What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedRedshirts
John Scalzi · Book · 2012
If you loved Redshirts, start with Red Dwarf (Doug Naylor, 1988) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Redshirts across media.
What hooked you in Redshirts was the way it deconstructs the absurdity of being a background character in a grand space opera.
Films on the same thread
Galaxy Quest
Dean Parisot · Film · 1999
Shares 2 threads with Redshirts: Science Fiction Comedy, Parody.
Just as Redshirts examines the plight of the expendable, this film explores the disillusionment of actors who realize their space adventures are governed by the tropes of television production.
Starship Troopers
Paul Verhoeven · Film · 1997
Shares a thread with Redshirts: Space Opera.
If the military bureaucracy of Redshirts felt stifling, you will appreciate how this film uses the lens of war propaganda to satirize the exact genre tropes Scalzi targets.
Spaceballs
Mel Brooks · Film · 1987
Shares 3 threads with Redshirts: Satire, Self-Awareness, Science Fiction Comedy.
Much like Redshirts uses meta-commentary to poke fun at science fiction, this spoof leans into the inherent ridiculousness of space opera icons to deliver its sharp, self-aware humor.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Garth Jennings · Film · 2005
Shares 3 threads with Redshirts: Existentialism, Bureaucracy, Science Fiction Comedy.
The existential dread and bureaucratic incompetence that plague the characters in Redshirts find their perfect, absurdist counterpart in this tale of a man caught in a galactic catastrophe.
Series on the same thread
Red Dwarf
Doug Naylor · Series · 1988
Shares a thread with Redshirts: Existentialism.
The feeling of being trapped in a cold, indifferent universe that defines Redshirts is captured here through the weary, slacker humor of a crew stranded in deep space.
Red vs. Blue
Burnie Burns · Series · 2003
Shares a thread with Redshirts: Satire.
If you enjoyed the way Redshirts focuses on the soldiers stuck in a thankless conflict, you will find the same brand of cynical, military-focused absurdity in this web series.
Star Trek: Lower Decks
Mike McMahan · Series · 2020
Shares 2 threads with Redshirts: Bureaucracy, Satire.
This show is the spiritual successor to Redshirts, focusing entirely on the overlooked support staff who must navigate the bizarre dangers of a ship that treats them as expendable.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Douglas Adams · Series · 1981
Shares 3 threads with Redshirts: Existentialism, Bureaucracy, Science Fiction Comedy.
This series mirrors the cosmic absurdity of Redshirts by placing an average, confused human into a vast, unfeeling bureaucratic machine that ignores his personal survival entirely.
Podcasts on the same thread
Revolutions
Mike Duncan · Podcast · 2025
Explores: societal collapse, power dynamics, cyclical history.
While nonfictional, this podcast echoes the structural interest in historical patterns and power dynamics that underlie the meta-narrative experience you encountered while reading Redshirts.
Ologies with Alie Ward
Alie Ward · Podcast · 2026
Explores: intellectual curiosity, scientific wonder, human obsession.
The intellectual curiosity and focus on the human experience found in Redshirts is reflected in these deep dives into the bizarre, specialized lives of professional researchers.
Keep exploring
Common questions
What is the premise of Redshirts?
Redshirts follows the expendable ensigns aboard an exploring starship who begin to compare notes about their hazardous environment. The novel explores what happens when these crew members realize their roles and attempt to change their fates within the narrative structure of the ship.
Who is the author of Redshirts?
Redshirts was written by John Scalzi. He is a bestselling and award-winning author also known for writing the science fiction novel Old Man's War, which established his reputation for exploring unique concepts within the genre.
Is Redshirts a standalone novel?
Yes, Redshirts is a standalone novel published by John Scalzi in 2012. It focuses on a self-contained story about the crew of an exploring starship and does not require knowledge of other works to understand the plot or the central conceit of the narrative.
What themes does Redshirts explore?
Redshirts explores the meta-narrative concept of expendable characters within a science fiction setting. The story focuses on the ensigns of an exploring starship as they investigate why they are constantly in danger, effectively questioning the nature of their reality and their roles in the ship's mission.