Hugo Award Best Novel Winner
Redshirts
by John Scalzi
Summary
Aboard the starship Intrepid, low ranking crew member Andrew Dahl notices that junior officers keep dying on away missions while the senior staff always survive. As he and his friends investigate the absurd pattern, the story turns into a sharp metafictional comedy about television tropes and the disposable characters who give the book its title. Scalzi blends parody of classic space adventure with genuine questions about free will and narrative.
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Historical Context & Significance
The novel takes its title from the long running fan term for expendable Star Trek crew members in red uniforms who die to raise the stakes.