Book Review: Redshirts by John Scalzi

“Wait, why are you posting about Redshirts?” you might be asking. 

Well, let me tell you. Writing the last couple TOS episode posts were behemoth tasks. I’ve been experimenting with writing longer, more detailed posts about TOS episodes. What I’ve learned is that while I like writing posts of those lengths, they also take substantially more time. And, well, I needed a break. So I thought I’d play around with working in other content as well – book reviews, maybe highlighting other Star Trek related content or creators, stuff like that. 

I thought I’d start off by talking about a book I recently read (or listened to, depending on how you want to look at it). Redshirts is the first John Scalzi novel I’ve had the pleasure of reading. The title is a reference to the ongoing Star Trek gag that anytime crew members leave the Enterprise, the ones wearing redshirts aren’t going to make it back alive. I thought Redshirts would be a fun book to read as an example of how Star Trek influenced other science fiction works. 

To top things off, I listened to the audiobook, which is narrated by Wil Wheaton, who long-time Star Trek fans will recognize from TNG. It seemed apropos to experience Redshirts this way. 

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About Redshirts

Welcome to the Universal Union Capital ship Intrepid, the Universal Union’s flagship vessel since 2456.

Ensign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the ship’s xenobiology lab, and he couldn’t be more thrilled about his prestigious posting. 

But life on the Intrepid isn’t initially what it seems. 

As time goes on, Ensign Dahl learns some things. 

First, every time there’s an away mission, there’s some sort of confrontation with alien forces. 

Second, three senior crew members, namely the ship’s captain, chief science officer, and a Lieutenant named Kerensky – always manage to survive these missions (even though sometimes maybe they shouldn’t), 

Third, at least one low ranking crew member isn’t as lucky and ends up losing their life on these away missions. 

So what the fuck is up with that?

Turns out, there’s a conspiracy afoot. Can Ensign Dahl and his allies make things right?

Thoughts

One of the things that surprised me about Redshirts is how funny it is. Regular Scalzi readers probably know about the humor in his work, but since I’m new to his work, I wasn’t as aware. 

What surprised me even more is that a quick Google search suggests that not everyone thought that not everyone thought Redshirt was funny. I guess this is evidence that humor is subjective. It’s also very possible that Wil Wheaton’s narration helped emphasize the humor that was present. Those experiencing Redshirts via other formats might not necessarily have the benefit of that. 

I think it’s also important to emphasize that because Reshirts is my first Scalzi book, I can’t comment on how the humor here compares to the humor in Scalzi’s other work. 

It’s just so rare for me to laugh out loud while reading a book, that when I do, I take notice. 

But anyway. Enough about the humor.

I also really enjoyed the inclusion of the three codas at the end. These codas provided a glimpse into the lives of characters who were only seen briefly in the main narrative. What were their lives like after the main plot of the book?

All in all, I thought Redshirts was a fun book and I’m looking forward to reading/experiencing more of Scalzi’s books.

Have you read Redshirts? What did you think of it? Are there any other Star Trek adjacent books that you think I should read?

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This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.

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Updated: Jul 1, 2025 @ 9:33 pm