‘To be a truly successful Evil Genius requires several things: a secret lair, loyal but incompetent henchman, a large button marked ‘Stop’ (preferably red), and a willingness to prolong the hero’s death long enough to gloat about your Master Plan. Anything less and you’re not trying hard enough, or maybe trying too hard. One of those, certainly. Wait, don’t open that box…!’ – Evil Genius #39, foiled again…
The latest volume in the Fox Pockets collection is a series of short and flash fiction from new and established voices, exploring the mind of the evil genius.
The Fox Pockets series has some wonderful short fiction in it; the series has so far covered subjects as diverse as shapeshifters, reflections, things wot lurk in the dark, ghosts and the deep dark depths of the sea. This volume focuses on Evil Geniuses (Genii?), and there are some fabulous stories in the thirteen that make up the collection, which ranges from horror to comedy and back again. I honestly can’t pick a favourite; several of them made me laugh, one made me wince, and I enjoyed the whole lot immensely!
The anthology starts with Full Compliance from Steven Poore; we all know Health and Safety regulations are a pain in the butt, but it turns out that they apply to superheroes too! The story is a very nice twist on the swamp of red tape that seems to impede everything, including owning an unshielded particle defibrillation cage if you haven’t considered the blast radius and proper protective regulations. Superhero’ing just isn’t what it used to be – and that goes for the villains, too.
The Evil Genius Guide to World Domination is up next, with a sweet and unexpected take on how to become Evil: you just buy the complete pack at the evil equivalent of Ikea! Of course, as anyone who’s ever tried to assemble Ikea furniture, it’s putting it together that’s the problem…this wonderful story provides a rethink on the practicalities of worldbuilding and trying to live up to expectations, plus the unexpected things you can encounter in an Evil Ikea. I rather like Empress Emily!
The rest of the collection doesn’t disappoint, ranging from 80’s cheese to the traditional Evil Scientist. We Meet Again is a sweet tale of old age and revenge, and anyone who likes James Bond will have fun spotting the references. The Great Day of Her Wrath follows a child genius, forced to work on her parent’s universe-hopping machine when they disappear; the ending was something of a let-down on this, as I wanted to know what happened next! Dame Ammonia Dastardly-Truste’s Evil Genius College for Ladies is an amusing and rather disturbing graduation speech with a difference…and the ending is entirely in the tradition of betrayal, double-crossing and dastardly deeds.
Project Domination returns to the cute theme; a rescued kitten finds a home, and there’s definitely nothing subversive or evil there, nope! Subject Number Six is an excellently traditional take on the mad scientist entirely lacking in morals, complete with brain-swapping and some sly digs at modern life. His Master’s Narrative Voice was the wince-inducing story, as it struck a little too close to the bone for me – it’s a nice take on a writer’s lack of fame and fortune, coupled with a side-swipe at AI, online chatting and crime novels, and was definitely a highlight in the collection. The Untouched is a story based in an established universe; unfortunately it didn’t entirely resonate as I felt I was missing some of the details, but it’s a touching story of mechanical life and the idea that creating life also means creating death – and that maybe the mad scientist isn’t quite such an evil figure after all.
Getting The Most From Your Kaiju was another favourite; it’s a chatty and useful guide to getting the best out of your unstoppable, city-levelling monster! Do you want one bespoke, or is off-the shelf good enough? Need tips on how to motivate them? Dr. Otto Von Koloss has all the info! Professor Venedictos Von Holinshed Versus The Sororal League Of Bazooka-Bikini-
Wielding Demonic Divas From Outer Space (Denouement) is a wonderful ball of 80’s cheese and sci-fi cliché with some modern twists, set in an epic showdown; I’d love to see it made into a short film.
© Kate Coe, August 2016
Evil Genius Guide: Volume 9 (Fox Pockets) by various
Published July 31st 2016
Review copy courtesy of the publisher
http://www.foxspirit.co.uk/books/anthologies/fox-pockets/
176 pages
