Emperor Mollusk Versus the Sinister Brain

By: A. Lee Martinez

Narrated by: Scott Aiello

Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

Emperor Mollusk. Intergalactic Menace. Destroyer of Worlds. Conqueror of Other Worlds. Mad Genius. Ex-Warlord of Earth. Not bad for a guy without a spine. But what's a villain to do after he's done... everything.

With no new ambitions, he's happy to pitch in and solve the energy crisis or repel aliens invaders should the need arise, but if he had his way, he'd prefer to be left alone to explore the boundaries of dangerous science. Just as a hobby, of course. Retirement isn't easy though. If the boredom doesn't get him, there's always the Venusians. Or the Saturnites. Or the Mercurials. Or... well, you get the idea. If that wasn't bad enough, there's also the assassins of a legendary death cult and an up-and-coming megalomaniac (as brilliant as he is bodiless) who have marked Emperor for their own nefarious purposes.

But Mollusk isn't about to let the Earth slip out of his own tentacles and into the less capable clutches of another. So it's time to dust off the old death ray and come out of retirement. Except this time, he's not out to rule the world. He's out to save it from the peril of the Sinister Brain!

©2012 A. Lee Martinez (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

A MUST for Hitchhiker fans

Would you listen to Emperor Mollusk Versus the Sinister Brain again? Why?

Would I listen to this book again? YES! This book made me laugh from start to finish. The dialog was funny, the characters were easy to visualize, and the story was quirky and solid.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character by far was Snog (sp? -- the only bad thing about audiobooks, you really have to pay attention to names LOL) -- This character was the multi-ped mutated pet of the Emperor Mollusk and did not speak. What made her my favorite was the description, her mannerisms, the way she always made me smile and laugh, and her awesome abilities.

What about Scott Aiello’s performance did you like?

The 4 main characters were very distinguishable though back and forth dialog, and the way he handled the dialog scenes that needed close to 10 distinguishable voices in succession was better than most I have heard.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed almost all the way through. I'm a HUGE S'more fan, and I knew I would love this book the moment I heard "today's laser is tomorrow's marshmallow roaster." There are more than a couple "one-liners" that should be made into bumper stickers.

Any additional comments?

There are a couple "flashback" type stories that seem a little out of place and added only as filler. There were also a couple times where I missed the transition from one part of the story to the next and had to go back to re-listen, but this could also have been when I was slamming on my breaks trying to merge on or off the interstate and not the fault of the book or it's narrator. :-)

Squishy Fun From Neptunian Depths

Lee Martinez imagines Earth as part of a solar system where every planet and moon is inhabited by all types of creatures, most of them are smarter than us. In the middle of it all is our narrator, Emperor Mollusk, a hyper-genius squid-like being from Neptune who has subdued Saturn and Venus as well as conquering Terra (Earth), where he is revered as a benevolent god thanks to various brainwashing techniques and drugs he has plied on the human population.

Emperor Mollusk, with the help of female warrior from Venus and a deadly ultrapede, plus various and sundry others he meets along the way, has to visit a number of exotic locales, from the caves of the moon to a volcanic time portal to an ordinary lake in Wisconsin, where he employs an array of doomsday technologies, like planet killers and time radios and the Eiffel Tower, to fight and outsmart a variety of deadly foes from a hypnotic dinosaur to a mummy in command of giant scorpions to the disembodied brains of P.T. Barnum and Soupy Sales, and finally a giant radioactive Marie Curie.

No, this is not meant to be serious, it is meant to be fun, and it is. Fast-paced and loaded with imaginative details about the creatures and monsters and locations and battles and technologies -- and jokes: fun, funny, infectious, and perfectly conceived in terms of creating a world filled with magical or mythical or monstrous creatures that mirrors our contemporary world, imagined with remarkable consistency.

I looked up narrator Scott Aiello after listening to this book. He's had an interesting career as an actor of modest success, better than most, but not the ultimate success theater people (like my daughter) crave. He has even written about it. One thing I found out about him (the reason why I looked him up) is that he is from Chicago, not England. So the Downton Abbey voice he gives Emperor Mollusk, who narrates the story, is acted. And it's impeccable.

I would not have ascribed Mollusk that type of voice in my imagination had I read the book in print, but it is absolutely pitch perfect. Mollusk is so funny in his understated upper-crust English accent that he totally steals the show -- "I stand corrected," he deadpans, "Yours is the superior arbitrary system of government." Well done! Well done on the writing, well done with the narrating.

As effusive as I am about the other elements of this book, the story itself is tepid. Without giving away any spoilers, it's pretty obvious early on how it's going to turn out. In the meantime, Mollusk goes with his Venusian warrior from one trap to another only to find a way out, no matter how invulnerable the various Godzilla- and Mecha-Godzilla-like foes are. He does it so often, she even scolds Mollusk for continuing to do it.

But I get it -- the story, such as it is, is only a structure on which to hang all of the detail about all of the fauna and locales and machines -- and all of Mollusk's humorous commentary. So overall, it works, and it works fantastically, but as humor, not necessarily as a story.

Invertebrate overlord ? Fun!

Where does Emperor Mollusk Versus the Sinister Brain rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Oh gosh! It tickled me so much. I've only been hooked by a few books so easily. Totally in the top 20. Sounds like a lot...but you know lists can be huge with bibliophiles!

What did you like best about this story?

It's more like what didn't I like ? Which I really can't think of any. A. Lee Martinez has tickled me ever since I found him in a barnes and noble during a part time job. So read it!

What about Scott Aiello’s performance did you like?

Oh god he does Emperor perfectly...and the intellectual banter oh my!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Oh when Snarg cuddled Zala. As animal companions go she;s better then lassie.

Any additional comments?

I always say this cause it's true. Buy it, if ya don't like it return it. Now for my other point. This book is funny, the narrator plays his roles perfectly. He plays off the gags between characters perfectly that you can't help but smile and the story is outlandish and silly and works just so well!

Weird wacky fun!

Which character – as performed by Scott Aiello – was your favorite?

Zala, I loved how she was the perfect counterfoil for Mollusk. She was so sarcastic

Great Book!

Would you listen to Emperor Mollusk Versus the Sinister Brain again? Why?

Yes, it was fun and easy to follow.

What did you like best about this story?

Fun and entertaining book. A great look into a potential future lead by science, but with enough of a senor of humor not to take itself too seriously.

What about Scott Aiello’s performance did you like?

He did a great job with the voices making it seem like different people were talking.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No, just enjoyed it.

Every '50s SF pulp monster included

The ex-conqueror of Earth, super genius Emperor Mollusk, comes out of retirement to defend his helpless subjects from the threat of villain just as brilliant and squishy as himself. Fans of John Scalzi or Douglas Adams will appreciate the genre-lampooning humor of this story, with it’s character archetypes, deus ex machina tropes, and send-ups of classic 1950’s pulp SF monster rouge’s gallery. In a truly brilliant twist, the narrating first-person protagonist is the ultimate villain, strangely relatable as a bored guy who just wants to move on to the next great challenge in life. While the narrative structure gets to be a little repetitive- basically a series of location-hopping quests designed to introduce odder and odder settings and characters, but without meaningfully advancing the plot, I still appreciated every word if only for the fantastic dialog. And although the pacing did become a bit predictable, the action was quite fun, and includes something for everyone: Lizard men aliens, time-travel, rock men aliens, mutated dinosaurs, city-ravaging monsters and robots, Atlantis, history re-interpreted, and more.

Such a fun book

A friend sent me this book and although I was not sure about it, I gave it a try and I loved it! It was action-packed, hilarious, witty and just overall entertaining! I highly recommend it if you're just looking to have some fun with a book. I will definitely be listening to it again.

Absolute delight!!

Between the fantastical adventure story, Snog, and the AMAZING narrator, this made for a fun road trip read. Definitely a good laugh among the way.

Tasty Confection

Sometimes you just want Mars Attacks or some similarly outlandish story. This is light and funny and well performed. It's a few parts Flash Gordon, a little Adult Swim, and every every super genius story ever, all in one.

Morality mores & time decay of brilliance

I am a sucker for absurd sci fi with a sense of humor. And as this story features a cephalopod who may have suckers but refuses to be one himself, I really enjoyed it. It features a question of what must a villain do to prove he is not such a bad guy. Lord Mollusk is not interested in a morality he can't prove scientifically exists. He cares only for the experimental process & satisfying his professional curiosity of no longer being vindictively evil. Being a genius, he is gracious in his condescension because he is secure in his own superior intelligence. But when the Sinister Brain shows up & challenges his curiosity with a grand mystery, it is a battle of wills & wits to unravel what is really going on. Oh, and the universe is often in the brink of doomsday along the way due to the collateral damage caused by the conflict.