Radio Wolinsky

John Scalzi, “Starter Villain,” 2023

John Scalzi, noted science fiction/fantasy author, in conversation with host Richard Wolinsky, during the promotion period for his latest novel, “Starter Villain.” .

John Scalzi has written over thirty books, five of which are non-fiction, plus short stories, essays, chapbooks and audio books. His specialty is the comic science fiction/fantasy novel, often dealing with common tropes in films and television, figuring out how they would work in real life (Kaiju monsters, Star Trek red shirts, etc). His best known works include the Old Man’s War series, and several of his stories have been nominated and won various awards.

His latest novel, “Starter Villain,” looks at James Bond type supervillains and how they might operate in the real world. The book also serves as a satire on the egotism and hubris of the very rich.

John Scalzi has also written for television, and several of his stories have been adopted for the “Love, Death and Robots” series on Netflix. He has raised money for Americans United for the Separation of Church and State and has been a strong supporter of feminist causes. His blog, Whatever won a Hugo Award for Best Fan Writing.

This interview was recorded via zencastr August 21, 2023, embargoed until September 19, 2023.