Starter VillainStarter Villain
What it's about
Charlie is a divorced substitute teacher going nowhere when his estranged uncle Jake dies and leaves him everything: Jake turns out to have been a supervillain, with a volcano island lair, employees who want to unionize, and cats who are much smarter than they look. Now the other supervillains want what's his, and Charlie has to learn the trade fast.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Hugo finalist and a Goodreads Choice finalist. It's a breezy, very funny caper.
You'll love it if you liked
Old Man's War
Going Postal
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyGood to know
It's short and silly in the best way. There's plenty of swearing.
By the numbers
- Readers55 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics25 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller57 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz51 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #66 of the 313 science fiction books we rank
- #101 of the 459 fantasy books we rank
- #134 of the 481 new books we rank
- #739 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous, Funny, Uplifting
More by John Scalzi
Old Man's War
The Collapsing Empire
The Kaiju Preservation Society
RedshirtsIf you like this, read next
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Quick answers
Is Starter Villain worth reading?
Yes. It was a Hugo finalist and a Goodreads Choice finalist. It ranks #739 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 75.7 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Starter Villain about?
Charlie is a divorced substitute teacher going nowhere when his estranged uncle Jake dies and leaves him everything: Jake turns out to have been a supervillain, with a volcano island lair, employees who want to unionize, and cats who are much smarter than they look. Now the other supervillains want what's his, and Charlie has to learn the trade fast.
How long does it take to read Starter Villain?
About 7 hours (262 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Starter Villain?
If you liked it, try Old Man's War by John Scalzi, Going Postal by Terry Pratchett or The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.