Topic: Redshirts - The Novel

[Nemesis]

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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, and (3) at least one low-ranked crew member is, sadly, always killed.

Not surprisingly, a great deal of energy below decks is expendedon 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.

[TAnimaL]

I  give this a big thumbs up, and was lucky enough to see Scalzi at a book reading just as the novel came out. I really like Scalzi's other works and Redshirts compares well to some of the "Old Man's War" series. From the blurb one might just see it as a sort of Trek spoof like Galaxy Quest, but it's definitely much more than just that. The second half  gets really interesting. If you're a fan of his, I think you'll enjoy this.

[Nemesis]

I've only read his Fuzzy Nation which unfortunately was "based" on Pipers Little Fuzzy but he tore up just about everything and threw it out.  I'd have preferred it if he had used just the concept and nothing more.   I was disappointed.  But I do recognize that it doesn't make him a bad author and it is possible that if I hadn't read the earlier novels I might have like his more.