proved you do not need to be a mad scientist to be smart or a muscle-bound superhero to save the day!
Rating: 4 stars.
"The Mad Scientist’s Daughter" by Theodora Goss
This was the story of what life might be like for a group of daughters of mad scientists after their fathers died. We had the offspring from the likes of Jekyll, Frankenstein, and Moreau as well as others.
It was an interesting story. Not one high on action, but a thoughtful and interesting tale.
Rating: 3.5 stars
The Space Between by Diana Gabaldon
This one felt out of place for the anthology. For one thing it was about 10 times the length of the average short story in this collection. It also lacked the mad scientist theme. It was more of a historical paranormal tale. It turned out this was actually a novella from Gabaldon's Outlander series. Which makes sense considering this felt like a story where the reader should already be familiar with some of the characters and with the magic of the world. Since I was not it was actually quite confusing at times. It did not work great as a standalone novella.
I found this a little slow paced and confusing and did not particularly enjoy all the Scottish lingo from days of yore. The story did hold my interest at times so it was not all bad.
Rating: 2.5 stars.
"Harry and Marlowe Meet the Founder of the Aetherian Revolution" by Carrie Vaughn
This was an interesting short story set in an intriguing alienpunk(rather than steampunk) world. Harry and Marlowe investigate a notorious mad scientist's lair for signs that he has lapsed back to his old ways.
I found the story quite enjoyable. I wish this had been a set up for a larger series with these characters and this world.
Rating: 4 stars.
"Blood and Stardust" by Laird Barron
This story is a tough one to rate and review. It was told from the first person perspective of a female Igor as she explained a bit about her life as an assistant to a mad scientist and her plans to escape. It was hard to decide what to think of Mary, the main character. She was definitely villainous, but I still managed to sympathize with her. The story was bizarre, but interesting. Its main flaw is it was confusing and hard to follow at times.
Rating: 3 stars.
"A More Perfect Union" by L. E. Modesitt, Jr.
The mad scientist in question in this story was a political strategist. We follow the progress of his candidate through from the early regional elections right through to eventual leadership of a futuristic North America. This one could have been quite clever, and it did have its moments, but on the whole it came across as a bit dry and boring.
Rating: 2 stars.
"Rocks Fall" by Naomi Novik
This was excellent. Very short, but captivating and emotionally engaging. It mainly focused on a short conversation between a supervillain and a superhero as they waited, trapped in the ruins of a collapsed building, for the rescue team to reach them. With neither person knowing who's men lead the rescue team. Both the characters were fascinating individuals and the story managed a few twists in its short length.
I was left wishing for more.
Rating: 4.5 stars.
"We Interrupt This Broadcast" by Mary Robinette Kowal
This was quite an interesting and sad tale. It was not action packed, but was interesting for how easy it was to sympathize with and like the mad scientist despite what he plans to do.
Rating: 3.5 stars.
"The Last Dignity of Man" by Marjorie M. Liu
This was the second longest story in the collection and I think it made good use of that time to build both the story and the character. It was a melancholy tale. It asked the question does a man make a name or does a name make a man. Alexander Luther believes the latter. Though he is never quite as villainous as he thinks he is.
I found the story enjoyable and engaging.
Rating: 4.5 stars.
"Pittsburg Technology" by Jeffrey Ford
This story never really worked for me. It was about a guy who was not happy with his life and found himself using his savings to buy into the Pittsburg Technology in the hopes it could improve his life. It was sort of like one of those get rich quick schemes. With similar results!
Rating: 2 stars.
"Mofongo Knows" by Grady Hendrix
This was another short story that fell just a little flat for me. Geniues ape Mofongo has been imprisoned by his nemesis for years. Only now his jailer has died. Mofongo discovers that he is no longer considered a relevant threat and that his Nemesis's adult daughter is shipping him off to a retirement sanctuary for apes.
The story is an allegory for old age and the losing of ones mental faculties. It could have been quite poignant if it had been executed better.
Rating: 3 stars.
"The Food Taster’s Boy" by Ben Winters
This was a poor way to end the anthology. I'm still not sure what the point of this story was. To show that we yearn for things, but are still not really happy even when we have the things we yearned for?
Rating: 2 stars
Overall anthology rating: 4 stars. It was worth reading for the good short stories. The lesser tales were not that bad and all were quite short with the exception of the Outlander novella. My advice it to skip that one if you do not like the start.
Audio Note: This was narrated by Stefan Rudnicki, Mary Robinette Kowal, and Justine Eyre. I like Rudnicki as a narrator for hard sci-fi stories and while he did OK here his narration is not ideal for humorous stories. Both Kowal and Eyre were excellent. Kowal is one of the very few authors I've encountered who is genuinely talented when it comes to audio narration!
My favourites were David D. Levine’s “Letter to the Editor”, Jeremiah Tolbert’s “Instead of a Loving Heart”, and Marjorie M. Liu’s “The Last Dignity of Man”. All three tales were interesting and emotionally engaging and left me wishing they had been full novels! Naomi Novik’s “Rocks Fall” and Genevieve Valentine’s “Captain Justice Saves the Day” also deserve a special mention. I'll be pursuing more short stories or full novels from these authors at some point in the future.
The only truly awful story in the collection was Harry Turtledove’s “Father of the Groom”. I'll be avoiding his books!
Some short thoughts and my rating for each of the individual stories:
"Professor Incognito Apologizes: an Itemized List" by Austin Grossman
I was actually a bit disappointed in the opening story. Which is a pity as it was the one I was most looking forward to reading. It was not half so much fun or interesting as Soon I Will Be Invincible was. I wonder if that is because the itemized list premise just did not work out well in audio.
This is basically a list where Professor Incognito apologizes to his girlfriend for a few things. Mostly from keeping secrets from her, but also about the fact that he is secretly a supervillan and has just succeeded in selling out the planet earth to an invading Martian horde! It had a bit of humor and a offered an interesting commentary on the nature of a relationship, but on the whole was nowhere near as funny or interesting as Grossman's Soon I Will Be Invincible.
Rating: 2.5 stars.
"Father of the Groom" by Harry Turtledove
In this short story the father of the groom decides to literally make his new daughter in law into a bridezilla. It sounds like it should be a good premise for some light hearted hilarity. Unfortunately it did not play out that way. The omnipotent narrator gave the whole story a pompous and arrogant feel.
Rating: 2 stars.
"Laughter at the Academy" by Seanan McGuire
This tale featured a very different sort of mad scientist. A devious and murderous psychologist who used her own special area of study to push scientists in other fields into madness.
The story was OK, but had no real hook that grabbed my attention.
Rating: 2.5 stars.
"Letter to the Editor" by David D. Levine
This was the first truly engaging story in the anthology. This is the story of Doctor Talon, the arch nemesis of the famed alien superhero Ultimate Man. He explains, in the form of an open letter to the wider world, that rather than a mad scientist supervillain he is actually a misunderstood saviour of humanity.
I found our narrator's tale to be an engaging and fascinating one. The story had an incredible and unique take on a superman like hero.
Rating: 4.5 stars.
"Instead of a Loving Heart" by Jeremiah Tolbert
This was another excellent short story. The tone was surprisingly sad as this story was told from the POV of ZED03 an android slave/servant of a mad scientist. The mad scientist in question is seeking to create an even greater AI in the hopes that it will eventually supplant humanity and in doing so prove its creators genius. ZED03 was once fully human before his mad master ripped his brain from his body and placed it in his now inhuman shell. ZED03 fears becoming obsolete once his masters new creation comes into existence and despairs over the fact that he can no longer create the art he used to love while a human. He was a fascinating character.
Despite this being one of the shorter stories in the anthology we still got a glimpse of potentially interesting world. It is a pity this was never expanded into a full length novel as there was infinite potential for more fascinating stories in this world.
Rating: 4.5 stars.
"The Executor" by Daniel H. Wilson
This was another strangely sad tale. It was about a man who desperately wanted to save his daughter's life. To do see he needs a lot more money than he has the ability to earn. The solution is a simple one. He needs to attempt to pass the tests of The Executor. The Executor is a genius AI who was created by a mad scientist 200 years ago. The robot guards, and successfully manages, the largest fortune in the world. A fortune that can be claimed by any member of the mad scientist's descendant's who can pass the Executor's tests. Unfortunately for our the Executor is not the only one with a vested interest in making sure no one passes his test.
The futuristic world seemed an interesting one and the lead character was easy to sympathize and root for. The only real flaw in this story was that Wilson tended to slow the pacing by being overly descriptive in his writing.
Rating: 3.5 stars.
"The Angel of Death Has a Business Plan" by Heather Lindsley
This proved to be another very engaging story that had a good blend of action and humor while also managing to be strangely dark. The Angel of Death is an aspiring supervillain in her own right, but a lack of funds has forced her to set up as a counsellor and superhero surrogate for other supervillians. She helps boost their self confidence or simply listens to their villainous monologues! She has her own dreams of world domination and means to follow her own advice to see her goals achieved.
In a world packed with larger than life superheroes and supervillains our determined narrator proved to be the stand out character. I'd have prefered a different ending, but I guess it was in keeping with the tone of the story.
Rating: 4 stars.
"Homo Perfectus" by David Farland - another 3 star
This was actually a super creepy story. A new employee for a brilliant pharmaceutical company finds herself being tested by the company's director and founder while thinking she is on a dinner date. Our mad scientist in this one came across as part spy and part date rapist as he uses his drugs to manipulate both himself and his date. The twist at the end was fairly interesting and just about saved the story from being too disturbing.
Rating: 3 stars.
"Ancient Equations" by L. A. Banks
This was a mix of fantasy and sci-fi as the mad scientist in question was trying to summon a Goddess with a mix of magic and physics. This mad scientist was perhaps the craziest in the whole anthology, but it was also easy to sympathize with him as he was trapped in a lonely and isolated existence.
If I had to pick for faults, I'd say the tone of this story was just a bit crude at times for my liking. The ending was also left open to the readers imagination.
Rating: 3 stars
"Rural Singularity" by Alan Dean Foster
I'm not sure what to say about this story. Like most of Alan Dean Foster's work it is perfectly readable, but not particularly memorable. A journalist is dispatched to a rural farm to investigate the reports of a two-headed chicken. It is a slow news week and the journalist expects to get there and find the whole thing is just a money grabbing hoax. Except it turns out it is not. The farmer's daughter is not entirely sane, but she is a genius, and her inventions go far beyond just some genetically mutated chickens.
The story was OK.
Rating: 3 stars.
"Captain Justice Saves the Day" by Genevieve Valentine
Brenda is the assistant to a crazed mad scientist. The guy might be an evil genius, but he cannot even competently deal with people for long enough to order a pizza! The madman's last assistant has disappeared without a trace and Brenda suspects she know why when her boss suggests she let him strap her to his latest doomsday device as a damsel in distress lure to entice the heroic Captain Justice. Brenda mulls the idea over before decided to give it a try.
This story was both fun and humorous. Brenda was a likeable character and proved you do not need to be a mad scientist to be smart or a muscle-bound superhero to save the day!
Rating: 4 stars.
"The Mad Scientist’s Daughter" by Theodora Goss
This was the story of what life might be like for a group of daughters of mad scientists after their fathers died. We had the offspring from the likes of Jekyll, Frankenstein, and Moreau as well as others.
It was an interesting story. Not one high on action, but a thoughtful and interesting tale.
Rating: 3.5 stars
The Space Between by Diana Gabaldon
This one felt out of place for the anthology. For one thing it was about 10 times the length of the average short story in this collection. It also lacked the mad scientist theme. It was more of a historical paranormal tale. It turned out this was actually a novella from Gabaldon's Outlander series. Which makes sense considering this felt like a story where the reader should already be familiar with some of the characters and with the magic of the world. Since I was not it was actually quite confusing at times. It did not work great as a standalone novella.
I found this a little slow paced and confusing and did not particularly enjoy all the Scottish lingo from days of yore. The story did hold my interest at times so it was not all bad.
Rating: 2.5 stars.
"Harry and Marlowe Meet the Founder of the Aetherian Revolution" by Carrie Vaughn
This was an interesting short story set in an intriguing alienpunk(rather than steampunk) world. Harry and Marlowe investigate a notorious mad scientist's lair for signs that he has lapsed back to his old ways.
I found the story quite enjoyable. I wish this had been a set up for a larger series with these characters and this world.
Rating: 4 stars.
"Blood and Stardust" by Laird Barron
This story is a tough one to rate and review. It was told from the first person perspective of a female Igor as she explained a bit about her life as an assistant to a mad scientist and her plans to escape. It was hard to decide what to think of Mary, the main character. She was definitely villainous, but I still managed to sympathize with her. The story was bizarre, but interesting. Its main flaw is it was confusing and hard to follow at times.
Rating: 3 stars.
"A More Perfect Union" by L. E. Modesitt, Jr.
The mad scientist in question in this story was a political strategist. We follow the progress of his candidate through from the early regional elections right through to eventual leadership of a futuristic North America. This one could have been quite clever, and it did have its moments, but on the whole it came across as a bit dry and boring.
Rating: 2 stars.
"Rocks Fall" by Naomi Novik
This was excellent. Very short, but captivating and emotionally engaging. It mainly focused on a short conversation between a supervillain and a superhero as they waited, trapped in the ruins of a collapsed building, for the rescue team to reach them. With neither person knowing who's men lead the rescue team. Both the characters were fascinating individuals and the story managed a few twists in its short length.
I was left wishing for more.
Rating: 4.5 stars.
"We Interrupt This Broadcast" by Mary Robinette Kowal
This was quite an interesting and sad tale. It was not action packed, but was interesting for how easy it was to sympathize with and like the mad scientist despite what he plans to do.
Rating: 3.5 stars.
"The Last Dignity of Man" by Marjorie M. Liu
This was the second longest story in the collection and I think it made good use of that time to build both the story and the character. It was a melancholy tale. It asked the question does a man make a name or does a name make a man. Alexander Luther believes the latter. Though he is never quite as villainous as he thinks he is.
I found the story enjoyable and engaging.
Rating: 4.5 stars.
"Pittsburg Technology" by Jeffrey Ford
This story never really worked for me. It was about a guy who was not happy with his life and found himself using his savings to buy into the Pittsburg Technology in the hopes it could improve his life. It was sort of like one of those get rich quick schemes. With similar results!
Rating: 2 stars.
"Mofongo Knows" by Grady Hendrix
This was another short story that fell just a little flat for me. Geniues ape Mofongo has been imprisoned by his nemesis for years. Only now his jailer has died. Mofongo discovers that he is no longer considered a relevant threat and that his Nemesis's adult daughter is shipping him off to a retirement sanctuary for apes.
The story is an allegory for old age and the losing of ones mental faculties. It could have been quite poignant if it had been executed better.
Rating: 3 stars.
"The Food Taster’s Boy" by Ben Winters
This was a poor way to end the anthology. I'm still not sure what the point of this story was. To show that we yearn for things, but are still not really happy even when we have the things we yearned for?
Rating: 2 stars
Overall anthology rating: 4 stars. It was worth reading for the good short stories. The lesser tales were not that bad and all were quite short with the exception of the Outlander novella. My advice it to skip that one if you do not like the start.
Audio Note: This was narrated by Stefan Rudnicki, Mary Robinette Kowal, and Justine Eyre. I like Rudnicki as a narrator for hard sci-fi stories and while he did OK here his narration is not ideal for humorous stories. Both Kowal and Eyre were excellent. Kowal is one of the very few authors I've encountered who is genuinely talented when it comes to audio narration!
January 6, 2016
Favorites:
Professor Incognito Apologizes: an Itemized List by Austin Grossman
Instead of a Loving Heart by Jeremiah Tolbert
Rural Singularity by Alan Dean Foster
Harry and Marlowe Meet the Founder of the Aetherian Revolution by Carrie Vaughn
Rocks Fall by Naomi Novik
Mofongo Knows by Grady Hendrix
Vaughn's and Tolbert's seemed like parts of larger stories that I'd be interested in reading.
A few other stories that I liked less but found noteworthy:
"The Mad Scientist's Daughter" by Theodora Goss.
Actually mad scientists' daughters, plural. All of them living together, trying to make ends meet. Really liked the concept but too many characters for the short length, and not enough action.
"Space Between" by Diana Gabaldon.
This is novella, not a short story. Are there no page limits assigned? Hardly any other author even wrote 20 pages and this was 80. The opening pages with Rakoczy and his allusions to 'the frog' were intriguing but then we switched to a different narrative with a Scottish widower and a lady planning to be a nun who seemed to know nothing about nuns conversing and it was so boring that I looked ahead and saw how long the story was and skimmed a bit and then quit.
"Father of the Groom" by Harry Turtledove
Is Turtledove always this full of bad puns? and antiquated gender stereotypes?
Professor Incognito Apologizes: an Itemized List by Austin Grossman
Instead of a Loving Heart by Jeremiah Tolbert
Rural Singularity by Alan Dean Foster
Harry and Marlowe Meet the Founder of the Aetherian Revolution by Carrie Vaughn
Rocks Fall by Naomi Novik
Mofongo Knows by Grady Hendrix
Vaughn's and Tolbert's seemed like parts of larger stories that I'd be interested in reading.
A few other stories that I liked less but found noteworthy:
"The Mad Scientist's Daughter" by Theodora Goss.
Actually mad scientists' daughters, plural. All of them living together, trying to make ends meet. Really liked the concept but too many characters for the short length, and not enough action.
"Space Between" by Diana Gabaldon.
This is novella, not a short story. Are there no page limits assigned? Hardly any other author even wrote 20 pages and this was 80. The opening pages with Rakoczy and his allusions to 'the frog' were intriguing but then we switched to a different narrative with a Scottish widower and a lady planning to be a nun who seemed to know nothing about nuns conversing and it was so boring that I looked ahead and saw how long the story was and skimmed a bit and then quit.
"Father of the Groom" by Harry Turtledove
Is Turtledove always this full of bad puns? and antiquated gender stereotypes?
March 14, 2020
The Mad Scientist's Guide to World Domination is as much fun as it sounds. It feels like the authors here had a lot of fun with the concept; there's some excellent stories, and the vast majority of this book is the kind of entertaining romp that you want from a title like that.
There was one story that didn't fit, to me - Diana Gabaldon's The Space Between. Taking up a solid 25% of the book, it not only stands out in length but in tone. It's not that I didn't enjoy it - in any other setting I would have been completely into it. But in this book, it felt like replacing an hour of Thor:Ragnarok with an hour of Outlander. It's not bad, it's just not what you ordered.
The rest of the stories though, were so good that it was entirely worth the detour. Seanan McGuire brings us the world's most dedicated assistant, Theodora Goss introduces her Athena Club with a truly fantastic look at what happens to those mad scientists leave behind, and mind control, deadly AI and monologues galore populate the rest of the pages I've left unnamed.
One of the better ways to keep yourself entertained if you're indoors and isolated right now.
There was one story that didn't fit, to me - Diana Gabaldon's The Space Between. Taking up a solid 25% of the book, it not only stands out in length but in tone. It's not that I didn't enjoy it - in any other setting I would have been completely into it. But in this book, it felt like replacing an hour of Thor:Ragnarok with an hour of Outlander. It's not bad, it's just not what you ordered.
The rest of the stories though, were so good that it was entirely worth the detour. Seanan McGuire brings us the world's most dedicated assistant, Theodora Goss introduces her Athena Club with a truly fantastic look at what happens to those mad scientists leave behind, and mind control, deadly AI and monologues galore populate the rest of the pages I've left unnamed.
One of the better ways to keep yourself entertained if you're indoors and isolated right now.
August 23, 2021
This is a fun anthology of twenty-one short stories about mad scientists and one long novella by Diana Gabaldon that's a romance about religion and sex and time travel. (The latter isn't a bad story and would surely be enjoyed by those who are Outlander fans, but it doesn't fit with the other stories or the theme. I found it a little difficult because it's partially written in foreign languages- French and Scottish.) The others mostly stick to mad scientists, ranging from horror movie conventions to comic book superhero tropes. I particularly enjoyed the Grady Hendrix ape story, Carrie Vaughn's steampunkish story featuring her characters Harry and Marlowe, L.E. Modesitt, Jr.'s clever look at a mad -political- scientist, and the stories by Alan Dean Foster, Seanan McGuire, Heather Lindsley, and Marjorie M. Liu. My favorite by a wide margin was the wonderful Theodora Goss story, The Mad Scientist's Daughter.
September 29, 2021
Halloween Bingo 2021
I was thrilled with this new category for Halloween Bingo this year, Mad Scientists and Evil Geniuses. Apparently, looking at the list of books that I've read, I have a weakness for this kind of character. You can't have a superhero without a really good villain. Batman is less impressive without the Joker. What's the point of Spiderman if there's no Doc Octopus or Green Goblin? Muahaha!
I was glad to see Seanan McGuire’s Laughter at the Academy included here, as I love most of her writing. As I expected, she produced an interesting angle on the villain in question. You'll enjoy it if you've studied the social sciences and been sneered at by an engineering student.
Another favourite for me was Jeremiah Tolbert's Instead of a Loving Heart. And I now realize that it too is about the contrast between the “detached scientific" point of view and the artist. I personally think that this dichotomy is exaggerated in literature, as I don't think many real life scientists are heartless, soulless people. But I guess it makes a point about science serving all people, rather than people serving the evil genius.
I was pleasantly surprised by The Angel of Death Has a Business Plan by Heather Lindsley. It reminded me (in the best ways) of Hench by Natalie Zina Walscots. Both deal with the business of being a super villain from a female point of view. The Angel of Death has some interesting customers for her super villain coaching business.
A contribution by Diana Gabaldon was a complete surprise. I hoped for something different from her usual, but that was not to be. It was a side story to Claire and Jaime, it was bloated and meandering, and it would have been improved by tight editing. I also had overly high hopes for Theodora Goss' story. If you aren't already familiar with the Athena Club novels, I'm not sure you would care one bit about this short fiction.
There are a lot of stories here, more than I can comment on individually. Many of them are by well-known authors. Some writers may be favourites of others. Overall, it was a good assortment, featuring both male & female perpetrators and a vast array of evil plans.
I was thrilled with this new category for Halloween Bingo this year, Mad Scientists and Evil Geniuses. Apparently, looking at the list of books that I've read, I have a weakness for this kind of character. You can't have a superhero without a really good villain. Batman is less impressive without the Joker. What's the point of Spiderman if there's no Doc Octopus or Green Goblin? Muahaha!
I was glad to see Seanan McGuire’s Laughter at the Academy included here, as I love most of her writing. As I expected, she produced an interesting angle on the villain in question. You'll enjoy it if you've studied the social sciences and been sneered at by an engineering student.
Another favourite for me was Jeremiah Tolbert's Instead of a Loving Heart. And I now realize that it too is about the contrast between the “detached scientific" point of view and the artist. I personally think that this dichotomy is exaggerated in literature, as I don't think many real life scientists are heartless, soulless people. But I guess it makes a point about science serving all people, rather than people serving the evil genius.
I was pleasantly surprised by The Angel of Death Has a Business Plan by Heather Lindsley. It reminded me (in the best ways) of Hench by Natalie Zina Walscots. Both deal with the business of being a super villain from a female point of view. The Angel of Death has some interesting customers for her super villain coaching business.
A contribution by Diana Gabaldon was a complete surprise. I hoped for something different from her usual, but that was not to be. It was a side story to Claire and Jaime, it was bloated and meandering, and it would have been improved by tight editing. I also had overly high hopes for Theodora Goss' story. If you aren't already familiar with the Athena Club novels, I'm not sure you would care one bit about this short fiction.
There are a lot of stories here, more than I can comment on individually. Many of them are by well-known authors. Some writers may be favourites of others. Overall, it was a good assortment, featuring both male & female perpetrators and a vast array of evil plans.
July 24, 2015
I generally like to review each story, but so far they've all been short, appropriately humorous, & quite good (3-3.5 stars, at least). Each are preceded by a short blurb which has been very good, too. Just enough to set the stage, never a spoiler. A few stories were exceptional or stinkers. Comments after those.
From the editor's web site:
http://www.johnjosephadams.com/mad-sc...
The following stories can be found in The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination.
Foreword by Chris Claremont - short & to the point. Excellent.
Professor Incognito Apologizes: an Itemized List by Austin Grossman - This was a perfect way to begin. I've only read one book by him before Soon I Will Be Invincible which is quite similar.
Father of the Groom by Harry Turtledove. LOL! I've been one twice. No, there is nothing so extraneous, thankfully. Father of the bride is far worse, especially on the wallet!
All good, different takes - 3 stars:
Laughter at the Academy by Seanan McGuire
Letter to the Editor by David D. Levine
Instead of a Loving Heart by Jeremiah Tolbert
The Executor by Daniel H. Wilson
The Angel of Death Has a Business Plan by Heather Lindsley - another hoot. 3.5 stars Comics just don't pay enough attention to economics.
;)
Homo Perfectus by David Farland - another 3 star
Ancient Equations by L. A. Banks - Her writing has never been to my taste & this was no exception. Yuck.
Rural Singularity by Alan Dean Foster
Captain Justice Saves the Day by Genevieve Valentine - what a hoot!
The Mad Scientist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss - interesting. Surprisingly, I had to look up a couple, but that was easy enough & made for a better story.
The Space Between by Diana Gabaldon - Awful! Couldn't finish it. This is a novella & boring.
Harry and Marlowe Meet the Founder of the Aetherian Revolution by Carrie Vaughn - Fun! I'm not thrilled with her PNR books, but she did well in this setting.
3 stars:
Blood and Stardust by Laird Barron
A More Perfect Union by L. E. Modesitt, Jr.
Rocks Fall by Naomi Novik
We Interrupt This Broadcast by Mary Robinette Kowal
I'd only give 2 stars or less to the following 3.
The Last Dignity of Man by Marjorie M. Liu
Pittsburg Technology by Jeffrey Ford
Mofongo Knows by Grady Hendrix
Certainly not upbeat, but well done. 3.5 stars.
The Food Taster’s Boy by Ben Winters
If it's not obvious, I liked the upbeat, funny stories the best. IMO, they're more in keeping with what I expected due to the title & foreword of the book. Mad scientists are looney characters, so the deep or long stories just lost me. The subject doesn't support it well.
Overall, I'm glad I read the collection, but it wasn't exceptional.
From the editor's web site:
http://www.johnjosephadams.com/mad-sc...
The following stories can be found in The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination.
Foreword by Chris Claremont - short & to the point. Excellent.
Professor Incognito Apologizes: an Itemized List by Austin Grossman - This was a perfect way to begin. I've only read one book by him before Soon I Will Be Invincible which is quite similar.
Father of the Groom by Harry Turtledove. LOL! I've been one twice. No, there is nothing so extraneous, thankfully. Father of the bride is far worse, especially on the wallet!
All good, different takes - 3 stars:
Laughter at the Academy by Seanan McGuire
Letter to the Editor by David D. Levine
Instead of a Loving Heart by Jeremiah Tolbert
The Executor by Daniel H. Wilson
The Angel of Death Has a Business Plan by Heather Lindsley - another hoot. 3.5 stars Comics just don't pay enough attention to economics.
;)
Homo Perfectus by David Farland - another 3 star
Ancient Equations by L. A. Banks - Her writing has never been to my taste & this was no exception. Yuck.
Rural Singularity by Alan Dean Foster
Captain Justice Saves the Day by Genevieve Valentine - what a hoot!
The Mad Scientist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss - interesting. Surprisingly, I had to look up a couple, but that was easy enough & made for a better story.
The Space Between by Diana Gabaldon - Awful! Couldn't finish it. This is a novella & boring.
Harry and Marlowe Meet the Founder of the Aetherian Revolution by Carrie Vaughn - Fun! I'm not thrilled with her PNR books, but she did well in this setting.
3 stars:
Blood and Stardust by Laird Barron
A More Perfect Union by L. E. Modesitt, Jr.
Rocks Fall by Naomi Novik
We Interrupt This Broadcast by Mary Robinette Kowal
I'd only give 2 stars or less to the following 3.
The Last Dignity of Man by Marjorie M. Liu
Pittsburg Technology by Jeffrey Ford
Mofongo Knows by Grady Hendrix
Certainly not upbeat, but well done. 3.5 stars.
The Food Taster’s Boy by Ben Winters
If it's not obvious, I liked the upbeat, funny stories the best. IMO, they're more in keeping with what I expected due to the title & foreword of the book. Mad scientists are looney characters, so the deep or long stories just lost me. The subject doesn't support it well.
Overall, I'm glad I read the collection, but it wasn't exceptional.
May 17, 2014
An anthology on supervillain stories, The Mad Scientist's Guide to World Domination is, at once, both darkly humorous and perceptive. The stories range far and wide; while the mad scientists are the focus, they don't always tell the story but nevertheless, we see them in lights, contexts and situations unheard of and unseen before. In all, the stories are unique and creative even though, some of them have structural frames rather similar to that of tales of superheros.
There's a gradual change in the tone of stories as the anthology progresses: the telling becomes graver, and stories less comical, discerning and more focused, which unfortunately, also decreased their selling points. In the shadow of riotous stories prior to them, their tone becomes almost unbearable and straightforward.
Professor Incognito Apologizes: An Itemized List by Austin Grossman.
In this one, the supervillain leaves a long list of apologies and explanations for his fiance after he dooms the world by handing it over to Martians. There are yet surprises to be revealed in the story but the Professor's voice- arrogant yet trying hard to make amend- was a breath of fresh air. Yet after a while, his apologies/narration started to grate on my nerves because of repetition.
Father of the Groom by Harry Turtledove
Another hilarious excerpt into a mad mind's everyday life. I appreciated the author's writing, especially its occasional smugness. Yet there's really no point to the story and it remains constrained to its beginning, but that's not really a demerit.
Laughter at the Academy by Seanan McGuire
This story was dark but not by much. It's very straightforward and there's little appeal to the characters as it's told by a detective who's looking to identify and capture the supervillain. But it was fun, nevertheless. And the world building was interesting, to say the least.
Letter to the Editor by David D. Levine
Ha! This was intriguing and made me see supervillains in a new light. Basically, Doctor Talon, supervillain extraordinaire is dead of leukemia(I think) but has left his legacy to the world in the form of an explanation of his actions against the world's savior. What draws me to the story yet still is that it draws paradigms to our society of winner/powerful writing the history and controlling the present.
Instead of a Loving Heart by Jeremiah Tolbert
Hmmm. I'm not sure what to say about this one. Ambiguity is a big theme of its ending, I think, but the whole story is one I'm ambiguous about. While the artist and all that he lost, all that he does were written in an evocative manner, the story never grabbed my by the collar.
The Executor by Daniel H. Wilson
I could've loved this story but there were too many unnecessary details, unsavory paragraphs that I had trouble not skimming because they were so monotonous. But I did skim, and that made the story so much more heartfelt and to the point. It's about a father who wants to save his daughter but doesn't have the means to. I liked the emotion and the plot, but the execution and tools used were crap.
The Angel of Death has a Business Plan by Heather Lindsley
SO MUCH YES. The story was entertaining throughout and ended with a bang that complemented the story, even if it was of the norm. The Angel of Death works as a counselor to supervillains, helping them to aim for their heroes and resist the urge to go Voldemort style- giving speeches when they just need to kill.
Homo Perfectus by David Farland
A slice of life supervillain-style! On a date! But simple and boring. The only difference was in the narration. Keeps the notion that supervillains like isolation in check.
Ancient Equations by L. A. Banks
Super-freaking-fantastic! The beginning was slow and trivial, where the narrator just keeps whining and yapping, but once it gets going, and entered gods and monsters, it was delicious. It's another of the story where supervillains look for partners in crime. It'll NEVER pan out, I suppose. The ending has me a bit confused, and my sister and I had opposing ideas about it but whatever.
Captain Justice Saves the Day by Genevieve Valentine
Brenda is a supervillain's assistant so this one is basically about all the dirt deeds behind the curtains. A must especially since Brenda is an engaging and figuratively kick-ass narrator.
The Space Between by Diana Gabaldon
This story had me the most excited but sadly, it was the one that let me down the most. Not only is it convoluted and prolonged, there's also an outrageously serious tone that the rest of the stories follow. It's a wearying story and I couldn't finish it.
Anyways, the rest of the stories didn't either retain my attention or there's nothing to comment upon.
Review copy provided by Tor/Forge.
There's a gradual change in the tone of stories as the anthology progresses: the telling becomes graver, and stories less comical, discerning and more focused, which unfortunately, also decreased their selling points. In the shadow of riotous stories prior to them, their tone becomes almost unbearable and straightforward.
Professor Incognito Apologizes: An Itemized List by Austin Grossman.
In this one, the supervillain leaves a long list of apologies and explanations for his fiance after he dooms the world by handing it over to Martians. There are yet surprises to be revealed in the story but the Professor's voice- arrogant yet trying hard to make amend- was a breath of fresh air. Yet after a while, his apologies/narration started to grate on my nerves because of repetition.
Father of the Groom by Harry Turtledove
Another hilarious excerpt into a mad mind's everyday life. I appreciated the author's writing, especially its occasional smugness. Yet there's really no point to the story and it remains constrained to its beginning, but that's not really a demerit.
Laughter at the Academy by Seanan McGuire
This story was dark but not by much. It's very straightforward and there's little appeal to the characters as it's told by a detective who's looking to identify and capture the supervillain. But it was fun, nevertheless. And the world building was interesting, to say the least.
Letter to the Editor by David D. Levine
Ha! This was intriguing and made me see supervillains in a new light. Basically, Doctor Talon, supervillain extraordinaire is dead of leukemia(I think) but has left his legacy to the world in the form of an explanation of his actions against the world's savior. What draws me to the story yet still is that it draws paradigms to our society of winner/powerful writing the history and controlling the present.
Instead of a Loving Heart by Jeremiah Tolbert
Hmmm. I'm not sure what to say about this one. Ambiguity is a big theme of its ending, I think, but the whole story is one I'm ambiguous about. While the artist and all that he lost, all that he does were written in an evocative manner, the story never grabbed my by the collar.
The Executor by Daniel H. Wilson
I could've loved this story but there were too many unnecessary details, unsavory paragraphs that I had trouble not skimming because they were so monotonous. But I did skim, and that made the story so much more heartfelt and to the point. It's about a father who wants to save his daughter but doesn't have the means to. I liked the emotion and the plot, but the execution and tools used were crap.
The Angel of Death has a Business Plan by Heather Lindsley
SO MUCH YES. The story was entertaining throughout and ended with a bang that complemented the story, even if it was of the norm. The Angel of Death works as a counselor to supervillains, helping them to aim for their heroes and resist the urge to go Voldemort style- giving speeches when they just need to kill.
Homo Perfectus by David Farland
A slice of life supervillain-style! On a date! But simple and boring. The only difference was in the narration. Keeps the notion that supervillains like isolation in check.
Ancient Equations by L. A. Banks
Super-freaking-fantastic! The beginning was slow and trivial, where the narrator just keeps whining and yapping, but once it gets going, and entered gods and monsters, it was delicious. It's another of the story where supervillains look for partners in crime. It'll NEVER pan out, I suppose. The ending has me a bit confused, and my sister and I had opposing ideas about it but whatever.
Captain Justice Saves the Day by Genevieve Valentine
Brenda is a supervillain's assistant so this one is basically about all the dirt deeds behind the curtains. A must especially since Brenda is an engaging and figuratively kick-ass narrator.
The Space Between by Diana Gabaldon
This story had me the most excited but sadly, it was the one that let me down the most. Not only is it convoluted and prolonged, there's also an outrageously serious tone that the rest of the stories follow. It's a wearying story and I couldn't finish it.
Anyways, the rest of the stories didn't either retain my attention or there's nothing to comment upon.
Review copy provided by Tor/Forge.
September 17, 2013
This just barely made three stars.
Mostly, I am remembering Diana Gabaldon's long story/novella which is set in her Outlander world. Many here bought the book just for that. Maybe for them it was good. For me it was a complex story that ended with a giant Pfffft! Big, long buildup, and thud, it's over with nothing resolved. I suspect many who aren't into the Outlander series found this story disappointing. And it's full of unnecessary Scottish dialect -which I am quite familiar with, it just wasnae needed. The repeated references to clenching wames were unnecessary decoration that distracted. A lighter touch would have sufficed to present them as Scots.
A couple of others just left me flat, too. Took an idea, ran with it, ended up nowhere special - and made it into the book anyway.
But there were some that earned, "Heh, heh, that was clever."
Which stories were which? Ah, I won't tell, because the ones that succeed or fail for you won't likely be the same as mine.
Not a bad idea for an anthology, but it wasn't - for me - an unqualified success.
Mostly, I am remembering Diana Gabaldon's long story/novella which is set in her Outlander world. Many here bought the book just for that. Maybe for them it was good. For me it was a complex story that ended with a giant Pfffft! Big, long buildup, and thud, it's over with nothing resolved. I suspect many who aren't into the Outlander series found this story disappointing. And it's full of unnecessary Scottish dialect -which I am quite familiar with, it just wasnae needed. The repeated references to clenching wames were unnecessary decoration that distracted. A lighter touch would have sufficed to present them as Scots.
A couple of others just left me flat, too. Took an idea, ran with it, ended up nowhere special - and made it into the book anyway.
But there were some that earned, "Heh, heh, that was clever."
Which stories were which? Ah, I won't tell, because the ones that succeed or fail for you won't likely be the same as mine.
Not a bad idea for an anthology, but it wasn't - for me - an unqualified success.
November 4, 2017
Twenty-two tales make up this anthology of the lives of Mad Scientists as they embark on attempts to dominate our world. They include the diabolical, the weird, the accidental, the peevish, as well as the good, the bad, and the downright ugly. You will not find the “typical” mad scientist within these pages for all of the stories herein are told by speculative fiction authors who have creative takes on the classic formula. Authors like David Farland, Harry Turtledove, L.A. Banks, Alan Dean Foster, Carrie Vaughn, Diana Gabaldon, L.E. Modesitt Jr., and Naomi Novik I have read before but of course I was introduced to new (for me) authors as well. The longest story in this collection by far is by Gabaldon (no surprise) and this novella was also the least “mad sciency” story of the lot.
As with all anthologies, there were a couple of clunkers mixed in, but I’ve been drawn to John Joseph Adams’ collections before primarily because he has the uncanny ability to pick and choose the kinds of stories that I enjoy the most. Often, with other anthologists, I find too many stories included that apparently are of high literary merit but seem to lack any interest for me. It’s as if the main goal is to impress the award-granting committees rather than the readers themselves.
As with all anthologies, there were a couple of clunkers mixed in, but I’ve been drawn to John Joseph Adams’ collections before primarily because he has the uncanny ability to pick and choose the kinds of stories that I enjoy the most. Often, with other anthologists, I find too many stories included that apparently are of high literary merit but seem to lack any interest for me. It’s as if the main goal is to impress the award-granting committees rather than the readers themselves.
November 4, 2013
For my Halloween-themed read this year, I picked up this little anthology: The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination. It’s my own fault that it took nearly the entire month of October to read it.
This is a collection of 22 tales involving science, madness (broadly defined, here) and a healthy dose of megalomania (a madness that is de rigueur for our protagonists). Only three have been previously published, so there is little chance that you will run across lots of “old chestnuts” (well not for years and years to come at least). There is also a brief but nicely turned foreword from Chris Claremont (no, not the ax murderer, the long-time writer of the Uncanny X-Men. What? You didn’t know about the ax murderer?).
Like pretty much every collection of short fiction, this had its ups and downs. Not that there was any story that I wished I had not read or did not finish. I just liked some better than others. Since I often ignore the index or title page when reading I only discover which story is next and its length once I run into it. (No leaping ahead either, usually.) At first I thought this might be a collection of really short shorts, as the first few were of nine to fifteen pages length. But then the lengths started to stretch out with one hitting 80-plus pages. I must admit that as much as I liked this particular story I think it could have used some cuts. Here’s a partial list:
Oh and there’s likely to be a spoiler/hint in each one, so I’ll wrap the whole list in a tag.
Given my penchants for evil, world domination, and twisted science I’d like to give this a really high rating, but in all honesty it was good, but only a couple of the stories are real re-readers or ones that I’d tell someone else about to get them hooked. A nice, light read and worthy of Three (3.0) Stars, but no more. I know it’s November, but these stories are fine any time of year. Pick up a copy and see if you agree with me.
September 3, 2015
This is a set of very diverse stories, so much so that by sheer law of probability there must be something in here for you. There's sci-fi, fantasy, action adventure, thriller, horror, dystopia, historical, steampunk, and even one (maybe) case of contemporary. Science is magic, magic is science. Good intentions gone wrong, bad intentions gone wronger. I'll point to some of the gems I discovered.
I'll pique your interest with the more creative reimaginings:
- In "Laughter at the Academy" by Seanan McGuire, we have a mad behavior specialist in a society where 'Schizotypal Creative Genius Personality Disorder' is a thing. (Bonus for woman scientist)
- "The Angel of Death has a Business Plan" by Heather Lindsley dives into the life of a mad career counselor for supervillains, giving trusted advice such as less monologuing, with the added perk of subverting romance. (Bonus for woman scientist)
- And "A More Perfect Union" by L. E. Modesitt, Jr, has a mad political advisor out to conquer the world one election at a time.
Next we have your misunderstood mad scientists:
- "Letter to the Editor" by David D. Levine is all about how having good publicity can be the difference between 'Mad Genius Threatens Crowd with Heat Ray' and 'Philanthropist Inventor Staves Off Global Destruction.'
- "Rural Singularity" by Alan Dean Foster takes the tricky route of idiot savante and traverses the dangerous path of what if creative science fell into the wrong hands.
- Ever wonder what would happen if a hero and a villain got trapped in a cave? "Rocks Fall" by Naomi Novik digs into that budding relationship, revealing how even the evilest villains can have some empathy.
Finally, let's remember to sing the praises of the ones who aid their mad scientists:
- "Instead of a Loving Heart" by Jeremiah Tolbert is a heart-twisting retelling of the Tin Man in which an artist's brain is shoved into a helper bot, forced to serve his evil master, who doesn't appreciate art.
- On the other hand, "Captain Justice Saves the Day" by Genevieve Valentine has a willing assistant, one who puts up with her employer's demands, always making sure to be one step ahead of him.
- And, of course, "Blood & Stardust" by Laird Barron, giving you a whole new Igor, one who's going to get her freedom even if it means getting her hands dirty in the meantime.
I admit this is only a tasting of what's inside the covers. If I listed any more, I'd be itemizing the entire anthology.
You'll notice I'm not discussing any of the tales I wanted to punch in the face (and I sincerely did). I'm also not going to super-whine about that one super long story that felt so out of place and then hit me with an unnecessary sex scene. Nope. I'm going to remain positive in this review because this book deserves it.
Mad scientists. Some of them want to rule the world while others want to save it. Some do it alone, some require help. All of them make you wonder about the limits of imaginations and their worth to the world.
{Check out this review at Entropy Alarm Reviews}
I'll pique your interest with the more creative reimaginings:
- In "Laughter at the Academy" by Seanan McGuire, we have a mad behavior specialist in a society where 'Schizotypal Creative Genius Personality Disorder' is a thing. (Bonus for woman scientist)
- "The Angel of Death has a Business Plan" by Heather Lindsley dives into the life of a mad career counselor for supervillains, giving trusted advice such as less monologuing, with the added perk of subverting romance. (Bonus for woman scientist)
- And "A More Perfect Union" by L. E. Modesitt, Jr, has a mad political advisor out to conquer the world one election at a time.
Next we have your misunderstood mad scientists:
- "Letter to the Editor" by David D. Levine is all about how having good publicity can be the difference between 'Mad Genius Threatens Crowd with Heat Ray' and 'Philanthropist Inventor Staves Off Global Destruction.'
- "Rural Singularity" by Alan Dean Foster takes the tricky route of idiot savante and traverses the dangerous path of what if creative science fell into the wrong hands.
- Ever wonder what would happen if a hero and a villain got trapped in a cave? "Rocks Fall" by Naomi Novik digs into that budding relationship, revealing how even the evilest villains can have some empathy.
Finally, let's remember to sing the praises of the ones who aid their mad scientists:
- "Instead of a Loving Heart" by Jeremiah Tolbert is a heart-twisting retelling of the Tin Man in which an artist's brain is shoved into a helper bot, forced to serve his evil master, who doesn't appreciate art.
- On the other hand, "Captain Justice Saves the Day" by Genevieve Valentine has a willing assistant, one who puts up with her employer's demands, always making sure to be one step ahead of him.
- And, of course, "Blood & Stardust" by Laird Barron, giving you a whole new Igor, one who's going to get her freedom even if it means getting her hands dirty in the meantime.
I admit this is only a tasting of what's inside the covers. If I listed any more, I'd be itemizing the entire anthology.
You'll notice I'm not discussing any of the tales I wanted to punch in the face (and I sincerely did). I'm also not going to super-whine about that one super long story that felt so out of place and then hit me with an unnecessary sex scene. Nope. I'm going to remain positive in this review because this book deserves it.
Mad scientists. Some of them want to rule the world while others want to save it. Some do it alone, some require help. All of them make you wonder about the limits of imaginations and their worth to the world.
{Check out this review at Entropy Alarm Reviews}
February 25, 2013
Check out Books Are My Drug for other reviews.
My review copy was an eARC provided for free by Tor through Netgalley.
Reviewing short story collections is tough. No matter how much work the collector put into it, there’s always going to be one or two that you don’t think work. I can’t give a rundown review of all of them, so what I am going to do is discuss a few I thought were good, a few I thought… weren’t, and then talk about how well the collection works together.
The first story (Professor Incognito Apologizes: An Itemized List by Austin Grossman) is a strong opener, which is always necessary in a collection. Witty, amusing and a nice riff on the supervillain theme, as well as on the nature of the lies we tell about ourselves to the people we love. Also, I jsut love the writing. Grossman is a strong writer, and does humour well.
In three more weeks I had a working blaster, and we met to see Hannah and Her Sisters at the Regent. I fell asleep on your shoulder, dreaming the genetic code for a race of sentient tigers.
Wonderful. But as well as being funny, it’s also quite an honest and touching look at a troubled and turbulent relationship, where both parties have been lying about something big. I’m sure there’s more than one reader that can relate.
From that onto another story about villains and love, except this one is by Harry Turtledove and there’s not much to say except the fact that I’ve never really liked his writing and this short didn’t convince me otherwise. That may be heresy, but I am what I am and I’ve never been keen on that sort of self-conscious trope acknowledgement. Far too arch and knowing. Clever, but in love with its own cleverness. Blah. Not for me.
There are a couple of good-but-not-great pieces before we get to the next one I really liked – Instead Of A Loving Heart by Jeremiah Tolbert, a story about artificial intelligence and true, uncaring evil. It’s very sad, and bleak, and it makes my heart hurt to read.
I simply do not have enough space to review the entirety of the rest of the collection, but in all I was pretty impressed. There were plenty of good stories, a few great ones and very few bad stories – though there were a couple I thought were mediocre, or that I thought didn’t fit. In general, it’s a well-curated collection, with most of the stories being above average and working together very well to increase the strength of the whole. I may have to track down a physical copy for dipping in and out.
My review copy was an eARC provided for free by Tor through Netgalley.
Reviewing short story collections is tough. No matter how much work the collector put into it, there’s always going to be one or two that you don’t think work. I can’t give a rundown review of all of them, so what I am going to do is discuss a few I thought were good, a few I thought… weren’t, and then talk about how well the collection works together.
The first story (Professor Incognito Apologizes: An Itemized List by Austin Grossman) is a strong opener, which is always necessary in a collection. Witty, amusing and a nice riff on the supervillain theme, as well as on the nature of the lies we tell about ourselves to the people we love. Also, I jsut love the writing. Grossman is a strong writer, and does humour well.
In three more weeks I had a working blaster, and we met to see Hannah and Her Sisters at the Regent. I fell asleep on your shoulder, dreaming the genetic code for a race of sentient tigers.
Wonderful. But as well as being funny, it’s also quite an honest and touching look at a troubled and turbulent relationship, where both parties have been lying about something big. I’m sure there’s more than one reader that can relate.
From that onto another story about villains and love, except this one is by Harry Turtledove and there’s not much to say except the fact that I’ve never really liked his writing and this short didn’t convince me otherwise. That may be heresy, but I am what I am and I’ve never been keen on that sort of self-conscious trope acknowledgement. Far too arch and knowing. Clever, but in love with its own cleverness. Blah. Not for me.
There are a couple of good-but-not-great pieces before we get to the next one I really liked – Instead Of A Loving Heart by Jeremiah Tolbert, a story about artificial intelligence and true, uncaring evil. It’s very sad, and bleak, and it makes my heart hurt to read.
I simply do not have enough space to review the entirety of the rest of the collection, but in all I was pretty impressed. There were plenty of good stories, a few great ones and very few bad stories – though there were a couple I thought were mediocre, or that I thought didn’t fit. In general, it’s a well-curated collection, with most of the stories being above average and working together very well to increase the strength of the whole. I may have to track down a physical copy for dipping in and out.
April 13, 2013
The editor of this anthology has the annoying habit of spoiling or summarizing each story in the introduction to that story. I prefer to find out for myself what a story is about.
I wanted to like this anthology. It is an intriguing premise, and I have a soft spot for mad scientists. But there was only one story that I liked in the entire anthology; Rocks Fall by Naomi Novik. It is a clever, poignant little story. The rest of the anthology I found forgettable. I didn't even finish some stories (and a few, such as Father of the Groom, by Harry Turtledove, seemed a bit insulting with their view of women (in Father of the Groom, the idea of a ))
If I could rate the Naomi Novik story seperately, it would have at least three stars, if not four.
I wanted to like this anthology. It is an intriguing premise, and I have a soft spot for mad scientists. But there was only one story that I liked in the entire anthology; Rocks Fall by Naomi Novik. It is a clever, poignant little story. The rest of the anthology I found forgettable. I didn't even finish some stories (and a few, such as Father of the Groom, by Harry Turtledove, seemed a bit insulting with their view of women (in Father of the Groom, the idea of a ))
If I could rate the Naomi Novik story seperately, it would have at least three stars, if not four.
March 10, 2013
Three stars minus one star for the horrible Outlander novella.
February 20, 2016
A very funny selection of 22 short stories revolving around the mad scientist, his assistant, and/or descendants.
Series:
“The Space Between” (Outlander, 7.5)
The Stories
Austin Grossman’s “Professor Incognito Apologizes: An Itemized List” is too funny for words in its bullet point apology combination of mad scientist AND boyfriend of all that Professor Incognito needs to explain to his girlfriend. Ah gots ta put Grossman on my TBR list.
Harry Turtledove’s “Father of the Groom” plays off the bridezilla that has become too common in our North American society and demonstrates how a mad scientist would deal with her! Take notes!
Seanan McGuire’s “Laughter at the Academy: A Field Study in the Genesis of Schizotypal Creative Genius Personality Disorder (SCGPD)” demonstrates the suspicious nature of an advanced college degree, clearly a sign of madness, lol. And McGuire is quite sneaky in this one!
David D. Levine’s “Letter to the Editor” takes the form of an editorial complaining about the misperception the public has on the public service he’s doing for the world. Yup, another funny one.
Jeremiah Tolbert’s “Instead of a Loving Heart” is gruesome as he slowly reveals the truth behind Dr. Octavio’s assistant. I am curious as to what happened to Lucinda.
Daniel H. Wilson’s “The Executor” is a sad tale of a loving father wanting to help his baby girl and the trust he must go up against to claim the fortune his mad scientist ancestor left for whoever can win it. The choices he makes just make me cry… I could wish Wilson would pen a sequel; I bet it’d be bloody!
Heather Lindsley‘s “The Angel of Death Has a Business Plan” is yet another funny with a…hmmm…can I say nasty twist? It’s a twist on the expected trope that benefits one person if no one else in the world, lol. It will take you aback.
David Farland‘s “Homo Perfectus” takes the shape of a date with a test. I love how Farland uses dinner to explain what Chancellor Pharmaceutical does and their requirements of their employees. And yes, there’s another twist at the end.
L.A. Banks’ “Ancient Equations” pokes fun at Ernest Lassiter and his totally organic approach to life. I do think he should have stuck with the totally natural, though.
Alan Dean Foster’s “Rural Singularity” tells the tale of a too-eager reporter who doesn’t know when to stop, although I can understand his desire for access to Suzie’s inventions! I definitely want her generator.
Genevieve Valentine’s “Captain Justice Saves the Day” is definitely a twist on the mad scientist assistant role. And thank god for Brenda! We need more practical assistants like her. I’ll bet Captain Justice is thrilled with her!
Theodora Goss’ “The Mad Scientist’s Daughter” should really be plural since it’s a club of six daughters, all descended from mad scientists. It supposedly explores how genetics affect the mind, but it seems to veer more toward how being raised by mad scientists affect their child — nature versus nurture.
Diana Gabaldon‘s “The Space Between” follows two separate people: the Comte St. Germain and Joan MacKimmie, The comte is obsessing about time travel and Maître Raymond with a side worry about La Dame Blanche. The comte does have an interesting addition to traveling through the stones using precious metal to make the passage easier and smoother, and one of his acquaintances, Mélisande, has left the comte afile powder that she got from Rose Hall in Jamaica.
Meanwhile, Jamie’s stepdaughter is on her way to Mother Hildegarde’s convent in Paris. We get a glimpse of the tattooed Ian Murray with his advice to Michael Murray on how to survive the death of one’s spouse.
Interesting bit in here about the Parisian cemeteries. I hadn’t realized the French still hadn’t put the dead into the ossuaries.
Carrie Vaughan’s “Harry and Marlowe Meet the Founder of the Aetherian Revolution” is a subrosa look at a sequestered murder and the inventor of this new technology that supposedly makes life in late Victorian England so much easier. A bit gruesome.
Laird Barron’s “Blood & Stardust” is a confusing short story about a female Igor, time travel, and circuses. This Mary hates her boss and eventually plots her freedom.
L.E. Modesitt, Jr.’s “A More Perfect Union” is a horror story — it’s too close to reality in how political aides and managers manipulate elections and the men for whom they work.
Naomi Novik’s “Rocks Fall” will make you cry. Novik has created a glimpse into the life, death?, of a superhero and his nemesis, and for such a short story, it is filled with a wealth of background. Then Novik ends it with hope on your part that they’ll get the guy. Damn it.
Mary Robinette Kowal’s “We Interrupt This Broadcast” finds Fidel Dobes with no intention of letting American politicians bully the rest of the world, for the U.S. won too big after World War II and is taking its preeminence too much to heart. A little math, a few punch cards, and no one will ever know. Scary thoughts, from both ends and a little too close to home.
Marjorie M. Liu’s “The Last Dignity of Man” has some fun with Alexander Luthor buying in a little too hard on those comic books. All it takes is one honest man to make it okay. Now what we’ll do about those government idiots…
Jeffrey Ford’s “The Pittsburgh Technology” pokes fun at all those “get rich quick” ads. It’s disheartening to realize that P.T. Barnum was right: “There’s a sucker born every minute.”
Grady Hendrix’s “Mofongo Knows” takes off on early twentieth century adventure stories with a super-bright gorilla who almost took over the world. In some ways, Mo’ ain’t too bright.
Ben H. Winters’ “The Food Taster’s Boy” finds a dictator whose rule has been going on too long, and he’s bored. Bored, bored, bored. So bored, that he tries to set up a future bad scenario. I gotta say, it sounds like the kind of thing a crazed, bored dictator would do.
The Cover
The cover is shades of green with a splodge of orange and yellow inside the glass container — and no, I don’t want to look too closely at its contents — ICK! It’s bad enough having to look at the mad scientist with his squared-off glasses, half-bald with his long, stringy, white hair flaring out behind his head, those bared teeth with the gaps between them in that rictus of a smile. Eeek!
The title could be appropriate, as any mad scientist, etc., could well use this as a manual for the Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination in his or her move to take over the world.
Series:
“The Space Between” (Outlander, 7.5)
The Stories
Austin Grossman’s “Professor Incognito Apologizes: An Itemized List” is too funny for words in its bullet point apology combination of mad scientist AND boyfriend of all that Professor Incognito needs to explain to his girlfriend. Ah gots ta put Grossman on my TBR list.
Harry Turtledove’s “Father of the Groom” plays off the bridezilla that has become too common in our North American society and demonstrates how a mad scientist would deal with her! Take notes!
Seanan McGuire’s “Laughter at the Academy: A Field Study in the Genesis of Schizotypal Creative Genius Personality Disorder (SCGPD)” demonstrates the suspicious nature of an advanced college degree, clearly a sign of madness, lol. And McGuire is quite sneaky in this one!
David D. Levine’s “Letter to the Editor” takes the form of an editorial complaining about the misperception the public has on the public service he’s doing for the world. Yup, another funny one.
Jeremiah Tolbert’s “Instead of a Loving Heart” is gruesome as he slowly reveals the truth behind Dr. Octavio’s assistant. I am curious as to what happened to Lucinda.
Daniel H. Wilson’s “The Executor” is a sad tale of a loving father wanting to help his baby girl and the trust he must go up against to claim the fortune his mad scientist ancestor left for whoever can win it. The choices he makes just make me cry… I could wish Wilson would pen a sequel; I bet it’d be bloody!
Heather Lindsley‘s “The Angel of Death Has a Business Plan” is yet another funny with a…hmmm…can I say nasty twist? It’s a twist on the expected trope that benefits one person if no one else in the world, lol. It will take you aback.
David Farland‘s “Homo Perfectus” takes the shape of a date with a test. I love how Farland uses dinner to explain what Chancellor Pharmaceutical does and their requirements of their employees. And yes, there’s another twist at the end.
L.A. Banks’ “Ancient Equations” pokes fun at Ernest Lassiter and his totally organic approach to life. I do think he should have stuck with the totally natural, though.
Alan Dean Foster’s “Rural Singularity” tells the tale of a too-eager reporter who doesn’t know when to stop, although I can understand his desire for access to Suzie’s inventions! I definitely want her generator.
Genevieve Valentine’s “Captain Justice Saves the Day” is definitely a twist on the mad scientist assistant role. And thank god for Brenda! We need more practical assistants like her. I’ll bet Captain Justice is thrilled with her!
Theodora Goss’ “The Mad Scientist’s Daughter” should really be plural since it’s a club of six daughters, all descended from mad scientists. It supposedly explores how genetics affect the mind, but it seems to veer more toward how being raised by mad scientists affect their child — nature versus nurture.
Diana Gabaldon‘s “The Space Between” follows two separate people: the Comte St. Germain and Joan MacKimmie, The comte is obsessing about time travel and Maître Raymond with a side worry about La Dame Blanche. The comte does have an interesting addition to traveling through the stones using precious metal to make the passage easier and smoother, and one of his acquaintances, Mélisande, has left the comte afile powder that she got from Rose Hall in Jamaica.
Meanwhile, Jamie’s stepdaughter is on her way to Mother Hildegarde’s convent in Paris. We get a glimpse of the tattooed Ian Murray with his advice to Michael Murray on how to survive the death of one’s spouse.
Interesting bit in here about the Parisian cemeteries. I hadn’t realized the French still hadn’t put the dead into the ossuaries.
Carrie Vaughan’s “Harry and Marlowe Meet the Founder of the Aetherian Revolution” is a subrosa look at a sequestered murder and the inventor of this new technology that supposedly makes life in late Victorian England so much easier. A bit gruesome.
Laird Barron’s “Blood & Stardust” is a confusing short story about a female Igor, time travel, and circuses. This Mary hates her boss and eventually plots her freedom.
L.E. Modesitt, Jr.’s “A More Perfect Union” is a horror story — it’s too close to reality in how political aides and managers manipulate elections and the men for whom they work.
Naomi Novik’s “Rocks Fall” will make you cry. Novik has created a glimpse into the life, death?, of a superhero and his nemesis, and for such a short story, it is filled with a wealth of background. Then Novik ends it with hope on your part that they’ll get the guy. Damn it.
Mary Robinette Kowal’s “We Interrupt This Broadcast” finds Fidel Dobes with no intention of letting American politicians bully the rest of the world, for the U.S. won too big after World War II and is taking its preeminence too much to heart. A little math, a few punch cards, and no one will ever know. Scary thoughts, from both ends and a little too close to home.
Marjorie M. Liu’s “The Last Dignity of Man” has some fun with Alexander Luthor buying in a little too hard on those comic books. All it takes is one honest man to make it okay. Now what we’ll do about those government idiots…
Jeffrey Ford’s “The Pittsburgh Technology” pokes fun at all those “get rich quick” ads. It’s disheartening to realize that P.T. Barnum was right: “There’s a sucker born every minute.”
Grady Hendrix’s “Mofongo Knows” takes off on early twentieth century adventure stories with a super-bright gorilla who almost took over the world. In some ways, Mo’ ain’t too bright.
Ben H. Winters’ “The Food Taster’s Boy” finds a dictator whose rule has been going on too long, and he’s bored. Bored, bored, bored. So bored, that he tries to set up a future bad scenario. I gotta say, it sounds like the kind of thing a crazed, bored dictator would do.
The Cover
The cover is shades of green with a splodge of orange and yellow inside the glass container — and no, I don’t want to look too closely at its contents — ICK! It’s bad enough having to look at the mad scientist with his squared-off glasses, half-bald with his long, stringy, white hair flaring out behind his head, those bared teeth with the gaps between them in that rictus of a smile. Eeek!
The title could be appropriate, as any mad scientist, etc., could well use this as a manual for the Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination in his or her move to take over the world.
November 1, 2019
I enjoyed this anthology, despite the fact that it took me nine days to read it. I spent three days reading “The Space Between” by Diana Gabaldon, the longest story in this book! I don’t exactly know why, but it was probably just because of daily distractions and nighttime gaming, and not because the stories were in any way dull. They were all pretty great, to be honest.
These stories were also rather fun. I don’t know if I have a favorite. I really enjoyed Seanan McGuire’s story, “Laughter at the Academy”; Carrie Vaughn’s Harry and Marlowe story; and “Rocks Fall” by Naomi Novik. So maybe those three were favorites of mine? It's quite probable that they were. :-)
I also don't know that I have a least favorite story. As far as I can remember, I really enjoyed them all.
I just don’t know, but this was a rather fun collection of stories that I really enjoyed reading. I might even buy it for rereading someday!
These stories were also rather fun. I don’t know if I have a favorite. I really enjoyed Seanan McGuire’s story, “Laughter at the Academy”; Carrie Vaughn’s Harry and Marlowe story; and “Rocks Fall” by Naomi Novik. So maybe those three were favorites of mine? It's quite probable that they were. :-)
I also don't know that I have a least favorite story. As far as I can remember, I really enjoyed them all.
I just don’t know, but this was a rather fun collection of stories that I really enjoyed reading. I might even buy it for rereading someday!
November 25, 2024
3.5 stars
February 27, 2013
With The Mad Scientist's Guide to World Domination, acclaimed anthologist John Joseph Adams has put together a (mostly) excellent set of 22 stories about the world of mad science and the people who practice it without fear of consequences, frequently in the name of, well, world domination. Mad scientists pop up fairly frequently in comic books, movies, and television shows, but they don't seem to be explored as much in fiction. We have the classics, like Doctors Jekyll, Frankenstein, and Moreau, among others, but I was interested to see these sorts of characters tackled in prose.
While several stories do succeed in taking a tongue-in-cheek look at mad scientist supervillains, I appreciated more the stories that took the subject seriously and really dug into the psychology of these people. What drives a person to create monstrosities, to break the laws of God and man? Are they evil? Or simply curious?
The most popular type of story is the superhero/supervillain setting, but the collection is fairly diverse, especially since it doesn't confine itself to focusing on the mad scientists themselves, telling stories from the perspectives of assistants, family members, reporters, and, in one case, a robot. I must also mention that one story is about a mad scientist gorilla. A mad scientist gorilla.
Some of my favorite stories include Austin Grossman's "Professor Incognito Apologizes: An Itemized List," which is even more hilarious than it sounds, and David D. Levine's "Letter to the Editor," structured as a letter to the editor from a Lex Luthor-esque figure claiming that his evil deeds were done in the name of saving the world from a Superman-esque figure. Seanan McGuire's "Laughter at the Academy: A Field Study in the Genesis of Schizotypal Creative Genius Personality Disorder (SCGPD)" tells you what's going on right in the title, yet the slow reveal is wickedly sinister. Alan Dean Foster's "Rural Singularity" is a winning tale of a country girl who has created two-headed chickens...among other things. And Marjorie M. Liu's "The Last Dignity of Man" is goddamn fantastic, the story of a man named Alexander Luthor who struggles with living up—or down—to the fictional character whose name he shares and obsesses over Superman.
I could praise nearly every story in the book. Some are a bit unfulfilling or confusing, but most are quite strong and present an interesting take on the topic. The one black mark is Diana Gabaldon's "The Space Between," a novella that has almost nothing at all do with mad science and whose inclusion is mystifying and irritating, given that those 80 pages could have gone to four interesting stories.
For any of you interested in taking over the world with SCIENCE!!, this book is required reading. Mwahahahaha.
While several stories do succeed in taking a tongue-in-cheek look at mad scientist supervillains, I appreciated more the stories that took the subject seriously and really dug into the psychology of these people. What drives a person to create monstrosities, to break the laws of God and man? Are they evil? Or simply curious?
The most popular type of story is the superhero/supervillain setting, but the collection is fairly diverse, especially since it doesn't confine itself to focusing on the mad scientists themselves, telling stories from the perspectives of assistants, family members, reporters, and, in one case, a robot. I must also mention that one story is about a mad scientist gorilla. A mad scientist gorilla.
Some of my favorite stories include Austin Grossman's "Professor Incognito Apologizes: An Itemized List," which is even more hilarious than it sounds, and David D. Levine's "Letter to the Editor," structured as a letter to the editor from a Lex Luthor-esque figure claiming that his evil deeds were done in the name of saving the world from a Superman-esque figure. Seanan McGuire's "Laughter at the Academy: A Field Study in the Genesis of Schizotypal Creative Genius Personality Disorder (SCGPD)" tells you what's going on right in the title, yet the slow reveal is wickedly sinister. Alan Dean Foster's "Rural Singularity" is a winning tale of a country girl who has created two-headed chickens...among other things. And Marjorie M. Liu's "The Last Dignity of Man" is goddamn fantastic, the story of a man named Alexander Luthor who struggles with living up—or down—to the fictional character whose name he shares and obsesses over Superman.
I could praise nearly every story in the book. Some are a bit unfulfilling or confusing, but most are quite strong and present an interesting take on the topic. The one black mark is Diana Gabaldon's "The Space Between," a novella that has almost nothing at all do with mad science and whose inclusion is mystifying and irritating, given that those 80 pages could have gone to four interesting stories.
For any of you interested in taking over the world with SCIENCE!!, this book is required reading. Mwahahahaha.
August 12, 2019
(This review originally appeared at Mad Scientist Journal.)
Here at Mad Scientist Journal, we were very excited to learn that John Joseph Adams would be editing an anthology titled The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination. With a title like that, we knew it would right up our alley. So when the nice folks at Tor asked if we’d be interested in reviewing the anthology for our journal, I jumped on the opportunity to do so.
The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination is a collection of twenty-two short stories about many different sorts of mad scientists and their diabolical plots. In many cases, the mad scientists themselves are the narrators of their stories, but in other cases, the stories are from the perspective of someone who has been affected by the mad scientists and their plots. Two of the stories, “Instead of a Loving Heart” by Jeremiah Tolbert, and “The Mad Scientist’s Daughter” by Theodora Goss, are reprints, but they fit in seamlessly with the original stories.
A good number of the stories involve superheroes (some recognizable, others not as well known) as the nemeses of the mad scientists. By focusing on the mad scientist as the protagonist, some of these stories present the traditional villain as a sympathetic character. For example, Naomi Novik’s story “Rocks Fall” features a mad scientist villain who I was rooting for by the end.
There are a also handful of stories with steampunk elements to their mad science, like the action-packed “Harry and Marlowe Meet the Founder of the Aetherian Revolution” by Carrie Vaughn. Some of the authors provide mad scientists whose accomplishments are in the so-called “soft” sciences, like political science or psychology. But “A More Perfect Union” by L. E. Modesitt, Jr., will convince you that there’s nothing soft about a mad political scientist bent on world domination. Similarly, Seanan McGuire’s mad psychologist in “Laughter at the Academy” puts her education to good use in her maniacal plots.
Overall, there’s a nice mix of humor and darkness in the collected stories. Hands down, however, my favorite story of the anthology was “Letter to the Editor” by David D. Levine. This story tells the tale of the sacrifices that the protagonist, Doctor Talon, has endured for the good of the world. True, it does just so happen that these “sacrifices” are largely in the arena of opposing the superhero Ultimate Man, but as Doctor Talon explains, he’s done everything that he has done for a reason.
As is the case with most anthologies, this collection includes a little bit of something that is likely to appeal to every reader. The length of most of the stories was such that I could read a couple of stories in half an hour or so, though there are some considerably longer stories as well. All in all, I found all of the stories interesting and a good read.
Here at Mad Scientist Journal, we were very excited to learn that John Joseph Adams would be editing an anthology titled The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination. With a title like that, we knew it would right up our alley. So when the nice folks at Tor asked if we’d be interested in reviewing the anthology for our journal, I jumped on the opportunity to do so.
The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination is a collection of twenty-two short stories about many different sorts of mad scientists and their diabolical plots. In many cases, the mad scientists themselves are the narrators of their stories, but in other cases, the stories are from the perspective of someone who has been affected by the mad scientists and their plots. Two of the stories, “Instead of a Loving Heart” by Jeremiah Tolbert, and “The Mad Scientist’s Daughter” by Theodora Goss, are reprints, but they fit in seamlessly with the original stories.
A good number of the stories involve superheroes (some recognizable, others not as well known) as the nemeses of the mad scientists. By focusing on the mad scientist as the protagonist, some of these stories present the traditional villain as a sympathetic character. For example, Naomi Novik’s story “Rocks Fall” features a mad scientist villain who I was rooting for by the end.
There are a also handful of stories with steampunk elements to their mad science, like the action-packed “Harry and Marlowe Meet the Founder of the Aetherian Revolution” by Carrie Vaughn. Some of the authors provide mad scientists whose accomplishments are in the so-called “soft” sciences, like political science or psychology. But “A More Perfect Union” by L. E. Modesitt, Jr., will convince you that there’s nothing soft about a mad political scientist bent on world domination. Similarly, Seanan McGuire’s mad psychologist in “Laughter at the Academy” puts her education to good use in her maniacal plots.
Overall, there’s a nice mix of humor and darkness in the collected stories. Hands down, however, my favorite story of the anthology was “Letter to the Editor” by David D. Levine. This story tells the tale of the sacrifices that the protagonist, Doctor Talon, has endured for the good of the world. True, it does just so happen that these “sacrifices” are largely in the arena of opposing the superhero Ultimate Man, but as Doctor Talon explains, he’s done everything that he has done for a reason.
As is the case with most anthologies, this collection includes a little bit of something that is likely to appeal to every reader. The length of most of the stories was such that I could read a couple of stories in half an hour or so, though there are some considerably longer stories as well. All in all, I found all of the stories interesting and a good read.
February 18, 2013
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
I have a confession to make – I’m not usually a big fan of anthologies. I’m not sure if it’s because I get annoyed that there’s not more to the story or what, but short stories and I have never gotten along. So of course I went with an anthology for my first review here at All Things Urban Fantasy. Oops. Or at least oops is what I was thinking when I first sat down to start the book. Then I started reading and that oops quickly changed in to a grin as I dived in to story after story.
This topic is absolutely perfect for the short story format. I may not want to read an entire book from the evil genius’ point of view, but reading a couple dozen pages from said point of view was certainly fun. Way more fun than I was certainly expecting.
From the delightful opening “apology” letter written by Austin Grossman to the closing story by Ben Winters there wasn’t a bad story in the bunch. Which is saying something as there were a few authors included who I normally have no taste for.
If you’re like me and you normally avoid short story collections like the plague then you need to do yourself a favor and give this one a try. This is especially true if – like me – you find yourself rooting for the bad guy in books and movies more often than not. If nothing else these stories make for a delightful tonic if you’ve temporarily had your fill of good guys doing good guy things with their good guy pals.
Now if you’ll excuse me I need to get back to my lab…
AUTHOR LIST
• “Professor Incognito Apologizes: an Itemized List” by Austin Grossman
• “Father of the Groom” by Harry Turtledove
• “Laughter at the Academy” by Seanan McGuire
• “Letter to the Editor” by David D. Levine
• “Instead of a Loving Heart” by Jeremiah Tolbert
• “The Executor” by Daniel H. Wilson
• “The Angel of Death Has a Business Plan” by Heather Lindsley
• “Homo Perfectus” by David Farland
• “Ancient Equations” by L. A. Banks
• “Rural Singularity” by Alan Dean Foster
• “Captain Justice Saves the Day” by Genevieve Valentine
• “The Mad Scientist’s Daughter” by Theodora Goss
• “The Space Between” by Diana Gabaldon
• “Harry and Marlowe Meet the Founder of the Aetherian Revolution” by Carrie Vaughn
• “Blood and Stardust” by Laird Barron
• “A More Perfect Union” by L. E. Modesitt, Jr.
• “Rocks Fall” by Naomi Novik
• “We Interrupt This Broadcast” by Mary Robinette Kowal
• “The Last Dignity of Man” by Marjorie M. Liu
• “Pittsburg Technology” by Jeffrey Ford
• “Mofongo Knows” by Grady Hendrix
• “The Food Taster’s Boy” by Ben Winters
Sexual Content:
Some Inuendo
I have a confession to make – I’m not usually a big fan of anthologies. I’m not sure if it’s because I get annoyed that there’s not more to the story or what, but short stories and I have never gotten along. So of course I went with an anthology for my first review here at All Things Urban Fantasy. Oops. Or at least oops is what I was thinking when I first sat down to start the book. Then I started reading and that oops quickly changed in to a grin as I dived in to story after story.
This topic is absolutely perfect for the short story format. I may not want to read an entire book from the evil genius’ point of view, but reading a couple dozen pages from said point of view was certainly fun. Way more fun than I was certainly expecting.
From the delightful opening “apology” letter written by Austin Grossman to the closing story by Ben Winters there wasn’t a bad story in the bunch. Which is saying something as there were a few authors included who I normally have no taste for.
If you’re like me and you normally avoid short story collections like the plague then you need to do yourself a favor and give this one a try. This is especially true if – like me – you find yourself rooting for the bad guy in books and movies more often than not. If nothing else these stories make for a delightful tonic if you’ve temporarily had your fill of good guys doing good guy things with their good guy pals.
Now if you’ll excuse me I need to get back to my lab…
AUTHOR LIST
• “Professor Incognito Apologizes: an Itemized List” by Austin Grossman
• “Father of the Groom” by Harry Turtledove
• “Laughter at the Academy” by Seanan McGuire
• “Letter to the Editor” by David D. Levine
• “Instead of a Loving Heart” by Jeremiah Tolbert
• “The Executor” by Daniel H. Wilson
• “The Angel of Death Has a Business Plan” by Heather Lindsley
• “Homo Perfectus” by David Farland
• “Ancient Equations” by L. A. Banks
• “Rural Singularity” by Alan Dean Foster
• “Captain Justice Saves the Day” by Genevieve Valentine
• “The Mad Scientist’s Daughter” by Theodora Goss
• “The Space Between” by Diana Gabaldon
• “Harry and Marlowe Meet the Founder of the Aetherian Revolution” by Carrie Vaughn
• “Blood and Stardust” by Laird Barron
• “A More Perfect Union” by L. E. Modesitt, Jr.
• “Rocks Fall” by Naomi Novik
• “We Interrupt This Broadcast” by Mary Robinette Kowal
• “The Last Dignity of Man” by Marjorie M. Liu
• “Pittsburg Technology” by Jeffrey Ford
• “Mofongo Knows” by Grady Hendrix
• “The Food Taster’s Boy” by Ben Winters
Sexual Content:
Some Inuendo
January 6, 2013
The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination: Original Short Fiction for the Modern Evil Genius
is an anthology edited by John Joseph Adams, who has previously edited other anthologies such as
The Living Dead, Brave New Worlds
, and
Federations
. He also co-hosts the very good podcast
The Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy
.
I absolutely love the theme of this book! The authors came up with all kinds of clever interpretations of mad scientists.
Here Adams has selected twenty-two stories written by science fiction and fantasy authors you should be familiar with if you aren’t already. Seanan McGuire, Heather Lindsley, Genevieve Valentine, Laird Barron, and Grady Hendrix all contributed fabulous stories. Some bigger names are in here too: Alan Dean Foster, Diana Gabaldon, L.E. Modesitt Jr., and Naomi Novik.
As with most anthologies, the stories are hit and miss. Some are superb and a few are just not my cup of tea.
My favorite stories are:
Laughter at the Academy by Seanan McGuire: A brilliant story about a doctor’s assistant who can make the doctors she works for go crazy.
The Angel of Death Has a Business Plan by Heather Lindsley: A sort-of career coach for super-villains, this woman is in it for the win!
Captain Justice Saves the Day by Genevieve Valentine: Where we find out that assistants are very important!
Blood & Stardust by Laird Barron: A mad scientist creates a daughter to serve him but she, like a lot of children, has some “family issues” in this amusing story.
Mofongo Knows by Grady Hendrix: A genius talking gorilla in a carnival side-show has a bad relationship with his master.
Also of note: Ben Templesmith , one of my favorite comic book artists, did the cover art.
Everyone should find something in here that appeals to them; therefore I’m recommending the book to all fans of mad scientists.
Disclaimer: I received an advance copy from the publisher for consideration to review. I was not paid any money to write my review.
I absolutely love the theme of this book! The authors came up with all kinds of clever interpretations of mad scientists.
Here Adams has selected twenty-two stories written by science fiction and fantasy authors you should be familiar with if you aren’t already. Seanan McGuire, Heather Lindsley, Genevieve Valentine, Laird Barron, and Grady Hendrix all contributed fabulous stories. Some bigger names are in here too: Alan Dean Foster, Diana Gabaldon, L.E. Modesitt Jr., and Naomi Novik.
As with most anthologies, the stories are hit and miss. Some are superb and a few are just not my cup of tea.
My favorite stories are:
Laughter at the Academy by Seanan McGuire: A brilliant story about a doctor’s assistant who can make the doctors she works for go crazy.
The Angel of Death Has a Business Plan by Heather Lindsley: A sort-of career coach for super-villains, this woman is in it for the win!
Captain Justice Saves the Day by Genevieve Valentine: Where we find out that assistants are very important!
Blood & Stardust by Laird Barron: A mad scientist creates a daughter to serve him but she, like a lot of children, has some “family issues” in this amusing story.
Mofongo Knows by Grady Hendrix: A genius talking gorilla in a carnival side-show has a bad relationship with his master.
Also of note: Ben Templesmith , one of my favorite comic book artists, did the cover art.
Everyone should find something in here that appeals to them; therefore I’m recommending the book to all fans of mad scientists.
Disclaimer: I received an advance copy from the publisher for consideration to review. I was not paid any money to write my review.
November 30, 2018
My primary intent in checking this out from the libary was to read Grady Hendrix's story, because I am on a Grady Hendrix kick currently. His short story in this collection, titled Mofongo Knows, about an aged ex-world conquering gorilla with a vastly oversized brain, was thoroughly enjoyable, easily one of the best stories in this collection, thanks to its over-the-top but emotionally authentic conceptualization of the anthology's theme. The other best story, in my opinion, was Daniel H. Wilson's The Executor, a future-noir yarn which one would be stretched to call a 'Mad Scientist' story. A runner-up might be Marjorie M. Liu's The Last Dignity of Man, a surprisingly original take on Lex Luthor.
Overall, though, this collection was pretty dull. I blame the general concept. 'Mad Scientist' stories strongly lend themselves to the absurd or comedic. Most of the stories here hinge on a "clever" twist on the Mad Scientist concept, and that is all they have to speak for them. The best stories as listed in the paragraph above are good because they buck this trend. The vast majority of this collection is inconsequential and readily forgettable. I found myself asking if there was any point to these in a post Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog world. I grew terribly bored reading these and after the half-way point skipped many stories.
The editor's introductions to each story were unwelcome, in my view. In attempting to be clever and trying too hard to give the collection a consistent framework, they got in the way of the stories. I rapidly began skipping them, but then later did rely on a quick scan to determine if the stories might be worth reading. The foreword by comics' Chris Claremont was clunky, unnecessarily X-Men heavy, and didn't do much for the collection either.
Overall, though, this collection was pretty dull. I blame the general concept. 'Mad Scientist' stories strongly lend themselves to the absurd or comedic. Most of the stories here hinge on a "clever" twist on the Mad Scientist concept, and that is all they have to speak for them. The best stories as listed in the paragraph above are good because they buck this trend. The vast majority of this collection is inconsequential and readily forgettable. I found myself asking if there was any point to these in a post Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog world. I grew terribly bored reading these and after the half-way point skipped many stories.
The editor's introductions to each story were unwelcome, in my view. In attempting to be clever and trying too hard to give the collection a consistent framework, they got in the way of the stories. I rapidly began skipping them, but then later did rely on a quick scan to determine if the stories might be worth reading. The foreword by comics' Chris Claremont was clunky, unnecessarily X-Men heavy, and didn't do much for the collection either.
February 25, 2013
I didn’t use to be a fan of anthologies, but I have to say over the last year or so they’ve really begun to grow on me.
The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination is no exception to this new trend in my mind.
Edited by John Joseph Adams, a veteran of over a dozen anthologies, The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination is full of some interesting short stories. Some of them are from author’s who I’ve liked over the years, including Austin Grossman, author of Soon I Will Be Invincible, Seanan McGuire, author of the Newsflesh novels and the October Daye novels, and Harry Turtledove. And others I had never heard of but will certainly be checking out now that I’ve read some of their material, such as Theodora Goss, Laird Barron, and Jeffery Ford. That’s what makes anthologies great, with the world of books expanding and with time so crunched in what we can read it’s hard to pick out and find new authors. Adam’s compiles a top notch level of authors, and while not all of them were my favorites, there were enough in there that did strike my fancy, that I have no trouble recommending this book as a fun and worth wile anthology.
Now, if I had to pick my favorite from the book, I’d have to say it was Austin Grossman’s Professor Incognito Apologizes: An Itemized List. Not only was it hilarious and original, but it reminded me why I loved reading Grossman’s works, in fact so much so that I went out and pre-ordered YOU, his new book coming out in April. The story is a memo of the inner workings of Doctor Incognito’s love life and plan to take over the world. It is funny, engaging, and makes me wish there were more to read on the doctor’s adventures.
All in all this was a fun book that introduced me to interesting new authors. Anyone looking for new books to read should check this out so they can sample a bunch of fun new authors.
http://whatchamacallitreviews.blogspo...
The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination is no exception to this new trend in my mind.
Edited by John Joseph Adams, a veteran of over a dozen anthologies, The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination is full of some interesting short stories. Some of them are from author’s who I’ve liked over the years, including Austin Grossman, author of Soon I Will Be Invincible, Seanan McGuire, author of the Newsflesh novels and the October Daye novels, and Harry Turtledove. And others I had never heard of but will certainly be checking out now that I’ve read some of their material, such as Theodora Goss, Laird Barron, and Jeffery Ford. That’s what makes anthologies great, with the world of books expanding and with time so crunched in what we can read it’s hard to pick out and find new authors. Adam’s compiles a top notch level of authors, and while not all of them were my favorites, there were enough in there that did strike my fancy, that I have no trouble recommending this book as a fun and worth wile anthology.
Now, if I had to pick my favorite from the book, I’d have to say it was Austin Grossman’s Professor Incognito Apologizes: An Itemized List. Not only was it hilarious and original, but it reminded me why I loved reading Grossman’s works, in fact so much so that I went out and pre-ordered YOU, his new book coming out in April. The story is a memo of the inner workings of Doctor Incognito’s love life and plan to take over the world. It is funny, engaging, and makes me wish there were more to read on the doctor’s adventures.
All in all this was a fun book that introduced me to interesting new authors. Anyone looking for new books to read should check this out so they can sample a bunch of fun new authors.
http://whatchamacallitreviews.blogspo...
April 8, 2013
From Victor Frankenstein to Lex Luthor, from Dr. Moreau to Dr. Doom, readers have long been fascinated by insane plans for world domination and the madmen who devise them. Typically, we see these villains through the eyes of good guys. This anthology, however, explores the world of mad scientists and evil geniuses—from their own wonderfully twisted point of view.
Everybody loves villains. They’re bad; they always stir the pot; they’re much more fun than the good guys, even if we want to see the good guys win. Their fiendish schemes, maniacal laughter, and limitless ambition are legendary, but what lies behind those crazy eyes and wicked grins? How—and why—do they commit these nefarious deeds? And why are they so set on taking over the world?
If you’ve ever asked yourself any of these questions, you’re in luck: It’s finally time for the madmen’s side of the story.
April 22, 2013
Ok so I should probably not *count* this as a book read, seeing how I only read the one short story ~ The Space Between, by Gabaldon ~ but did want to include it as a record for myself. I believe her collection of short stories will be available soon in the US.
I enjoyed this story very much as it brought back 'to life' two characters that we had thought long-dead from the Outlander books, Master Raymond and the Comte' St Germain. Won't give out any spoilers here, except to say that 1) I *knew* it, and 2) yes, I thought so!!
Still anxiously awaiting MOBY -- and plan to re-read Echo this fall so that the story is fresh in my mind and then dive in head first to MOBY as soon as it is released!
I enjoyed this story very much as it brought back 'to life' two characters that we had thought long-dead from the Outlander books, Master Raymond and the Comte' St Germain. Won't give out any spoilers here, except to say that 1) I *knew* it, and 2) yes, I thought so!!
Still anxiously awaiting MOBY -- and plan to re-read Echo this fall so that the story is fresh in my mind and then dive in head first to MOBY as soon as it is released!
August 2, 2023
The title of this book is a little misleading. Very few of these mad scientists were ultimately successful so it would be a poor guide to world domination. It was an interesting book, however. It ranged from humorous to horror, tender to cruel, and a lot in between. The first two stories were definitely amusing and somewhat tongue-in-cheek. But after that, some of the stories took some very dark turns. I was very touched by the story The Mad Scientist's Daughter, which reminded me of the premise behind Final Girl Support Group in some ways in some ways. It dealt with a group of daughters of noted mad scientists from fiction, ie. Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dr. Moreau, and Giacomo Rapaccini. The group also included a creation of Frankenstein and Helen, the offspring of a character in the novella The Great God Pan. Their stories are poignant as most of them wish for a normal life that is out of their reach. They have all faked their deaths to be free of the stigma attached to their lives and have found comfort in each other's company. It was one of my favorite stories. My other favorite story was The Last Dignity of Man which dealt with a man named
Alexander Luthor who is obsessed with Superman and his nemesis that shares Alexander's name. It was a moving story of a man who thought of himself as a villain looking for a good man that would balance him out, essentially be the Superman to his Lex Luthor. This story literally moved me to tears. The anthology also included a novella that I found interesting. It involved time travel in pre-revolutionary France, although the two main characters were Scottish. I loved that both Gaelic and French words were included in the story. It was also long enough to really develop the characters. There was also a political mad scientist whose manipulation helped create a world that was disturbing like the one we currently live in. It made me wonder what it would be like if it were written now. Some of the stories I was not a big fan of, but I loved some of the stories enough to make up for it.
Alexander Luthor who is obsessed with Superman and his nemesis that shares Alexander's name. It was a moving story of a man who thought of himself as a villain looking for a good man that would balance him out, essentially be the Superman to his Lex Luthor. This story literally moved me to tears. The anthology also included a novella that I found interesting. It involved time travel in pre-revolutionary France, although the two main characters were Scottish. I loved that both Gaelic and French words were included in the story. It was also long enough to really develop the characters. There was also a political mad scientist whose manipulation helped create a world that was disturbing like the one we currently live in. It made me wonder what it would be like if it were written now. Some of the stories I was not a big fan of, but I loved some of the stories enough to make up for it.
March 10, 2021
This was actually a very good anthology which was, somewhat predictably and unfortunately, hit hard by a few mediocre yet very lengthy pieces. Rather than wasting bits & bytes upon such stuff, let me enumerate those pieces which I loved. They were:
1. Seanan McGuire's 'Laughter at the Academy';
2. Daniel H. Wilson's 'The Executor';
3. Theodora Goss's 'The Mad Scientist's Daughter';
4. Carrie Vaughn's 'Harry and Marlowe Meet the founder of the Aetherian Revolution';
5. Laird Barron's 'Blood and Stardust';
The rest were good, but seemed to be dragging on rather excessively, in the name of character development etc. Also, the humour quotient was decidedly low. Nevertheless, it was a good anthology overall.
1. Seanan McGuire's 'Laughter at the Academy';
2. Daniel H. Wilson's 'The Executor';
3. Theodora Goss's 'The Mad Scientist's Daughter';
4. Carrie Vaughn's 'Harry and Marlowe Meet the founder of the Aetherian Revolution';
5. Laird Barron's 'Blood and Stardust';
The rest were good, but seemed to be dragging on rather excessively, in the name of character development etc. Also, the humour quotient was decidedly low. Nevertheless, it was a good anthology overall.
February 15, 2024
I guess I am more of a novel person. short fiction does not seem to reel me in. I need a story to be told, to be developed. Here are 22 stories by some of the best horror, fantasy, science fiction writers out there. Technically they are good stories but they just didn't grip me and give me that drive to pick that book up again. That is why it took me so long to finish it. I just couldn't drum up the interest.
I think Carrie Vaughn, L.E. Modesitt Jr., Naomi Novik, and Grady Hendrix had good stories and all-in-all, any of the authors here can pump out a great full length novel. I'll probably just stick to full length issues from now on (unless I need to read a collection for a reading challenge).
I think Carrie Vaughn, L.E. Modesitt Jr., Naomi Novik, and Grady Hendrix had good stories and all-in-all, any of the authors here can pump out a great full length novel. I'll probably just stick to full length issues from now on (unless I need to read a collection for a reading challenge).
December 10, 2021
There's enough gusto and good humor in this anthology. The Seanan McGuire is really something special.
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