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14th out of 257 books
—
446 voters
Red Dwarf: Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers (Red Dwarf #1)
by
Grant Naylor
The first lesson Lister learned about space travel was you should never try it. But Lister didn't have a choice. All he remembered was going on a birthday celebration pub crawl through London. When he came to his senses again, with nothing in his pockets but a passport in the name of Emily Berkenstein.
So he did the only thing he could. Amazed to discover they would actuall
...moreMass Market Paperback, 298 pages
Published
September 1st 1992
by Roc
(first published 1989)
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“Red Dwarf” is a funny science fiction novel about a drunk called Lister. An epic drunk who contrary to real-life drunks is actually a nice guy. One day Lister and friends start drinking in London and eventually wakes up on a moon near Saturn. Shouldn’t be a problem, right? Except he has no money and doesn’t know anybody on the moon.
Lister joins the Space Corps in the hope of one day returning to Earth. He survives an accident in stasis, that kills the rest of the crew of the ship he is on and f...more
Lister joins the Space Corps in the hope of one day returning to Earth. He survives an accident in stasis, that kills the rest of the crew of the ship he is on and f...more
I haven't seen the show, so I can't compare with it. It was easy reading, very humorous, witty, and as a The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy fan, I liked it and couldn't put it down.
What kept me from really liking it, however, was that I didn't really like any of the characters. In fact, I was downright disgusted by Lister most of the time. I mean, I never liked him from the beginning, but my feeling was at least containable until Rimmer mentioned Lister ate his toenails, everything he owned tu...more
What kept me from really liking it, however, was that I didn't really like any of the characters. In fact, I was downright disgusted by Lister most of the time. I mean, I never liked him from the beginning, but my feeling was at least containable until Rimmer mentioned Lister ate his toenails, everything he owned tu...more
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After taking a Lit of Sci-Fi class in college, I found about this TV Series. So I checked them out from the library thinking, "Oh, great. They'll probably be boring and stupid."
Was I wrong! The series was great, and my sister and I became mild fans. So, when I discovered that there were books and found them on sale, I snatched them up.
Plot:
David Lister, third technician on Red Dwarf, a 6 mile long space mining ship, is sent to stasis just in time to avoid a radiation leak that wipes out the rest...more
Was I wrong! The series was great, and my sister and I became mild fans. So, when I discovered that there were books and found them on sale, I snatched them up.
Plot:
David Lister, third technician on Red Dwarf, a 6 mile long space mining ship, is sent to stasis just in time to avoid a radiation leak that wipes out the rest...more
1 like · like · see review
Born from a British comedy show, Red Dwarf: Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers, is a hilarious sci-fi-cum-soap opera that will keep you gripped right until the end.
The novel takes the series and expands on it to create its own universe and gives all of the characters far more back story. You will find out how Lister got on board Red Dwarf in the first place, find out how the cat people became ‘the Cat’ and how Kryten managed to single handily crash the Nova-5 into a moon. If you are a fan of the...more
The novel takes the series and expands on it to create its own universe and gives all of the characters far more back story. You will find out how Lister got on board Red Dwarf in the first place, find out how the cat people became ‘the Cat’ and how Kryten managed to single handily crash the Nova-5 into a moon. If you are a fan of the...more
Back in the late 80s/early 90s, there was a TV show on British terrestial channles, that gained a bit of a cult following: 'Red Dwarf'.
Set on a 6-mile long mining ship in deep space, the early years of Red Dwarf were centred around the odd-couple pairing of Dave Lister (the last known Human alive, who was in a stasis booth - released thousands of years later - when a radiation leak wiped out the crew of the eponymous ship) and Arnold J Rimmer: a hologram of his dead bunk-mate, and perhaps the m...more
Set on a 6-mile long mining ship in deep space, the early years of Red Dwarf were centred around the odd-couple pairing of Dave Lister (the last known Human alive, who was in a stasis booth - released thousands of years later - when a radiation leak wiped out the crew of the eponymous ship) and Arnold J Rimmer: a hologram of his dead bunk-mate, and perhaps the m...more
Couldn't stop laughing out loud. Sad really.
From Amazon:
Lister is a simple man just trying to get by in life, wishing for nothing more than a basic, happy family existence such as that of George Bailey in It's A Wonderful Life. Rimmer's inferiority complex and stubbornness are unmatched.. His failings and pessimism are comically ridiculous yet somehow plausible, and one can't help pitying a man who fails in life, in death, and even in his own fantasies. I have not seen the Red Dwarf series, so I...more
From Amazon:
Lister is a simple man just trying to get by in life, wishing for nothing more than a basic, happy family existence such as that of George Bailey in It's A Wonderful Life. Rimmer's inferiority complex and stubbornness are unmatched.. His failings and pessimism are comically ridiculous yet somehow plausible, and one can't help pitying a man who fails in life, in death, and even in his own fantasies. I have not seen the Red Dwarf series, so I...more
Red Dwarf is perhaps one of my most favorite comedies. Not just because it's funny, but because it looks at life in the Future as pretty much like it is now. There are slobs, cheaters, jerks, etc now, and there will be in the future. Unlike the idealized future of Star Trek, Red Dwarf comforts us with the knowledge that people don't change, they just get different toys.
This book was a bit confusing at first, but soon became the back story for which I had hoped. Instead of an idiot in Lister (wh...more
This book was a bit confusing at first, but soon became the back story for which I had hoped. Instead of an idiot in Lister (wh...more
I've been seeing this book in stores for years, but I never bothered picking it up, figuring Red Dwarf is best in thirty minute bites and can't sustain an extended storyline. But Audible had this on sale recently, and it is read by Chris Barrie, so I decided to give it a shot.
Storywise, the book is a mash-up of several episodes across the series' first two seasons, along with a significant portion of new material at the beginning. This new stuff, detailing how Lister joined the RD's crew (and wh...more
Storywise, the book is a mash-up of several episodes across the series' first two seasons, along with a significant portion of new material at the beginning. This new stuff, detailing how Lister joined the RD's crew (and wh...more
As a long-time fan of the show, I couldn't pass up the chance to read the novel that started it all. The problem with being a fan of the show first is finding a way to comment on the book as a standalone thing, not in comparison to the TV series that came after it. It's hard to draw the line at knowing how much I enjoyed the book for its own sake and how much I enjoyed it because it took me back to the days of watching British comedy on YTV at night.
On one hand, the humour in the book was great,...more
On one hand, the humour in the book was great,...more
By taking all of the best bits from the first couple of series of the TV show, tweaking them slightly and adding some new storylines – some of which were then incorporated into the later TV shows – Rob Grant and Doug Naylor have provided a very funny book. The first few series were not as good as the later series, and one of the reasons was that the sets and costumes were this dreary grey colour. This book proves what I’ve always said is true; books are so much better than TV programmes and film...more
Picked this up a while back but wasn't inspired to read it until I'd seen a few seasons of the show. Like the show, the book is absolutely hilarious (in fact, it covers several of the same plotlines). It's worthy of comparison to Douglas Adams. A quick read and recommended for any fans of Adams.
That said, there's not much here that adds to the experience of watching the show itself. The book covers various bits from the first two series. Though not exhaustively, and it certainly adds more to the...more
That said, there's not much here that adds to the experience of watching the show itself. The book covers various bits from the first two series. Though not exhaustively, and it certainly adds more to the...more
I was in a pub one night with some friends and for some reason we started singing the Red Dwarf theme tune. Many in the pub joined in and I have never seen air keyboard played so enthusiastically. The reason was summed up by afterwards by my friend, "In Britain you are never more than 10 meters away from a Red Dwarf fan". My amended version of this is, "In Britain you are never more than 10 meters away from someone with fond memories of watching Red Dwarf".
This book is capable of galvanizing tho...more
This book is capable of galvanizing tho...more
Freed from the show's tight budgetary constraints, Rob Grant and Doug Naylor are able to realise their full vision here, introducing Rimmer and Lister prior to them boarding the titular crimson short one, revealing hopping taxis (with spine-thudding busted suspension), cybernetic person brothels and various other minor details in this expanded, tawdry universe, also expanding upon the death (and hologrammatic revival) of McIntyre.
The novel takes in and vastly expands on numerous episodes, includ...more
The novel takes in and vastly expands on numerous episodes, includ...more
Given that this novel's target audience must be fans of the show, it is disappointing redundant with the first two series. That despite the fact that respect for continuity is the much the same as it is on the screen. Inconvenient plot points from the show are altered when it suits a longer form. I cannot, however, hold that against the book when I'm happy to ignore it on tv. Still, something like 75% cribbed material led me to skip over sections.
For diehard fans, the audiobook is fun if for no...more
For diehard fans, the audiobook is fun if for no...more
This is a lot like the television show episodes in book format so of course I love it! I've been a fan of the show since it started and was gleeful when I found there were actually novels! It tells the tale of the Red Dwarf crew from the start. It includes a lot of what was in the first two series as well as a ton of details that you wouldn't know if that was your only source. Then it throws in whole new story lines and tangents. Lister's back story of how he ended up on Red Dwarf was something...more
I went into reading this with an open mind and basically not wanting to get my hopes up having been a huge fan of the series for so long! Must say it was blinding... very funny in a lot of places and it had the decency to fill in some gaps along the way!
In this book discover how Lister came to be on Red Dwarf and relive memorable events from the first two series' (although mainly the first) retold in a more concise way for the purposes of the book but not losing any of that twang that makes it...more
In this book discover how Lister came to be on Red Dwarf and relive memorable events from the first two series' (although mainly the first) retold in a more concise way for the purposes of the book but not losing any of that twang that makes it...more
Fan-smegging-tastic! It's the boys from the Dwarf! I loved this book so much, and if you enjoyed the tv show you will too.
Rob Grant and Doug Naylor outdid themselves; this was the first book in years that has made me laugh out loud. It starts off explaining how Lister ended up on Red Dwarf and takes off from there.
Some of the plot is familiar, some is new. But the authors managed to gather together storylines from episodes into a whole that not only makes sense, but fills original episode plot h...more
Rob Grant and Doug Naylor outdid themselves; this was the first book in years that has made me laugh out loud. It starts off explaining how Lister ended up on Red Dwarf and takes off from there.
Some of the plot is familiar, some is new. But the authors managed to gather together storylines from episodes into a whole that not only makes sense, but fills original episode plot h...more
The first time I read this book was in college, more than 10 years ago and I remember it was side-splittingly funny. I re-read this via audiobook and it was narrated by Chris Barrie, aka Rimmer.
It was awesome. Barrie is a master at voices and he replicated each character's voice perfectly. I had to look up to make sure he was the only one on the credits to make sure.
This book was still hilarious. Because I listened to it via headphones at work, I had to make sure when I giggled not to do it too...more
It was awesome. Barrie is a master at voices and he replicated each character's voice perfectly. I had to look up to make sure he was the only one on the credits to make sure.
This book was still hilarious. Because I listened to it via headphones at work, I had to make sure when I giggled not to do it too...more
This is one of the best books I have read in quite a while. After watching a lot of Red Dwarf over the holiday season, I decided to purchase this book. And I wasn't disappointed.
Set in a slightly alternate reality, the book goes into more depth of how Lister, Rimmer and the rest of the crew ended up on the Jupiter Mining Corp ship Red Dwarf. As well as the events that led to the catastrophic failure that left Dave Lister the last surviving human being.
The book is well written, and delves more in...more
Set in a slightly alternate reality, the book goes into more depth of how Lister, Rimmer and the rest of the crew ended up on the Jupiter Mining Corp ship Red Dwarf. As well as the events that led to the catastrophic failure that left Dave Lister the last surviving human being.
The book is well written, and delves more in...more
Audiobook version. A reread from... at least ten years ago, I think. While I generally find it quite cringey to listen to Chris Barrie doing all the voices for extended periods of time, the chapters of this audiobook are only about six minutes long so I managed to deal with it (also the Cat doesn't have too much dialogue...) I enjoyed this a lot. I'd forgotten a lot of the BTL stuff (Juanita Chicata... lol what a "Brazilian" name wow). I knew the books were more depressing than the series, but t...more
This reminds me of all those movie adaptation novels I used to buy from Scholastic book orders and read over and over again. My Girl 2 was a special favorite of mine. That Austin O'Brien was so cute.
This book was built from bits of the first and second season of Red Dwarf, with some of the dialogue copied verbatim, and some things changed or rearranged (but I don't think continuity was ever really stressed over in Red Dwarf). The book was very enjoyable, but I don't think I'd recommend it to an...more
This book was built from bits of the first and second season of Red Dwarf, with some of the dialogue copied verbatim, and some things changed or rearranged (but I don't think continuity was ever really stressed over in Red Dwarf). The book was very enjoyable, but I don't think I'd recommend it to an...more
This is a real nostalgic pleasure for me, being the novel based around my favourite tv show from my teenage years. It provides more backstory than the tv show ever did, and then is buit on the ideas from two or three of the earlier episodes. The authors seem to be heavily influenced by Douglas Adams - while they are not of the same standard, the book moves along at a good clip with plenty of witty gags and nice turns of phrase. It's just a shame that after two books, they split up and each wrote...more
May 20, 2012
Thom Foolery
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Fans of the show or of Douglas Adams' stuff
Although I'd heard of Red Dwarf when I was in college, it wasn't until 2009 or so that my family enjoyed most of the episodes on dvd. We all loved it! Thankfully, the humor carries over to a printed-page version of the story and characters. For my money, Naylor is funnier than Douglas Adams, to whom comparisons are usually made; he's wittier, and less apt to beat the reader over the head with every joke. If you haven't ever seen the show, but like episodic humor in a science fiction idiom, give...more
I'm a huge fan of the series... and definitely a huge fan of it in book form. Rob Grant and Doug Naylor definitely were successful in transferring the dry wit and sarcastic humor of the show Red Dwarf to the series of books. I've read this book a gajillion times and I know I will read it again. I'm also such a huge geek I own the audio version (actually the best is the "Radio Show" audio version -- effing brilliant) and I listen to it far too frequently. It's still funny. Dare I use the words "c...more
Oct 26, 2008
Sarah
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Everyone
Recommended to Sarah by:
my dad
I loved this book and I never read Science fiction (never is obviously an exaggeration but i do try to avoid it) So why did I read this one?
Because it was funny. Laugh out loud, don't read in a public place funny. As all great funny stories go, the plot doesn't actually sound funny. Through a strange series of events in which Lister is mostly drunk he somehow manages to become the last human alive. Wow, funny right? Cause we all know a lone human can have heaps of fun... Well actually add a dea...more
Because it was funny. Laugh out loud, don't read in a public place funny. As all great funny stories go, the plot doesn't actually sound funny. Through a strange series of events in which Lister is mostly drunk he somehow manages to become the last human alive. Wow, funny right? Cause we all know a lone human can have heaps of fun... Well actually add a dea...more
I'm probably biased, but I think this is an ace book. I can't believe I haven't read it since high school. "Red Dwarf" (along with Monty Python) was an integral part of my formative years, and was probably at least partly responsible for the distinctly British shape my sense of humour subsequently took. I still have a huge soft spot for the TV show, but in a lot of ways, the book is even better. Plots that are confined to half-hour episodes are here expanded upon, with more detail, more characte...more
I love the word "Absurd". Miriam Webster defines it as ridiculously unreasonable, unsound, or incongruous. Something that has no rational or orderly relationship to human life, something meaningless, or lacking order or value. As in, an absurd existence.
The absurd plays a key part in the philosophy of Zen Buddhism. Zen is about the now. It is about divesting youself of your self by pushing your thinking to the limits of the absurd. Everythign is absurd, everything is nothing, everything is every...more
The absurd plays a key part in the philosophy of Zen Buddhism. Zen is about the now. It is about divesting youself of your self by pushing your thinking to the limits of the absurd. Everythign is absurd, everything is nothing, everything is every...more
This is quite possibly one of the best books I've ever read. While it's (obviously) connected to the television show, which I do love, Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers is a class above, and deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Good Omens. Nihilistic British comedy at its finest.
INFINITY WELCOMES CAREFUL DRIVERS appears to be a mirror image of Seasons One and possibly Two from the Red Dwarf TV Series. The snappy dialogues are even more enjoyable in print because now we get to find out just how each of the Red Dwarf characters thinks, while learning some words that, up until now, were not part of my vocabulary...SNEEE---HEEEEE!!! The authors have fleshed out every one of the characters from their beginnings, making the Red Dwarf saga a literary feast.
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Grant Naylor was the collective name used by writers Rob Grant and Doug Naylor for their collaboration, particularly the TV series, Red Dwarf. Grant and Naylor call their pseudonym a gestalt entity, something that is greater than the sum of its parts.
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_Na...:
More about Grant Naylor...
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1 trivia question
More quizzes & trivia...
“Lister patted the towel rail against his left palm. 'I'm going out like I came in - screaming and kicking.'
'You can't whack Death on the head.'
'If he comes near me, I'll rip his tits off.”
—
7 people liked it
'You can't whack Death on the head.'
'If he comes near me, I'll rip his tits off.”
“Your explanation for anything slightly odd is aliens,' said Lister. 'You lose your keys, it's aliens. A picture falls off the wall, it's aliens. That time we used up a whole bog roll in a day, you thought that was aliens.”
—
7 people liked it
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Mar 04, 2013 09:17pm