Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Bookish Thoughts: Redshirts by John Scalzi

From the top of the large boulder he sat on, Ensign Tom Davis looked across the expanse of the cave toward Captain Lucius Abernathy, Science Officer Q'eeng and Chief Engineer Paul West perched on a second, larger boulder and thought, Well, this sucks. ~ Opening of Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas




Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas by John Scalzi, narrated by Wil Wheaton
Tor Books/Audible Frontiers, 2012
Science Fiction; 320 pgs (7 hours, 41 minutes)
Source: I purchased this copy.

From Goodreads: 
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.
I decided on a whim one Friday to listen to John Scalzi's Redshirts, narrated by Wil Wheaton. I ended up listening to the entire book in one day. I have not much to say about it, other than it had me laughing out loud in spots and was just plain fun to listen to. This is my second audiobook narrated by Wil Wheaton, and yet again he impressed me. He was the perfect narrator for this book, especially given his time on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

For those who are fans of science fiction television, particularly Star Trek, this is a must read (or listen). It pokes fun at and celebrates the genre in a way that is both compelling and comic. There is action, and a great cast of characters who one just can't help but root for. The Codas are worth listening to as well, adding to the main story in unexpected ways.


To learn more about John Scalzi and his work, please visit the author's website.
For more information about the narrator, Wil Wheaton, visit his website.


© 2016, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

18 comments:

  1. I'm not a sci-fi fan so I think I'll skip this one.

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  2. I need this book! Especially the audio version. I love the poking fun at the redshirt thing and I really want to listen to a Wil Wheaton narration. I have Ready Player One on my list just because of him. This sounds really good despite not being my usual read.

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    1. Katherine - It's so good. I hope you do get a chance to listen to it (or read it).

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  3. Oh this looks good, I love everything sci-fi, and I'm always eager for recommendations of good audio books! I'm going to add this to my TBR pile!

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  4. Another new-to-me author. Also, I have never listened to a book. I don't think audio would work for me, as I am a visual person and tend to get distracted when just listening to something. I'm glad you enjoyed this one, though.

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    1. Laurel-Rain - I do not make a steady diet of audiobooks. It's not often I listen to books. Like you, I'm very easily distracted when I try to listen, and so it has to be a book that engages me fully. Even then, my attention can stray. I do enjoy them from time to time though.

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  5. I'm not a fan of sci-fi, but my son would like it.

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    1. Vicki - I hope your son likes it if he decides to give it a try.

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  6. I never listen to audio books, but you make me want to check this one out just to listen to Wil Wheaton narrating it. :)

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    1. Lark - Wil Wheaton does a great job as a narrator. I don't listen to audiobooks often, but I do enjoy them from time to time.

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  7. A genre that I don't delve into that often. However I do like that this sounds like a read that doesn't take itself too seriously.

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    1. Tracy - I liked the fact that it didn't take itself too seriously. It does help to be familiar with the science fiction genre, but you might like it anyway.

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  8. When I first started listening to audios regularly, this is the book I started with. I really enjoyed it!

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    1. Kelly - It definitely would be a good place to start! I am glad you enjoyed it too. :-)

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  9. I can't remember when I put this on my list of books, but probably on Carl's first science fiction challenge. And I still haven't read it! I'm not big on audio, but Will Wheaton is certainly a draw. :)

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    1. Jenclair - I had wanted to try Scalzi because of Carl too. :-)

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