Book Review of Redshirts by John Scalzi

Comedic novels in the science fiction genre are few and far between.  However, John Scalzi was able to pull this off with surprising genius.  Not since A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy have I read a book with such hilarity and geeky fun.   

Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas focuses on the protagonist, ensign Andrew Dahl, and his group of merry new recruits who are happy to join the crew on the Intrepid spacecraft.  In true Star Trek fashion, these new recruits are soon ordered to participate in the many ‘away missions’ organized by the highest ranking officers of the ship.  One by one, the ensigns suffer mysterious deaths on these away missions.  They quickly realize that something is amiss with the Intrepid, and organize as a team in order to solve this mystery.   Although most of the book can be written off as silly but enjoyable, about three-fourths of the way through Redshirts, a major shift happens in the plot that takes the reader into an unexpected but delightful turn of events.

Probably one of the hardest parts of the book to get through is the Coda section, the first Coda being the most tasking.  However, the other Codas provide much needed closure to the story.  For this reason, I gave Redshirts a 4 out of 5 star rating.

This book is an obvious ode to the entire ‘spacecraft’ genre of science fiction TV, paying homage to TV series’ like Battlestar Gallactica and Star Trek.  Like Galaxy Quest, Scalzi was able to take the worst of the genre, like the predictable deaths and moments of over-hyped drama, and turn this smelly detritus into an awesome novel.  I highly recommend this book for any Stark Trek or sci-fi fan looking for an intelligent laugh.