Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas

by John Scalzi

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction

Kindle Edition

Published June 5, 2012

About the author

John Scalzi, having declared his absolute boredom with biographies, disappeared in a puff of glitter and lilac scent.

(If you want to contact John, using the mail function here is a really bad way to do it. Go to his site and use the contact information you find there.)

Reviews

[Jeff Berry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is meta on meta on meta. It was a real page turner, despite taking a little while to get the characters straight (I needed to bullet everyone out in a separate note) and a bit of ponderous writing in the first coda. I like that Scalzi took the codas as an opportunity to show off different styles of writing, though, making the story feel like it had elements of an anthology.

[Wildmaven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Last 3 Chapters ruined it.

Loved it until around 80% when the Codas began. It lost me there and it’s a shame because the book was so much fun until then.

[Zachary · Rating 3 out of 5]

BLUF: interesting setup, jarring tone shift, too tongue in cheek

I'm debating between 2⭐ and 3⭐ on this. I'll just list pros and cons:

Pros:
- Interesting premise
- Twist was unexpected
- Codas at the end ground it
- Something unique, the likes of which I haven't read before

Cons:
- Jarring tone shifts
- So meta it's meta
- Too tongue in cheek
- Codas take it from laughing at itself to emotionally striking...that could be a good or bad thing, depending on what you're looking for

The book starts off as a clear parody of Star Trek; red shirts are dying at an alarming rate on a ship that is basically the Enterprise. Then...I can't really talk about it without spoiling the book, but they acknowledge the similarity in a very meta way, then go about addressing it and solving it. At that point, the tone shifts without a clutch, the book you thought you were reading is no more, and you're left with something akin to the plot of Star Trek IV, but without all the cool 80s references.

The book picks up pace at this transition and you go from one situation to the next without a lot of time for basking in the awesomeness of characters out of their depth like you did in STIV. I think that part should have been expanded on...maybe another 100 pages or so...and it would have made the book a solid 3-4⭐.

Lastly, the book ends around the 80% mark and you get 3 Codas...basically short stories told from other characters perspectives that give you perspective on the events of the book. Some are well done (Coda 3, specifically), some are annoying (Coda 1). All provide context, but they're vastly different tone shifts yet again.

It was definitely something new and different, and for that alone I think I'll bump it from 2-3⭐, but while it has the voice of Scalzi, it reads nothing like Old Man's War.

[Andreas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andrew Dahl and his four peers are new ensigns on board the Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union. It quickly becomes obvious that junior crewmembers are dying off in alarming numbers, whilst in contrast the senior officers seem to survive the most dire injuries and situations. Things go from weird to more weird after that.

A clever and often very funny combination of satire on Star Trek narrative tropes, as well as heartfelt homage. The narrative mixes meta exploration of themes with plot elements taken straight out of weekly science fiction television. Irony and sarcasm ooze off the pages, as the protagonists converse in rapid-fire quips. The three codas stretch the meta theme to its limits, tying the story up in a heartwarming way, again.

https://www.books.rosboch.net/2026/04...

[Krissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A giant thank you to my friend Marty who suggested that I read this one.

Was much more complicated and, consequently, rewarding than I thought it would be when I started this book.

And although I am first and foremost a book girlie, I think this book would make a great long form dramatic television series. I'd watch it, but tell my non-literary friends "The book was better!" and hope they'd read it also.

[Michael Rocharde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous fun!

I’ll admit upfront that it took me a little while to get into this book, and I wasn’t sure I would finish it, but suddenly I was fully engaged and invested in it. It’s very clever and very funny; so is its author who has an imagination that I’d sell my left leg to have. Enough said.

[Melanie R · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first Scalzi book I read was Starter Villain. It was fun, funny and not at all cerebral. Since then, I've read When the Moon Hits Your Eye and now Redshirts. Each of these has been humorous, but also a bit more thought-provoking than I would have guessed based on my first read of his.

[breadedtawny (Ale) · Rating 5 out of 5]

genuinely had a blast reading this one, it is up there with or maybe even THE most meta thing I have ever read (Still have yet to get through the CODA 1 section but if you like self-aware books or sci-fi to any degree, PLEASE pick this up!!)

[Esther Kamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Terrible, terrible prose. It boasts a 'laugh out loud' but I never even smiled. As a Trekkie this book gets an extra Star because the references are spot on. But apart from that a boring read that I couldn't finish.

[x x x · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun

Interesting and funny with too many zany twists to note. You'll enjoy it more with a bit of 1900's sci fi tv series knowledge. Sto

[Nolan Casimir · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for lovers of Star Trek

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

LOVED this book. So clever with a built-in analysis and deconstruction of storytelling narrative.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book. If it had stopped before the codas I would’ve been fine… until the third coda where I ended up in tears… Enjoy!

[Kira Luethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was simultaneously fun and philosophical. It has the irreverent and relatable writing style that I have come to expect from Scalzi novels. Highly recommend!

[Rohit Anantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really fun book! very meta

[Daydreamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the story. Never really got connected with the characters, and got them confused a few times. That didn't really take away from the story, and that could have totally been on me, I tend to be that way if too many are introduced too quickly.

Very happy I read the book. Fun read.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick enjoyable read. Watching Star trek and then the parodies in Orwell and Galaxy Quest, another poking holes in plots, not in a bad-natured manner but lovingly.