Title: Starter Villain
Author: John Scalzi
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Tor Books
Publication Date: September 19, 2023
Format: Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by Net Galley and Tor Books in exchange for an honest review
Length: 272 pages

Read if you like: Outsider fish-out-of-water main character, quick humour, mysterious murders and plot twists, devious villains, social commentary in a fun package

Rating: 

*A quick note: when I receive a complimentary ARC of a book via Net Galley, a publisher, an author, or otherwise, this does not impact my review of the book. All my reviews are my honest and genuine thoughts and feelings.

Starter Villain was one of my most anticipated releases of September, so I was thrilled when I received a complimentary ARC from Net Galley and Tor Books. Much to my delight, this book turned out to be everything I wanted it to be and then some. 

Starter Villain was unique, hilarious, and crazy enjoyable from start to finish. It took turns I didn’t expect and had some great action alongside a witty plot and cast of characters. I loved the contemporary setting with interspersed sci-fi elements and once the thick of the plot began to unfold, I couldn’t put it down. This was easily one of the funniest, most original novels I’ve read in some time. I’ll be happily recommending this one to anyone I know looking for a sci-fi that packs a hilarious punch.

The Book: Starter Villain by John Scalzi

Starter Villain follows main character Charlie, a recently divorced 30-something ex-reporter who is currently working as a substitute teacher in his deceased father’s old home. Charlie has been down on his luck for some time, simply unable to find his footing after the loss of his job, his wife, and his father, and has been coasting in his hometown trying to figure out his next move.

Unfortunately for Charlie, his time to figure things out is quickly running out. While his father technically left instructions in his will that allow Charlie to live in his house, he is only a part-owner alongside his three estranged siblings, who all want to sell and cash in on their inheritance. Charlie would love to own the bar down the street he grew up on, but with only a couple hundred dollars to his name and no collateral that isn’t entangled with this sibling’s equity, he’s unable to secure a bank loan to do so. This leaves Charlie with few options and impending homelessness if he can’t find a reasonable path forward.

Just as this realization is dawning, a billionaire uncle that Charlie never knew passes away and within days, his assistant arrives at Charlie’s house to offer him a deal that could save him. All he has to do is stand in at his uncle’s funeral, where no other family exists, and his uncle’s estate will ensure that Charlie is given a lump sum payment and controlling interest in his house. Charlie accepts, albeit a little nervously, thinking that simply standing at a funeral seems to be of little cost for the upside gain. 

However, Charlie quickly learns at his uncle’s funeral that Uncle Jake was none other than a modern-day villain. The only people who attend are in the employ of every major villain in the world, and despite Charlie’s best efforts to stop it, several attempt to assassinate the corpse just to ensure he’s dead. Charlie, exasperated, tells them all to leave before he heads home to find his cats across the street just before his house blows up. With nothing left, Charlie hesitantly accepts an offer from his uncle’s assistant to integrate himself into the family business. 

Villainy turns out to be beyond what Charlie could conceive, and despite knowing very little, both his uncle’s organizations and their competitors are keen to throw him head-first into their line of business whether he likes it or not. If Charlie is going to survive his new starter-villain status, he’ll have to cleverly outwit all those around him and find a way to ensure that his uncle’s legacy isn’t what ultimately brings his own demise. 

The Review

Starter Villain was a super enjoyable ride, beginning with the premise. I absolutely loved the concept of the main character Charlie inheriting his unknown uncle’s villain empire, particularly as that empire had one foot in reality and one foot in pure fantastical hilarity. At various times, Scalzi could alternate between a philosophical discussion of the inherent male privilege in wealthy business circles to foul-mouth unionizing dolphins without missing a beat. I was nodding my head at Til’s various rants about the nature of powerful men, and then quickly laughing out loud as a cat levelled an assassin. It was an exceptionally entertaining plot that had moments of emotion, social commentary, and a lot of great humour. It kept me on my toes as I tried to guess what would come next. 

I loved watching Charlie progress through various levels of his uncle’s villainy while adding his touch here and there. It was clearly such a complicated and nuanced world that I appreciated that Scalzi didn’t dumb it down for the sake of the main character; instead, he had him placidly accept that most of the business was well beyond his ability to understand and just let him run it with the modicum of understanding you might expect of a substitute teacher/ex-reporter, with very entertaining results. In a plot that was sometimes very absurd, Charlie was the resolute normalcy from which the insanity could then be benchmarked, and it was so enjoyable to see this absurd world unfold through his perspective. 

I also loved the actual writing and delivery of the novel. The dialogue was delivered with a sharp wit and perfectly balanced banter and the delivery and humour was reminiscent of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, a high compliment in my opinion. The pacing of the narrative was on point, moving at a decent clip and with a lot of interspersed plot twists and action, and I particularly loved the plot twist towards the end, which I did not see coming at all but felt authentic for all characters involved.

I really enjoyed this novel. It was funny, sharp, and full of heart. I’d highly recommend it to anyone looking for something fun and unique with a heavy dose of humour, which are qualities I don’t necessarily associate with sci-fi but thought were well represented here.