Redshirts

A Novel with Three Codas

By: John Scalzi

Narrated by: Wil Wheaton

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.

I'm Glad This Universe has a Scalzi

I've always really liked Scalzi books and this latest one is a fine addition to an impressive body of work. The main story is a lot of fun and occasionally provokes some deep thinking. It ended too quickly and I wondered what the heck could John do with three Codas - I wanted more of the main characters. But, leaving the reader wanting more isn't a bad thing for any author. The Codas actually turned out quite well and interweaved into the story with some new characters in a different time and place. I actually got choked up at the last spoken sentence of the final coda.

Wil Wheaton gives a magnificent performance and I hope he and Scalzi will team up again in the future.

Fun, Wry Homage to Sci Fi

Being a long-time Star Trek fan, I fully expected to enjoy this, and I did. Beyond the basic idea of poking fun at the whole redshirt theme, I didn't know what it was about, and I was pleasantly surprised at the novel twist on that. Scalzi does a good job of keeping it fun and interesting despite what you might think of as a shallow concept initially.

Wheaton is a decent narrator, but having listened to a few books read by him, I will say that he has this one particular voice when he is being scornful or derisive that wears on the nerves. It's kind of like a petulant teenager tone, and it shows up too often and is too emphasized, even when it feels like the text doesn't support it. I mention it simply because it stands out to me, but overall, he does a fine job and is suited especially to a book like this given his acting background. That adds something to it.

Bottom line, if you like Star Trek and have a sense of humor, you'll enjoy this book.

Life imitating art imitating life

John Scalzi's Redshirts, which won a Hugo in 2013 is a short tale that begins a bit corny, almost like a cheap TV sci-fi, quickly evolves to a slick parody of retail sci-fi, and then morphs into a sophisticated, subtle, but complex, elegant story of the limitation of free will within the possibility of infinite universes. Following the main plot, are three "codas" that portray three vignettes in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd persons with minor characters that offer touching examples of the power of free will that is still possible in a multiverse.

The sci-fi elements begin with a standard fare of a "Star Trek" universe with space travel to distant worlds with weird alien life forms and "science" that seems always able to save the day. The time travel angle was refreshingly novel and used with minimal reliance to advance the plot.

The narration is well done with a good range of voices and excellent pacing.

Very different, quirky, mind bending.

Would you listen to Redshirts again? Why?

Maybe...there are surprises that are only good for the first read, but then again, knowing what I know now would change how I perceived the beginning. If this question means "am I glad I chose this book?" then YES. It was an unusual find and I was not able to figure out what came next, so it was a refreshing read in that way. The characters came to life well enough. There should be a caveat somewhere that lets readers know that to fully appreciate the story you MUST listen to the add-on parts at the end. It helps to be a Star Trek fan, but the story is fun for any intelligent reader who is willing to have fun with reality.

What other book might you compare Redshirts to and why?

This book is very unusual...I can't think of another book to compare, but my kids watch Dr. Who and it could compare to some of those story lines.

What about Wil Wheaton’s performance did you like?

He puts a lot of energy into the performance, but I only gave three stars as I prefer when the reader plays the characters with such varied voices that the "he said, she said's" are cut to a minimum. (As in the readings of Kate Reading and Michael Kramer in the Wheel of Time series, or Jim Dale reading the Harry Potter books.)

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When you find out what is really going on....so much confusion all of a sudden makes sense.

Any additional comments?

I almost stopped reading when the writer seemed unfamiliar with the Trek universe (cell phones!!?) but it was all part of the overall plan and eventually all made sense! So glad I stuck with it!

It is not a Star Trek novel

John Scalzi and Wil Wheaton do it again. Redshirts is good fun in a goofy sci-fi story that I am surprised has not been made into a TV mini-series. Maybe someone will make a web series out of it one day.

There is a lot of "inside baseball" and breaking of the fourth-wall here.