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Redshirts

John Scalzi

Start date: September 4, 2012

Finish date: October 2, 2012

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May 31, 2013 Benjamin added it

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Here's an old truth for you and a new truth I am just beginning to suspect: I am very hard to please (old) and I don't think John Scalzi's fiction is for me (new). Redshirts should be just my cup of tea: I enjoy Star Trek, but not so much that I don't recognize Scalzi's critique; I enjoy science fiction; I enjoy post-modern and meta-fiction.

So I should like this story of the expendable redshirts on a Star Trek-like ship who begin to suspect that there's a reason why none of the officers die but Here's an old truth for you and a new truth I am just beginning to suspect: I am very hard to please (old) and I don't think John Scalzi's fiction is for me (new). Redshirts should be just my cup of tea: I enjoy Star Trek, but not so much that I don't recognize Scalzi's critique; I enjoy science fiction; I enjoy post-modern and meta-fiction.

So I should like this story of the expendable redshirts on a Star Trek-like ship who begin to suspect that there's a reason why none of the officers die but that they always do. So why didn't I love it? (Spoilers abound.)

When I say that I like meta-fiction, I mean in all its forms, from the very bare meta mentality of genre-savvy characters (everything from Northanger Abbey, where the protagonist misunderstands the genre she's in, to Scream, where the kids are aware of--and probably inspired by--slasher movies) to the fourth-wall-destroying moments when authors comment on or meet their characters (c.f. Kurt Vonnegut's Breakfast of Champions).

Redshirts plays a fun game here, having the genre-savvy characters eventually realize that there's a fourth-wall problem (recursive): after they realize the rules of the genre, they eventually realize that they are (sometimes) a television show. But then, after they go back in time to meet their (fictional) creators and actors, one character has a final revelation that there might be another level of fiction going on.

That's a fun slide, except it takes a little long; some readers may enjoy the usual Scalzi bantering dialogue and the characters' discovery, but again, we get more banter than character. (When I say "again," I mean that I had the same feeling of the ratio of banter to dialogue in Old Man's War.) So the slide was more of a slog: the characters just take too long to figure out their genre considering that the readers know from the title.

The best parts, for my money, were the three codas where people in the second order fictional world (the creators of and actors on the TV show) have to face up to some painful truths because of the interaction with the characters: the writer who realizes he's actually killing people decides that he's not as happy with his writing as he pretends to be; the producer's kid who hasn't figured out what he wanted to do realizes he has to do something instead of just floating along (but what? it's never clear); and the woman whose problem seems to be that she can't find love... finds love?

Honestly, that third coda is both the silliest--what's her real problem? and while we're asking, what's the rest of her life like? does she have a job?--and the most emotional because her interaction with the fiction is learning about her fictional character's marriage and death, which has left the widower an emotional wreck. (An emotional wreck whose bantering dialogue is pretty indistinguishable from the others'.) ...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Jo rated it really liked it

Very funny, very meta. Certainly not the "best of the year" but probably the best science fiction I've read since Ready Player One. It will certainly appeal to the same fans for similar, nostalgic, reasons. I actually don't want to say too much about the plot. The title pretty much gives you everything you need to know. ...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Jeff rated it really liked it

A fun, easy read. Definitely recommended to anyone who enjoys Star Trek or other sci-fi television.

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Aug 13, 2012 Ryan rated it really liked it

Quick read. Really enjoyed it.

Only thing that really bothered me is that the author never answered WHY this story was happening, just trying to get the hell out. He provides closure for all the characters but the main character and answering that question.

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