Starter Villain

272 pages

English language

Published Jan. 5, 2023 by Doherty Associates, LLC, Tom.

ISBN:
978-0-7653-8922-0
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Goodreads:
61885029

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4 stars (7 reviews)

Inheriting your mysterious uncle's supervillain business is more complicated than you might imagine.

Sure, there are the things you'd expect. The undersea volcano lairs. The minions. The plots to take over the world. The international networks of rivals who want you dead.

Much harder to get used to...are the the sentient, language-using, computer-savvy cats.

And the fact that in the overall organization, they're management...

3 editions

Starter Villain

4 stars

A classic Scalzi one-shot novel--a fluffy snack with some good twists.

The basic setup is that down-on-his-luck Charlie Fitzer unexpectedly inherits his estranged billionaire uncle's villainous empire and now has to fend with other villains who were pissed at his uncle.

Key features:

  • volcano lair
  • jerk dolphins who want to unionize
  • zoom call power plays

A fun, fast read, parodying the James Bond Villain archetype. With talking dolphins and typing cats.

4 stars

A fun, fast read, parodying the James Bond Villain archetype. The main character is dropped into the deep end of supervillain society, complete with double-crosses, triple-crosses, assassination attempts, blackmail, framing...and of course the secret volcanic lair, superlasers, talking dolphins (who are really unpleasant and cranky) and a management layer of typing cats (who are much less so, depending on how well you feed and pet them).

Everyone knows he's way out of his depth and wants to take advantage of him. But he knows it too -- and between a background in business journalism and a willingness to listen to people with expertise (always considering that they have an agenda that might not be his own), he's able to manage better than anyone expects.

Of course, the skills that get you to the top of the backstabbing, chaotic world of villainy...aren't necessarily the best for financial stability. Or stability of …

avatar for Bitboxer@bookwyrm.social

rated it

5 stars

Subjects

  • Fiction
  • Science Fiction
  • Fantasy
  • Adult
  • Humor