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Starter Villain Hardcover – September 19, 2023

by John Scalzi (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 7,414 ratings
Editors' pick Best Books of the Year 2023
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Now a New York Times bestseller!

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, hyper-intelligent 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.

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Previous page
  1. Print length
    272 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Tor Books
  4. Publication date
    September 19, 2023
  5. Dimensions
    5.75 x 0.9 x 8.55 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0765389223
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0765389220
  8. See all details
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Popular Highlights in this book
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Previous page
  1. But then, no one ever needs a cat these days. That’s not why we have cats. We have cats because they amuse us and because otherwise our clothes would lack the texture only cat hair can provide.
    Highlighted by 623 Kindle readers
  2. “A stupid villain threatens, Charlie. A smarter villain offers a service.”
    Highlighted by 549 Kindle readers
  3. “So we’re like Spotify, but for evil.” “We’re much less evil than Spotify. We actually pay a living wage to the people whose work we’re selling.”
    Highlighted by 529 Kindle readers
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From the Publisher

Starter Villain John Scalzi

Starter Villain John Scalzi Publishers Weekly review

Starter Villain John Scalzi

Starter Villain John Scalzi Booklist Review

Editorial Reviews

Review

Scalzi'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, and a volcano island lair... Who could resist?--Rebecca Roanhorse, author of Black Sun

“Combining the sarcastic humor of Scalzi’s Redshirts with an origin story for James Bond–like supervillains operating with the competence-porn-level efficiency and work ethic of Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots, this story of snark with a heart reminds readers that the logical conclusion of “dogs have owners, cats have staff” is that cats are management and never let anyone forget it... Highly recommended.” ―Library Journal, Starred Review

“Scalzi again examines tropes in a tale of an ordinary individual being cast into an extraordinary situation with his trademark quick pacing, clever banter, and ability to find humor in desperate situations…. With a large print run and a clever premise, Scalzi’s latest will appeal to his legion of fans and draw in new ones.”―Booklist, Starred Review

“In this clever, fast-paced thriller, Hugo Award winner subverts classic supervillain tropes with equal measures of tongue-in-cheek humor and common sense… The result is a breezy and highly entertaining genre send-up.”―Publishers Weekly

"Classic Scalzi set pieces like a class of managerial cats or dolphins on strike – and moments when you will laugh so loudly you will wish you weren’t reading in public."--The New Scientist

"Witty dialogue, clever world-building and engaging secondary characters make this a satisfying escape from the real world. And of course, if you’ve got a feline companion, Starter Villain is a perfect lazy Cat-urday read."--Wall Street Journal

"Irreverent and subversive...with James Bond-level bad guys set in the everyday trudge of corporate life a la The Office."--Entertainment Weekly

About the Author

JOHN SCALZI is one of the most popular SF authors of his generation. His debut, Old Man's War, won him the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. His New York Times bestsellers include The Last Colony, Fuzzy Nation, Redshirts (which won the 2013 Hugo Award for Best Novel), The Last Emperox, and 2022's The Kaiju Preservation Society. Material from his blog, Whatever (whatever.scalzi.com), has earned him two other Hugo Awards. He lives in Ohio with his wife and daughter.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tor Books (September 19, 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0765389223
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0765389220
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 0.9 x 8.55 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 7,414 ratings

About the author

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John Scalzi

John Scalzi

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John Scalzi writes books, which, considering where you're reading this, makes perfect sense. He's best known for writing science fiction, including the New York Times bestseller "Redshirts," which won the Hugo Award for Best Novel. He also writes non-fiction, on subjects ranging from personal finance to astronomy to film, was the Creative Consultant for the Stargate: Universe television series. He enjoys pie, as should all right thinking people. You can get to his blog by typing the word "Whatever" into Google. No, seriously, try it.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
7,414 global ratings
A great Comedic rise and turn of fortune story
5 Stars
A great Comedic rise and turn of fortune story
As ever Scalzi provides an amazing roller coaster of riotous and at times ridiculous characters, with enough hilarious dialogue and snarky commentary to make the ride pass far faster than I wanted! As ever, Wil Wheaton’s performance keeps up with the demands of the author’s wittyness!
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Top reviews from the United States

M. Gerth
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved Starter villain
Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2024
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I am bad at writing reviews, but I really like Scalzi 's books and wanted to help get the word out that his books are witty, fascinating and the main protagonist is usually a likeable/relatable character. The addition of the intelligent (adorable) cats just makes this story even better and worth giving it a chance.
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Gecky Boz
4.0 out of 5 stars Starter Villain
Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2024
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The characters and humor really make this book shine. You really feel for Charlie and the fact that his life isn't exactly going great. Then things turn very intriguing when his uncle dies. That might just have been the funniest funeral scene that I've ever read (also seriously contemplating some of those flower arrangements and vases for the future for reasons.)

I love that Charlie is thrown into this world of villains. Hera is my favorite and very much a surprise. The expectations versus the reality of it all when it comes to villainy are a great read. Also, all of the animals and implications that they have in the story are extremely entertaining.

I truly was surprised by all the twists and turns and the end will really make you smile. Overall, feels like a well lived in world that has a lot of stories to tell.
4 people found this helpful
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Hiram Masforroll
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome funny book!
Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2024
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As I kept hearing the story unfold? I knew how it was going to end, but I wanted to keep listening to the entire story line.

Starter Villain good stuff, have to check it out!
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David J. Symmank
4.0 out of 5 stars Damn Covid...
Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2024
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John is an exceptional writer & is totally capable of delivering the "punchline" of a novel. I was a bit underwhelmed with this novel until I read that he wrote the last half after contracting Covid. That explained a lot about the ending. Hope you get to feeling better, John. Love your work.
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Lesa Holstine
5.0 out of 5 stars A Joy from Start to Finish
Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2023
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Are you ready for cats who are management, and dolphins who want to unionize? I love John Scalzi's imagination, and Starter Villain is a joy from start to finish.

Most people would look at Charlie Fitzer and see a loser. At thirty-two, he's divorced, working as a substitute teacher because journalism is a dying profession, and living with his cat, Hera, in a house he doesn't own. His father left the house in a trust to Charlie and his three successful half-siblings almost a generation older than their younger brother. He hears on the news that his Uncle Jake died, but he hasn't seen the wealthy businessman since he was five. Uncle Jake and Charlie's father had an argument at Charlie's mother's funeral, and that's the last time he saw him. But, it seems Uncle Jake had his eye on Charlie.

Mathilda Morrison represents Jake Baldwin when she shows up at Charlie's. She has some odd requests. Would Charlie stand for his uncle at his funeral in town? In return, Jake left everything to Charlie, and the estate will buy Charlie's house from the rest of the estate. It's only at the funeral home that Charlie wonders what Uncle Jake was involved in. He thought he only owned parking garages. But, the floral arrangements have messages saying they're glad Jake is dead, and the mourners are all males in their late 30s and early 40s. One even tries to stab the corpse to prove Jake is dead. Charlie doesn't understand at all, and he's even more confused when he returns home just in time to see his house blow up.

Morrison will handle all Charlie's difficulties. She sweeps him off to Saint Genevieve in the southern Caribbean. It seems Uncle Jake owned the entire island. He owned more than parking garages. He was a villain who offered countries and other businessmen opportunities to compete against each other. Now, it's all Charlie's. He knows nothing about the villain business, and he's too empathetic and kindhearted. But, he easily learns to listen and be ruthless when he's invited to a convocation of villains. He needs all the help he can get from Morrison and Charlie's cat, Hera. It seems Hera is sentient, can type, and owns real estate. She's been watching over Charlie all this time he thought he provided a home for a stray.

While some readers might find all their conspiracy theories confirmed in Starter Villain, I thought it was funny and slightly believable. I love the cats and the dolphins who are planning to go on strike. And, Charlie. Charlie is a nice guy caught up in an unbelievable world. If you read and enjoyed Scalzi's The Kaiju Preservation Society, you should enjoy this one.

Oh, and the cats. John Scalzi's cats are well-known on his blog. This book is dedicated to "Sugar, Spice, and Smudge, my current set of cats. You are a real pain in my ass, and I love your stupid fuzzy faces".
46 people found this helpful
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Sheila
5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling, mind-bending read
Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2024
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This book was eventful and always had me on the edge, wanting more. The imagination and creativity were phenomenal, I didn't want to put it down! The twists and turns were very engaging, and I never knew what would come next. I was excited to read it, and there was no disappointment within its entirety.
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Joseph A. Giaquinto
5.0 out of 5 stars great book
Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2024
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I enjoyed it immensely. Especially Hera. The intrigue, humor, and humanity along with absurdity naked this an easy enjoyable read.
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Eric Juneau
3.0 out of 5 stars Satisfactory
Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2023
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It’s fine. That’s all, just fine.

It’s not Redshirts, it’s not Old Man’s War. There are no poignant lessons to be learned from the story. In fact, I might say it’s Scalzi’s dumbest story yet, in the sense that I was entertained, but didn’t learn anything. Not about identity or socio-politico-economies or what makes a person a person. Seems like Scalzi’s not exploring serious themes in his books anymore. The SRE (Satisfying Reader Experience) was minimal.

Half the novel is infodumping and learning the premise. The Kaiju Preservation Society was much the same way, where the plot took a backseat to world-building. And in this novel, there’s nothing fantastic that needs explaining, which makes the exposition more superfluous. The central conceit is that there’s a secret society of supervillains that keep the world economy running and they’re all trying to take each other. And it’s just not very funny. This book doesn’t feel like it’s about anything. I’m disappointed.

And don’t let the cover lie to you. There are cats in here and they do talk, but there are no cat people or business cats or people with cat heads. It’s a funny cover but it’s misleading about the content therein.
9 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Moe Sasseville
5.0 out of 5 stars Quick and fun read
Reviewed in Canada on October 20, 2023
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This was a fun read, not a long or overly convoluted book...I don't want to spoil it, but the premise is generally, what would happen is an everyman was put in charge of an organization like those ran by James Bond-style villains.

It's fun and clever, with all the hallmarks of Scalzi's writing.

I though that the plot started to feel predictable around the end...there's a point about halfway through the novel where it feels like this novel is the start of a series...and it veers completely away from this point. The book is surprisingly tight and it cleans up almost every possible plot point...it's almost like Scalzi was trying to make it clear that this was a one-and-done story. Don't look for a sequel, don't ask for one...It does lead to the ending feeling a little rushed, but with everything neatly closed off, there really doesn't need to be.

If you like his previous novels, this is a great one...a perfect weekend read due to its length and pacing.
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Jens Stark
5.0 out of 5 stars A Scalzi
Reviewed in Germany on January 25, 2024
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You can expect an insane joyride of a book. A story with more twists than Jack Rabbit Slim's.

And you better like cats.
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Melissa P
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun and cozy read
Reviewed in France on October 26, 2023
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I had so much fun with this book (I'm a huge cat lover). Everything about it was funny, warm, and cozy. Very entertaining.
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Kevin, The Wonder Horse
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, well written, interesting and short
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 12, 2023
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Five stars on account of the cats, which I am sure was Scalzis plan all along.

A thoroughly entertaining, if short, read with quite a satisfying ending.

Like many of his other books there's a lot of humour in this one. All of the characters, even those, like the hero, who don't habitually shoot people, throw them to the sharks or attempt to drown them in molten lava approach such activities with the kind of dry, wise cracking humour that probably wouldn't be exhibited in real life.

An out of work journalist come supply teacher finds his life turned upside down following the death of his estranged uncle. He swaps a mediocre solitary existence with just his cat for company for a life populated by men called "Tobias the Stabber", not so secret high tech lairs on volcanic islands, secret cabals of global super villains and surprising revelations about his cat.

Why would want to read this book ? Why wouldn't you. It's short so it won't take long and it's exciting, warm and amusing with an ending that will leave you feeling happier than you felt when you started the book.
5 people found this helpful
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An Avid Reader
5.0 out of 5 stars Funny, witty, clever
Reviewed in Australia on February 16, 2024
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If you're hesitating to purchase the book, please don’t. It's absolutely and thoroughly enjoyable, and cleverly written. There were moments when I had to put it down because I couldn't stop laughing. It seems like I've just entered the J. Scalzi phase—I've already bought more books.
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