Starter Villain by John Scalzi: Book Quiz
Quiz: Starter Villain by John Scalzi
Answer the following 20 questions based on the novel. Each question is either multiple choice (select the best answer) or short answer (provide a word or phrase). The answer key follows all questions.
Plot and Sequence (Questions 1–8)
1. What wedding gift did Charlie Fitzer receive from his uncle Jake that included a note predicting his divorce?
A) A set of berry spoons
B) A hand-carved chess set
C) An antique pocket watch
D) A first edition cookbook
2. At Uncle Jake’s funeral, Charlie physically blocks a man from doing what?
A) Stealing the flowers
B) Stabbing the corpse
C) Taking photos of mourners
D) Lighting a cigar
3. What destroys Charlie’s house at the end of Chapter 5?
A) A gas leak explosion
B) A fiery car crash
C) A bomb triggered by a CIA/FBI agent
D) A volcanic eruption
4. Which cat demonstrates the ability to type on a specialized keyboard?
A) Persephone
B) Hera
C) Mrs. Tum-Tum
D) Elsie
5. What is the name of the Caribbean island that serves as the base for Uncle Jake’s operations?
A) Saint Vincent
B) Saint Genevieve
C) Saint Lucia
D) Grenada
6. The dolphins in the Cetacean Division threaten to go on strike because they believe they are:
A) Being underfed
B) Slaves
C) Not allowed to breed
D) Paid too little
7. In the “Pitch and Pitch” competition, what happens to a contestant who gets buzzed out?
A) They are gonged offstage
B) They are launched into Lake Como
C) They are given a consolation prize
D) They must pay a fine
8. Which character is revealed to have survived the Imperial Suite explosion, having faked his death?
A) Robert Gratas
B) Anton Dobrev
C) Tobias the Stabber
D) Evan Jacobs
Character Motivation (Questions 9–13)
9. (Short answer) Why does Mathilda Morrison first approach Charlie at his home?
Answer: To ask him to represent his uncle at the memorial service.
10. (Short answer) What reason does Charlie give the loan officer for being unable to use his father’s house as collateral?
Answer: The house is in a family trust that requires his siblings’ consent.
11. (Short answer) Why do the dolphins refuse to work until Charlie meets with them again in Chapter 21?
Answer: They stage a sick-out (claiming food poisoning) to protest their labor conditions.
12. (Multiple choice) Why does Charlie ultimately agree to attend the Lombardy Convocation?
A) He wants to vacation in Europe
B) He receives a threatening invitation that he cannot refuse
C) He hopes to sell his uncle’s island
D) He wants to meet Anton Dobrev socially
13. (Short answer) What does Charlie trade to the dolphins in exchange for their help against the whales?
Answer: He grants them the right to breed and management roles (union formation).
Theme and Symbol (Questions 14–17)
14. In the Lombardy Convocation, each member is accompanied by a cat. What does this practice primarily symbolize?
A) A shared love of pets
B) An affectation of power and tradition, copying classic villain imagery
C) A practical tool for espionage
D) A mark of membership in a secret cat-worshipping cult
15. The Nazi loot stored in the vault on Saint Genevieve represents which theme?
A) The triumph of good over evil
B) The corrupting legacy of historical atrocities
C) The futility of wealth
D) The importance of art preservation
16. (Short answer) What does Charlie’s declaration “I don’t want to be a villain anymore” in Chapter 26 reveal about his character arc?
Answer: He rejects the moral compromises and cycles of violence inherent in his uncle’s world.
17. (Multiple choice) Eve Yang’s HR presentation defines “villain” as a job title for:
A) Evil geniuses
B) Professional disrupters
C) Corporate criminals
D) Licensed assassins
Synthesis (Questions 18–20)
18. (Multiple choice) How does Charlie’s background as a former business reporter help him during his meeting with the Lombardy Convocation?
A) He knows how to write a press release
B) He deduces the Convocation is financially desperate based on their negotiation tactics
C) He is able to interview the members for a story
D) He uses his reporting skills to expose the group’s secrets online
19. (Short answer) Both the dolphins and the cats are intelligent animals in the novel. What key difference exists in how they are treated by Uncle Jake’s organization?
Answer: The dolphins are treated as labor (and eventually unionize), while the cats (like Hera) are treated as trusted operatives and companions.
20. (Short answer) Based on the ending, what is one major lesson Charlie learns about family legacy and power?
Answer: That he can choose not to perpetuate the cycle of exploitation and violence that his uncle’s villain empire relied on.
Answer Key
1. A – The berry spoons are mentioned in Chapter 1 as Jake’s wedding gift, complete with a note predicting the marriage would not last.
2. B – In Chapter 5, a man attempts to stab Uncle Jake’s corpse, and Charlie physically blocks him.
3. C – In Chapter 7, a video reveals that a CIA/FBI agent triggered the bomb, not the original bombers.
4. B – Hera types messages on a keyboard in Chapter 6, revealing the cats’ sentience.
5. B – Saint Genevieve is the island described in Chapter 8, with a history of volcanic eruption and intelligence use.
6. B – The dolphins in Chapter 9 claim they are slaves after reading Das Kapital, leading to their labor dispute.
7. B – In Chapter 16, contestants who are buzzed out are launched into Lake Como from a platform.
8. B – Anton Dobrev fakes his death in the Imperial Suite explosion and returns alive in Chapter 26.
9. Morrison asks Charlie to represent his uncle at the memorial service (Chapter 3).
10. The house is in a family trust requiring his siblings’ consent (Chapter 1 and 2).
11. They stage a sick-out, claiming food poisoning, in Chapter 21.
12. B – In Chapter 15, Morrison tells Charlie turning down the invitation was not an option; the Convocation wants to size him up and possibly eliminate him.
13. He grants the dolphins rights to breed and management roles, forming a union in Chapter 24.
14. B – In Chapter 17, the cats are described as an affectation; each Convocation member has one, mirroring classic villain tropes.
15. B – The storeroom’s WWII looted artifacts represent the blood money and historical exploitation that underscore the villain business (Chapters 20, 22).
16. Charlie rejects the cycle of violence and moral compromise that plagued his uncle’s world, choosing a different path (Chapter 26).
17. B – In Chapter 10, Eve Yang defines “villain” as a job title for professional disrupters who exploit weak spots in systems.
18. B – In Chapter 17, Charlie uses his reporting background to deduce the Convocation’s financial desperation from their negotiation tactics (crypto losses, bluffs).
19. The dolphins are treated as labor (they unionize for rights), while the cats (notably Hera) are treated as trusted operatives and companions with significant autonomy (Chapters 7, 9, 24).
20. Charlie learns he can walk away from the family legacy of exploitation and choose a more ethical life, as shown when he renounces villainy and later takes over McDougal’s Pub (Chapters 26, 28).
For more context on the plot, characters, and themes, visit our plot summary, questions and answers, or ending explained.