The Mad Scientist's Guide to World Domination
John Joseph Adams, editor
Tor/Forge
Tor Books
In Austin Grossman’s
“Professor Incognito Apologizes, An Itemized List” Prof. Incognito speaks to his fiancé through
a letter. He describes how she must have
broken into his secret lab to learn his secret identity. On purpose--his purpose. A few more surprises await. A humorous and poignant story about the
selves people hide from others. It may have been more powerfully told through a
more narrative letter. Still, worth
reading.
Harry Turtledove’s “Father
of the Groom” is a mad scientist who reifies the irked bridesmaid’s comment
that his daughter-in-law-to-be is Bridezilla.
Seanan McGuire (Mira
Grant) looks at the source of mad scientists in “Laughter at the Academy” for a
clever twist of the trope. A detective
unravels Clarissa Garrity’s role in the number of mad-scientist incidents occurring,
but she’s widening the scope of her operations.
David D. Levine’s “Letter
to the Editor” recasts light on the mad-scientist-as-arch-superhero-nemesis. Levine turns our sympathy toward the presumed
sociopath as he scientifically reasons why the superhero is a threat to
society. He then enlists the aid of the
entire planet with one clever step. Impressive
as is. It would have been fun, however,
to puzzle more over whether he’s to be trusted, perhaps through readers poring
over detailed, previous exploits or “crimes.”
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