A sick fantasy.

After seeing this book on top of my recommendations for many, many months I finally gave in and decided to try it. I am filled with regrets.

I feel that at best this book is an attempt to describe how a normal guy could descend into supervilliany. On that account it fails because he isnt normal, he is an amoral narcissist.

I also do not feel that is what best describes the book. My feelings on this book is that it is a twisted and repulsive exploration of a monster justifying his own abhorrent actions to himself, convincing himself he is just a neutral guy trying to make the best of things. And it reeks of all sorts of apologism. Most notably constantly trying to emphasize that slavery is ok as long as the master is kind, that slavery and corporations are the same(its use of indentured servitude contracts is a clear attempt to equate employment with indentured servitude), that its okay because the alternatives would be worse and that he doesnt do rape, that suddenly that proves he is an okay guy.

I could spend an entire book refuting these sentiments but for the sake of time. Ill just give one practical example inspired by the book. Constantly his sexy, submissive but with just the right amount of spunk slavegirls would be given some sort of power upgrade that they would would go ga ga over. But because they are slaves, everything he gave them is worthless to them. They cant use it increase their own station or influence the world around them, except within the microcosm of the main character’s slave empire. In other words, everything he gave them is completely and utterly worthless to the slaves and if the author had gifted them with an ounce of introspection, the girls would have realized this.

I might have forgiven all this as the author just trying to be ironic or subversive. Except the hyperobjectified women, including one asking for bigger boobs and a cringe worthy conversation with another about how hot his slave harem is, really make me feel that this book is a sick fantasy. Also its a narcisstic fantasy far more than a sexual one, as the women exist mostly as trophies validating and emotionally supporting the main character, instead of straight forward sex objects. Like ex-heros being hesitant over the idea of murdering and eating people as being ‘too neutral’ but the worries being completely assuanged by the main character making a couple minor concessions. “Lets give to charity!” And just a few chapters before I was thinking about how similar this book was to mobsters making up for murdering witnesses by donating to schools. Then suddenly, the main character literally uses that exact play from their playbook.

There is literally a character in the book that exists merely as someone to contrast the main character with. Said character wants to rape his slaves, and the main character so heroically and nobly refuses to let his property be soiled. Such a pillar of sympathetic morality our slavemaster is.

And the attempts at flirting in the book… *shudder* so awkward and cringeworthy. Why is this the one area the book is accurate.

Of course it doesnt keep the actual sex at arms length. Even this one virtue is eventually violated.

I skipped ahead to see if there was some twist or character development to make up for this. Instead it got worse . There was a moment of introspection. That only mock the concept of guilt and conscience . During a tantrum filled with torture and murder.

Ultimately this book is about an evil man convinced he isnt evil, because there are some evil acts he hasnt done.