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We are part of a group of librarian friends who have had an ongoing book club running for the last several years. Each “season” (we’re nerds) we pick a theme and each of us chooses a book within that theme for us all to read. Re-visiting some of our past themes, we’re once again pulling genres from a hatch and matching them together in one book. For this blog, we will post a joint review of each book we read for book club. We’ll also post the next book coming up in book club. So feel free to read along with us or use our book selections and questions in your own book club!
Book: “Redshirts” by John Scalzi
Publishing Info: Tor Books, June 2012
Where Did We Get This Book: Kate owns it;
Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound
Mix-and-Match Genres: Science Fiction and Humor
Book Description: 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 fact 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
(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.
Kate’s Thoughts
I’m the one who pulled the two genres for this book, and while my immediate reaction was ‘oh no Science Fiction?!’, my second reaction was ‘oh that’s easy, I’ll pick “Redshirts”!’ When thinking of these two genres combined it was an easy conclusion, as it’s been touted as one of the funniest Sci-Fi novels of the past couple of decades. While I hadn’t read it, my husband has a copy (signed by John Scalzi, no less, with a very hilarious inscription), so it just seemed like a good excuse to pick up the book he had been so keen on ten years ago. Plus, I love “Star Trek”. It seemed like a no brainer.
And for the most part I enjoyed it! It is definitely very funny with its tongue planted firmly in cheek, and it was so fun seeing the references and winks about not only “Star Trek” but also cruddy cable or syndicated Sci-Fi shows that tried to desperately to be it. I enjoyed the hilarious ways that Dahl and the other more ‘expendable’ crew members would be put in ludicrous situations with ludicrous outcomes, and enjoyed the parodying of the more ‘important’ crew members and how absolutely insufferable they are with their plot armor. But what I really enjoyed about this book was when our ‘space crew’ came to the real world to confront their makers, as not only did it feel like a cute reference to “Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home” (my very FAVORITE “Trek” film), but it also turns into an interesting rumination on the way that characters can feel like they come to life and go their own way beyond their creators controls. And I also really liked the three separate codas at the end, each representing the first, second, and third person perspectives, and how they managed to add to the story but didn’t feel superfluous in spite of the fact they were kind of tangental.
“Redshirts” was fun!! I’m glad that I finally picked it up.
Serena’s Thoughts
I was super excited when Kate picked this book! It’s been on my TBR list for forever, but for whatever reason, I’d never gotten around to it. And I really have no excuse; not only do I enjoy science fiction in general, but I also really love “Star Trek.” And boy did this book not disappoint!
While I think many of the sci-fi tropes being touched on would be easily recognizable to most general fans, this is definitely one of those parodies that is better appreciated the more knowledge of “Star Trek” you have. On top of the titular commentary of the “redshirts” who were only ever there to die terribly while the main cast sailed through the plot, there were also so many fun little references scattered throughout. And, like Kate referenced, it was particularly fun having the main plot call back to “Voyage Home,” one of the most popular of the films.
The humor and parody is central to the plot, and this was both a good thing and a bad thing. It was laugh-out-loud funny consistently throughout, but if you go in looking for much of the deeper commentary or more layered dynamics often found in science fiction, you won’t really find that here. I enjoyed the characters and the story itself, but, other than the comedy itself, nothing was particularly memorable. But I think for a book like this, that works fine! This is a fairly straight-forward story focused on sending up a beloved science fiction franchise, with all the love and ridicule it can muster!
Kate’s Rating 8: A fun and funny send up and love letter to “Star Trek” and campy Sci-Fi TV, as well as an interesting exploration of art and creation.
Serena’s Rating 8: A rollicking good time that will be especially gratifying for all of the “Ster Trek” fans out there!
Book Club Questions
- This book has been referred to as post-modern Science Fiction as well as meta fiction Science Fiction. Have you read any meta books before, Sci-Fi or otherwise?
- This book takes a lot of inspiration (and is a lovely send up of) “Star Trek”. If you have watched “Star Trek” did you enjoy this book? If not, did it still work for you even without the frame of reference?
- The original title of this book was “Redshirts: A Book With Three Codas”. Which of the three codas was your favorite?
- What do you think this book was saying about fate and free will?
- What do you think that John Scalzi as a writer was trying to convey about writing as an art form?
- One of the biggest praises of this book is the humor. What moment stood out as funniest to you?
Reader’s Advisory
“Redshirts” is included on the Goodreads lists “Best Comedic Science Fiction Books”, and “Humorous Space Opera”.
Next Book Club Pick: “Someplace Generous: An Inclusive Romance Anthology” by Elaina Ellis (Ed.) & Amber Flame (Ed.)
The Library Ladies 