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Redshirts (small spoilers)
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kvon
(last edited Jun 09, 2012 07:14PM)
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Jun 09, 2012 07:13PM
That was a very fast read--lots of dialogue, few sets. Can anyone confirm that the (view spoiler)[Denise Hogan (hide spoiler)] character is made up? She sounded interesting...
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kvon wrote: "That was a very fast read--lots of dialogue, few sets. Can anyone confirm that the [spoilers removed] character is made up? She sounded interesting..."Can't find anything by her, so she must be fictional. Too bad, want to read her books after the description. 8-D
Maybe he'll write them under that name, if people show enough interest.
kvon wrote: "That was a very fast read--lots of dialogue, few sets. Can anyone confirm that the [spoilers removed] character is made up? She sounded interesting..."I googled her name, and couldn't turn up anything. Pitty. I wanted to read her books, too.
I read Redshirts over the course of a few days (real life kept intruding on my free time) and every time I took a break I'd keep thinking about the book. After a while, the meta made my brain hurt. Did anyone else have this happen?
Also, am I the only person who spent most of the book thinking that (view spoiler)?
Sara wrote: "Also, am I the only person who spent most of the book thinking that (Spoiler)"No - you are not alone.
Andy wrote: "Sara wrote: "Also, am I the only person who spent most of the book thinking that (Spoiler)"No - you are not alone."
Not me. Just figured he was massively unkempt and unshaved from hiding all that time.
Sara wrote: "After a while, the meta made my brain hurt. Did anyone else have this happen?"Absolutely!
Recursive AND Meta.
It was glorious. I was expecting a Star Trek parody (I think the title gave it away) but never was I expecting...that.
I think it's worth noting that if anyone picks up the book but doesn't like the initial theme, then skip ahead to a bit beyond halfway (I was listening to the audiobook version) point and finish reading the book from where the characters head for the blackhole. You can get away without knowing almost anything from before that point while still being able to follow the story and it's a significant change of pace from the first half-ish of the book.
Josh wrote: "Sara wrote: "After a while, the meta made my brain hurt. Did anyone else have this happen?"Absolutely!
Recursive AND Meta.
It was glorious. I was expecting a Star Trek parody (I think the tit..."
Halfway through the book (before the black hole) I had to take a break and make dinner. While making dinner, I decided that I needed to figure out whether I could expect Dahl and the rest to be killed off at some point. I could say "no," because Dahl & Co are the "bridge crew" of the novel, and in Star Trek-type entertainment the bridge crew never dies. However, they are redshirts in the story, so by Star Trek rules they should die. Also, Scalzi doesn't usually kill off main characters in his humorous novels, so that would support the first option. However, Redshirts takes great glee in eviscerating illogical and overused SF tropes, so maybe Scalzi would feel the need to reverse that and kill all the main characters just to be perverse.
Sound familliar?
I spent an embarrassing amount of time stuck in that logic loop.
I just finished the audiobook for Redshirts. I enjoyed the recursive meta-ness but I really enjoy Jasper FForde's Thursday Next and Nursery Crimes books which got a mention at one point.
I finished the RedShirts Audiobook, I loved the first half but again once the Black Hole enters the story, It just went down hill after that. Part of me thought Scalzi did it purposely to poke more fun at the tropes he highlighted.
I thought it was ok, but most of the appeal is in the concept. Neither the plot nor the characters really did anything for me.
Remember an old star trek fan fic that was kinda the opposite of Redshirts. Transporter accident caused kirk, Spock and McCoy to switch places with Shatner, Nimoy, and Kelley. The story follows the actors as they try to survive a real mission with Scotty's help. They end up solving the mystery the ship was investigating, (a cloaked moon found because of tides, if I remember). Then Scotty fixes the transporter and switches everyone back. Had a few funny moments, like Uhura overhears 'Spock' call 'Kirk' an arrogant ass under his breath when 'Kirk' is on the bridge giving orders. Etc.Remember that 20-25yrs ago or so there were published collections of the best fan fic for that year, for a couple of years.
Mike wrote: "I thought it was ok, but most of the appeal is in the concept. Neither the plot nor the characters really did anything for me."There was a lot of, I see what you did there! Were the characters unusually bland for Scalzi books, or was it just me?
Just finished this book. Was reading Scalzi's comments at the end and I had no idea he was a creative consultant on StarGate: Universe.
I finished everything but the codas. It was ok, but no Galaxy Quest, Tamahome said.
Tamahome wrote: "Luke went on a rant over this:http://www.sfbrp.com/archives/494"
Yeah, and so far I agree on everything he said, Linguana said. :)
Except I'm not torturing myself with the audiobook. Still reading... *sighs and doesn't understand the Scalzi hype*
Dean wrote: " So, just finished the book after two days (damn work, interruputing on my reading time) and ended up cursing Scalzi for not showing us if the crew of the Intrepid survives."he basically says they lived happily ever after. it's the last chapter before the codas.
Mike wrote: "I thought it was ok, but most of the appeal is in the concept. Neither the plot nor the characters really did anything for me."I agree. Average at best, with some very cliqued and clumsy dialog that you can't blame on The Narrative.
There are also alternatives to 'said'.
"So you're a friend..." Handson said
"I am" Duvall said ...
"Great" Hanson said ...
"I would hope so" Duval said
"I'm going to get myself..." Hanson said ...
"I'm fine" Dahl said
"I could go for another" Duvall said, waggling...
"One of the same" Hanson asked
"Sure" Duvall said
"Great" Hanson said ...
"You got it" Dahl said...
"He seems nice" Duvall said
"He is" Dahl said
"Not hugely full of personality" Duvall said
"He has other qualities" Dahl said
"Like paying for drinks" Duvall said
"Well, yes..." Dahl said
"You mind..." Duvall said
"Seeing as..." Dahl said
Should I bother with the codas?
Martin wrote: "Should I bother with the codas? "Yes, they're the only good thing about this book. :)
Linguana wrote: "Martin wrote: "Should I bother with the codas? "Yes, they're the only good thing about this book. :)"
Definitely read the codas.
It was good, but I think Scalzi is at his best when he's doing a story entirely unrelated to other things. Both this and Fuzzy were OK a step below his other stuff IMO. The OMW books are quite good, Android's Dream is fun as is Agent to the Stars.
I read this last month and I found it to be a quick and (most importantly) enjoyable read. I read most of it in a 2 hour car journey back home from Liverpool.I love it when an author is genre-savvy enough to not only poke fun at the various tropes of the chosen genre but also make it funny. There was an element of this that I felt was sorely missing when I was reading The Magicians.
My question is this:
By the rules of Star Trek, red-shirts *have* to die. Our main characters are simultaneously main characters (meaning they can't die) and red-shirts... how did the universe not implode/explode/whatever it does when something like this happens?
I seem to be in the minority here but I really enjoyed it. To me it was the perfect summer read. Good fun and especially if you are a Star Trek fan.
Linguana wrote: "Martin wrote: "Should I bother with the codas? "Yes, they're the only good thing about this book. :)"
Which really have no significance if you do not read the rest of novel. And I just realized you are joking. I think its my brains way of telling me to hit the sack.
ok I thought it was interesting someone went through all TOS episodes and did stats on Redshirts death http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/blo... Ok off to bed.
