Audio Book Review of RedShirts by John Scalzi narrated by Wil Wheaton

Redshirts by John Scalzi
Narrated by Wil Wheaton


from Audible.com

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 facts 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; and (3) at least one low-ranked crew member is, sadly, always killed.
Not surprisingly, a great deal of energy below decks is expended on avoiding, at all costs, being assigned to an Away Mission. Then Andrew stumbles on information that completely transforms his and his colleagues’ understanding of what the starship Intrepid really is…and offers them a crazy, high-risk chance to save their own lives.


My Take:  I really enjoyed listening to Wil Wheaton narrate Ready Player One so when I kept hearing about this book and that he narrated it also I just had to give it a try.  I am glad I did.  I will agree with several other people that I read their reviews the word said is  totally overused and you probably would be made more aware of the fact in audio than if you were reading it although I think you would be glaringly aware of it also in print.  I think if you enjoyed any and all of the Star Trek variations you would enjoy this story.  This answers the question about what happens to all the red shirts and why they usually die on away missions. 

I think that Wil Wheaton did a terrific job of narrating this book although I did enjoy Ready Player One alittle better but that maybe just because I am a product of the 80's and could take or leave Star Trek.  But any trekkie or product of the 80's would probably enjoy this book.

This book is from my personal audio library.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline Audio book

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Read by Wil Wheaton

From Audible.com
At once wildly original and stuffed with irresistible nostalgia, Ready Player One is a spectacularly genre-busting, ambitious, and charming debut—part quest novel, part love story, and part virtual space opera set in a universe where spell-slinging mages battle giant Japanese robots, entire planets are inspired by Blade Runner, and flying DeLoreans achieve light speed.
It’s the year 2044, and the real world is an ugly place.
Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of 10,000 planets.
And like most of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune—and remarkable power—to whoever can unlock them.
For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that Halliday’s riddles are based in the pop culture he loved—that of the late 20th century. And for years, millions have found in this quest another means of escape, retreating into happy, obsessive study of Halliday’s icons. Like many of his contemporaries, Wade is as comfortable debating the finer points of John Hughes’s oeuvre, playing Pac-Man, or reciting Devo lyrics as he is scrounging power to run his OASIS rig.
And then Wade stumbles upon the first puzzle.
Suddenly the whole world is watching, and thousands of competitors join the hunt—among them certain powerful players who are willing to commit very real murder to beat Wade to this prize. Now the only way for Wade to survive and preserve everything he knows is to win. But to do so, he may have to leave behind his oh-so-perfect virtual existence and face up to life—and love—in the real world he’s always been so desperate to escape.
A world at stake.
A quest for the ultimate prize.
Are you ready?

My Take:  I really enjoyed this audio book. I think that listening to it in audio lent something more to the experience.  Wil Wheaton did an excellent job of narrating and it was kinda fun listening to him talk about himself as the 80's icon that he is as part of the story.  I grew up in the 70's but I still got the whole 80's references.  I wasn't a big video game player but I was able to follow along when it got to those various parts.  I think that this would be an excellent book for boys as it has everything that a boy would probably like, video games, mystery, action fighting.  Girls would like it too because there are girl gamers and a bit of romance is thrown in.  Highly recommend but there is a bit of language so not for youngsters.