This was everything I wanted from a Scalzi book! Lot's of lol moments, a lot of good observations (particularly on corporate $$$$ culture). I absolutely loved how the cats (and dolphins and whales) played into this. I'll definitely be gifting this to some friends for Christmas. Scalzi is always a reliable entertainment and this one didn't disappoint.

Loved this. I went into it blind, so Scalzi surprised me with a number of twists. Despite satellite killing lasers and sentient cats with real estate portfolios, it ended in a "fairly" realistic way that I loved. <spoiler> He didn't get the girl, he didn't get the trillions, he - happily for him - didn't get the criminal empire... But he did get the cats and a more comfortable life.</spoiler> You could do much worse than that! Fun. :)

What would you do if your trillionaire uncle passed away, leaving you his entire fortune and his secret supervillain empire? How would you defend your island volcano lair from CIA assassins and rival supervillains' missile attacks? And what do you do when the sentient genetically modified dolphins who work for you unionize and threaten to go on strike?

These are the questions Charlie, the protagonist of John Scalzi's book Start Villain, has to answer.

Scalzi is a deeply funny writer, and one of the places where he shines is reveling in the absurdity of certain genre tropes we take for granted--in this instance, supervillains, and how such wealthy megalomaniacs would actually function in the real world.

A 32 year-old divorced journalist-turned-substitute-teacher grieving the loss of both his parents and the dissolution of his marriage, Charlie is an unlikely supervillain at best. Much of the humor in this book stems from the juxtaposition of Charlie's principled, everyman morality with the absurd excesses of the billionaire supervillains in whose company he now finds himself.

At its heart this book is a scathing critique of the ultra-rich, and the way their wealth insulates them from the struggles of ordinary people. Scalzi also makes it abundantly clear that inherited wealth is in no way related to hard work or personal capability, the timing of which feels darkly apropos as the world watches Elon Musk's self-publicized downward spiral.

But don't worry! Starter Villain is not a dry lecture on classism. It's a fun, funny, engaging read which pokes fun at tropes we've taken for granted over sixty years of watching spy thrillers. And, as the cover suggests, it does explain why it's mandatory for supervillains to own a cat.

Listen. Saying much about this book would be a great disservice to anyone reading it in the future. So I won't. What I will say is that you should absolutely read it if you think Scalzi is a mad genius of words, burritos, and chaos and even if you don't you should absolutely read it. I had SO MUCH FUN! I snorted coffee out of my nose on no less than 4 occasions and that's a rare review for me. Snorting is reserved for the most divine hilarity. I have already recommended this books to every person I see whether they want to hear it or not. I will add it to my friends holds lists against their will and perhaps put it in the path of passersby because they don't know they need it in their life. Read the thing!

This book was really fun! Scalzi is a master of these funny, quirky stories with great social commentary.. I liked it enough to read again.

squeeee! John Scalzi! This is ... different. Yet also delightful. And very very much a book that could only come from John Scalzi. The premise is ridiculous, so I won't try to explain it. Just read the book. You're welcome.

Coming in September!

Rounding up from 4.5 stars...

I adored this book. It was weird and unrealistic and I enjoyed every second of it.

The plot may have been far-fetched, but the book sucked me in and wouldn't let go. I read this one in less than a day because I just wanted to see where the author was taking the story.

I'm a huge cat lover, so obviously Hera and Persephone were my favorite characters. I wish that I could actually have a conversation with my cats. I also loved the dolphins. I found the bit about them going on strike and forming a union to be hilarious. I was cracking up during the "negotiations" at times.

I wasn't sure where the author was going to go with Charlie's story, but I appreciated how the author ended things. I won't say much more than that as not to spoil things.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a light scifi story.

Read if you enjoy:
✔️ Light Science Fiction
✔️ Villainous MCs
✔️ Talking animals
✔️ Cat side kicks

Charlie Barnes is a below-average failed journalist and current substitute teacher, fumbling his way through life and living in his dead dad's house, when he suddenly inherits his estranged great-uncle's supervillain empire along with all of the computer-savvy cats + foul-mouthed dolphins + layer after layer of absurdity that being a modern supervillain entails.

While wasn't my favorite-favorite by Scalzi (Old Man's War is pretty impossible to top), it was weird and snarky and funny and ridiculous and everything I love about his books - highly recommended!

AND THAT COVER.... I CANNOT EVEN.

From the publisher: Inheriting your uncle’s supervillain business is more complicated than you might think. Particularly when you discover who’s running the place.

Charlie, the narrator of Starter Villain, is something of an affable idiot. Divorced and living in the childhood home he doesn’t even own due to complications with his siblings after his father’s death, he was laid off from his job as a journalist and is now working as a substitute teacher. He wants to buy a beloved local pub, but he has no money and no collateral. The best thing he has going for him is his relationship with his cats.

Then Charlie’s estranged Uncle Jake dies, and his lawyer shows up asking Charlie to attend his uncle’s memorial. Charlie is hesitant, and finds the request a little weird, but he agrees. And so his life as a starter villain begins. Yes, his uncle owned a large chain of parking structures, but he had other, bigger, more nefarious interests as well (mwa ha ha).

I enjoyed the Chicago area setting, and our narrator is an affable naïf who is fun to spend time with. Scalzi is clearly a cat lover and that certainly resonated with me. In the super villain business, it’s not dogs who spy for villains on other villains. (Yes, the cats are intelligent spies who can type on a computer using a special keyboard. Including Charlie’s cats.) I learned a new word – quisling! (“A traitor who collaborates with an enemy force occupying their country” according to the OED.) The narrative is pro-union, and against cats murdering birds. Intelligent talking dolphins also come into play, and I couldn’t stop myself from singing “So Long and Thanks for All the Fish” every time they made an appearance.

Charlie does better handling the various super villains that he meets than one might expect, and as he doesn’t take things seriously it was hard for me as the reader to take things seriously either. I perhaps did not enjoy Starter Villain as much as I enjoyed The Kaiju Preservation Society; the whole thing came off as a little less original, and the “starter villain” idea began to wear a little thin. Still, Starter Villain was a fun read with some genuine laughs for me.

I read an advance reader copy of Starter Villain from Netgalley. It is scheduled to be released on September 19 and will be available at the Galesburg Public Library.

John Scalzi has done an excellent job imagining what a 2020's villain would be like...and yes, the 20's villain is that billionaire corporate asshole who only has their own self interest at heart and will stab anyone in the back if there is money to be had and finds a way to make money off even the worst of world events.

This is the world that main character, Charlie (ex-journalist and current substitute teacher), gets thrown into when his rich Uncle Jack dies. He's not seen Jack since he was 5 and has no idea why his uncle would name him his heir. Of course, as with most eccentric rich guys, there are strings attached. Those strings sets Charlie, and his cats on, in order to avoid spoilers, what I could call an "interesting adventure" into that world of rich billionaire assholes.

The book is hysterical, especially the dolphins. It's probably what James Bond movies would look like had they been written by Douglas Adams. Starter Villain is the perfect fun read for those who want science fiction that doesn't take itself too seriously (The Kaiju Preservation Society and Redshirts fit that bill as well).

Speaking of Douglas Adams, I have come to realize, after reading a number of John Scalzi's books, he's filled that void in my bookshelf that was left when Douglas Adam's died.

I love John Scalzi. He’s funny, timely, and poignant, and he puts a great spin on SF literature. Starter Villain is no exception here. The basis of the story is quite entertaining and while not all that original at first, it becomes its very own thing by the end and that is well worth the read.

The best characters here are Charlie, Til, and Hera. They all work for the story and while you always get the idea that there is something happening beneath the surface of the story the final revelation will be a surprise. Is that a spoiler? I guess, maybe. But honestly, it is much more involved than what I just wrote. Is THAT a spoiler? Hmmmm…

If you’re a Scalzi fan you’ll love this book. If you’re unfamiliar, this is a good one to give a shot. It’s not super sci-fi-ish and there is a mystery and hilarity enough to keep you entertained and committed. I say go forth and read this novel, it’s a good’un.

Scalzi has some of the best wit and sarcasm in the Speculative Fiction game today, in my humble opinion.

While this story of an unhappy middle-school teacher stepping into the ring of villainy was a non-stop madcap ride of hilarity, nonsense and hijinks, it also had a surprising amount of heart (as well as some talk of the philosophy of unionized animals).

Overall, a great read and a phenominal escape!

My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Starter Villain story is pure, unadulterated fun! I want to say the author had as much fun writing it as I did reading it, but knowing authors, he'd probably deny that :P

Our hero, Charlie, is yanked from the ordinary humdrum of life and plunged into a reality where supervillains reminiscent of a satirical James Bond universe hold court. He now commands weaponized animal intelligence, laser death rays, and a supervillain organization from within an evil volcano lair (lava's not great to get rid of spies, let me tell you...).

Scalzi successfully turns the tables on today's capitalist society, cheekily revealing what might just be happening behind the scenes. It's incredibly satisfying to see our protagonist take on these over-the-top villains. Yes, money may indeed be the root of all evil, but it can also be the very weedkiller that brings about its downfall.

Our protagonist Charlie, the embodiment of the average Joe, is thrust into high-tech escapades that test and bring out the inherent hero in him. However, as much as I rooted for Charlie, the superintelligent, managerial cats steal the show. As a cat enthusiast myself, I found this depiction delightfully plausible. It harks back to childhood favorites like the movie 'Cats vs Dogs' but with the right heroes this time.

The heart of this novel, though, is Scalzi's knack for crafting witty dialogues that leave you chuckling to yourself. Charlie's labor negotiations with dolphins are hilariously re-readable and serve as a masterclass in dialogue. This scene alone would make a fantastic movie teaser if this book ever hits the big screen.

Though I had some reservations about the denouement, the ending left me with a warm, fuzzy feeling. Let's just say my cats are getting an extra portion of tuna tonight.

Starter Villain is a witty, rollicking ride through an absurd world, mirroring our own in ways that will make you laugh out loud and leave you mulling long after you've turned the last page.

A comedic, warmhearted take on villainy. The tone is very Scalzi, lightly dancing over the impacts and consequences to follow a fish-out-of-water man suddenly immersed in the crime underworld to the benefit of tighter plot. Would recommend for a quick read

I’m a big Scalzi fan and this did not disappoint. Love the premise, it was clever and delightful. My only complaint is that I wish it was longer, the ending came quickly and was a bit pat. But still a lot of fun.

I found Starter Villain a fun, fast read — exactly what I expect from Scalzi’s work. It’s light, it’s a bit quirky, it has his usual sort of narrative voice. The sentient cats are entertaining, and so are some of the other surprises; the dialogue is punchy; the main character is the kind of practical well-I’ll-work-with-what-I’ve-got guy with some wisecracks that you’d expect from Scalzi. And the formula continues to work, for the most part: it kind of sounds like I’m damning with faint praise, but I’m not. I really enjoyed reading Starter Villain.

For me, the thing that let it down was actually at the end. I can’t really say too much about it without spoilers, but I found it very unsatisfying. Maybe appropriate for the character, maybe I should’ve seen it coming, but it felt like a cop-out after all the events of the book. I finished it and I was a little mad about that, because I wanted more of the quirky stuff and not… what I got.

It’s still enjoyable, but probably one I won’t reread or add to my collection.

This book was super fun! Spy cats, unionized dolphins and a regular joe meet in this clever story! It is very dialogue driven, but that did not make the story lose any pace!

I loved this book. Scalzi never fails to take you on a great ride. Lots of unexpected turns to this and a very satisfactory ending.

John Scalzi's new book addresses the problems that come with inheriting a criminal organization. I've enjoyed Scalzi's work since I discovered him with Redshirts and this book doesn't disappoint. As with his previous protagonists, Scalzi's "hero" of this story is essentially an everyman thrown into an over-the-top situation, providing for fun commentary on the tropes of the genre. However, the characters are three-dimensional and the reader can easily empathize with the lead character, one who must deal with issues from his own broken life while entering this new world.

In addition to strong characters and humorous commentary, the plot demonstrates a cleverness, proceeding down one path, then swerving in a different, yet still organic, direction. And, at the conclusion, I felt that Scalzi had succeeded in letting the main character's perspective blind me to perfectly logical twists.

Overall, this was a fun read and I'd not hesitate to recommend this.

Wow, what a fun read! Silly yet broaches on some serious subjects, such as unionizing and animal rights. It was a great look at the more serious, day-to-day of being a villain, which is not something you get to explore very often. Oh, and some freaking awesome cats.