From the Bookshelf of Apocalypse Whenever…

Redshirts

John Scalzi

Start date: February 22, 2016

Finish date: March 1, 2016

Discussion: AW BOOK CLUB (spoilers)

Discussion leader: Gertie

Why we're reading this: Selection for the March 2016 group discussion.
[close] Selection for the March 2016 group discussion.

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AW BOOK CLUB (spoilers)

* What is a good book for AW discussion? (Nominations pool)
By Gertie · 65 posts · 218 views

last updated Oct 18, 2025 05:31PM

* AW Book Club: what we've read
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last updated Dec 10, 2019 09:01AM

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What Members Thought

May 17, 2023 ☼Bookish in Virginia☼ rated it it was ok

Shelves: scifi-fantasy, dnf, 2023

I really wanted to like this book but the humor just didn't click with me. A 13-year old might be the target audience.

The beginning premise was interesting. You have a ship with something crazy going on. The 'redshirts', a reference to Star Trek, are dying at a frightening pace and the question is why.

I was all in on that and so I carried on in disregard to there being no character development nor rapier wit. I might have plugged along except that the middle-part was just boring and drawn out. ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Apr 11, 2014 Tim rated it liked it

I would probably have given this 4 stars except that my expectations got boosted to unrealistic levels and I'm now probably overreacting. I blame this over-sell from the back cover:

"I can honestly say I can't think of another book that ever made me laugh this much. Ever."
Patrick Rothfuss, New York Times bestselling author of The Name of the Wind

Mr. Rothfuss, have you never read anything by Douglas Adams?!? Don't get me wrong, it was laugh-out-loud funny... at least, I definitely chuckled out lo

...more

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Jun 14, 2017 Melanie rated it really liked it

Funny, so very meta so kinda deep, and the last two sections were completely unexpected, yet as thoroughly enjoyable as the first part of the novel.

1 like · Like · see review

Dec 05, 2012 Tom rated it liked it

Shelves: hard-copy

This book probably means a lot more to TRUE Star Trek fans than it does to me, a casual fan. Sure, I've seen all of the original series and a smattering of episodes from the spin offs. I may have even seen a few complete seasons of Deep Space Nine and the Next Generation. So while I got all the jokes and pokes at the danger of being a redshirt on the "away" team, I didn't the book "laugh-out-loud" funny, as others have reported.

I found it amusing... not "laugh-out-loud" funny. Blame on that not ...more

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Jun 12, 2013 Rebecca rated it liked it

Cute and profound and unexpected.

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Jul 30, 2012 Stephanie rated it really liked it

Shelves: kindle, read-2013

Read as part of the 2013 Hugo packet, though I also own a hardback version.

Normally, this is honestly not something that I'd buy for myself. I actually bought the hardback for my husband, a die hard Star Trek fan. But I'm seriously glad that the Hugo packet forced me to read it. It's just damn clever and funny, though I wonder if someone who hasn't watched Trek would take it.

...more

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