John Scalzi: Redshirts

Hi everyone

After Old Man’s War didn’t quite click with me, I decided to give John Scalzi another chance. I picked up Redshirts; his most popular novel on Goodreads (after Old Man’s War) and read it on my e-reader. 
John Scalzi is hilarious over on Bluesky so go check him out!

"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
(3) at least one low-ranked crew member is, sadly, always killed.
Not surprisingly, a great deal of energy below decks 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. "

This book was a lot of fun. It’s not deep, and it doesn’t try to be (at first) it’s a lighthearted, entertaining space adventure packed with hilarious interactions, absurd situations, and just a dash of philosophy. It honestly made me laugh out loud, and there aren’t many writers who can pull that off (Terry Pratchett, of course, is one of them).
The writing is smooth and engaging, making it hard to put down. The story flows effortlessly, and the humor and wit keep you hooked. It’s the kind of book you pick up for a quick chapter and end up reading for hours because it’s just so entertaining.

My only real complaint is the codas at the end. They added nothing to my enjoyment, in fact, they detracted from it. I understand Scalzi was trying to make the book more thought-provoking, but the shift in style was so jarring that it didn’t work for me. The main story was so strong and hilarious that the codas felt unnecessary and out of place.

Have you read Redshirts? Did you enjoy the codas, or did you feel the same way I did? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena