24 Comments on “Read the First Chapter of “Starter Villain””

1. I would be happier in the long run if I did not click on the link right now clicks

2. That cover still makes me giggle every time.

3. Damn you Scalzi, and your maniacal plot to make us read the first chapter of a book that hasn’t been published yet, leaving us hanging with anticipation. This evil scheme will hold us hostage! Can no hero save us other than having to wait until publication date?

4. Hmm.

5. Pre-ordered! 🎉

   My spouse/editor also read it and found a few errors. They are scarily good at that. Need someone to read over the final draft? 😄

6. Thanks, but I prefer to wait for the whole thing. I’m just gonna go ahead and preorder it.

7. Tasty. Looking forward to September.

8. Wow! I’m definitely hooked, but upset that I have to wait so long to read the rest. Pre-ordered!

9. Three months or so until my copy arrives.

   Looking forward to reading your latest.

10. The Harris County (TX) Public Library has 19 copies on order. I’m the first to put a hold on one.

11. Read the first chapter. Enjoyed it. Spent more time than was worth it in researching the history of Parking Magazine after seeing its mention in the text, but that’s a certain kind of librarian’s occupational hazard most of your readers won’t fall into. Looking forward to picking up and reading the rest of the book! (Not planning to read more Parking Magazine, unless mention of your book also shows up there.)

12. Fun. The right mixture of snark and humor. I can’t wait for the book to be released.

13. Looking forward to reading the entire book. I am curious, though. Will it have “stuff” like bad, bad words that will encourage outraged parents in Texas to call for its ban at school and public libraries? Will there be, shudder, cat grooming?

14. Can’t wait for this.
    I REALLY like it when you write like this.
    This will be VERY entertaining.

15. I managed to resist your villainous link, because I have already succumbed to your villainous cover temptation and will read the book all at once when I get it.

16. Poor guy is going to inherit a supervillain business and his cat isn’t even a white Persian. Firm indication that this will be a true underdog story.

17. I read it. I want it. Can’t wait for September.

    (As additional confirmation that it’s going to do well, one of those whipped puppy lamesters felt compelled to go to Tor to rag on your writing. Your continued success clearly still irritates the crap out of them. Bravo!)

18. Argh. I hate reading teasers, because I immediately want to read the whole book. But, I put it on library hold back when you first announced it, so my wait shouldn’t be too long.

    Fortunately, there’s many more books to read between now and then. I am currently reading Lone Women, which is pretty good.

19. Well that was pretty fun :) Becoming a villain to save a pub is kind of noble in a way.

20. WTF!!! Why is it not September?!!!… Clearly, patience is not my forte… *sigh

21. Delightful!

    Can’t wait to read the rest.

22. So does Hera the cat eventually talk and argue with the narrator about the quality of her noms?

    Otherwise, a parking lot empire as the basis for bankrolling villainy? I’m trying to stop the giggles coming on.

23. One of the characters Ewan McGregor played in season 3 of Fargo was described as “The Parking Lot King of Minnesota” because of all the parking lots he owned. He was not so much of a villain as he was threatened by one played brilliantly by David Thewlis.

24. Apologies for my previous off-topic snippiness.