Redshirts

Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas John Scalzi

First off, I read and enjoyed the hell out of this book BEFORE I knew just how much I loved John Scalzi.

I enjoyed this book so much, I want to go read his other stuff, even though it's pretty standard SciFi which is not a genre I tend to read unless Han Solo is on the cover. (Not that I don't enjoy SciFi when I do read it, it's just something that's lower on the list of genres I enjoy, so I just tend to not pick it up.)

ANYWAY.

So the basic premis is that (Andy) Dahl, (Maia) Duvall, (Jimmy) Hanson, Finn, and Hester are all new crew members on the Intrepid, the Capital Ship of the Universal Union.

While they're excited to be at such a prestigious posting they quickly realize a few things-- the Intrepid has a startling high death rate. Away missions are suicide, unless you're a senior officer. Decks six through twelve have an even more unusually high death rate in battles. Every so often, things stop making sense and you find yourself saying the stupidest things, then it stops.

They meet Jenkins, who tells them what's going on, and warns them to steer clear of THE NARRATIVE.

But Dahl has a few ideas up his own sleeve and is tired of what's happening, and is going to fix it.

This book is in no way, shape, or form about the nameless red-shirted crew members on Star Trek who die right before commercial break so Shatner can get all dramatic. Nope. nope. nope. Not at all.

It's an entertaining premise, but I was worried going into it-- was the premise enough to carry the entire book? Or would it be a joke that got old in 50 pages but I still had to slog through the rest?

NO WORRIES. It's a joke that holds. Part of the reason is that Scalzi creates real characters and real relationships. Even though it's satire, it has much more depth and meaning than I was expecting. It's a great look at making your life (and death) matter, the art of writing, and taking charge of your destiny. All while being really funny. (I want a science box!)

With the exception of Star Wars, I'm not a huge SciFi nerd. I've never actually seen an entire episode of Star Trek (any version.) I haven't watched that much SciFi TV since SeaQuest went off the air. But Scalzi didn't just dash off a 314 page joke. He wrote a really good, really funny meta-story.

I mean, when one of the officers gets clued in to what's going on? BRILLIANT. (And hilarious.)

So, while this is part send-up, part love letter to cheesy SciFi, it's also a really good story, so you don't need to be well-versed in your cheesy SciFi to enjoy it.

I mean, it's a book that makes me want to read more in a genre I typically skip.

Like I said on the top, I enjoyed the hell out of it.

Book Provided by... my local library

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Ship Breaker

Ship Breaker Paolo Bacigalupi

In the future, global warming has creating Category 6 Hurricanes, City Killers. New Orleans is under water. As is Orleans II and large portions of the Gulf Coast. There are new energies and corporations rule all.

Nailer works light crew, scavenging the old oil tankers for copper wire and other light scrap for the corporations to recycle into their new ships. But after a major storm blows on the of the new ships onto an island, Nailer thinks he's found a goldmine, enough to buy him out of his subsistence lifestyle. The only problem is that the girl who owns the ship is still alive, and on the run. Nailer and Nita escape Nailer's father and Nita's family's rivals to try to get Nita to safety in a series of death-defying adventures.

So, even though I'm getting sick of post-apocalyptic adventure novels, I really enjoyed this one. I like the world Bacigalupi has built and how it's so different from our world, but still recognizable as the US. Also, I think it helps to have a post-apocalyptic on the run from those in power novel to be about a BOY instead of a girl. Maybe I just tend to read the ones about girls and there's a whole slew out there about boys. But, it was a nice change. I liked that there were still kick-ass girls (in fact, almost all (all?) of the girls kicked some ass in one way or the other) but the focus stayed on Nailer and the romance was there, but wasn't the main focus of the plot.

This did win a Printz this year and I'm not sure on this. I've read several books that I think that are better examples of literary excellence for teens (off the top of my head, Nothing, Time of Miracles, Finnikin of the Rock). Although this one does have teen appeal. But that's not a Printz requirement.

Overall, I'm not sure on it's Printz worthiness, but it was still a great read (so don't let the shiny medal scare you away?) even if you're more than a little over post-apocalyptic adventures (and frankly, who isn't at this point?)

Book Provided by... my local library

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.