Redshirts
by John Scalzi
science fiction, humour
copyright 2012
read in December 2013
rated 7/10: well worth reading
Okay, we all know about the Star Trek ensigns: they land on a planet only to be killed early so that we can see how dangerous it really is. Main characters can -- and will -- survive anything. Ensigns are interchangeable and short-lived.
Scalzi has taken that premise and built on it. Standalone, it's worth a joke or two. Scalzi has added an extra (time) dimension, for extra depth. Quite clever, really !
Beyond the situational humour there are some good gags, some lines which are worth a chuckle. The story is entertaining and the characters are likeable.
The characters are likeable -- but not great. I hoped that they would survive but, for most, did not really care. There is not enough character depth to make me care. Which suits the story because the heroes are, after all, interchangeable and normally short-lived ensigns.
Redshirts is easy to read. But sometimes hard to follow. So many characters ! And the logic of the plot solution requires some effort to (approximately) understand.
Three quarters of the way through the book and I thought, Hang on, the story has ended ! What's in the rest of the book ?!
When I read on, it was quite clever. Or, at least, a valid effort to wrap up loose ends. Though there is one loose end which is deliberately raised and then -- as far as I can understand it -- not explained... ?!
I read to the end of the story then -- as the book failed to finish -- realised that there were, in fact, several loose ends. Threads which I would happily have accepted as being left to the readers imagination.
Good work Scalzi !
This book has a clever idea for the basic plot. Entertainingly written. Plus loose ends wrapped up where a lesser author could have left them hanging.
Not a great book but a good book.
Enjoyable. Well enough written. Easy to read though sometimes hard to follow.
Worth reading.
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