In Palm Sunday, while revisiting his past, Kurt Vonnegut says, "I chose cultural anthropology, since it offered the greatest opportunity to write high-minded balderdash." In John Scalzi's Reshirts, you follow the 'Redshirts' on a space opera show much like the original Star Trek. Scalzi deconstructs the original syndicated Star Trek series by establishing three codas of fear, despotism and death in the 'Redshirts'. During the second act he throws away this structure he recently established much like The Truman Show, which Redshirts seems to borrow many of its themes from. Unlike The Truman Show, Redshirts do not meet an abrupt end and is better for it.
During this critique Scalzi finds a way to take the stereotypical caricatures that are extras on this television show, and give them dialogue that is initially funny but eventually during the second act strikes at an emotional core. Comedic horror is a new avenue for Scalzi, which is odd considering pulp fiction is an obvious direction to go for any author known for writing witty dialogue.
The horror of living as an extra in another persons power trip is bad enough but Scalzi then takes you into the present where the 'Redshirts' then must confront the actors who play them. The heavily structured codas of fear, despotism and death are used recursively as an explanation and criticism of the format of syndicated space operas.
The narrative that goes forward is clever, lurid and progresses accordingly with the characters themselves. These supposed caricatures become self aware of the bad writing of the show they are in, and once they become self aware the narration become auspicious. The book never ceases in its parody, and the incessant winking can become tiresome at times. Clearly Scalzi loves the subject matter he is criticizing and if you're looking to find out how the sausage was made on the original Star Trek, Redshirts is an exhaustive resource.
No comments:
Post a Comment