Description
Locus and Hugo Award-winning author John Scalzi brings us a turbo-charged tale of a family business with a difference - as Charlie discovers when he inherits it. This one comes with a hidden headquarters, minions, talking cats and James Bond-like supervillain rivals.
'Starter Villain establishes Scalzi as SF's leading humourist' - SFX
Warning: supervillain 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 had kept his supervillain status a secret - until now.
Divorced 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 take on the business, the enemies, the minions, the hidden volcano lair . . .
Even harder to get used to are the sentient, language-using, computer-savvy cats - and the fact that in the organization's hierarchy, they're management. If Charlie does say yes, this 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?
Praise for John Scalzi:
'Hugely enjoyable, intelligent and good-humoured fun' - The Guardian
'Sheer geeky pleasure from start to finish' - Financial Times
'An escapist delight' - The Times
Inheriting a family business is never easy, especially when it involves a hidden volcano lair, minions, sentient cats and supervillains.
About the Author
John Scalzi is one of the most popular and acclaimed SF authors to emerge in the last decade. His debut, Old Man's War, won him science fiction's John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. His New York Times bestsellers include The Last Colony, Fuzzy Nation, The End of All Things and Redshirts, which won 2013's Hugo Award for Best Novel. Material from his widely read blog Whatever has also earned him two other Hugo Awards. He lives in Ohio with his wife and daughter.
Reviews
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
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 -- The Financial Times
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
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
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
Fun, short and tightly plotted -- New Scientist
Book Information
ISBN 9781509835423
Author John Scalzi
Format Paperback
Page Count 272
Imprint Tor
Publisher Pan Macmillan
Weight(grams) 342g
Dimensions(mm) 234mm * 153mm * 29mm
