‘Laugh-out-loud funny, intricately plotted and big-hearted’ – SFX
Warning: supervillain in training. Risk of world domination.
Locus and Hugo Award-winning author John Scalzi brings us Starter Villain, a turbo-charged tale of a family business with a difference. This one comes with a hidden headquarters, minions, talking cats and villainous rivals worthy of James Bond.
Divorced, broke and emotionally dependent on his cat, Charlie hasn’t been loving life. Then he finds out his recently deceased Uncle Jake has left him a top-secret, international supervillain business. And, as if this wasn’t problematic enough, Jake’s vengeful rivals ambush the funeral. Charlie must decide if he should stay stuck in his rut, or step up to take on the business, the enemies, the minions, the hidden volcano lair . . .
Even harder to get used to are the talking, computer-savvy cats – and the fact that they’re management. If Charlie says yes to his inheritance, could this lifeline become a death wish? Or could it finally be his chance to shine?
‘You will laugh so loudly you will wish you weren't reading in public’ – New Scientist
‘Prepare to be delighted’ – Daily Mail
‘The book had me hooked from page one’ – London Weekly News
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
ISBN: 9781509835416
Number of pages: 288
Weight: 200 g
Dimensions: 197 x 130 x 19 mm
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 labour dispute, some truly awful techbros, and a volcano island lair . . . Who could resist? - Rebecca Roanhorse, author of Black Sun
Laugh-out-loud funny, intricately plotted and big-hearted enough to touch even the grumpiest cynic, Starter Villain establishes Scalzi as SF’s leading humourist - SFX
Prepare to be delighted and surprised - Daily Mail
Satire aplenty . . . Charlie has to handle the lethal machinations of rival villains and also a pod of talking dolphins with militant trade union tendencies in a novel that gleefully skewers the vanity and inanity of a certain kind of plutocrat - Financial Times
Fun, short and tightly plotted - New Scientist
In this clever, fast-paced thriller, Hugo Award winner subverts classic supervillain tropes with equal measures of tongue-in-cheek humour and common sense . . . The result is a breezy and highly entertaining genre send-up - Publishers Weekly
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 . . . Readers of humorous fantasy are sure to love Scalzi’s latest as much as those cats; it’s also for those who enjoy seeing superhero stories folded, twisted and mutilated, and anyone wishing for a righteous villain lair surrounded by intelligent sharks. Highly recommended - Library Journal, starred review
Irreverent and subversive . . . James Bond-level bad guys set in the everyday trudge of corporate life a la The Office - Entertainment Weekly
Funny satire . . . the cats are the real heroes (obviously) - Good Housekeeping
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 humour 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
John Scalzi is fast becoming one of my favourite authors, as his books occupy a niche of the genre that I always have time for – the Sci-Fi beach read (maybe not literally, though I imagine volcano villain-lair... More
I absolutely loved this!
It was clever, funny and completely unique. I had so much fun reading about things that I can’t mention because “spoilers”, but what I can say is if you’ve ever wondered about being a...
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Seeing the cover of John Scalzi’s Starter Villain, with its stylish and suited cat was more than enough to make me want to read it - but if that didn’t convince me, the blurb certainly did!
Charlie is down on his...
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