RedshirtsRedshirts
Score Modern
What it's about
Ensign Andrew Dahl is thrilled to be posted to the starship Intrepid, until he notices that low-ranking crew members on away missions keep getting killed, by ice sharks, killer robots and other absurd dangers, while the senior officers always survive. Dahl and his friends investigate, and discover something about the nature of their reality that is very strange indeed.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Hugo Award. It's a hilarious send-up of Star Trek that turns unexpectedly moving.
You'll love it if you liked
Starter Villain
Old Man's War
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyGood to know
It's short. The three codas at the end change the tone.
By the numbers
- Readers20 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics56 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller43 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz1 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #181 of the 313 science fiction books we rank
- #272 of the 459 fantasy books we rank
- #991 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1835 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous, Funny, Uplifting
More by John Scalzi
Old Man's WarStarter Villain
The Collapsing Empire
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Quick answers
Is Redshirts worth reading?
Yes. It won the Hugo Award. It ranks #1,835 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 65.3 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Redshirts about?
Ensign Andrew Dahl is thrilled to be posted to the starship Intrepid, until he notices that low-ranking crew members on away missions keep getting killed, by ice sharks, killer robots and other absurd dangers, while the senior officers always survive. Dahl and his friends investigate, and discover something about the nature of their reality that is very strange indeed.
How long does it take to read Redshirts?
About 8 hours (318 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Redshirts won?
Hugo Award winner (2013).
What should I read after Redshirts?
If you liked it, try Starter Villain by John Scalzi, Old Man's War by John Scalzi or The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.