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Redshirts was almost exactly what I thought it would be, except maybe a little more sentimental than I expected. Funny, sweet, and clever. I like that Scalzi took away some of my arguments about the derivative nature of this type of story by referencing them directly. The only one he didn't mention was Galaxy Quest. I had a hard time not thinking of Galaxy Quest as I read this. In any case, it's a good quick summer read, with some unexpected depth.
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Great fun! Laughed out loud quite a bit (particularly in the beginning). I think I had tried to start this a while back and didn't get traction, but it was exactly what I needed this time around - all this to say, don't force it; wait until you're in the right mood! Any fan of any Star Trek franchise will have much to enjoy reading this, but it's not *just* a send-up, either - quite a few big questions being contemplated, which is one of my favorite things about science fiction in general. :)
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While a suspension of belief is required in this book a little more than your average science fiction story, this one pays off with a good tale. We all know the premise of the red shirts on Star Trek, well John Scalzi turns this idea on it's head and developers some very interesting characters with a few twist and turns in the plot that make for a lite hearted yet thought provoking book.
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The best science fiction book of the last few years. It deserves a second reading though before I review it.
There are times for serious reads, there are time for fun reads. This one belongs to the second category, despite quite serious in the epilogue.
The Redshirts is capitalizing on one of the Star Trek adage: "The Redshirts always die." The redshirts in here refer to crews in Star Trek's Enterprise who wear, well, redshirts. The redshirts are designated for engineering and security section. Somehow, the death toll of redshirts is significantly higher than the one wearing yellowshirts (command and na ...more
The Redshirts is capitalizing on one of the Star Trek adage: "The Redshirts always die." The redshirts in here refer to crews in Star Trek's Enterprise who wear, well, redshirts. The redshirts are designated for engineering and security section. Somehow, the death toll of redshirts is significantly higher than the one wearing yellowshirts (command and na ...more
Really it's 3.5 stars. I liked this book - a lot, just not the ending, or rather the lack of ending despite having three codas. It's a fun lighthearted look at how the dreaded "redshirts" of Star Trek might react to actually finding out what being a redshirt means. It's funny, it's silly but it also has heart. There are some great characters and you grow to love them all. However, I felt as if Scalzi didn't know how to resolve the problem in the end. He gave the gang a happy ending but never exp
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I love a book which makes fun of tropes even as it embraces them; it's tricky to pull off but, save for a slightly soppy third act, Scalzi manages with typical alacrity and humor. By the nature of taking charge of their own destiny and flying in the tradition of Doomed Redshirts everywhere, things veer into strange and slightly more difficult territory in the later chapters, though it feels more like the Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home handling of the "source material." Only when things have essen
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This is a review of the audiobook read by Wil Wheaton.
I loved this story. This approach to metafiction has been done before, but Scalzi brings so much wit and heart to it, this story stands above the rest. Of course it helps if you are a fan of Star Trek - any series in the franchise will do.
I found the first coda to be tiresome, but even that sour note is not enough for me to deduct a star. This is fresh and fun, and has the best quality of a parody - an obviously affectionate and thorough know ...more
I loved this story. This approach to metafiction has been done before, but Scalzi brings so much wit and heart to it, this story stands above the rest. Of course it helps if you are a fan of Star Trek - any series in the franchise will do.
I found the first coda to be tiresome, but even that sour note is not enough for me to deduct a star. This is fresh and fun, and has the best quality of a parody - an obviously affectionate and thorough know ...more
For a while this was heading toward two stars. Only the second coda (30-ish pages out of 300-odd) saved it from that. Too fourth-wall-tapping for me.
I'm a huge Scalzi fan. I think he's funny as hell and usually writes ripping good SF. This is a clever premise, and has moments of real appeal, especially in the beginning, where there is some great satirical work done in his asides and winks at genre tropes. Unfortunately, overall I found this book lazily plotted, and too glibly pleased with itself. The meta reveal comes too soon, and takes away any real tension.
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Apr 27, 2012
Wealhtheow
marked it as to-read
Jul 31, 2012
Erin
marked it as to-read
Apr 04, 2013
Derek
marked it as to-read
Jun 11, 2013
Grey
rated it
liked it
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review of another edition
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