John Schwartz wrote a great profile of John Scalzi in the NYT, in honor of his latest book, the absolutely cracking Redshirts, an existentialist comedy space-opera.
The novel, Mr. Scalzi's eighth, is something of a hit, especially for a work of science fiction without light sabers — or any of the accouterments of big-brand series. Published last month by Tor, "Redshirts" made its debut at No. 15 on the New York Times hardcover best-seller list.
At 43, Mr. Scalzi knows more than a little about taking charge of his life, having been raised in frequent hardship in Southern California. "I can describe to you the taste of government cheese," he said with a smile, disarming but not happy, in a recent interview over lunch during a visit to New York.
He scored a scholarship to the Webb School of California, a boarding school in Claremont where his poverty was notable even to another scholarship student, Joshua Micah Marshall, who went on to create the political Web site Talking Points Memo. Yet Mr. Scalzi "never had any interest or desire or inclination to be anyone other than who he was," Mr. Marshall said.
The Extras Get a Life
