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Starter Villain

John Scalzi

Start date: November 1, 2023

Finish date: November 30, 2023

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What Members Thought

Feb 29, 2024 Catsalive rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2024

Bizarre, silly, fun to read. I love the villainous cats & militant dolphins.

Charlie Fitzer is extremely surprised to find himself heir to Uncle Jake Baldwin's entire multi-trillion dollar estate - is the parking garage industry really so lucrative? -, but not as surprised as he is to discover that his uncle was a man of many secrets, & a super-villain of super-villains. Charlie suddenly finds himself swimming in extremely dangerous waters, where the sharks are far more deadly than those in the o ...more

10 likes · Like · see review

Feb 07, 2024 Michael rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, netgalley, read-in-2024, finally-off-the-tbr-pile, winter-reading-2024

The moment Starter Villain introduced talking dolphins who swear like most thirteen-year-old boys who have discovered the f-word, it had me.

But given that leading up to that we'd had a funeral in which everyone showed up to make sure the deceased really was deceased (including stabbing the body) and cats who can communicate by typing out their thoughts, I guess you could pretty much say I was into John Scalzi's novel early. It helps that his latest novel taps into the same absurdist fun as his The moment Starter Villain introduced talking dolphins who swear like most thirteen-year-old boys who have discovered the f-word, it had me.

But given that leading up to that we'd had a funeral in which everyone showed up to make sure the deceased really was deceased (including stabbing the body) and cats who can communicate by typing out their thoughts, I guess you could pretty much say I was into John Scalzi's novel early. It helps that his latest novel taps into the same absurdist fun as his Hugo-winning Red Shirts did.

After being laid off from his journalistic job, Charlie struggles to make ends meet as a substitute teacher while living in his deceased father's home. After he's turned down for a loan to purchase his local bar and run it, Charlie finds himself at loose ends, until he gets news that is rich uncle has passed away and wants Charlie to take over his business. What Charlie doesn't know is that business is the villain business and Charlie's uncle was a major player.

Oh yeah, and there are sentient cats who can communicate via keyboard and he's got to negotiate a labor dispute with the dolphins who, again, like to swear a lot.

I found myself laughing out loud at multiple points during Starter Villian. And yet in the laughter, Scalzi takes time to make a few interesting points and observations about the world and the people we're putting in charge of things, the state of technology, and multiple other issues I won't necessarily delve too far into here. But what Scalzi does so well is entertain first and foremost -- the scene where various wannabe villains present their evil plots and are either rewarded with the thumbs up or sent flying via a giant spring into the sea is just one example of this in a book packed full of them.

And in a world where it feels like far too many genre entries are going for a multi-book saga, it's nice that Starter Villain can be enjoyed on its own. I wouldn't necessarily mind spending more time with the various players in this story (again, the dolphins) but the novel wisely ties up everything by the time the final page is turned.

One of the more satisfying novels I've read lately and highly recommended.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley. ...more

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Sep 11, 2023 Brenda rated it liked it

There were some fun things in this one, but overall it was just average for me.

2 likes · Like · see review

Nov 03, 2024 Mandy Beyers rated it it was amazing

Shelves: science-fiction, humor

I loved this book from the very first chapter. The main character is a little naive and clueless, while the people around him are over the top. When his long lost uncle leaves him an Inheritance, he ends up in a world of James Bond- style villains, with talking cats and dolphins with filthy mouths, mafia style rich men flaunting their privileges, and a confusing mantle to take up. This book kept making me laugh out loud, and I immediately passed it along to my mother, who really enjoyed it, too.

1 like · Like · see review

Sep 14, 2024 Trisha rated it it was ok

Shelves: goodreadschoice2023

A very original idea and I love that others loved this so much.

I found parts cute but wasn't a fan of the long info dumps. The story bogged down a bit when they kept talking about the meeting but were still waiting for it. Really cute but just maybe not my thing. ...more

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Apr 18, 2024 Heather rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, scifi, humor

Light, fanciful, and funny. And the moral of the story: listen to your cat.

I love the cover and Wil Wheaton's narration is perfection. ...more

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Jan 25, 2024 Lauren rated it really liked it

Charlie’s life has followed an unquestionably downhill trajectory for years, and now he is at rock bottom: his cat officially enjoys a better existence than he does. Then, suddenly, opportunity knocks, and Charlie must decide whether trading the hum-drum for the lethally fantastic is all it’s cracked up to be. 🐈‍⬛

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Aug 26, 2024 Savi rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: author-male, fiction, lead-male, audiobook, science-fiction, read-in-2024

I guess I was expecting it to be something different. Like an actual running of a villain corporation or something fun like that. It's fine but mid level enjoyable for me overall. ...more

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