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Starter Villain
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Science Fiction (2023)Inheriting your uncle's supervillain business is more complicated than you might think. Particularly when you discover who's running the place.
Charlie's life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitute teacher living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan.
Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie.
But becoming a supervillain isn't all giant laser death rays and lava pits. Jake had enemies, and now they're coming after Charlie. His uncle might have been a stand-up, old-fashioned kind of villain, but these are the real thing: rich, soulless predators backed by multinational corporations and venture capital.
It's up to Charlie to win the war his uncle started against a league of supervillains. But with unionized dolphins, hyperintelligent talking spy cats, and a terrifying henchperson at his side, going bad is starting to look pretty good.
In a dog-eat-dog world...be a cat.
Charlie's life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitute teacher living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan.
Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie.
But becoming a supervillain isn't all giant laser death rays and lava pits. Jake had enemies, and now they're coming after Charlie. His uncle might have been a stand-up, old-fashioned kind of villain, but these are the real thing: rich, soulless predators backed by multinational corporations and venture capital.
It's up to Charlie to win the war his uncle started against a league of supervillains. But with unionized dolphins, hyperintelligent talking spy cats, and a terrifying henchperson at his side, going bad is starting to look pretty good.
In a dog-eat-dog world...be a cat.
264 pages, Hardcover
First published September 19, 2023
About the author
John Scalzi
161 books24.5k followersJohn Scalzi, having declared his absolute boredom with biographies, disappeared in a puff of glitter and lilac scent.
(If you want to contact John, using the mail function here is a really bad way to do it. Go to his site and use the contact information you find there.)
(If you want to contact John, using the mail function here is a really bad way to do it. Go to his site and use the contact information you find there.)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 6,710 reviews
October 8, 2023
“I didn’t see the knife until the dude was just about to stab it into my uncle’s corpse.”
If at your estranged billionaire uncle’s funeral not only there are wreaths with inscriptions of “You’re dead? LOL” but the mourners are trying to stab the body to make sure he’s indeed dead, you may want to ask a few questions.
And maybe you’ll realize you just inherited a legit (so to say - “It’s mutual assured destruction, with a subscription fee”) business of being a villain to the supervillains.
Too bad that up until now your experience included business journalism, substitute teaching, barely making ends meet while taking in cute stray cats. (Well, at least cats may help the supervillain image, but the rest, well…)
“Instead I’m here on an island in the Caribbean, being told I need to talk to the dolphins in the middle of a labor action about some whales that might have torpedoes, armed by a secret society of villains who want access to a storeroom full of objects probably looted from the victims of the friggin’ Nazis and who are maybe willing to blow up my volcano lair to get it.”
———
I adore John Scalzi. The thing is — yes, books like these are light and fun, and ridiculously entertaining, and will not be deep or profound or life-changing, and that is just perfect as far as I’m concerned. “Profound” in the current literary climate often means “depressingly bleak” and “will suck your lifeforce out through a tiny straw” — and Scalzi is the opposite of that, thank f*ck.
If you love cats, you will adore this book. If, like me, you prefer cactus to cats, you still will love this. If you’re opposed to viewing dolphins as foul-mouthed cheeky bastards - well, then Scalzi’s humor may take a bit of getting used to.
“Williams shook his head. “Oh, no, Charlie. Don’t swim with the dolphins during a labor dispute. No matter how much they try to convince you otherwise.”
It’s funny, it’s adorable, it’s lightheartedly comfortable with an occasional infusion of semi-adolescent humor into snappy banter, and it just works very well. This is a book that doesn’t take itself too seriously and owns that.
But then Scalzi still doesn’t forget that while billionaires have their allure, they typically haven’t become those just using merit and kindness. It’s a dickhead spectrum, and Scalzi lets you know where he stands.
“I expected the members of Earth’s leading society of villains to be smarter,” I said.
“I don’t know why.”
“They’re smarter in movies and books.”
“They would have to be, wouldn’t they?” Morrison said. “In the real world, they can be what people like them usually are: a bunch of dudes born into money who used that money to take advantage of other people to make even more money. It works great until they start believing that being rich makes them smart, and then they get in trouble. Unless they find someone else to take advantage of.”
Plus, it mentions umlauts. And sharks. And one can’t go wrong with those.
4.5 stars.
“Still, death by shark is great on the resume,” Jacobs said.”
——————
Also posted on my blog.
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May 9, 2024Scalzi's latest is a light-hearted story with a likeable fish-out-of-water protagonist and a lot of very smart cats. There's also a dolphin labor dispute, some truly awful techbros ("consider your testicles"), and a volcano island lair, among other things. Some laugh out loud lines and a few double-double twists make this a fun read. Scalzi also has a bit to say about the state of who's running the world and what makes someone villainous and not so villainous. Easy to read in a day, and with that cover, who could resist?
I received a free ARC which in no way impacted my honest review.
I received a free ARC which in no way impacted my honest review.
May 28, 2023
This is the second Scalzi novel in a row that feels very present day, and in a lot of ways is expanding on some of the themes present in smaller doses in The Kaiju Preservation Society. Big business, income inequality, worker’s rights, animal liberation, unions, nepotism, and the banality of villainy in late stage capitalism. I think Peter Singer, the infamous utilitarian animal rights ethicist, and probably the most well known modern philosopher, would be pleased with how Starter Villain deals with animals in particular.
In true Scalzi fashion, it’s also incredibly silly and ultimately a light hearted, fish out of water romp.
The main character is plucked out of their mundane existence and thrust into a world they know nothing about: comical James Bond style villainous organizations, weaponized animal intelligence, laser death rays, evil volcano lairs, etc. Not only does he have to quickly come to terms with this insanity, but he’s suddenly been put in charge of it all. It’s ridiculously good fun.
My favorite aspect of the novel is just how satirically corporate all of this modern day villainy is presented as being. The most evil characters in the book will be recognizable to anyone familiar with the current generation of lame ass billionaires, captains of industry, and crypto bros. If you enjoyed Glass Onion, you’ll be right at home with Scalzi’s take on the brilliant/idiot dynamic present in a lot of these characters.
I’m not sure if I’ve just never noticed before now, or this is something new for Scalzi, but this book is like 90% dialogue. This would really be my only gripe with Starter Villain. There’s a lot of talking, and not very much doing going on. Basically all of the action takes place between the lines. It still works well, and feels very Scalzi, but I would’ve loved some more descriptive, omniscient writing, maybe just in short chapters interspersed here and there.
If Providence was Max Barry writing a John Scalzi sci-fi adventure, Starter Villain is very much John Scalzi’s take on a Max Barry corporate satire a la Jennifer Government or Company. This is something I’m all about. I’ll take more of both please.
In true Scalzi fashion, it’s also incredibly silly and ultimately a light hearted, fish out of water romp.
The main character is plucked out of their mundane existence and thrust into a world they know nothing about: comical James Bond style villainous organizations, weaponized animal intelligence, laser death rays, evil volcano lairs, etc. Not only does he have to quickly come to terms with this insanity, but he’s suddenly been put in charge of it all. It’s ridiculously good fun.
My favorite aspect of the novel is just how satirically corporate all of this modern day villainy is presented as being. The most evil characters in the book will be recognizable to anyone familiar with the current generation of lame ass billionaires, captains of industry, and crypto bros. If you enjoyed Glass Onion, you’ll be right at home with Scalzi’s take on the brilliant/idiot dynamic present in a lot of these characters.
I’m not sure if I’ve just never noticed before now, or this is something new for Scalzi, but this book is like 90% dialogue. This would really be my only gripe with Starter Villain. There’s a lot of talking, and not very much doing going on. Basically all of the action takes place between the lines. It still works well, and feels very Scalzi, but I would’ve loved some more descriptive, omniscient writing, maybe just in short chapters interspersed here and there.
If Providence was Max Barry writing a John Scalzi sci-fi adventure, Starter Villain is very much John Scalzi’s take on a Max Barry corporate satire a la Jennifer Government or Company. This is something I’m all about. I’ll take more of both please.
September 5, 2023
Witty, quirky, and so darn amusing. The book had me at “hyper-intelligent talking spy cats.” I would very much like to slow-blink at this novel and give it a treat.
Imagine your absentee trillionaire villain uncle dies and leaves you the, no, not the breadth of his inheritance, but the onus to take his place to protect the assets of the company’s multimillion dollar clients and to defend his fortune against a conglomerate of other villainous villains. It, of course, is not as simple as that. There also are technologically inept volcanic lairs, clone technology, intelligent and articulate cats, bombings, jerk dolphins, and the impending and on-going assassination attempts on Charlie.
Charlie has a lot to learn. Chuck Bartowski, without the Intersect, meets Gru in this satirical novel.
- Sara W.
Imagine your absentee trillionaire villain uncle dies and leaves you the, no, not the breadth of his inheritance, but the onus to take his place to protect the assets of the company’s multimillion dollar clients and to defend his fortune against a conglomerate of other villainous villains. It, of course, is not as simple as that. There also are technologically inept volcanic lairs, clone technology, intelligent and articulate cats, bombings, jerk dolphins, and the impending and on-going assassination attempts on Charlie.
Charlie has a lot to learn. Chuck Bartowski, without the Intersect, meets Gru in this satirical novel.
- Sara W.
October 30, 2023
This was so much fun.
September 19, 2023
Available today, 9.19.23!
STARTER VILLAIN is just plain fun!
It featured an unlikely protagonist who just wanted to buy a bar, (even though he has no money), get out of the house his half siblings co-own, and just generally get out from under. Then a rich uncle dies and leaves him his supervillain business. And then he discovers his cat is his boss. From there on out we are taken on an hilarious ride, none of which I will spoil for you here.
With his sense of humor clearly sharpened and a sense of whimsy that is totally delightful, John Scalzi presents a tale of pure escapism and I loved it. Maybe you will too? (Especially if you love cats!)
Highly recommended!
*Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Tor for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!
STARTER VILLAIN is just plain fun!
It featured an unlikely protagonist who just wanted to buy a bar, (even though he has no money), get out of the house his half siblings co-own, and just generally get out from under. Then a rich uncle dies and leaves him his supervillain business. And then he discovers his cat is his boss. From there on out we are taken on an hilarious ride, none of which I will spoil for you here.
With his sense of humor clearly sharpened and a sense of whimsy that is totally delightful, John Scalzi presents a tale of pure escapism and I loved it. Maybe you will too? (Especially if you love cats!)
Highly recommended!
*Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Tor for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!
September 24, 2023
Now THIS is what I call wholesome!
Charlie has recently lost his dad. A dad who had had a family before marrying Charlie's mother (who is also deceased). Charlie has three older half-siblings therefore and they are NOT his biggest fans (on account of his dad having seemingly cared more for him than them and having left their mom for Charlie's). So after Charlie's dad has died, there is a dispute about the house he left to all of them. It doesn't help that Charlie is unemployed except for occasionally being a substitute teacher (he had to drop everything to take care of his dad when he got sick) while his half-siblings are all more than well off.
One day, Charlie gets approached by a woman who had worked for Charlie's maternal uncle. He also died recently. She promises him a way out of his insecure life if he agrees to hold his uncle's service.
What Charlie couldn't have imagined is that people would try to stab his uncle just to make sure he was actually dead. *lol*
Another thing he couldn't have imagined is the conspiracy his uncle was embroiled in, the island with the secret research labs, the various super-weapons under his uncle's (and now Charlie's) command ... and the cats. Because THESE cats are not your usual fluffballs. Just like the dolphins in Charlie's island's bay. *chuckles*
So yes, to make this short: this is about super-villains and a super-organisation they all belong to (mutually assured destruction). It's about how Charlie will handle his inheritance. But first and foremost, it's about belonging, what "home" means, and the awesomeness that are animals.
Seriously, this is one of Scalzi's finest. No sprawling series, not the biggest stakes, but all the more heart.
I cackled through many a conversation in this book and definitely loved the situational humor with the union-forming dolphins or Hera and Persephone in general (they were awesome no matter what they did).
Admittedly, this was not what I had expected - I did not expect the story to be so heart-warming - but that only means I'm even more smitten with it now. Wholesome really is the best word to describe it.
Charlie has recently lost his dad. A dad who had had a family before marrying Charlie's mother (who is also deceased). Charlie has three older half-siblings therefore and they are NOT his biggest fans (on account of his dad having seemingly cared more for him than them and having left their mom for Charlie's). So after Charlie's dad has died, there is a dispute about the house he left to all of them. It doesn't help that Charlie is unemployed except for occasionally being a substitute teacher (he had to drop everything to take care of his dad when he got sick) while his half-siblings are all more than well off.
One day, Charlie gets approached by a woman who had worked for Charlie's maternal uncle. He also died recently. She promises him a way out of his insecure life if he agrees to hold his uncle's service.
What Charlie couldn't have imagined is that people would try to stab his uncle just to make sure he was actually dead. *lol*
Another thing he couldn't have imagined is the conspiracy his uncle was embroiled in, the island with the secret research labs, the various super-weapons under his uncle's (and now Charlie's) command ... and the cats. Because THESE cats are not your usual fluffballs. Just like the dolphins in Charlie's island's bay. *chuckles*
So yes, to make this short: this is about super-villains and a super-organisation they all belong to (mutually assured destruction). It's about how Charlie will handle his inheritance. But first and foremost, it's about belonging, what "home" means, and the awesomeness that are animals.
Seriously, this is one of Scalzi's finest. No sprawling series, not the biggest stakes, but all the more heart.
I cackled through many a conversation in this book and definitely loved the situational humor with the union-forming dolphins or Hera and Persephone in general (they were awesome no matter what they did).
Admittedly, this was not what I had expected - I did not expect the story to be so heart-warming - but that only means I'm even more smitten with it now. Wholesome really is the best word to describe it.
October 24, 2023
4 stars
My second Scalzi book so far, and it has been the best of times. The Kaiju Preservation Society was among my favourite reads from last year, which meant I had very high expectations for this. Still kinda sad it didn't win the Hugo :( I loved the humor, and the banter. His main characters are always likeable and fun to read. There was so much going on in this book and it was a pure shot of serotonin. Plus that cover, and the upper management cats and the dolphin labor union and the evil volcano lair. All very absurd but in the best possible way. This book had me laughing and giggling at 3 a.m. and still begging for more. Definitely here for whatever this dude writes. Maybe a full proper review later on.
My second Scalzi book so far, and it has been the best of times. The Kaiju Preservation Society was among my favourite reads from last year, which meant I had very high expectations for this. Still kinda sad it didn't win the Hugo :( I loved the humor, and the banter. His main characters are always likeable and fun to read. There was so much going on in this book and it was a pure shot of serotonin. Plus that cover, and the upper management cats and the dolphin labor union and the evil volcano lair. All very absurd but in the best possible way. This book had me laughing and giggling at 3 a.m. and still begging for more. Definitely here for whatever this dude writes. Maybe a full proper review later on.
September 18, 2023
Charlie is shocked to discover that his estranged uncle's passing has involved him in a shadowy world of billionaires, evil-doers, and satellite exploding lasers.
Suddenly he's the owner of a top secret lair (under a volcano, naturally), though the "sinister mission control room" is somewhat lacking. And now some people are pressuring him to join the Lombardy Convocation, a group of super villainous villains who just happen to be having their annual meeting.
"Think of Davos, except they don't pretend they're helping people."
I assume the above info was enough to get your attention, but if you need more tidbits to lure you in, I'll also mention the spy cats, and the disgruntled dolphins.
This was pure (well, not really PURE) fun from start to finish; a quirky, hilarious romp that should keep you chuckling.
And, if your cat is staring at you right now, you should probably be a little nervous . . .
Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for the loan.
Suddenly he's the owner of a top secret lair (under a volcano, naturally), though the "sinister mission control room" is somewhat lacking. And now some people are pressuring him to join the Lombardy Convocation, a group of super villainous villains who just happen to be having their annual meeting.
"Think of Davos, except they don't pretend they're helping people."
I assume the above info was enough to get your attention, but if you need more tidbits to lure you in, I'll also mention the spy cats, and the disgruntled dolphins.
This was pure (well, not really PURE) fun from start to finish; a quirky, hilarious romp that should keep you chuckling.
And, if your cat is staring at you right now, you should probably be a little nervous . . .
Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for the loan.
December 9, 2023
So, part of the reason why I picked this one up was one, the book cover (I mean, look at it!!) and two, not having read a book by John Scalzi yet.
I loved this one.
It’s the perfect mixture of an interesting plot, humor, and some exciting action at the end.
I enjoyed the plot twists and loved how the book keeps evolving and changing as our main character, Charlie, tries to figure out his uncle’s business, the role of being a villain, and trying to survive his rivals.
Starter Villain begins with Charlie somehow inheriting his uncle’s business when he dies. He thought his Uncle Jake was in the parking lot business but it was much more complicated then he expected.
Not only does he own parking lots all over the United States but he has an island with an active volcano, lots of side businesses that keep governments spying on each other, and a henchwoman that can kill when the situation is called for.
Oh yeah, he’s got some cats too.
Spy cats that keep him informed of what his competitors and rivals are up too.
This whole concept might sound strange and weird but Scalzi has a way of taking the unbelievable fantasy/sci-fi element and making it legit and believable. I loved that the most about the book.
Pick this up if you are looking for a funny and original sci-fi book that will keep you massively entertained and chuckling while flipping the pages.
It definitely worked for me!
I loved this one.
It’s the perfect mixture of an interesting plot, humor, and some exciting action at the end.
I enjoyed the plot twists and loved how the book keeps evolving and changing as our main character, Charlie, tries to figure out his uncle’s business, the role of being a villain, and trying to survive his rivals.
Starter Villain begins with Charlie somehow inheriting his uncle’s business when he dies. He thought his Uncle Jake was in the parking lot business but it was much more complicated then he expected.
Not only does he own parking lots all over the United States but he has an island with an active volcano, lots of side businesses that keep governments spying on each other, and a henchwoman that can kill when the situation is called for.
Oh yeah, he’s got some cats too.
Spy cats that keep him informed of what his competitors and rivals are up too.
This whole concept might sound strange and weird but Scalzi has a way of taking the unbelievable fantasy/sci-fi element and making it legit and believable. I loved that the most about the book.
Pick this up if you are looking for a funny and original sci-fi book that will keep you massively entertained and chuckling while flipping the pages.
It definitely worked for me!
October 7, 2023
Starter Villain is another wild and wacky comedic romp from Scalzi, following nicely in the wake of Redshirts and The Kaiju Preservation Society. It's about a very non-villainous and non-heroic guy who inherits a criminal empire that was set up in the James Bond tradition. I'll avoid spoilers, but here's a quote from page 207: "...I'm here on an island in the Caribbean, being told I need to talk to the dolphins in the middle of a labor action about some whales that might have torpedoes, armed by a secret society of villains who want access to a storeroom full of objects probably looted from the victims of the friggin' Nazis and who are maybe willing to blow up -my volcano lair- to get it." It's a fun, fast read, and anyone likely to pick up a Scalzi probably already realizes that cats are in charge, taped bacon notwithstanding. It's fast, fun stuff, not likely to offend anyone other than maybe friggin' Nazis. (As lots and lots and lots of other people have commented, the cover is cute and striking, but I thought it was sort of misleading. The feline characters in the book didn't wear clothes and were female...)
January 26, 2024
When a kitten walks up to you and makes demands, what are you going to do? Say no?
Look at that cover. Just look at it. From the very first moment, I knew this book was gonna be fucking awesome.
“Apparently they’re ready,” she said to me. “Encrypted this time.” Gratas was on the screen immediately, screaming. There was a little lock icon on the screen.
“Your audio’s still muted,” I said, mildly.
I laughed out loud so many times, but the Zoom call scene just completely slayed me 😂
”It’s not all maniacal laughter and plots to take over the world with a giant laser,” I said.
Yang looked over at Morrison again.
“Wait, is there a plot to take over the world with a giant laser?” I asked.
Can we pleaseeee get a movie?? 🙏🏻
- -
Aug 2023: BUSINESS CAT?? I’M IN
Look at that cover. Just look at it. From the very first moment, I knew this book was gonna be fucking awesome.
“Apparently they’re ready,” she said to me. “Encrypted this time.” Gratas was on the screen immediately, screaming. There was a little lock icon on the screen.
“Your audio’s still muted,” I said, mildly.
I laughed out loud so many times, but the Zoom call scene just completely slayed me 😂
”It’s not all maniacal laughter and plots to take over the world with a giant laser,” I said.
Yang looked over at Morrison again.
“Wait, is there a plot to take over the world with a giant laser?” I asked.
Can we pleaseeee get a movie?? 🙏🏻
- -
Aug 2023: BUSINESS CAT?? I’M IN
August 17, 2023
This is probably the funniest thing a read in a while. If Starter Villain was a movie, it would be a delightful action comedy, with witty dialogues and unpretentious humour. In fantasy books I usually read, good jokes are rare (and most authors can’t write them at all), but here pages are literally oozing with puns, funny banter and remarks. This is the first Scalzi’s book that I’ve read, but of this I’m certain: this guy knows how to write entertaining dialogues. What is more behind all this comedy author hid some serious questions and satire on our world. For example: how should we treat animals if humans turn them into intelligent spieces? And what if (and this one is my favourite) some of them decide to form a union? If you liked Glass Onion metacommentary and mocking of Silicon Valley techbros, whose only contribution to the world is their enormous ego and family money, you’re gonna have lots of fun with this book.
November 9, 2023
Light snarky funny fantasy, a take on Bond-like villains (via subscription fees) with cats. It is as chewable, easy to consume as you can imagine with some scenes and ideas which are just priceless.
It is also thin on characterization and plot, and while it is oh so snarky in scenes, it somehow stops from being revolutionary transgressive satire. It goes for the easy, whenever it can. There is no obvious joke which is not vocalized (and that is not a bad thing necessarily) but it always goes for the "nice", critical but not too much. Is it fair to hold it against a book that it could have been more and it just did not have try? Because indulging in lots of jokes does not necessarily prevent books from expressing more things, rage, or cynical detachment, or being a bit more somehow in character development. This, and I realize how hollow it sounds, does not attempt to be more, get out of its comfort zone and I am holding it against the book, could have been more, but saw no point in attempting it. (Is it fair to mentally compare books to Terry Pratchett ones? But if it is not fair, I can not stop doing it when clicking on that star rating).
Fantastic for cat lovers (incidentally I mind that the cover is wrong. Hey Hera and Persephone are orange-and-white!) Interesting dolphins also.
I listened to the audiobook, read (I am not going to say voice acted) by Wil Wheaton and I hated his narration and I am going to hold it against the book, so my rating (3.5ish) is brought down over it. I knew he is a polemic narrator, I thought that was just an internet meme thing (ah!), I wanted to try one of his books for myself. So I did, and I am not doing any more audiobooks by him ever again. Because I might spoiler with examples I will put it in spoilers, the stuff I did not like with his reading (I am not going to actually call that voice acting..):
So TLDR: Wil Wheaton as a narrator, not ever again for me. Mileage will vary, he has lots of fans and I am often way out there on outlier island so judge for yourself, as always.
Cute fun, bubbly snarky story. Cat lovers might specially like it.
It is also thin on characterization and plot, and while it is oh so snarky in scenes, it somehow stops from being revolutionary transgressive satire. It goes for the easy, whenever it can. There is no obvious joke which is not vocalized (and that is not a bad thing necessarily) but it always goes for the "nice", critical but not too much. Is it fair to hold it against a book that it could have been more and it just did not have try? Because indulging in lots of jokes does not necessarily prevent books from expressing more things, rage, or cynical detachment, or being a bit more somehow in character development. This, and I realize how hollow it sounds, does not attempt to be more, get out of its comfort zone and I am holding it against the book, could have been more, but saw no point in attempting it. (Is it fair to mentally compare books to Terry Pratchett ones? But if it is not fair, I can not stop doing it when clicking on that star rating).
Fantastic for cat lovers (incidentally I mind that the cover is wrong. Hey Hera and Persephone are orange-and-white!) Interesting dolphins also.
I listened to the audiobook, read (I am not going to say voice acted) by Wil Wheaton and I hated his narration and I am going to hold it against the book, so my rating (3.5ish) is brought down over it. I knew he is a polemic narrator, I thought that was just an internet meme thing (ah!), I wanted to try one of his books for myself. So I did, and I am not doing any more audiobooks by him ever again. Because I might spoiler with examples I will put it in spoilers, the stuff I did not like with his reading (I am not going to actually call that voice acting..):
So TLDR: Wil Wheaton as a narrator, not ever again for me. Mileage will vary, he has lots of fans and I am often way out there on outlier island so judge for yourself, as always.
Cute fun, bubbly snarky story. Cat lovers might specially like it.
November 7, 2023
This cover remains impeccable, but this isn't my favorite Scalzi. Fun! A great time. But not my fave. More thoughts soon.
November 15, 2023
First things first - my reviews never include spoilers! Including this one.
When was the last time you read a book you loved so much that you told everyone you know they absolutely HAD to read it? For me that was a little more than a year ago - until I read Starter Villain by John Scalzi. I immediately told my husband he would love it and he should listen to the audiobook during his commutes. I've told him multiple times now. I'm sure he's tired of me telling him. So I need to tell more people how much I love it! That's where you, my captive audience, come in! You NEED to read this book!
Ok, I'll admit that maybe it isn't for everyone. But if you love cats and dry humor, if you ever wondered what it would be like to meet and hold a conversation with a talking dolphin, or if you've pondered how one would get started in the villain business - this book is most definitely for you!
I'll be completely honest here. I was drawn in by the cover. If I ran across the title without this cover, I probably never would have given Starter Villain another thought. Isn't it adorable? I will say that no cats actually wear business attire in the book. However, they are very involved in the story! You can tell that Scalzi has spent time with cats through the way he writes them into this story. The slow blinks get me every time. They're placed perfectly throughout. But wait, there's more!
The humor hit perfectly for me. I listened to the audiobook and Wil Wheaton's narration added an extra edge to that humor. I love belly-laughing as I'm driving by myself on a busy highway on my way to or from work. The only thing that comes close is maybe sobbing uncontrollably over an audiobook on my commutes!
A couple of my favorite parts of the book were meeting the dolphins and witnessing the "pitch and pitch" event! I won't ruin any surprises. But the villainous world portrayed here is one that I would love to have a chance to see in real life. The book is full of creativity and humor. And cats. Did I mention the cats? I know I did, but they deserve another mention here. The cats!
Starter Villain is a strong contender for my favorite read of 2023! I'm giving it five villainous stars and I'm anxiously looking forward to my next read from Scalzi because I enjoyed this book so much.
When was the last time you read a book you loved so much that you told everyone you know they absolutely HAD to read it? For me that was a little more than a year ago - until I read Starter Villain by John Scalzi. I immediately told my husband he would love it and he should listen to the audiobook during his commutes. I've told him multiple times now. I'm sure he's tired of me telling him. So I need to tell more people how much I love it! That's where you, my captive audience, come in! You NEED to read this book!
Ok, I'll admit that maybe it isn't for everyone. But if you love cats and dry humor, if you ever wondered what it would be like to meet and hold a conversation with a talking dolphin, or if you've pondered how one would get started in the villain business - this book is most definitely for you!
I'll be completely honest here. I was drawn in by the cover. If I ran across the title without this cover, I probably never would have given Starter Villain another thought. Isn't it adorable? I will say that no cats actually wear business attire in the book. However, they are very involved in the story! You can tell that Scalzi has spent time with cats through the way he writes them into this story. The slow blinks get me every time. They're placed perfectly throughout. But wait, there's more!
The humor hit perfectly for me. I listened to the audiobook and Wil Wheaton's narration added an extra edge to that humor. I love belly-laughing as I'm driving by myself on a busy highway on my way to or from work. The only thing that comes close is maybe sobbing uncontrollably over an audiobook on my commutes!
A couple of my favorite parts of the book were meeting the dolphins and witnessing the "pitch and pitch" event! I won't ruin any surprises. But the villainous world portrayed here is one that I would love to have a chance to see in real life. The book is full of creativity and humor. And cats. Did I mention the cats? I know I did, but they deserve another mention here. The cats!
Starter Villain is a strong contender for my favorite read of 2023! I'm giving it five villainous stars and I'm anxiously looking forward to my next read from Scalzi because I enjoyed this book so much.
September 29, 2023
3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2023/09/25/...
John Scalzi returns to what he knows best with Starter Villain, delivering a popcorny, feel-good novel characterized by his quirky sense of humor and engaging style of storytelling. If you enjoyed his books like Red Shirts or more recently The Kaiju Preservation Society, there’s a good chance you’ll like this one too.
In Starter Villain, we follow Charlie Fitzer who is a former business journalist now barely scraping by on his substitute teacher salary, yet he has some big dreams. In his Chicago neighborhood is a local pub he wants to buy, just to have a worthy goal to shoot for, though the way things are going, it all might as well be a pipe dream. But then out of the blue, he receives news of his uncle Jake’s passing, and shockingly, Charlie stands to inherit his multi-billion-dollar empire built on parking garage management.
The catch? Uncle Jake apparently led the life of an evil supervillain. His garage ownership was simply a front for his real business, which mainly involved disrupting global economies by screwing over other corporations to get a leg up on them. He even had a secret lair on an island inside a volcano, lavishly outfitted with its own death ray, as well as superintelligent cats and potty-mouthed dolphins in his employ—all of which might now belong to Charlie.
However, any heir of Jake’s also inherits his enemies, of which he had many. Immediately after the funeral, Charlie’s house is bombed, leaving him at the mercy of Matilda Morrison, his uncle’s right-hand woman—now his right-hand woman—who quickly gets him up to speed on the dangers in which he now finds himself. For years, Jake had been fending off attacks from the shadowy Lombardy Convocation, a consortium of ruthless billionaires who’ve vowed to kill him if he won’t join them. Now that he’s dead, the group has turned its sights on Charlie, who has no idea how to run an evil empire let alone defend himself against rival supervillains trying to blow him up.
If you’re thinking to yourself, “This all sounds completely ridiculous, but also kind of fun,” you’ve effectively described Starter Villain in a nutshell. John Scalzi has a unique approach to blending science fiction with his clever wit to tell stories that are highly readable and accessible even if you are not a fan of speculative fiction. These are also typically over-the-top, featuring everyman characters who are victims of absurd circumstances, often giving rise to silly plotlines. In fact, it might even be fair to call some of his books vacuous and shallow, but at least no one can accuse them of being boring. Personally speaking, I associate Scalzi’s work with being wildly funny and imaginative, which Starter Villain certainly was, despite it being even fluffier than usual.
Needless to say, while Scalzi sometimes injects a bit of societal commentary on topical issues like politics or the human equation, this is not that kind of book—or if it is, then it’s completely lost in the aforementioned fluff. For this reason, I don’t think it’s anywhere close to being his best or most artful work, but Scalzi’s easy breezy narrative style comes through in the laid-back prose and snappy dialogue. If the goal was to entertain, then mission accomplished.
In short, Starter Villain is a John Scalzi book that only an author like John Scalzi could write. If you’re looking for a diversion, a wholly uncomplicated read that doesn’t take itself seriously and is guaranteed to put a smile on your face, I recommend checking it out.
John Scalzi returns to what he knows best with Starter Villain, delivering a popcorny, feel-good novel characterized by his quirky sense of humor and engaging style of storytelling. If you enjoyed his books like Red Shirts or more recently The Kaiju Preservation Society, there’s a good chance you’ll like this one too.
In Starter Villain, we follow Charlie Fitzer who is a former business journalist now barely scraping by on his substitute teacher salary, yet he has some big dreams. In his Chicago neighborhood is a local pub he wants to buy, just to have a worthy goal to shoot for, though the way things are going, it all might as well be a pipe dream. But then out of the blue, he receives news of his uncle Jake’s passing, and shockingly, Charlie stands to inherit his multi-billion-dollar empire built on parking garage management.
The catch? Uncle Jake apparently led the life of an evil supervillain. His garage ownership was simply a front for his real business, which mainly involved disrupting global economies by screwing over other corporations to get a leg up on them. He even had a secret lair on an island inside a volcano, lavishly outfitted with its own death ray, as well as superintelligent cats and potty-mouthed dolphins in his employ—all of which might now belong to Charlie.
However, any heir of Jake’s also inherits his enemies, of which he had many. Immediately after the funeral, Charlie’s house is bombed, leaving him at the mercy of Matilda Morrison, his uncle’s right-hand woman—now his right-hand woman—who quickly gets him up to speed on the dangers in which he now finds himself. For years, Jake had been fending off attacks from the shadowy Lombardy Convocation, a consortium of ruthless billionaires who’ve vowed to kill him if he won’t join them. Now that he’s dead, the group has turned its sights on Charlie, who has no idea how to run an evil empire let alone defend himself against rival supervillains trying to blow him up.
If you’re thinking to yourself, “This all sounds completely ridiculous, but also kind of fun,” you’ve effectively described Starter Villain in a nutshell. John Scalzi has a unique approach to blending science fiction with his clever wit to tell stories that are highly readable and accessible even if you are not a fan of speculative fiction. These are also typically over-the-top, featuring everyman characters who are victims of absurd circumstances, often giving rise to silly plotlines. In fact, it might even be fair to call some of his books vacuous and shallow, but at least no one can accuse them of being boring. Personally speaking, I associate Scalzi’s work with being wildly funny and imaginative, which Starter Villain certainly was, despite it being even fluffier than usual.
Needless to say, while Scalzi sometimes injects a bit of societal commentary on topical issues like politics or the human equation, this is not that kind of book—or if it is, then it’s completely lost in the aforementioned fluff. For this reason, I don’t think it’s anywhere close to being his best or most artful work, but Scalzi’s easy breezy narrative style comes through in the laid-back prose and snappy dialogue. If the goal was to entertain, then mission accomplished.
In short, Starter Villain is a John Scalzi book that only an author like John Scalzi could write. If you’re looking for a diversion, a wholly uncomplicated read that doesn’t take itself seriously and is guaranteed to put a smile on your face, I recommend checking it out.
July 14, 2023
First, the cover is GORGEOUS. You might be wondering, "Does the book live up to it? Are the cats actually important?" The answer is YES, evil boss cats are indeed a big part of this book, and they are awesome.
This is a fun book. I was giggling all the way through. It's not an overly deep or emotional book, but it is a wildly comedic story.
This is the story of a man who inherits a supervillain corporation from his uncle. Unfortunately, the other supervillains don't appreciate this turn of events. He is quickly in trouble as the villains try to kill him and upset his plans.
I think I was disappointed by the lack of true cartoon villainy. I was kind of hoping for Doofenshmirtz, but this book is more interested in exploring Elon Musk.
Thanks to Netgalley and Tor Books for a copy to review. All opinions are my own.
This is a fun book. I was giggling all the way through. It's not an overly deep or emotional book, but it is a wildly comedic story.
This is the story of a man who inherits a supervillain corporation from his uncle. Unfortunately, the other supervillains don't appreciate this turn of events. He is quickly in trouble as the villains try to kill him and upset his plans.
I think I was disappointed by the lack of true cartoon villainy. I was kind of hoping for Doofenshmirtz, but this book is more interested in exploring Elon Musk.
Thanks to Netgalley and Tor Books for a copy to review. All opinions are my own.
October 15, 2023
I enjoyed this very much. It’s clever and fun: Joe Normal thrown into a Situation as the heir to Villainy is an interesting premise. This book is barely science fiction, except for one very fun bit of Science, and is more along the lines of a James Bond film, complete with a SPECTRE-like group of villains and high-tech gadgets. There is zero world-building and the language is very much “of our time” American, which is entertaining, but I’m not sure it will age well. I’m sure in 50 years, some scholar of colloquial English in America will find it illuminating.
Thanks much to John Scalzi, Tor and Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks much to John Scalzi, Tor and Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 23, 2023
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
John Scalzi is usually an author I can expect to open his books, read them, laugh a bit through the story and in general have a good time. Most of his stand alone books have been an interesting and have some connection to a show of concept everyone is semi familiar with. Red Shirts was Star Trek, The Kaiju Preservation Society had ties to Godzilla and now Starter Villain is a play on James Bond and Inspector gadget. While it has a little bit of silliness, it is also a really good time if you ever wanted to see how they live on the bad guys side of life.
Charlie's life sucks. He lost his journalism job, then his marriage and came home to take care of his father before he lost him too. Isolated and alone, he just has his cat for company and a dream of buying the local bar/restaurant down the street now that his journalism career is basically over. One problem he can't afford it and he doesn't have any collateral to secure a loan for it. Charlie finds out about the death of his estranged billionaire Uncle and his life changes forever. For one, the uncle he barely knew has a request for him to stand for him at his funeral where Charlie finds out that while yes he might have made money on parking garages but that wasn't his true empire. Charlie's dead uncle was a supervillain and his team has come to help Charlie take over that empire.
This had a lot of great stuff in it. The computer savvy cats in management acting as spies, lair on a volcanic island, other supervillains and their attempts to oust Charlie from his new position etc. Charlie is in for a big awakening of his mind and all the things in the world he really didn't know existed. Charlie also has never had anyone really want him dead before so now just trying to stay alive while all of the other supervillains try to kill him is a new adventure in his life he never expected. It is definitely a journey and a funny one at that, I enjoyed my time in this bond-verse type story seen from the other side.
Overall if you are familiar with Scalzi's other stand alone novels I think you will find more of what you liked in those. If you have never tried a Scalzi novel, this really is a great jump in spot. Who isn't familiar at least a little with movies and tv shows like James Bond, Austin Powers and Inspector gadget? I will say if you are a cat person also then there is a bit more to love with the sentient strain of spy cats.
Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
John Scalzi is usually an author I can expect to open his books, read them, laugh a bit through the story and in general have a good time. Most of his stand alone books have been an interesting and have some connection to a show of concept everyone is semi familiar with. Red Shirts was Star Trek, The Kaiju Preservation Society had ties to Godzilla and now Starter Villain is a play on James Bond and Inspector gadget. While it has a little bit of silliness, it is also a really good time if you ever wanted to see how they live on the bad guys side of life.
Charlie's life sucks. He lost his journalism job, then his marriage and came home to take care of his father before he lost him too. Isolated and alone, he just has his cat for company and a dream of buying the local bar/restaurant down the street now that his journalism career is basically over. One problem he can't afford it and he doesn't have any collateral to secure a loan for it. Charlie finds out about the death of his estranged billionaire Uncle and his life changes forever. For one, the uncle he barely knew has a request for him to stand for him at his funeral where Charlie finds out that while yes he might have made money on parking garages but that wasn't his true empire. Charlie's dead uncle was a supervillain and his team has come to help Charlie take over that empire.
"Your uncle is in parking garages because they fund his more important work,”Morrison said. “Which is to seek out, fund and create the sort of technologies and services that bring disruptive change to existing industrial and social paradigms, and offer them, on a confidential basis, to interested businesses and governments.”
“That’s a great mission statement,”I said. “But it doesn’t say what he actually did.”
HE WAS A VILLAIN, Hera typed.
This had a lot of great stuff in it. The computer savvy cats in management acting as spies, lair on a volcanic island, other supervillains and their attempts to oust Charlie from his new position etc. Charlie is in for a big awakening of his mind and all the things in the world he really didn't know existed. Charlie also has never had anyone really want him dead before so now just trying to stay alive while all of the other supervillains try to kill him is a new adventure in his life he never expected. It is definitely a journey and a funny one at that, I enjoyed my time in this bond-verse type story seen from the other side.
“How dead do you think Gratas wants me?” I asked her.
“You mean on a scale of one to ten, where one is ‘live and let live’ and ten is ‘murder you slow, bury your corpse in the woods, then dig you up to shit on your skull’? Maybe an eight.”
Overall if you are familiar with Scalzi's other stand alone novels I think you will find more of what you liked in those. If you have never tried a Scalzi novel, this really is a great jump in spot. Who isn't familiar at least a little with movies and tv shows like James Bond, Austin Powers and Inspector gadget? I will say if you are a cat person also then there is a bit more to love with the sentient strain of spy cats.
November 3, 2023
STARTER VILLAIN lost a star from me for the excessive swearing. I admit I do it at times, but too much is too much.
After seeing some friends' reviews on this I picked it up from the library. Without referring to the jacket cover I will say that it is an entertaining story of a guy who gets caught up in the underworld of super villains. There is corporate espionage, spies, backstabbing, and of course, wouldn't you know it, genetically engineered talking animals! Except for the swearing you could say this was good comic book material. I am surprised Marvel hasn't latched onto this.
It isn't as bloody and gory as some stories, and based on what I have seen on some of my grandson's video games, this is mild stuff. Some young teens might like this, but they better hide it from their grandma!
After seeing some friends' reviews on this I picked it up from the library. Without referring to the jacket cover I will say that it is an entertaining story of a guy who gets caught up in the underworld of super villains. There is corporate espionage, spies, backstabbing, and of course, wouldn't you know it, genetically engineered talking animals! Except for the swearing you could say this was good comic book material. I am surprised Marvel hasn't latched onto this.
It isn't as bloody and gory as some stories, and based on what I have seen on some of my grandson's video games, this is mild stuff. Some young teens might like this, but they better hide it from their grandma!
May 13, 2023
4.5/5
"A stupid villain threatens, Charlie. A smarter villain offers a service."
Starter Villain is awesome. Its selling points include executive-level cats, awful billionaires, and vengeful working-class dolphins. A briskly paced and funny story seals the deal.
Charlie’s life sucks. All he wants is to open a pub downtown, but even getting a loan from the bank seems like an impossible feat. Basically, his stray cats have better credit ratings than he does. He could pack his entire set of assets in barely functioning Maxima inherited from his father. Things are bad but Scalzi makes them even worse for him :)
Charlie had a rich uncle who made billions as the owner of parking lots. Not sexy. Except, Uncle’s businesses were more…diversified. With villainy being the most profitable one. His uncle’s right hand introduces Charlie to the world of villains. Including an island volcano lair. And a lot of powerful enemies are coming for him.
Starter Villain has an easygoing, tongue-in-cheek style that makes it a pleasure to read. I know Scalzi can write darker stuff, but he’s also a brilliant writer of satire. He has a clean writing style, excels in writing dialogue, and captivates readers with ease. Rather than showing off his writing skills, he prioritizes storytelling and keeping readers engaged.
Charlie’s foray into super villainy makes him understand it’s more corporate than it is evil. It turns out the business is more corporate than evil. As it turns out, villains are professional disruptors who identify the need and do things faster and cheaper than governments or global companies. They even offer a subscription service. And let’s not forget about the well-kept secrets of the business - sentient cats, anyone? Scalzi’s portrayal of the supervillain business is both amusing and spot-on.
The characters and their interactions had me laughing. Good guys are instantly likable and quirky. Charlie’s a bright guy, so he gets the hang of things quickly. However, as often seen in satires/comedic tales, some characters lack nuance. The bad guys have no redeeming qualities. There’s not much subtlety here, but it works for the story and its tone. Does anyone watch older James Bond movies for subtle character development? Don’t think so. We’re doing it for fun, action, and for despicable villains.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Starter Villain and highly recommend it to anyone looking for intelligent and humorous entertainment. The book is enjoyable and imaginative, but also comes with a moral lesson - be kind to cats!
In short, if you’re looking for a fun and witty read that will keep you engaged from start to finish, then this book is definitely worth checking out.
"A stupid villain threatens, Charlie. A smarter villain offers a service."
Starter Villain is awesome. Its selling points include executive-level cats, awful billionaires, and vengeful working-class dolphins. A briskly paced and funny story seals the deal.
Charlie’s life sucks. All he wants is to open a pub downtown, but even getting a loan from the bank seems like an impossible feat. Basically, his stray cats have better credit ratings than he does. He could pack his entire set of assets in barely functioning Maxima inherited from his father. Things are bad but Scalzi makes them even worse for him :)
Charlie had a rich uncle who made billions as the owner of parking lots. Not sexy. Except, Uncle’s businesses were more…diversified. With villainy being the most profitable one. His uncle’s right hand introduces Charlie to the world of villains. Including an island volcano lair. And a lot of powerful enemies are coming for him.
Starter Villain has an easygoing, tongue-in-cheek style that makes it a pleasure to read. I know Scalzi can write darker stuff, but he’s also a brilliant writer of satire. He has a clean writing style, excels in writing dialogue, and captivates readers with ease. Rather than showing off his writing skills, he prioritizes storytelling and keeping readers engaged.
Charlie’s foray into super villainy makes him understand it’s more corporate than it is evil. It turns out the business is more corporate than evil. As it turns out, villains are professional disruptors who identify the need and do things faster and cheaper than governments or global companies. They even offer a subscription service. And let’s not forget about the well-kept secrets of the business - sentient cats, anyone? Scalzi’s portrayal of the supervillain business is both amusing and spot-on.
The characters and their interactions had me laughing. Good guys are instantly likable and quirky. Charlie’s a bright guy, so he gets the hang of things quickly. However, as often seen in satires/comedic tales, some characters lack nuance. The bad guys have no redeeming qualities. There’s not much subtlety here, but it works for the story and its tone. Does anyone watch older James Bond movies for subtle character development? Don’t think so. We’re doing it for fun, action, and for despicable villains.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Starter Villain and highly recommend it to anyone looking for intelligent and humorous entertainment. The book is enjoyable and imaginative, but also comes with a moral lesson - be kind to cats!
In short, if you’re looking for a fun and witty read that will keep you engaged from start to finish, then this book is definitely worth checking out.
September 29, 2023
Halloween Bingo 2023
If you like John Scalzi’s writing, you will like this latest novel. I had a juvenile book lined up as my Evil Genius book for Bingo and was absolutely thrilled when my library came through with Starter Villain so promptly. I switched faster than a speeding bullet! Scalzi has a great time taking a person who is down on their luck and plunking them into an incredible situation in which they can find some success. He did the same thing in the The Kaiju Preservation Society, which I also enjoyed inordinately.
Every possible Super Villain cliché is used with great gusto. Plus, if you have ever lived with a cat and realized that you are not the boss, you will identify with the sentient, language using, computer saavy cats. There's a reason that every villain has a cat! Charlie adjusts to the cats much more quickly than to the other aspects of the villain lifestyle.
Fun and fast, I can see myself rereading it at some future point. I like Scalzi's generally optimistic outlook, that regular people are generally kind and want to be fair with those around them. Even if they've inherited an evil empire.
I read this to match the Mad Scientists and Evil Geniuses square on my bingo card.
If you like John Scalzi’s writing, you will like this latest novel. I had a juvenile book lined up as my Evil Genius book for Bingo and was absolutely thrilled when my library came through with Starter Villain so promptly. I switched faster than a speeding bullet! Scalzi has a great time taking a person who is down on their luck and plunking them into an incredible situation in which they can find some success. He did the same thing in the The Kaiju Preservation Society, which I also enjoyed inordinately.
Every possible Super Villain cliché is used with great gusto. Plus, if you have ever lived with a cat and realized that you are not the boss, you will identify with the sentient, language using, computer saavy cats. There's a reason that every villain has a cat! Charlie adjusts to the cats much more quickly than to the other aspects of the villain lifestyle.
Fun and fast, I can see myself rereading it at some future point. I like Scalzi's generally optimistic outlook, that regular people are generally kind and want to be fair with those around them. Even if they've inherited an evil empire.
I read this to match the Mad Scientists and Evil Geniuses square on my bingo card.
March 10, 2024
Things haven’t gone particularly well for Charlie Fitzer, with losing his job as a business journalist at the Chicago Trib and being divorced and having to survive as an off-and-on substitute middle school teacher. And, when this story opens, things are about to get worse as the house he co-owns (but has trouble coming up with payments) is blown up. Was it something he said, or that his uncle, whom he hasn’t seen in a long while, has underworld connections?
Scalzi has wit and writing chops to burn but, for me, his writing doesn’t always “click.” He is excellent at the big concept and sometimes slap-dash in the execution. He seems always ready to move on to the next project. Old Man’s War and The Kaiju Preservation Society are two of my favorites. Speaking of the latter (Kaiju), Scalzi has said that after he was struck down by a tough case of Covid, he had to re-evaluate things. Certainly that book and this one speak to the human condition and to life in a slightly more direct manner.
As in some of his most recent works, we have other sentient beings. However, here, they are our own cats and dolphins. The cat’s can’t speak but they can use a keyboard. The dolphins can have their speech translated into something humans can understand but may not want to hear. (They have a tendency to speak in expletives and some of them are quite inventive.)
If you have enjoyed some of the National Lampoon movies or the Harold and Kumar series, then this should strike the same “funny bone.” If that’s not your type of humor, you may want to pass this one by. I was amused.
3.5
Scalzi has wit and writing chops to burn but, for me, his writing doesn’t always “click.” He is excellent at the big concept and sometimes slap-dash in the execution. He seems always ready to move on to the next project. Old Man’s War and The Kaiju Preservation Society are two of my favorites. Speaking of the latter (Kaiju), Scalzi has said that after he was struck down by a tough case of Covid, he had to re-evaluate things. Certainly that book and this one speak to the human condition and to life in a slightly more direct manner.
As in some of his most recent works, we have other sentient beings. However, here, they are our own cats and dolphins. The cat’s can’t speak but they can use a keyboard. The dolphins can have their speech translated into something humans can understand but may not want to hear. (They have a tendency to speak in expletives and some of them are quite inventive.)
If you have enjoyed some of the National Lampoon movies or the Harold and Kumar series, then this should strike the same “funny bone.” If that’s not your type of humor, you may want to pass this one by. I was amused.
3.5
July 19, 2023
This is a lightweight romp with a well paced plot, some interesting ideas, and some good (if not great) characters. The premise that the main character, Charlie, gets sucked into a world of high concept (and quite polite) villainy after the death of his uncle is an excellent set-up for this fish-out-of-water tale.
Charlie is new to the world of villainy, but he has some moments of clarity as he navigates through the potential pitfalls, aided by a small cast of supporting characters. I particularly liked his closest “colleague”, Matilda Morrison - whose pithy and slightly aloof take on a lot of the activity is a nice contrast to some of the more stylised thugs in Charlie’s new circle of acquaintances. If you’re looking for depth and emotion in the characters, then you won’t really find it here - but that’s not what this book is about. The plot unfolds nicely, and comes to a conclusion with all of the loose-ends tied up in ways that you wouldn’t necessarily expect - but I personally would have liked a slightly different outcome.
For me, the talking cats and dolphins were a nice addition (I particularly enjoyed the dolphins) - but other reviewers have mixed opinions about this.
Overall, this was a page-turner for me, with the plot and the enjoyable set-up pulling me forwards through the story.
Thank you #NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the free review copy of #StarterVillain in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Charlie is new to the world of villainy, but he has some moments of clarity as he navigates through the potential pitfalls, aided by a small cast of supporting characters. I particularly liked his closest “colleague”, Matilda Morrison - whose pithy and slightly aloof take on a lot of the activity is a nice contrast to some of the more stylised thugs in Charlie’s new circle of acquaintances. If you’re looking for depth and emotion in the characters, then you won’t really find it here - but that’s not what this book is about. The plot unfolds nicely, and comes to a conclusion with all of the loose-ends tied up in ways that you wouldn’t necessarily expect - but I personally would have liked a slightly different outcome.
For me, the talking cats and dolphins were a nice addition (I particularly enjoyed the dolphins) - but other reviewers have mixed opinions about this.
Overall, this was a page-turner for me, with the plot and the enjoyable set-up pulling me forwards through the story.
Thank you #NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the free review copy of #StarterVillain in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
September 26, 2023
This book started great. I read the first 40% in one sitting. The sense of mystery was really intriguing as set up.
But once we get to the main plot...I just found the joke to be played out. This book ends up being a big nothing burger. There are some bits I liked the whole way through - like the dolphins, which are a delight. But I absolutely, completely, hated the last 15-20% and it retroactively made me dislike a lot of the rest of it too. Not a great first try for Scalzi.
But once we get to the main plot...I just found the joke to be played out. This book ends up being a big nothing burger. There are some bits I liked the whole way through - like the dolphins, which are a delight. But I absolutely, completely, hated the last 15-20% and it retroactively made me dislike a lot of the rest of it too. Not a great first try for Scalzi.
October 30, 2023
So, this is Scalzi's second COVID-scrambled novella. It starts out very slow and shaky, to the point where I wondered WTH I was getting into. A nebbish with a weird dead uncle, and an even weirder funeral. . .
Very far from his best work -- but the talking -- well, texting --cats are great, and about halfway in, the book got in gear for me and I started having fun. The end is a hoot. If you are a Scalzi fan who loves cats, you'll want to give it a shot. I ended up liking it a bit more than the Kaiju thing, because, well, CATS. 3.3 stars.
Earlier stuff:
Nice review from PW, with minor SPOILERs:
https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780...
Excerpt:
"In this clever, fast-paced thriller, Hugo Award winner Scalzi (The Kaiju Preservation Society) subverts classic supervillain tropes with equal measures of tongue-in-cheek humor and common sense. ...
His uncle Jake, a reclusive billionaire owner of parking structures, dies. Charlie, as Jake’s closest living relative, stands to inherit everything—but what he doesn’t realize is that his uncle was really an evil genius straight out of a James Bond movie. After the funeral, to which goons show up just to make sure Jake is really dead, a bomb destroys Charlie’s house, leading him to move into his uncle’s secret island volcano lair, complete with a satellite-destroying death ray and genetically modified superintelligent cats. ...
Scalzi balances all the double-crosses and assassination attempts with ethical quandaries, explorations of economic inequality, and humor, including some foul-mouthed unionizing dolphins. The result is a breezy and highly entertaining genre send-up."
Very far from his best work -- but the talking -- well, texting --cats are great, and about halfway in, the book got in gear for me and I started having fun. The end is a hoot. If you are a Scalzi fan who loves cats, you'll want to give it a shot. I ended up liking it a bit more than the Kaiju thing, because, well, CATS. 3.3 stars.
Earlier stuff:
Nice review from PW, with minor SPOILERs:
https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780...
Excerpt:
"In this clever, fast-paced thriller, Hugo Award winner Scalzi (The Kaiju Preservation Society) subverts classic supervillain tropes with equal measures of tongue-in-cheek humor and common sense. ...
His uncle Jake, a reclusive billionaire owner of parking structures, dies. Charlie, as Jake’s closest living relative, stands to inherit everything—but what he doesn’t realize is that his uncle was really an evil genius straight out of a James Bond movie. After the funeral, to which goons show up just to make sure Jake is really dead, a bomb destroys Charlie’s house, leading him to move into his uncle’s secret island volcano lair, complete with a satellite-destroying death ray and genetically modified superintelligent cats. ...
Scalzi balances all the double-crosses and assassination attempts with ethical quandaries, explorations of economic inequality, and humor, including some foul-mouthed unionizing dolphins. The result is a breezy and highly entertaining genre send-up."
December 23, 2023
This was a highly enjoyable and satisfying read. The twists were appropriately twisty and the plot appropriately villainous. The villains were... well, human I suppose with very logical motivations that I could see playing out in real life. Charlie got through it all like a champ. I don't know how Scalzi did it but, even with all the villainy, this story is truly heart warming. That ending hit me right in the feels. I'm glad I had one of my own cats sitting with me when I finished.
I also never knew that button boards for animals were a thing and have now gone down the internet search rabbit hole. I am seriously considering trying this with my cats.
I listened to the audio book narrated by Wil Wheaton. Wheaton's narration + Scalzi's prose = chef's kiss for me.
I also never knew that button boards for animals were a thing and have now gone down the internet search rabbit hole. I am seriously considering trying this with my cats.
I listened to the audio book narrated by Wil Wheaton. Wheaton's narration + Scalzi's prose = chef's kiss for me.
September 21, 2023
I received an eARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley.
This was probably the best book I've read this year, or one of the top three at the very least. Trust John Scalzi to put down a comfortable, readable, and often hilarious story, because once more he comes through....
That was just what I needed: a light-hearted (though full of supervillainy) fun diversion....
This was probably the best book I've read this year, or one of the top three at the very least. Trust John Scalzi to put down a comfortable, readable, and often hilarious story, because once more he comes through....
That was just what I needed: a light-hearted (though full of supervillainy) fun diversion....
![Profile Image for laurel [the suspected bibliophile].](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1645808644i/7494844._UX200_CR0,6,200,200_.jpg)
July 1, 2023
I almost DNF'd this book.
I'm giving it 3.5 rounded down to 3, because my annoyances were not outweighed by the delights of the book.
It feels very similar in tone to Project Hail Mary, with a nothing narrator too smart-ass for his own good, a general everyman (but with skills!) pulled into a strange situation he has to figure out for himself. Morrison—the only human woman in the book—felt very much like the hyper-competent what's-her-face from that blighted book. In charge and ready for action, even as Number Two in the villain org.
Anywho, the good: LOVED the cats (even though they are all management), loved the working-class dolphins hell-bent on a labor strike (for good reason), loved the volcano lair and the anti-capitalist nature of this book, and the idea that there are no good billionaires. There is a zoom conference call between a boomer and a millennial that is delightful in how it juxtaposes the mundanity of technology with evil schemes. There's Nazi treasure, because all supervillains are hot to trot about Nazi treasure, it's a canon event. And that cover is just...weird as hell (it needs a motivational quote to tip it over the edge) and I love it.
The eh: the writing was 90% dialogue, with much of the action happening off page. This is a short book, tightly plotted, but I found that I was wanting more. It was taking the stark writing of The Kaiju Preservation Society and making it more snarky, more dialogue, stripping down the characterizations until people had little depth beyond their stereotypical traits. Charlie himself was snarky, but again, not a whole lot of introspection going on outside of the dialogue, so it felt like something was missing (also, he felt less like a young millennial and more young Gen X, and I kept going "This man is supposed to be 32? He acts mid-40s").
The ehhhhhhh: there is an unintentionally transphobic scene in this book. I say unintentional because Scalzi has been an LGBTQ ally, and I can *see* where he was trying to go with this, but he failed real bad (although it's a bloop and you'll miss it seen). There's a moment when Charlie the lead is looking over the conclave of baddies, and realizes that there is not a single woman there. Except, he says there is not a single *cis* woman there, and I full stopped in my reading going "so is there a trans woman? So there *is* a woman present. Why not just mention her and leave it at that? Or if there is no trans women present, then why not just say there are no women present, why differentiate?" Then Charlie goes on to mention that as far as he can see based on gender presentation, it's all men, and I was like, "le sigh, you're making this worse, kid." Anywho, because I read the ARC, I sincerely hope that this is gone by the final product.
Overall, not a bad read.
It's quick. It's fun. It's a delightful take on supervillains, showcasing that the real monsters are the billionaires and millionaires and industry disruptors around us, aka any dude in a slick suit who wants to make oodles of money and fuck everyone else in the process.
I just wish there had been more, even if there was a reason for the lack of more.
I received an ARC from the publisher
I'm giving it 3.5 rounded down to 3, because my annoyances were not outweighed by the delights of the book.
It feels very similar in tone to Project Hail Mary, with a nothing narrator too smart-ass for his own good, a general everyman (but with skills!) pulled into a strange situation he has to figure out for himself. Morrison—the only human woman in the book—felt very much like the hyper-competent what's-her-face from that blighted book. In charge and ready for action, even as Number Two in the villain org.
Anywho, the good: LOVED the cats (even though they are all management), loved the working-class dolphins hell-bent on a labor strike (for good reason), loved the volcano lair and the anti-capitalist nature of this book, and the idea that there are no good billionaires. There is a zoom conference call between a boomer and a millennial that is delightful in how it juxtaposes the mundanity of technology with evil schemes. There's Nazi treasure, because all supervillains are hot to trot about Nazi treasure, it's a canon event. And that cover is just...weird as hell (it needs a motivational quote to tip it over the edge) and I love it.
The eh: the writing was 90% dialogue, with much of the action happening off page. This is a short book, tightly plotted, but I found that I was wanting more. It was taking the stark writing of The Kaiju Preservation Society and making it more snarky, more dialogue, stripping down the characterizations until people had little depth beyond their stereotypical traits. Charlie himself was snarky, but again, not a whole lot of introspection going on outside of the dialogue, so it felt like something was missing (also, he felt less like a young millennial and more young Gen X, and I kept going "This man is supposed to be 32? He acts mid-40s").
The ehhhhhhh: there is an unintentionally transphobic scene in this book. I say unintentional because Scalzi has been an LGBTQ ally, and I can *see* where he was trying to go with this, but he failed real bad (although it's a bloop and you'll miss it seen). There's a moment when Charlie the lead is looking over the conclave of baddies, and realizes that there is not a single woman there. Except, he says there is not a single *cis* woman there, and I full stopped in my reading going "so is there a trans woman? So there *is* a woman present. Why not just mention her and leave it at that? Or if there is no trans women present, then why not just say there are no women present, why differentiate?" Then Charlie goes on to mention that as far as he can see based on gender presentation, it's all men, and I was like, "le sigh, you're making this worse, kid." Anywho, because I read the ARC, I sincerely hope that this is gone by the final product.
Overall, not a bad read.
It's quick. It's fun. It's a delightful take on supervillains, showcasing that the real monsters are the billionaires and millionaires and industry disruptors around us, aka any dude in a slick suit who wants to make oodles of money and fuck everyone else in the process.
I just wish there had been more, even if there was a reason for the lack of more.
I received an ARC from the publisher
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