A new John Scalzi is always something to look forward to. Few authors can mix humor and just good old fashion storytelling as well as he does. And sometime next year (probably June) we'll be treated to a new standalone Sci-Fi novel called Redshirts. The cover is perfect to convey just what is in store for us. Over at Tor.com there is a post by Irene Gallo showcasing some of the alternative covers and while I like the 3rd option the final above works much better.
Some will bemoan the fact that it isn't a new Old Man's War book or another Fuzzy novel, but my favorite Scalzi is still The Android's Dream and given the Star Trek references that will abound I have no doubt Redshirts will be awesome. Here is the blurb:
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 belowdecks is expended on 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.Can you feel the warp factor?
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As I read John Scalizi's book Redshirts I repeatedly found myself thinking about the movie `The Cabin in the Woods'. Both are very meta and recursive and both are loads of fun. If you've ever seen any episode of a science fiction television show and cringed but loved it any way, then I think you will enjoy reading Redshirts.
ReplyDeleteEven though I knew that the main gist of this story was `death by away team' the plot still followed a path that I was not quite expecting so I do not want to give away too many details.
I am a quasi-sci-fi-fan. My favorite television show is Doctor Who. I watch Fringe. I loved Firefly. I know my Star Wars and Star Trek just enough. But I've never been to comic-con. I am not a card carrying geek nerd is my point. I just dabble from time to time. I have explained my credentials because I think that's important for recommending a book like this. I loved the book and laughed a lot. It was great fun. I'm not sure how a real science fiction fan would take to the light tone of the book.