A neglected boy clings to an action figure like a lifeline. A trans man meets his childhood hero. An introvert finally finds her voice at a protest. In Redshirts Sometimes Survive, the outcasts, the rebels, the bullied, and the weird find themselves, one other, and a place to call home.

Spanning moments of humour, grief, joy, and resistance, these interconnected flash stories are populated by queer fans, lonely children, awkward convention-goers, and disillusioned adults who seek out their favourite starships and captains for solace and strength.

By turns moving, thoughtful, and wry, Redshirts Sometimes Survives offers connection and comfort for fans of Star Trek, and for the rest of us. Being a redshirt doesn't mean you're doomed. Sometimes, it means you survive.

"A love letter to all of us in the Bridge Crew who found family in other Trek fans. Both funny and heartbreaking." - Gail Anderson-Dargatz, Giller Prize finalist and bestselling author of The Cure for Death by Lightning

"Queer found family and crushes, a child put through the system, a nonspeaking disabled elder who recalls the TOS days, the desire for fat bodies sharing adventures, and even Star-crossed fandoms. A must-have collection for geeks of all generations." - Cait Gordon, award-winning author of Season One: Iris and the Crew Tear Through Space!

"Hilarious, harrowing, and kind." - Michelle Butler Hallett, disabled novelist and deep Trekkie, winner of the Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award, Constant Nobody

About the Author:

Finnian Burnett is a writer whose work explores the intersections of the human body, mental health, and gender identity. They are a recipient of a Canada Council for the Arts grant, a finalist in the 2023 CBC nonfiction prize, and a 2024 Pushcart nominee. They have delivered several keynotes, including at the Surrey International Writers' Conference.

Their work appears in Writer's Digest, Blank Spaces Magazine, Reflex Press, The Daily Sci-Fi, CBC, contest anthologies such as Word on the Lake, The Wine Country Writer's Festival anthology, Federation of BC Writers, and more. Their previous novellas-in-flash, The Clothes Make the Man and The Price of Cookies, are available through Ad Hoc Fiction and Off Topic Publishing respectively.

When not writing or teaching, Finnian enjoys cold weather walking, Star Trek, and cat memes.