If, by chance, you're not familiar with Mr. Scalzi, he is a New York Times Bestselling author whose works include Old Man's War, Zoe's Tale, and The Human Division, among many others, and just happens to call Darke County home.
The award winning novel Redshirts takes a comical, satirical look at some common science fiction tropes, most notably that of the red shirted ensign who would typically accompany major characters on Star Trek on various away missions, often meeting some sort of dismal demise by the end of the mission.
To learn more about Mr. Scalzi, I recommend reading this New York Times piece on him and Redshirts, or checking out his popular blog "Whatever" by clicking here.