Starter Villain
A turbo-charged tale of supervillains, minions and a hidden volcano lair . . .
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Pan Macmillan
Published:31st Oct '24
£9.99
This title is due to be published on 31st October, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
‘Starter Villain establishes Scalzi as SF's leading humourist’ – SFX
Locus and Hugo Award-winning author John Scalzi brings us a turbo-charged tale of a family business with a difference – as Charlie discovers upon inheriting it. This one comes with a hidden headquarters, minions, talking cats and villainous rivals worthy of James Bond.
Warning: anti-hero in training. Risk of world domination.
Inheriting his late uncle’s business proves complicated. It’s also way more dangerous than Charlie could ever have imagined. Because his uncle’s supervillain status was a secret – until now. Divorced, broke and emotionally dependent on his cat, Charlie wasn’t loving life. Although they weren’t close, news of his Uncle Jake's death didn’t help. And that was before Jake’s rivals (seriously vengeful ones) ambushed his funeral. Now Charlie must decide if he should stay stuck in his rut, or step up to the family trade – enemies, minions, hidden volcano lair and all.
Even harder to get used to are the operation’s sentient, language-using, computer-savvy cats – and the fact that they’re management. If Charlie does say yes to all this, his lifeline could become a death wish. Because there’s much more to being an Evil Mastermind than he suspected. Yet could this also, finally, be his chance to shine?
‘Talking spy cats and unionised dolphins – what’s not to like?’ – New Scientist
‘Prepare to be delighted and surprised’ – Daily Mail
‘The book had me hooked from page one’ – London Weekly News
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
ISBN: 9781509835416
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
272 pages