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adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Redshirts: A Novel in Three Codas. John Scalzi. Tor Books, 2012. 320 pages.
Here's another fun break from history, another fun sci-fi read written by John Scalzi and audiobook-narrated by Wil Wheaton. Again, it does nod to history, specifically the history of science fiction television, especially "Star Trek," and this book will definitely appeal to fans of humorous and irreverent sci-fi and especially to fans of "Star Trek." The title refers to one of the most common tropes in the Star Trek universe, going back to the original series: if red-shirted security extras accompanied were art of an away team beamed to another planet, the chances are very high that at least one of them would die.
Ensign Andrew Dahl has been assigned to the Intrepid, the flagship of the Universal Union, a prestige posting. He soon realizes that something is amiss: Every away mission is a harrowing and dangerous encounter that results in either serious injury or death to at least one low-ranked crew member while the five highest ranking officers always either escape unscathed or recover very quickly, if not miraculously, from some life-threatening condition. Along with his small group of friends and a mysterious crewmen who hides in abandoned holds and tunnels of the ship, Dahl comes to a shocking conclusion and effects a plan to set things right. Okay, yes, I'm seeing patterns as I read more Scalzi works: the hero is a young intelligent smart-alec who is kind of floundering because of circumstances beyond his control, and he finds a small, equally intelligent, witty, and misfit-y friends, and together they meet and conquer the obstacle. Characterization and character development are not Scalzi's strengths; wit and creativity are. While there is a lot of familiarity, the story is original and different, and I love the humor, and Wil Wheaton's narration makes it even better.