# Redshirts

*A Novel with Three Codas*

By John Scalzi

Profile: https://hahafiction.com/books/redshirts-2298fbf0/

Ensign Andrew Dahl expects his assignment to the starship Intrepid to be an honor. Then he notices that senior officers return from dangerous missions while junior crew members die. His colleagues have already made avoiding those assignments a priority.

## What makes it funny?

The opening sends an ensign into a cave of carnivorous worms with officers who withhold useful safety information. Their warnings arrive after the danger is obvious, and the ensign's private commentary is considerably less respectful than his spoken replies.

### The comedy at work

Scalzi gives expendable background crew members the chance to notice how space-adventure stories treat them. Even a sudden flood of personal backstory becomes suspicious when it arrives during a lethal emergency.

### Try this if…

Familiarity with Star Trek's disposable crew members adds to the joke. The book suits readers who enjoy questioning the rules of adventure stories and the priorities of their supposed heroes.

### Good to know

The prologue includes graphic deaths and strong profanity. Three coda short stories follow the main novel, extending the book beyond its central adventure.

## What to expect

- Genre: Science fiction
- Kind of humor: Dark comedy · Dry wit · Parody
- The atmosphere: Irreverent
- Format: Novel
- Length: 320 pages
- Audiobook: 7 hr 42 min
- Published: 2012

## A few distinguishing details

- Junior crew avoiding prestigious missions
- A Star Trek parody from belowdecks
- Three stories after the main novel

## Sources & further reading

- Publisher: [Publisher and reading sample](https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250781215/redshirts)
- Book information: [Paperback edition](https://www.indigo.ca/products/redshirts)
- Author commentary: [Author commentary](https://whatever.scalzi.com/2012/06/05/redshirts-now-out)
- Book information: [Audiobook edition](https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/redshirts-a-novel-with-three-codas-unabridged/id519687897)