What do you think?
Red Dwarf #0.5
Red Dwarf: Titan: The hilarious, instant bestseller from the co-creator of the iconic TV show
The Instant Sunday Times Bestseller!
Before the beginning...
The mining ship Red Dwarf is in orbit around Saturnian moon Titan, and the bulk of the crew is heading down for their shore leave A strangely reluctant hen party; a relaxing cheaty golfing break; a terminally-boring cultural Odessey; a marathon drinking and fighting binge; a stomach-challenging culinary beanfeast and an invigoratingly violent tour of Shore Patrol . . .
Menial chicken soup machine repairmen Dave Lister and Arnold Rimmer have slightly less noble ambitions.
Rimmer is in search of some illicit exam-cheating tech, to land a much-lusted-for promotion, and Lister plans to acquire a cat to smuggle back on board as part of a nefarious scheme to return to Earth. Mainly they just want to get as far away from each other as possible. However, their objectives are scuppered when they receive a cryptic message . . . from the future.
The two feuding crewmen are catapulted into a breakneck race to save not only this, but every other Reality.
Along the way, they'll find themselves united again, for the first time, with some new, but somehow old friends, as they embark on a labyrinthian quest through the seediest, most dangerous underbelly of humankind's furthest outpost, where lurk bizarre off-worldly dangers and one mysterious hidden nemesis with an obscure, yet clearly lethal agenda.
So strap yourself into your Holly Hop Drive, and set your bazookoids to "thrill" - the Dwarfers are taking on TITAN.
'Don't tell my mother I died with my arm up a gorilla's bottom.'
'But sir - it will be on the death certificate.'
Before the beginning...
The mining ship Red Dwarf is in orbit around Saturnian moon Titan, and the bulk of the crew is heading down for their shore leave A strangely reluctant hen party; a relaxing cheaty golfing break; a terminally-boring cultural Odessey; a marathon drinking and fighting binge; a stomach-challenging culinary beanfeast and an invigoratingly violent tour of Shore Patrol . . .
Menial chicken soup machine repairmen Dave Lister and Arnold Rimmer have slightly less noble ambitions.
Rimmer is in search of some illicit exam-cheating tech, to land a much-lusted-for promotion, and Lister plans to acquire a cat to smuggle back on board as part of a nefarious scheme to return to Earth. Mainly they just want to get as far away from each other as possible. However, their objectives are scuppered when they receive a cryptic message . . . from the future.
The two feuding crewmen are catapulted into a breakneck race to save not only this, but every other Reality.
Along the way, they'll find themselves united again, for the first time, with some new, but somehow old friends, as they embark on a labyrinthian quest through the seediest, most dangerous underbelly of humankind's furthest outpost, where lurk bizarre off-worldly dangers and one mysterious hidden nemesis with an obscure, yet clearly lethal agenda.
So strap yourself into your Holly Hop Drive, and set your bazookoids to "thrill" - the Dwarfers are taking on TITAN.
'Don't tell my mother I died with my arm up a gorilla's bottom.'
'But sir - it will be on the death certificate.'
Audible Audio
Published July 16, 2026
About the author
Rob Grant
25 books165 followershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Grant
Writes under the name Grant Naylor when collaborating with Doug Naylor
Writes under the name Grant Naylor when collaborating with Doug Naylor
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
July 16, 2026
NON-SPOILER REVIEW FOLLOWED BY SPOILERS! I do say when, but I don't think the HTML spoiler function works in-app, so look out.
I'm a Red Dwarf fan to an embarrassing degree. It's one of those sitcoms, along with Bottom, that I can't remember my first time watching, because they've been part of my life from such an early age. I'll spare you my spiel on how you can say any random quote and I'll give you the exact episode, my DVD collection extends even to The Bodysnatcher Collection, despite mostly despising Naylor's solo work on the show I'm a strong defender of Chloë Annett and THAT scene in Blue and the Jane Austen parts of Beyond A Joke, and that I was the brand of teenage girl that took to Wattpad to read and no less write fanfiction regarding THAT scene in Blue, and just tell you that I was very excited upon the announcement of this book.
I've read all the Red Dwarf books a few times, strongly disliking Last Human, wishing Grant would do another solo. And he did!
And then he went and died.
I remember exactly where I was when I found out, I remember crying on the bus home, I remember watching his favourite episodes and raising a cocktail to him when I got home . . .
We miss you, Rob.
My pre-order of Titan arrives (with its hideous cover that I so hoped was a prototype!) as planned on publication day, and I get stuck in.
The dedication to Paul Jackson made me aww.
This is Rob Grant's Red Dwarf at its best. I'm not familiar with Marshall's work so I'm afraid I can't extend much specific credit to him, but I took every delight in Craig Charles and Chris Barrie's mannerisms of Lister and Rimmer being down to a T here. I could really see and hear every conversation.
Little changes are made, like Hollister's first name being Randy, and Krissie coming from Yorkshire (not that I'm complaining!), which may well be to distinguish this book's reality from the show's, or it may well have been this way in the original books that I haven't read for a long time.
This book is essentially a Red Dwarf special, but with a decent writer finally behind it.
Of course this is a prequel, so you're going to grieve that Cat and Kryten are absent - but then you're going to AWWWWWW at the appearance of our beloved Frankenstein, and accept that mechanoid Carzon is essentially what Kryten would have been before his trauma, aging, corrupted files, and humanisation.
Just brace yourself for the fact that they can namedrop things like Amazon now, because Red Dwarf was already set beyond us, before the three-million-year timeskip.
Enjoy!
*
SPOILERY REVIEW:
Thank you, Rob Grant.
I'm a Red Dwarf fan to an embarrassing degree. It's one of those sitcoms, along with Bottom, that I can't remember my first time watching, because they've been part of my life from such an early age. I'll spare you my spiel on how you can say any random quote and I'll give you the exact episode, my DVD collection extends even to The Bodysnatcher Collection, despite mostly despising Naylor's solo work on the show I'm a strong defender of Chloë Annett and THAT scene in Blue and the Jane Austen parts of Beyond A Joke, and that I was the brand of teenage girl that took to Wattpad to read and no less write fanfiction regarding THAT scene in Blue, and just tell you that I was very excited upon the announcement of this book.
I've read all the Red Dwarf books a few times, strongly disliking Last Human, wishing Grant would do another solo. And he did!
And then he went and died.
I remember exactly where I was when I found out, I remember crying on the bus home, I remember watching his favourite episodes and raising a cocktail to him when I got home . . .
We miss you, Rob.
My pre-order of Titan arrives (with its hideous cover that I so hoped was a prototype!) as planned on publication day, and I get stuck in.
The dedication to Paul Jackson made me aww.
This is Rob Grant's Red Dwarf at its best. I'm not familiar with Marshall's work so I'm afraid I can't extend much specific credit to him, but I took every delight in Craig Charles and Chris Barrie's mannerisms of Lister and Rimmer being down to a T here. I could really see and hear every conversation.
Little changes are made, like Hollister's first name being Randy, and Krissie coming from Yorkshire (not that I'm complaining!), which may well be to distinguish this book's reality from the show's, or it may well have been this way in the original books that I haven't read for a long time.
This book is essentially a Red Dwarf special, but with a decent writer finally behind it.
Of course this is a prequel, so you're going to grieve that Cat and Kryten are absent - but then you're going to AWWWWWW at the appearance of our beloved Frankenstein, and accept that mechanoid Carzon is essentially what Kryten would have been before his trauma, aging, corrupted files, and humanisation.
Just brace yourself for the fact that they can namedrop things like Amazon now, because Red Dwarf was already set beyond us, before the three-million-year timeskip.
Enjoy!
*
SPOILERY REVIEW:
Thank you, Rob Grant.
Read
July 16, 2026My boys are meant to be together and this book did nothing to dissuade that sentiment
August 14, 2026
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Chris Barrie.
It's Red Dwarf, so of course it has 5 stars! Chris Barrie's narration is first class.
All the characters are included in one form or another, even Dwayne Dibley!
If you're a fan of the 'Boys from the Dwarf,' you won't be disappointed, but if you are coming to this 'cold' it may not work for you; there are too many in-jokes.
The first part of the book feels dated; there are several outdated cultural references, and some of the gender stereotyping is a bit naff. It feels like an early draft was written a couple of decades ago and then incorporated into the finished version.
Later on, the pace picks up, so stick with it, and things flow better and make more sense.
It fills in some back story with a couple of possible timelines, and having all the characters in various versions is fun.
For a Red Dwarf fan, it's a must read/listen, but for general readers it might not be the best place to start.
It's Red Dwarf, so of course it has 5 stars! Chris Barrie's narration is first class.
All the characters are included in one form or another, even Dwayne Dibley!
If you're a fan of the 'Boys from the Dwarf,' you won't be disappointed, but if you are coming to this 'cold' it may not work for you; there are too many in-jokes.
The first part of the book feels dated; there are several outdated cultural references, and some of the gender stereotyping is a bit naff. It feels like an early draft was written a couple of decades ago and then incorporated into the finished version.
Later on, the pace picks up, so stick with it, and things flow better and make more sense.
It fills in some back story with a couple of possible timelines, and having all the characters in various versions is fun.
For a Red Dwarf fan, it's a must read/listen, but for general readers it might not be the best place to start.
July 29, 2026
I'm a little biased here.
I love the Red Dwarf books and series and have done since I was a kid. There's a nostalgic pull there that always ensnares me - so I was always going to read this book.
On the other hand, I'm a science fiction snob and tired old tropes seem to annoy me. Also, if a new book came out for a book series I loved and it was a prequel, then I probably wouldn't read it. i hate that for some reason. My linear brain loses interest. I may even like the book if I read it, but I probably would never muster up the enthusiasm to actually read it.
I say this to demonstrate how much I was in two minds about reading the book I was.
But I did anyway. Here's what I thought.
I liked the story. It was a bit haphazard and a bit "I need to get these characters to this point" but I didn't see this as a departure from some of the stories in the show, or indeed, the other books. I think that comes with this book and is very much intentional. To be honest, I ended up kinda liking and appreciating it.
The world building I loved. The society Grant depicted on Titan was superb, with an obvious class structure and a complete disregard for life - totally fitting with the human species of a previous book, who voted for Earth to become a garbage planet.
This story was gripping: you wanted to know what the characters got into next and exactly how they were going to get out of it.
There were a lot of laugh out loud moments and a good number of throwbacks for fans of the show to absolutely love.
I love the Red Dwarf books and series and have done since I was a kid. There's a nostalgic pull there that always ensnares me - so I was always going to read this book.
On the other hand, I'm a science fiction snob and tired old tropes seem to annoy me. Also, if a new book came out for a book series I loved and it was a prequel, then I probably wouldn't read it. i hate that for some reason. My linear brain loses interest. I may even like the book if I read it, but I probably would never muster up the enthusiasm to actually read it.
I say this to demonstrate how much I was in two minds about reading the book I was.
But I did anyway. Here's what I thought.
I liked the story. It was a bit haphazard and a bit "I need to get these characters to this point" but I didn't see this as a departure from some of the stories in the show, or indeed, the other books. I think that comes with this book and is very much intentional. To be honest, I ended up kinda liking and appreciating it.
The world building I loved. The society Grant depicted on Titan was superb, with an obvious class structure and a complete disregard for life - totally fitting with the human species of a previous book, who voted for Earth to become a garbage planet.
This story was gripping: you wanted to know what the characters got into next and exactly how they were going to get out of it.
There were a lot of laugh out loud moments and a good number of throwbacks for fans of the show to absolutely love.
August 29, 2026
The boys from the dwarf are back!
Smegging awesome. I can’t put it any other way. I absolutely loved the audio as well, Chris Barrie showing what an incredible mimic he is. Loved it.
Smegging awesome. I can’t put it any other way. I absolutely loved the audio as well, Chris Barrie showing what an incredible mimic he is. Loved it.
August 9, 2026
It's very clear that the comedy talent came from Doug Naylor. This is utterly awful, not at all funny and the story was just rehashing other books and ideas.
If any other Red Dwarf fans are considering reading this, please take this from me, it worse than seasons 7-9 combined.
If any other Red Dwarf fans are considering reading this, please take this from me, it worse than seasons 7-9 combined.
August 11, 2026
Titan is the last stop before the 'JMC Red Dwarf' heads out into deep space and Dave Lister is desperately trying to find a way to get back to Earth with his usual minimal effort. But a message from the future is about to change his life. And annoy Rimmer.
Well written and the plot is a good mix of humour, action and a decent bit of science fiction. If you're a 'Red Dwarf' fan, this is an essential read. If you're picking it up cold, there's enough in here to make sense in isolation.
Well written and the plot is a good mix of humour, action and a decent bit of science fiction. If you're a 'Red Dwarf' fan, this is an essential read. If you're picking it up cold, there's enough in here to make sense in isolation.
July 26, 2026
A decent story let down by a poor and abrupt ending. It was good to catch up with the characters from the TV series, but overall this one never quite lived up to its potential.
July 23, 2026
Bursting with ideas and full of familiar (ish) characters, this is an excellent two-steps-to-the-left prequel to the television version of Red Dwarf. Kochanski finally gets more of a character, and an arc to go with it, and is in some ways the main character of this excellently entertaining story.
It would make a great TV show : )
It would make a great TV show : )
August 24, 2026
Are you a Dwarfer? If not, don’t bother reading further. This is a book for people who have seen the whole series at least once. It’s unlikely to make sense, or be funny, if you don’t have the context of the show as a starting point. You don’t need to have read the other books, but the TV show is a must. If I say Duane Dibbley makes an appearance, every fan will know exactly who that character is. Which is necessary as there is little description in the book as the expectation is people already know. Sadly, Mr Flibble doesn’t make an appearance, but most other episodes from the show get referenced in one way or another.
So for fans, a spoiler free review.
The book opens with two statements on the page before the prologue, so this isn’t spoiler. They are:
Three million and thirty-nine years ago…
And one universe to the side…
This book continues the shows tradition of treating continuity lightly by papering over the small cracks and gaping chasms alike with time travel and parallel reality’s as evidenced by the season 3 opening credits and Ace Rimmer.
The initial interactions between Lister and Rimmer felt a bit off of how they appear in the show, but towards the end it’s much more on point. This may have been deliberate to show how their relationship grew into the TV versions, or it could be the time lag between the last book Rob wrote and this one, or that it’s written with Andrew instead of Doug Naylor. Whatever the case it’s only a minor distraction.
Kristine Kochanski is a much bigger problem. She’s essential to the plot, but her character isn’t like either of the Krissies in the TV series. And her behaviour in the book isn’t entirely rational for who she’s supposed to be. She’s more plot grease to keep the story moving in the right direction then a credible character.
This is a prequel before the TV series so half of the key cast, Cat and Kryten, shouldn’t technically be present. But Cat and Kryten are in here by papering over the cracks. I can’t say more without spoilers.
Holly is present in its Norman Lovett form, which is amusing when {redacted}.
Other key crew from the pre-accident flashbacks that play a role in this book are Captain Hollister, Frank Todhunter, and Olaf Petersen. I liked the depictions of Hollister and Todhunter, but Petersen is just wrong and nonsensical. He’s in the story for sidekick laughs but they just didn’t work for me.
The story also relies too heavily on the Roy and Seigfried tiger incident for some of it’s humour which I just found to be inappropriate (I originally wrote bad taste, but that’s also inappropriate).
As I’ve read in some other reviews, while to book does conclude satisfactorily it also feels like Rob was gearing up to write some more books. Sadly his death just prior to the release of this book means that is unlikely to happen. Andrew might be able to continue, or Doug Naylor may pen another, but I fear this is the end of new Red Dwarf.
I rate this as middling level quality Red Dwarf. There are some genius moments, but a few too many bits which fall flat. And it’s definitely for fans rather than newbies.
So for fans, a spoiler free review.
The book opens with two statements on the page before the prologue, so this isn’t spoiler. They are:
Three million and thirty-nine years ago…
And one universe to the side…
This book continues the shows tradition of treating continuity lightly by papering over the small cracks and gaping chasms alike with time travel and parallel reality’s as evidenced by the season 3 opening credits and Ace Rimmer.
The initial interactions between Lister and Rimmer felt a bit off of how they appear in the show, but towards the end it’s much more on point. This may have been deliberate to show how their relationship grew into the TV versions, or it could be the time lag between the last book Rob wrote and this one, or that it’s written with Andrew instead of Doug Naylor. Whatever the case it’s only a minor distraction.
Kristine Kochanski is a much bigger problem. She’s essential to the plot, but her character isn’t like either of the Krissies in the TV series. And her behaviour in the book isn’t entirely rational for who she’s supposed to be. She’s more plot grease to keep the story moving in the right direction then a credible character.
This is a prequel before the TV series so half of the key cast, Cat and Kryten, shouldn’t technically be present. But Cat and Kryten are in here by papering over the cracks. I can’t say more without spoilers.
Holly is present in its Norman Lovett form, which is amusing when {redacted}.
Other key crew from the pre-accident flashbacks that play a role in this book are Captain Hollister, Frank Todhunter, and Olaf Petersen. I liked the depictions of Hollister and Todhunter, but Petersen is just wrong and nonsensical. He’s in the story for sidekick laughs but they just didn’t work for me.
The story also relies too heavily on the Roy and Seigfried tiger incident for some of it’s humour which I just found to be inappropriate (I originally wrote bad taste, but that’s also inappropriate).
As I’ve read in some other reviews, while to book does conclude satisfactorily it also feels like Rob was gearing up to write some more books. Sadly his death just prior to the release of this book means that is unlikely to happen. Andrew might be able to continue, or Doug Naylor may pen another, but I fear this is the end of new Red Dwarf.
I rate this as middling level quality Red Dwarf. There are some genius moments, but a few too many bits which fall flat. And it’s definitely for fans rather than newbies.
August 25, 2026
This didn't work for me. It took a long time to get going, and relied on silly names or deliberately overdone adjectives and similes to sound "funny," as well as some faintly sexist banter from Lister and Rimmer. It eventually managed to build to some farcical chaos, but the decision to make it a prequel, albeit to wrestle back some control of the franchise for Rob Grant before his unexpected passing, just doesn't work; the characters aren't in the situation from the situation comedy, the Star Wars-esque world of three armed assassins and rhino bartenders doesn't seem like the mundane future of early Dwarf, and the convoluted methods of involving Kochanski, a fussy mechanoid and a cat just highlight what's missing.
July 22, 2026
With Rob Grant sadly past, this book offers a tantalising look at what a Red Dwarf reboot would have looked like, set in a universe left of the TV shows to explain the modern references, that the Charictors don't look like the cast and why, Chris Barrie, who provided the audio for all the great Red Dwarf novels makes Lister sound like he's from Byker Grove instead of Coronation Street we set off on a new adventure aided by the universe we do know about. No spoilers and its often confusing as the narrative swings between nostalgia references and new things that designed appeal to a new audience will leave you wanting a TV movie to launch the reboot and to dig out your old paperbacks.
July 21, 2026
There is a brilliant prequel to RED DWARF hiding in here, which answers so many questions that lead to the first episode of the series and has buckets of wit and even some of the action of a thriller. I’m not quite sure, then, why so much of TITAN expends its energy trying to give us more links to the modern Dwarf, instead of just embracing what and when it is. Nevertheless, Chris Barrie reading this is an absolute treat, and Rob Grant is so missed. We’ll smoke you a kipper, Rob. Thanks for this last swan song.
September 7, 2026
It's an absolute joy to hear Chris Barrie on another Red Dwarf audiobook. Just peachy, sirs. Although to be honest I thought it was a bit strange that Barrie doesn't give Kochanski any kind of accent. Come on, Chris, we're all imagining Clare Grogan. Scot it up.
It's a lot of fun and worth your time. I think I would have appreciated the warning that it is not an entirely self contained story, though. Rip, Rob, I'll imagine my own ending.
It's a lot of fun and worth your time. I think I would have appreciated the warning that it is not an entirely self contained story, though. Rip, Rob, I'll imagine my own ending.
August 21, 2026
This is a very fun book. Listened on audio.
August 3, 2026
Dnf'd at about 40% - just doesn't hit the same as the show or the books. It feels like fanfiction, which it kinda is. Another reviewer says its AU, which is really the only way this works. There's nothing 'wrong' per se I just don't want to pick it back up and I just dont care. And I don't really feel like the characters have a reason to care, either, this far in. I might come back to it one day but even with Chris Barrie's narration, I'm not into it.
August 31, 2026
I have always been a fan of Red Dwarf. About a decade and a half ago, I found the audiobooks for the first 2 books, read by Rimmer himself. And how, once more to the dulcet tones of Arnold J, I've stepped into the wonderful world of the Boys From The Dwarf and it's been a lovely, nostalgic time.
This time around we get a glimpse into the absolute madness of the port call before the doomed journey that was Red Dwarf's final mission from The End. Things get crazy, and then they get crazier.
If you enjoyed the previous books, you'll get a kick out of this. If you have only watched the show, I would suggest giving the previous books a shout first and then pick this one up. Given the nature of the story, it's probably best that you get used to reading the gang in print first before diving into this one!
This time around we get a glimpse into the absolute madness of the port call before the doomed journey that was Red Dwarf's final mission from The End. Things get crazy, and then they get crazier.
If you enjoyed the previous books, you'll get a kick out of this. If you have only watched the show, I would suggest giving the previous books a shout first and then pick this one up. Given the nature of the story, it's probably best that you get used to reading the gang in print first before diving into this one!
September 7, 2026
Classic Dwarf.
August 11, 2026
Being a fan of Red Dwarf (and most recently listening to the two available audio books as narrated by Chris Barrie) it seemed just fate and a no-brainer that i would download and listen to this new Red Dwarf "prequel" by the late great Rob Grant. It too is narrated by the versatile Chris Barrie, who excels in imitating the distinctive voices of Lister, the Cat, et al. Except, this being a sequel, surely its only Lister and Rimmer, right?
So the Red Dwarf is moored at the moon of Titan, where famously Lister catnaps Frankenstein, takes him aboard the Dwarf, gets put in stasis and then... well, the future is history. Due to some bureaucratic arse-covering Lister finds himself chained to Rimmer by magnetic cufflinks and they are forced to enjoy shoreleave together. Rimmer, however, is only intent in finding law-breaking mind-altering drugs/implants/personality changes so that he can cheat his way into becoming an officer. Lister, still distracted by the love of his life marrying a banker called Eric, is somewhat morose and is trying to find a way of getting back to Earth to end his sentence in space.
Holly notices two Dave Listers depart the Red Dwarf, which makes him very worried indeed, but seconds later there is no evidence of this occurrence and in fact, he doesn't even remember there being an occurrence, so there was nothing wrong in the first place, right?
The antics of Rimmer, Lister, Kochanski and even Petersen et al on Titan swings wildly from satirical to ridiculous to high-concept science fiction awesomeness. At one point - my personally favourite part of the novel - Rimmer is going head to head with a very large simian warlord and is wondering what 'choices in his life led to him having to put an entire up arm a 500 pound gorilla'.
Its fairly clever in that, even though its a prequel, its technically also an offshoot, due to parallel dimension and time travel shenanigans. Its not a spoiler to say that Kryten and even Cat make appearances, though neither as you expect.
A hilarious, sometimes laugh-out loud addition to the already hilarious red dwarf universe.
So the Red Dwarf is moored at the moon of Titan, where famously Lister catnaps Frankenstein, takes him aboard the Dwarf, gets put in stasis and then... well, the future is history. Due to some bureaucratic arse-covering Lister finds himself chained to Rimmer by magnetic cufflinks and they are forced to enjoy shoreleave together. Rimmer, however, is only intent in finding law-breaking mind-altering drugs/implants/personality changes so that he can cheat his way into becoming an officer. Lister, still distracted by the love of his life marrying a banker called Eric, is somewhat morose and is trying to find a way of getting back to Earth to end his sentence in space.
Holly notices two Dave Listers depart the Red Dwarf, which makes him very worried indeed, but seconds later there is no evidence of this occurrence and in fact, he doesn't even remember there being an occurrence, so there was nothing wrong in the first place, right?
The antics of Rimmer, Lister, Kochanski and even Petersen et al on Titan swings wildly from satirical to ridiculous to high-concept science fiction awesomeness. At one point - my personally favourite part of the novel - Rimmer is going head to head with a very large simian warlord and is wondering what 'choices in his life led to him having to put an entire up arm a 500 pound gorilla'.
Its fairly clever in that, even though its a prequel, its technically also an offshoot, due to parallel dimension and time travel shenanigans. Its not a spoiler to say that Kryten and even Cat make appearances, though neither as you expect.
A hilarious, sometimes laugh-out loud addition to the already hilarious red dwarf universe.
August 26, 2026
This is like revisiting an old friend. Maybe an old friend you don't always get along with, but one you can at least have a laugh and get into scrapes with.
If you loved the TV show and previous novels then this is right up your alley buster! All of your favourite characters and some interesting new ones.
If you loved the TV show and previous novels then this is right up your alley buster! All of your favourite characters and some interesting new ones.
August 12, 2026
Rob Grant was of course one half of the original partnership along with Doug Naylor, who created and wrote the Red Dwarf TV series until series VI in 1993 when he left the partnership to explore other avenues. However, there followed a legal dispute, which was resolved in 2023, leaving Grant and Naylor to explore their own versions of Red Dwarf. With a new series for TV apparently stalled it was good news that Rob Grant was returning the the franchise with a book co written by Andrew Marshall (of whom I don't know anything about his previous work). Titan is a prequel to the TV series also set in a slightly different universe, meaning he's not slavishly tied to the show.
It's a great story in many ways a greatest hits of much of what we've had before but also a new fast-paced story that has multiple strands. I listened to the audiobook which is brilliantly narrated by Chris Barrie (Rimmer from the TV show), and his narration is a highlight lifting it to 5 stars. Barrie is a brilliant voice artist (in the past he used to provide voices for Spitting Image), and his portrayal of the various characters is perfect. In fact he sounds more like Craig Charles in his portrayal of Lister than Craig Charles himself does.
I loved the audiobook. It's left open-ended and I suspect that the idea was to have more books to follow however sadly Rob Grant suddenly died shortly after that book was announced so it's unlikely that we'll get any more in the series. But Rob Grant's final contribution to the Red Dwarf universe was a fitting swan song.
It's a great story in many ways a greatest hits of much of what we've had before but also a new fast-paced story that has multiple strands. I listened to the audiobook which is brilliantly narrated by Chris Barrie (Rimmer from the TV show), and his narration is a highlight lifting it to 5 stars. Barrie is a brilliant voice artist (in the past he used to provide voices for Spitting Image), and his portrayal of the various characters is perfect. In fact he sounds more like Craig Charles in his portrayal of Lister than Craig Charles himself does.
I loved the audiobook. It's left open-ended and I suspect that the idea was to have more books to follow however sadly Rob Grant suddenly died shortly after that book was announced so it's unlikely that we'll get any more in the series. But Rob Grant's final contribution to the Red Dwarf universe was a fitting swan song.
July 20, 2026
I liked this, although it didn't quite live up to my expectations. The cover establishes that this is a prequel in an alternate reality:
"Three million and thirty-nine years ago. And one universe to the side ..."
The premise of the TV series was that Lister got frozen in stasis for 3 million years. This book was published in 2026, so 39 years ago was 1987. The first episode was broadcast in Feb 1988, so the idea is that this story takes place about 1 year earlier.
That reminds me of the "Kelvin timeline" Star Trek movies (starting in 2009), where the basic idea was to keep the existing characters but re-cast them with younger actors. I wonder whether this was originally pitched as a TV series, before it became a book.
There are some reboots where I think that I'm no longer in the target audience. For instance, I recently watched the Smurfs movie from 2025 (where the main selling point seemed to be "Rihanna is Smurfette"). I wasn't very impressed, but it's a kids' movie and so the real question is whether it appeals to modern kids; the "middle aged blokes" demographic is irrelevant.
By contrast, I think that this book is very much aimed at the existing fanbase, and I fall squarely into that category: I started watching the TV series round about season 3 or 4, then caught up on the early series in repeats. I've watched every episode since, and I've bought all the previous tie-in books (as well as Rob Grant's other novels). I bought this book a couple of days after it was published, and read it cover to cover in a single evening, so it definitely held my attention.
The TV series was a comedy, and the early episodes had a lot of genuinely funny scenes. By contrast, I don't think there was anything in this book that made me laugh. There's a light-hearted tone, and the bickering feels familiar (e.g. people referring to each other as "gimboids"), so I'd describe it as comfortable comedy that made me smile.
That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's something to be aware of. In this case, I'm already invested in the characters, and I'm happy to focus on the plot. Most of this is new (rather than adaptations of TV episodes), although there are a few bits that will feel familiar, e.g. .
The early episodes of Red Dwarf were very much a boys club, i.e. all the characters were male. Kristine Kochanski popped up a couple of times, but she was mainly referred to as Lister's ex-girlfriend. The first two novels did a slightly better job of fleshing out her character, but she mainly stayed "offscreen". Similarly, Backwards wrote her out before the novel started. She had a bigger role in Last Human, but that book adapted plots from TV episodes that she hadn't been in, so she was given lines that were originally spoken by other characters, which made her characterisation a bit of a mess.
This book has 3 prominent female characters: Kochanski, Themis Du Plessis, and Ingrid Byle. That's a nice change. The book establishes that this version of Kochanski is from Yorkshire, and I assume that's a way of "splitting the difference" between the 2 actors who portrayed her: CP Grogan had a Scottish accent, and Chloe Annett had a southern (home counties) accent. Interestingly, the book never describes her physical appearance; there are comments about what she's wearing (e.g. a hoodie or a dressing gown) but not about her body. So, Rob Grant doesn't fall into the cliched pattern of "male writer lusting after female character".
Despite my grumbles, I did like the book. When all's said and done, it was nice to spend time with these characters again.
"Three million and thirty-nine years ago. And one universe to the side ..."
The premise of the TV series was that Lister got frozen in stasis for 3 million years. This book was published in 2026, so 39 years ago was 1987. The first episode was broadcast in Feb 1988, so the idea is that this story takes place about 1 year earlier.
That reminds me of the "Kelvin timeline" Star Trek movies (starting in 2009), where the basic idea was to keep the existing characters but re-cast them with younger actors. I wonder whether this was originally pitched as a TV series, before it became a book.
There are some reboots where I think that I'm no longer in the target audience. For instance, I recently watched the Smurfs movie from 2025 (where the main selling point seemed to be "Rihanna is Smurfette"). I wasn't very impressed, but it's a kids' movie and so the real question is whether it appeals to modern kids; the "middle aged blokes" demographic is irrelevant.
By contrast, I think that this book is very much aimed at the existing fanbase, and I fall squarely into that category: I started watching the TV series round about season 3 or 4, then caught up on the early series in repeats. I've watched every episode since, and I've bought all the previous tie-in books (as well as Rob Grant's other novels). I bought this book a couple of days after it was published, and read it cover to cover in a single evening, so it definitely held my attention.
The TV series was a comedy, and the early episodes had a lot of genuinely funny scenes. By contrast, I don't think there was anything in this book that made me laugh. There's a light-hearted tone, and the bickering feels familiar (e.g. people referring to each other as "gimboids"), so I'd describe it as comfortable comedy that made me smile.
That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's something to be aware of. In this case, I'm already invested in the characters, and I'm happy to focus on the plot. Most of this is new (rather than adaptations of TV episodes), although there are a few bits that will feel familiar, e.g. .
The early episodes of Red Dwarf were very much a boys club, i.e. all the characters were male. Kristine Kochanski popped up a couple of times, but she was mainly referred to as Lister's ex-girlfriend. The first two novels did a slightly better job of fleshing out her character, but she mainly stayed "offscreen". Similarly, Backwards wrote her out before the novel started. She had a bigger role in Last Human, but that book adapted plots from TV episodes that she hadn't been in, so she was given lines that were originally spoken by other characters, which made her characterisation a bit of a mess.
This book has 3 prominent female characters: Kochanski, Themis Du Plessis, and Ingrid Byle. That's a nice change. The book establishes that this version of Kochanski is from Yorkshire, and I assume that's a way of "splitting the difference" between the 2 actors who portrayed her: CP Grogan had a Scottish accent, and Chloe Annett had a southern (home counties) accent. Interestingly, the book never describes her physical appearance; there are comments about what she's wearing (e.g. a hoodie or a dressing gown) but not about her body. So, Rob Grant doesn't fall into the cliched pattern of "male writer lusting after female character".
Despite my grumbles, I did like the book. When all's said and done, it was nice to spend time with these characters again.
August 11, 2026
All Read Dwarf fan's should read & Cris Barry's Audiobook narration is brilliant a must 🎧.
August 9, 2026
I was a little worried that it was a single narrator, Chris Berrie.
But he knows his castmates very well and his impressions of them made me feel like this was a full cast drama
But he knows his castmates very well and his impressions of them made me feel like this was a full cast drama
July 24, 2026
Spoiler Free
After nearly three decades of dreariness and disappointment with the franchise, "Titan" nails exactly what I loved in early Red Dwarf when it was still a grubby, lo-fi character-led thing that just happened to take place in a science fiction universe. It added more meat to the bones of characters we knew before - and ones we just met - and makes them all fully realised in a comic prequel that becomes equal parts crime thriller and buddy comedy.
As you can tell, I loved this and with Rob Grant's death it makes me sad the story might stop here, although Andrew Marshall's addition to the world of the large rouge one should not be overlooked. Fans of "2 Point 4 Children" will remember how good he was at tricksy yet satisfying plotting and there are some great surprises and turns in here.
Despite my apprehension, Chris Barrie's narration on the audiobook is like an old friend so I recommend it hugely as he cycles through his full array of voices. Although I'm sure the Esperanto version is coming any day now...
After nearly three decades of dreariness and disappointment with the franchise, "Titan" nails exactly what I loved in early Red Dwarf when it was still a grubby, lo-fi character-led thing that just happened to take place in a science fiction universe. It added more meat to the bones of characters we knew before - and ones we just met - and makes them all fully realised in a comic prequel that becomes equal parts crime thriller and buddy comedy.
As you can tell, I loved this and with Rob Grant's death it makes me sad the story might stop here, although Andrew Marshall's addition to the world of the large rouge one should not be overlooked. Fans of "2 Point 4 Children" will remember how good he was at tricksy yet satisfying plotting and there are some great surprises and turns in here.
Despite my apprehension, Chris Barrie's narration on the audiobook is like an old friend so I recommend it hugely as he cycles through his full array of voices. Although I'm sure the Esperanto version is coming any day now...
August 3, 2026
What can I say, it's the boys from the Dwarf, I loved it. Chris Barrie narrating was fantastic as he can impersonate the crew wonderfully.
July 29, 2026
The crew of Red Dwarf are heading for shore leave on Titan. Rival bunkmates Dave Lister and Arnold Rimmer arrive on Titan for differing reasons, but find the Universe has other plans for them.
This story is set prior to the disaster which wipes out the Red Dwarf crew, leaving Dave Lister the last remaining human. With the human race in jeopardy, it’s up to the ‘boys from the Dwarf’ to outwit the Destiny Engine and save humanity. This book brings back our favourite characters from the original series and comedic run of mishaps and colourful language expected from a Red Dwarf novel.
This story is set prior to the disaster which wipes out the Red Dwarf crew, leaving Dave Lister the last remaining human. With the human race in jeopardy, it’s up to the ‘boys from the Dwarf’ to outwit the Destiny Engine and save humanity. This book brings back our favourite characters from the original series and comedic run of mishaps and colourful language expected from a Red Dwarf novel.
July 30, 2026
A new Red Dwarf book in 2026?? AMAZING. What a great ride!
August 4, 2026
Red Dwarf: Titan is the highly anticipated 2026 science fiction comedy novel penned by original series co-creator Rob Grant and his long-time writing partner Andrew Marshall. Arriving thirty years after Grant’s last literary contribution to the franchise, the book stands as a profoundly bittersweet milestone, as Grant unexpectedly passed away just months before its publication, making this hilarious and complex prequel his final creative work. Set shortly before the cataclysmic radiation leak depicted in the television pilot "The End," the novel operates "one universe to the side," seamlessly blending established television lore with elements of the previous book continuity to create a fresh, entirely unpredictable narrative timeline.
The story opens with the colossal, city-sized mining ship Red Dwarf arriving in orbit around Titan, Saturn’s largest moon. The vast majority of the vessel's eleven thousand crew members are enthusiastically preparing to disembark for shore leave on the moon’s bustling, divided settlement of Xanadu. Xanadu is split into two distinct tiers: Uptown, a resplendent, luxurious resort area reserved for the officer class to indulge in cheaty golfing breaks and terminally boring cultural odysseys, and Downtown, a deeply perilous, grimy underbelly where lower-ranking crewmen are literally manacled in pairs just to ensure they survive the local marathon drinking and fighting binges. It is into this chaotic environment that two deeply unmotivated, constantly bickering chicken soup machine repairmen, Dave Lister and Arnold Rimmer, descend.
Naturally, the two bunkmates have wildly divergent goals for their time off, united only by a mutual desire to get as far away from each other as humanly possible. Arnold Rimmer is desperately seeking some highly illegal, black-market exam-cheating technology, hoping to finally land a much-lusted-for promotion to the officer class. Dave Lister, on the other hand, is currently wallowing in a state of profound heartbreak following a painful breakup with navigation officer Kristine Kochanski, who is actively preparing to marry a far more dependable man named Eric. Lister’s grand, self-destructive scheme involves acquiring a stray cat from the streets of Titan and smuggling it back aboard the Red Dwarf. His ultimate goal is to get caught and thrown into the ship’s stasis booths, intending to sleep through his emotional misery until the ship eventually returns to Earth.
However, these relatively mundane, selfish objectives are dramatically scuppered when the crew intercepts a cryptic, urgent message sent from the future. This mysterious transmission catapults Lister, Rimmer, and the rest of the crew into a breakneck, labyrinthine race against time. What begins as a comedic escapade through Titan's seediest districts rapidly devolves into a high-stakes quest to save not only their own timeline but the fabric of every other reality. Along the way, the feuding crewmen are forced to unite, facing bizarre off-world dangers and a mysterious hidden nemesis wielding an apocalyptic agenda. Unlike the earlier Red Dwarf novels, which often hopped across massive timeframes and different universes, Titan unfolds almost entirely in real time as one continuous, relentless story. This narrative structure keeps the pacing incredibly tight as the characters navigate the various factions and threats of the Saturnian moon.
One of the novel’s greatest strengths is its ensemble approach, which shifts the perspective far beyond Lister and Rimmer to explore the inner lives of the wider crew. For the first time, Kristine Kochanski is elevated to the role of a true, independent protagonist rather than simply acting as the object of Lister’s affection. The book dives deep into her personal motivations, her career ambitions on Titan, and the genuine reasons behind her breakup with Lister, providing much-needed closure and emotional depth to their relationship. The narrative also spends significant time inside the head of Captain Hollister, while introducing readers to an era where the ship's computer, Holly, functions as a ubiquitous, commercial AI assistant used throughout the galaxy.
Ultimately, Red Dwarf: Titan is a triumph of comedic science fiction that perfectly balances puerile, laugh-out-loud humor with genuinely intricate character development and high-stakes sci-fi plotting. By exploring the chaotic days immediately preceding the disaster that wiped out the crew, Grant and Marshall deliver an action-packed, poignant love letter to the fans. It answers lingering questions about the crew's origins while spinning an entirely new, dimension-threatening yarn. The novel stands as a deeply satisfying, incredibly funny swansong for Rob Grant, proving that even after decades away from the franchise, his brilliant, cynical, and affectionate grasp on the boys from the Dwarf remained as sharp as ever.
The story opens with the colossal, city-sized mining ship Red Dwarf arriving in orbit around Titan, Saturn’s largest moon. The vast majority of the vessel's eleven thousand crew members are enthusiastically preparing to disembark for shore leave on the moon’s bustling, divided settlement of Xanadu. Xanadu is split into two distinct tiers: Uptown, a resplendent, luxurious resort area reserved for the officer class to indulge in cheaty golfing breaks and terminally boring cultural odysseys, and Downtown, a deeply perilous, grimy underbelly where lower-ranking crewmen are literally manacled in pairs just to ensure they survive the local marathon drinking and fighting binges. It is into this chaotic environment that two deeply unmotivated, constantly bickering chicken soup machine repairmen, Dave Lister and Arnold Rimmer, descend.
Naturally, the two bunkmates have wildly divergent goals for their time off, united only by a mutual desire to get as far away from each other as humanly possible. Arnold Rimmer is desperately seeking some highly illegal, black-market exam-cheating technology, hoping to finally land a much-lusted-for promotion to the officer class. Dave Lister, on the other hand, is currently wallowing in a state of profound heartbreak following a painful breakup with navigation officer Kristine Kochanski, who is actively preparing to marry a far more dependable man named Eric. Lister’s grand, self-destructive scheme involves acquiring a stray cat from the streets of Titan and smuggling it back aboard the Red Dwarf. His ultimate goal is to get caught and thrown into the ship’s stasis booths, intending to sleep through his emotional misery until the ship eventually returns to Earth.
However, these relatively mundane, selfish objectives are dramatically scuppered when the crew intercepts a cryptic, urgent message sent from the future. This mysterious transmission catapults Lister, Rimmer, and the rest of the crew into a breakneck, labyrinthine race against time. What begins as a comedic escapade through Titan's seediest districts rapidly devolves into a high-stakes quest to save not only their own timeline but the fabric of every other reality. Along the way, the feuding crewmen are forced to unite, facing bizarre off-world dangers and a mysterious hidden nemesis wielding an apocalyptic agenda. Unlike the earlier Red Dwarf novels, which often hopped across massive timeframes and different universes, Titan unfolds almost entirely in real time as one continuous, relentless story. This narrative structure keeps the pacing incredibly tight as the characters navigate the various factions and threats of the Saturnian moon.
One of the novel’s greatest strengths is its ensemble approach, which shifts the perspective far beyond Lister and Rimmer to explore the inner lives of the wider crew. For the first time, Kristine Kochanski is elevated to the role of a true, independent protagonist rather than simply acting as the object of Lister’s affection. The book dives deep into her personal motivations, her career ambitions on Titan, and the genuine reasons behind her breakup with Lister, providing much-needed closure and emotional depth to their relationship. The narrative also spends significant time inside the head of Captain Hollister, while introducing readers to an era where the ship's computer, Holly, functions as a ubiquitous, commercial AI assistant used throughout the galaxy.
Ultimately, Red Dwarf: Titan is a triumph of comedic science fiction that perfectly balances puerile, laugh-out-loud humor with genuinely intricate character development and high-stakes sci-fi plotting. By exploring the chaotic days immediately preceding the disaster that wiped out the crew, Grant and Marshall deliver an action-packed, poignant love letter to the fans. It answers lingering questions about the crew's origins while spinning an entirely new, dimension-threatening yarn. The novel stands as a deeply satisfying, incredibly funny swansong for Rob Grant, proving that even after decades away from the franchise, his brilliant, cynical, and affectionate grasp on the boys from the Dwarf remained as sharp as ever.
September 8, 2026
I was really looking forward to this book as I’ve read all the others, but something about it just felt a bit off to me.
Being a prequel, some of it doesn’t really seem to fit with what we already know. In the previous books Rimmer and Lister first meet on Titan and Lister which is when he smuggles the Cat on board. Also the Captain was also female before in the previous books whereas here his male. Maybe that’s just nitpicking, but it did keep pulling me out of it.
I also really didn’t like all the modern references to Amazon, Google, emoticons, Pokémon cards and even Buzz Lightyear. They just felt really out of place in Red Dwarf. I get they’re bringing it up to date for new readers… but didn’t sit right with me.
The story itself is a bit all over the place too. I found it hard to follow at times and way more convoluted than it needed to be.
The biggest thing for me though is Titan itself. It just doesn’t feel like the Red Dwarf universe. Chimps driving taxis, three-armed, three butted characters and all the other weird stuff made it feel like a completely different from Red Dwarfs sci-fi comedy at times.
I know TV and books are totally different formats, but part of the charm of Red Dwarf for me was that really it was just a bunch of idiots stuck together in space. The characters were flawed but likeable, and the writing was just so good and so ahead of its time. With the TV show I actually think some of that probably came from the limitations of the budget. They couldn’t go massive, so it had to be about the characters, the dialogue and the ideas.
The first three books are brilliant though. This one just feels pretty forgettable to me. It goes too big, gets too complicated and feels like it’s trying way too hard to expand the world when it really didn’t need to.
There are some good moments in it, but most of the time I found myself either confused or just not that bothered about what was happening. It’s not especially clever, and worse, it’s just not that funny.
Which honestly pains me to say, especially with this being Rob Grant’s final work. He’s someone I’ve got a huge amount of respect for and he’s written some of my favourite comedy ever.
Sorry Rob.
Being a prequel, some of it doesn’t really seem to fit with what we already know. In the previous books Rimmer and Lister first meet on Titan and Lister which is when he smuggles the Cat on board. Also the Captain was also female before in the previous books whereas here his male. Maybe that’s just nitpicking, but it did keep pulling me out of it.
I also really didn’t like all the modern references to Amazon, Google, emoticons, Pokémon cards and even Buzz Lightyear. They just felt really out of place in Red Dwarf. I get they’re bringing it up to date for new readers… but didn’t sit right with me.
The story itself is a bit all over the place too. I found it hard to follow at times and way more convoluted than it needed to be.
The biggest thing for me though is Titan itself. It just doesn’t feel like the Red Dwarf universe. Chimps driving taxis, three-armed, three butted characters and all the other weird stuff made it feel like a completely different from Red Dwarfs sci-fi comedy at times.
I know TV and books are totally different formats, but part of the charm of Red Dwarf for me was that really it was just a bunch of idiots stuck together in space. The characters were flawed but likeable, and the writing was just so good and so ahead of its time. With the TV show I actually think some of that probably came from the limitations of the budget. They couldn’t go massive, so it had to be about the characters, the dialogue and the ideas.
The first three books are brilliant though. This one just feels pretty forgettable to me. It goes too big, gets too complicated and feels like it’s trying way too hard to expand the world when it really didn’t need to.
There are some good moments in it, but most of the time I found myself either confused or just not that bothered about what was happening. It’s not especially clever, and worse, it’s just not that funny.
Which honestly pains me to say, especially with this being Rob Grant’s final work. He’s someone I’ve got a huge amount of respect for and he’s written some of my favourite comedy ever.
Sorry Rob.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews