Evil UnLtd Vol 1: The
Root of All Evil, by Simon A Forward
I must point out at the start that this, and the subsequent
three volumes (at the time of writing), are all charity publications – whether
e-book or hard copy, all proceeds from the sales of these Evil UnLtd books go to Cancer Research. That, in itself, makes this
a very noble undertaking by the author since this is not a short book and it is
brimming-over with ideas.
The basic premise is refreshing – we follow the ‘baddies’ , Dexter Snide and his evil troupe, as
they plot and attempt to carry out their wicked schemes, often in the face of ill
fortune and ineptitude, countered by ‘goody’ opposition from muscle-bound
hero Rolph Stengun (think Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rainier Wolfcastle and Dolph
Lundgren all rolled into one). Forward plays to the old actors’ adage that the
best roles are the villains; they’re the ones with the most interesting lives,
the meatiest raison d’etre. None of the crimes perpetrated are particularly gruesome or violent, and there is a constant level of humour, thus the reader is not encouraged to dislike Snide or his colleagues despite their openly evil intent; our perception is comfortably manipulated so that the baddies become the heroes - a bit like in the TV series Blake’s 7, where the characters we should be looking upon as terrorists are actually the ones we relate to and root for. In fact if the reader is encouraged to dislike anyone it's certainly dull, stupid and pedantically obsessive Stengun,
who seems to right wrongs or prevent crime simply by the power of being there.
Snide, on the face of it, appears to have a solid plan: he wants to set up a company, the titular Evil UnLtd.
Forward’s influences are clear from the offset. This is a
very lexical book, delighting in the English language and the humorous interplay
of words. Add to that the sci-fi setting, the eccentric or exaggerated
characters and you have a work heavily reminiscent of Douglas Adams. That’s not
to say the book is derivative in any way; Forward is not emulating Adams, he
merely subscribes to a similar style of humour, and unlike many of Adams’ novels
there is a clear and specific storyline running through all three consecutive
mini stories that constitute this book. Other influences abound as well – Doctor Who, Blackadder, more that I could list and doubtless plenty others of which
I am not personally aware. All authors carry their influences on our sleeves when putting finger to keyboard.
One of the bonuses for the reader here is spotting these influences when they
raise their heads and wink at you before ducking back down beneath the parapet, but enjoyment of the book is not dependent on you knowing these references or influences by any means –
a bit like watching the Channel 4 sitcom Spaced,
for example.
Breaking the book into three story sections is definitely in
its favour. Word wit of this ilk can become taxing for the reader after a
while. It is a very funny book and a
very energetic and lively narrative with some real laugh-out-loud moments. But
I was reminded of reading Austen’s Northanger
Abbey, or Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian
Gray, where after so many pages of repeated wit I could only sigh ‘enough
already’ and put the book down in frustration. One needs a break from the relentless onslaught,
and this tripartite structure does at least relieve the reader from time to
time and allow them time to settle and recharge before taking on the next stage. It would be
a disservice to the author and his creativity to get to the end and complain
about humour fatigue.
I probably enjoyed the first section the most, but then I
was rather enchanted with the set up and the various roles the characters were
playing in their scenarios. The middle
section is a transition, allowing for some interesting character
developments within the group dynamic which then facilitates much of the third
section, giving the whole book a coherency that on the face of it one might erroneously
believe it lacks. Stengun is amusingly dull and slow-witted, but you wouldn’t
want to read any more about him than you do. Snide is a classic villain: focussed
on his goals, blinkered at times, often unwilling or unable to listen to
advice, yet he seems to engender the support of others who look on him as a
natural leader. Professor Doomladen is probably my favourite character,
starting off as a restaurateur with an ingenious way of getting payment from
disgruntled patrons. Tanith Troy, the stunningly beautiful actress, is possibly
where the audience perspective lies – at least initially; as hostage she is the
recipient of much of the exposition and explanation that the reader requires,
without the author having to settle for an omniscient narrator figure. It is
also in Troy that we can see plenty of opportunities for the future within these
stories.
I was aware before venturing into this book that there were
a further three titles in the series to date. Having read this first one that
doesn’t surprise me, and I shall be picking them up to read. Forward has created
a universe which offers plenty of scope for development and where pretty much
anything can happen.
I urge people to purchase and read this for two reasons – it’s
a very funny book and it’s for a very worthwhile cause.
You can follow the author Simon A Forward on Twitter on @prefect4d
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