From the Bookshelf of The Sword and Laser…

Redshirts

John Scalzi

Start date: July 1, 2013

Finish date: July 31, 2013

Discussion: 2013 Reads

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2013 Reads

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What Members Thought

Feb 24, 2012 Eric rated it really liked it

Shelves: signed, science-fiction, john-scalzi

Tor released a free preview of the book -- the prologue and first two chapters -- here.

This book is 230 pages of over-the-top, exponentiating meta-physical fun, and three codas of "wait, what are the philosophical consequences of all that meta-ness?" It lampshades Star Trek, inverts Galaxy Quest and thematically parallels Bill Willingham's Down the Mysterly River, while still distinctly maintaining John Scalzi's own voice.

Update: I saw John Scalzi speak last night on his book tour, and it was a ...more

21 likes · Like · see review

Jul 13, 2013 Tom Merritt rated it it was amazing

This book was so much more than I was expecting. I wanted a clever insight into what the Star Trek universe would be like from the perspective of the red shirts. I got that. Maybe Ina sort of 'Galaxy Quest' way but I got it. What I didn't expect was to get science fiction's 'Stranger Than Fiction' complete with an internal reference to 'Stranger Than Fiction'. That was awesome. I'm a sucker for breaking the walls, 4th, 5th, 12th, whatever. And wha t I really didn't expect and especially loved we ...more

18 likes · Like · see review

Oct 28, 2014 Jlawrence rated it liked it

3 1/2 stars - Fun take on the fate of the "redshirts" of Star Trek yore - those expendable extras who are introduced in an episode just to die almost immediately in horrible ways during away missions, attacks on the ship, etc. Here the redshirts are the novel's protagonists, trying to puzzle out the bizarre twists of logic and even physics that result in the deadly situations they find themselves in (and which leave certain superior officers always unscathed or (in one funny case) creatively man ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Sep 03, 2012 Lydia Presley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, 2012, scifi, fiction, young-adult

John Scalzi - you have captured my heart.

I've been a Star Trek fan since Star Trek: The Next Generation days. My dad was an original Star Trek fan before me. I remember gathering around the television, chowing down on a late night snack of my mom's homemade cinnamon rolls, and turning on the newest episode of TNG with anticipation making me shiver with excitement. My sisters and I would watch, and then animatedly discuss the show on commercial breaks with my parents. But honestly, I never notice ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Jun 06, 2012 Brittany rated it really liked it

Shelves: sciencefiction

A fine reminder that a strong enough thought experiment, backed up by decent writing, can still coalesce into a good science fiction book.

The characters aren't exceptional, but the exploration of narrative, reality, and responsibility is very well-done. It's imaginative adventure, with some funny bits that follow naturally.

Recommended for fans of science fiction (televised or written) and for those interested in philosophical arguments. ...more

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Jan 21, 2013 Deirdre rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Surely, if you were a crewmember on a spaceship, an intelligent person who is hired for intelligence and capability and you noticed that there was a high statistical likelyhood of dying if you were in this role, you'd start to wonder how to increase your chances of living? This is what this is about, and I did enjoy the read. My husband loved it, then again he is an actual fan of Star Trek and he now wants a copy of this to hug close.

I probably didn't get some of the references, but I still enjo ...more

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May 20, 2013 aili rated it liked it

Shelves: library

I probably didn't watch enough of the old series to get some of the jokes, but I still found the book section funny. But I felt like the best parts of the story were the codas. ...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Raq rated it really liked it

This was a ton of fun. It had a couple problems but fairly minimal, but I was willing to overlook them b/c of the Occidental College namecheck.

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Jan 11, 2013 Jason rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook, my-library

This was excellent! Not sure what else to say without giving away too much of the book. If you like Star Trek and have a sense of humor you will love this book.

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Apr 29, 2012 Jennifer marked it as to-read