Redshirts

A Novel with Three Codas

By: John Scalzi

Narrated by: Wil Wheaton

Length: 7 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

Ensign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. It’s a prestige posting, and Andrew is thrilled all the more to be assigned to the ship’s Xenobiology laboratory. Life couldn’t be better…until Andrew begins to pick up on the facts that (1) every Away Mission involves some kind of lethal confrontation with alien forces; (2) the ship’s captain, its chief science officer, and the handsome Lieutenant Kerensky always survive these confrontations; and (3) at least one low-ranked crew member is, sadly, always killed.

Not surprisingly, a great deal of energy below decks is expended on avoiding, at all costs, being assigned to an Away Mission. Then Andrew stumbles on information that completely transforms his and his colleagues’ understanding of what the starship Intrepid really is…and offers them a crazy, high-risk chance to save their own lives.

©2012 John Scalzi (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Surprisingly funny - especially for an ex-trekkie

What made the experience of listening to Redshirts the most enjoyable?

Wil Wheaton always reads well - in this case there's no exception. Added in that he is the ultimate redshirt makes this one of my favorites this year.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Redshirts?

The star trek reference to redshirts

Which scene was your favorite?

The characters meeting the Actors for the first time

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

pretty much, yes

Fun read but feels a bit lost at the end

Scalzi's sense of humour is always enjoyable. The premise of the story is really interesting since for the first time we get to see the lives of all those redshirts on the ship.

Biggest problem for me is that it started loosing steam 3/4 of the way in. The ending feels a bit like a left turn without reason. The codas also seemed slow and gave the book a different tone which wasn't even close to how the book started.

The title itself speaks to the nerd in me.

Wil Wheaton is the best possible narrator for this story. He is worth his weight in gold-pressed Latium and deserves an Audie!! The characters are great and the story is hilarious. The only negatives are all the “he/she saids” in the otherwise very real-feeling dialogue. Wheaton handles it well, but it was still annoying. Anyway, anyone who is even a mild Trek fan will love this book. That should be everyone, because how can anyone not like Trek.

An "Out of the Box" Sci-Fi Story

What made the experience of listening to Redshirts the most enjoyable?

This was really a book where I just wanted to see how everything unfolded. While the story was a bit nonsensical, it was written in a way that made listening to it enjoyable. The lighthearted and tongue-in-cheek prose made listening without a smile on your face impossible.

What other book might you compare Redshirts to and why?

This book was similar the author's Agent to the Stars novel. If you liked that book, there's a good chance you'd enjoy Redshirts.

Witty, clever, funny, absurdity

What made the experience of listening to Redshirts the most enjoyable?

I loved the deadpan humor. I don’t remember the last book that made me laugh so hard my eyes watered.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Redshirts?

This book is full of quips, that just crack me up.

Which character – as performed by Wil Wheaton – was your favorite?

No one performance stands out, they are all very similar.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.

Mixed bag, but ultimately satisfying

I don’t have a lot of experience with Star Trek, but I have just enough to appreciate most of the inside jokes. I know that redshirts are the extras that go to dangerous places with the important characters. Their deaths are meaningless. Naturally, then, why not write a book from their perspective? What would it be like to be a redshirt, seeing your fellow redshirts die off in insane deaths that don’t make any sense? The main characters of this book realize this and they’re trying to steer clear of the captains on the ship, doing whatever they can not to be sent on away missions. It starts off funny, and I was laughing out loud.
Then they find someone who’s been hiding away for a while and he’s the crazy guy that knows the truth – they’re a part of a TV show. That’s where this novel breaks the fourth wall a bit too much for me. I used to be a fan of books and movies that did this, but I’m starting to see the shortcomings. It makes the book feel like a gimmick instead of a story.
I also have to complain about the dialogue. I love John Scalzi as a writer, but he goes way over the top with using the dialogue tag ‘he/she said.’ I’m not saying this as a suggestion that he replace said with something more descriptive, because I would despise reading that even more. But you need something else, because this sounded ridiculous. Also with the dialogue, everyone sounded the same. I would start to get a sense of the different characters in the beginning, but by the end, everyone talked like everyone else. It’s good dialogue, just… same dialogue. Basically, every character in the book morphed into John Scalzi.
To his credit, he ended the book very well with a plot shift I didn’t see coming. It mostly brought everything together and I wasn’t as annoyed by the fourth wall break.
Long story short of the progression of my grade on this: Thumbs up, thumbs down, thumbs sideways, thumbs down, thumbs up.

Mind boggled

I like to switch between ebook and audiobook while reading, so I usually use the Kindle app. In this case however, I listened to the entire book. As usual, Wil Wheaton kills it. He is one of those people that effortlessly draws you into the story, without overegging the pudding in the process. Just right.

As to the story itself, I have been saving Redshirts for some time, and for no particular reason other, perhaps, than it being a single story. I'm used to series from John Scalzi and thought I might be disappointed that this is not part of one. I am not disappointed.

I am, however, a little bamboozled. I'm not going to say where the bamboozlement occurred because spoilers, but there is some very mate stuff going on here and I absolutely love it.

I think what I love most, though, are the three codas. They are warm, funny and a perfect end to the entire narrative. Bravo.

Will need to learn different voices

good.story, but hearing every line ending with (character name here).said.
is annoying,
I can hande that I a book read, but I. audio book it distracting

I like the first half.

This was funny. I like the first half more than the second half. But still a fun, entertaining story. Great if you're a Star Trek fan.

The curse of the Star Trek Red Shirt, the people actually figure it out and try to hide from away missions. Then they try to devise a plan to change the situation. Many references to Star Trek.

The only draw back was much of the dialog had "he said, she said, Dall said, Duvall said" I remember reading this and it wasn't so bad, but the audio version ugh. it got better throughout the book, but still....

What happens when realities play bumper cars?

Wil Wheaton (you know, Wesley Crusher? That guy) narrates this work of John Scalzi. The book is a thoughtful philosophy and a campy send-up of weekly science fiction television.

Scalzi nails the tropes and memes found in Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, and the myriad knock-offs and rip-offs, homages, and sequels that populate cable television. From the very beginning, we are delighted to discover familiar characters following their expected paths through the narrative.

And we discover Narrative is a crucial plot point as good science turns on its head. What makes the characters behave in a typical, rational fashion - except when a narrative line rears its head?

I particularly enjoyed the three codas at the end of the novel. In them, we explore three lives from three perspectives. And that is where some of the philosophy comes in to play.

Have fun! I sure did.