John Scalzi has become one of my favorite authors. It doesn’t matter what book I pick up, I’m never disappointed. When I read that Redshirts was Star Trek meets Purple Rose of Ciro (one of my all-time favorite movies) it was clearly the next logical book to pick up and consume.

Ensign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. It’s a prestige posting, and Andrew is thrilled all the more to be assigned to the ship’s Xenobiology laboratory.

Life couldn’t be better…until Andrew begins to pick up on the fact that:
(1) every Away Mission involves some kind of lethal confrontation with alien forces
(2) the ship’s captain, its chief science officer, and the handsome Lieutenant Kerensky always survive these confrontations
(3) at least one low-ranked crew member is, sadly, always killed.

Per my secret … err not so secret, love for Wil Wheaton, I listened to this on audiobook. He seems to be the go-to man for Scalzi books. Which I’m super okay with. I’ll put away my grin for now. As a huge Star Trek fan this book called out to me. Right from the beginning, were in an episode of the Intrepid (think Star Ship Enterprise). We watch redshirt after redshirt die. And when the characters finally start to put together that they’re … well dude. DUDE. It’s meta as frell.

Without giving any more away, because, let’s just say that I don’t want to ruin it for you. This should move to the top of your read list.