Patrick E. McLean is a writer who has released free digital audiobook versions of his novel.
His story How to Succeed in Evil is available in two version: the original podcast episodes and the rewritten novel version of the story.
How to Succeed in Evil - Original Podcast Episodes are best thought of as notes and sketches for the novel length work How to Succeed in Evil:The Novel
This is not to take anything away from these episodes, the first 10 of which won a Parsec Award.
Semi- Spoiler Alert: These episodes cover longer arc of story than the novel. Some of the stuff that happens in the podcasts might make it into a future novel. Then again, it might not. But then again, who cares. Shakespeare gave away the plot of most of his plays in the first 10 lines and it turned out okay for him.
How to Succeed in Evil is the story of Edwin Windsor, Evil Efficiency Consultant. He tries to help supervillains be more villainous. Or at least more profitable and sensible about the business side of Evil.
Along with his very proper and English secretary Agnes and his hench-lawyer Topper, he struggles to make the world of superpowered people make sense. But this is very difficult because, while Edwin's advice is excellent, all of his clients are too egomaniacal to listen. There is, it must be said, a bit of comedy in this work.
Edwin struggles with a cast of characters including, Dr. Loeb, a trust fund child who desperately wants to be an Evil Genius, but has none of the talent. Dr. Loeb's hideous mother, Iphagenia – who's evil scheme is to foment a second Southern Rebellion, beginning with Lower Alabama. And the Cromogoldon, a brute with forehead villainous low and quite possibly the strongest creature on the planet.
Inevitably, Edwin's unique clientele lead him into direct conflict with the greatest superhero of them all, Excelsior. And so, the quiet, restrained intellectual is pitted against heroic force.
Edwin Windsor, Evil Efficiency Consultant, returns with his manic lawyer Topper and his faithful secretary in this novella-length prequel to How to Succeed in Evil. Edwin is approached by a vampire, who offers him the prospect of eternal life if Edwin will help him with the troubles the modern world has presented his kind. It's Edwin versus Nosferatu in this insightful satire of the highly exploited vampire genre.
After countless heroes fail to overcome an evil Wizard, Boltac, humble shopkeeper, must answer the Call of Adventure and save his home and the woman he loves.
Funny, moving and always exquisitely well-produced, this collection of short stories and essays from the award-winning Seanachai podcast is not to be missed. If you like this American Life, but wish that Ira Glass' voice was a bit softer on the ears, then this is the audio book for you.
Unkillable is the story of a young man who is cruelly murdered then brought back from the dead to revenge himself. The kicker is: He's not really alive. He can be hurt, he just can't be killed.
It's dark and funny and sad and beautiful and violent and magical – if it could be summed up with just a few words, there would have been no point in writing a novel.
Unkillable. Life sucks. Death blows. In between is worse.