best and worst of the rd novels ??

[NitroChrisUK]

i have only recently got round to buying last human and read that in a few hours .. off to get the rest today( if i can find them ) was just wondering what everyone thought was there personal favourate and least favourate of the books ..and from reading last human .. i assume it dosent fit in with the seies continuity ..?.. i feel so dumb :(

Topic

[Phil]

Hmm…you just might be able to twist my arm for that. I’ll check around for prices on Backwards and Last Human.

[Seb Patrick]

http://www.abebooks.com/

A dollar, Phil. ONE MEASLY, STINKIN’ DOLLAR.

[Phil]

Well…I was planning on depositing that dollar in the bank…

But what the hell. You only live once, right?

EDIT: After shipping I’ll end up spending about what I would at Amazon for a non-used copy. Rats. I’ll order them soonish, though.

[JohnnyW]

The thing is though, although the implant certainly gives a person a major advantage, it is just another tool. A tool many successful officers did without and got to with graft.

Sure, Rimmer could still work his butt off and not succeed. On that other hand he just might. He might never be as high ranking as his privileged brothers but he could still end up an officer. Unfortunately, although it?s the thing he most wants in the world, he really doesn?t have any interest in the subject matter he is studying, hence all the rotas and bar-charts, etc. Working hard at not working. And what does he do? He blames his parents. He feels sorry for himself. And the lack of an implant is just another excuse to add to all the others.

The interesting thing is, when it really counts, when he is (spoiler territory) faced with someone who is the archetype of what he would like to be, who even saw him as the hero, he actually does better himself in the end. He doesn?t become an officer but in the end that?s not what?s important.

What the hell are you talking about? Just go an re-read the book instead of arguing with people who have it fresh in their memory. Do I have to type it out for you?

[Phil]

Um, yeah. Because everyone on G+T is an expert about all the things they choose to discuss.

[Seb Patrick]

What the hell are you talking about? Just go an re-read the book instead of arguing with people who have it fresh in their memory. Do I have to type it out for you?

I think the more pertinent question is what the hell are you talking about? I can’t see a huge amount wrong with what Chris said. Or, if you disagree with it, that doesn’t mean that he’s a fucking idiot who isn’t allowed to talk about the book.

Seriously, instead of just saying “Go and re-read the book”, why not try articulating why you disagree?

[Seb Patrick]

Also, I don’t think you count as “people who have it fresh in their memory” when you stopped after 50 pages.

[Phil]

In other words, try not to be an unnecessarily raging dick when you haven’t been provoked.

[ChrisM]

Thanks for the support guys. I probably got a bit carried away with my little essay I think.

Johnny W, please don’t take it as an argument though, just a discussion. (And it’s just a book, i.e. entertainment, after all.)

You saw the implant as contradicting Rimmer’s other issues that went on before.

I just see it as another excuse he falls back on, therefore meaning all his other issues are still alive and partying. Other officers (Kochanski for example) succeeded without implants after all (although no doubt those things are a BIG help.)

Just another angle that’s all.

Anyhow, peace! Let’s move on…

I hope we get some more RD literature in future! Who knows what the recent RD revival with the specials etc, will open up.

[Tarka Dal]

>In short: Backwards is smart and funny, whereas Last Human was despicably awful.

I’m sorry but this is absolute bollocks. Last Human is far, far from awful. Backwards has the bigger laughs granted, but Last Human is a decently crafted sci-fi novel. It doesn’t read in the same style as the first two and that was a deliberate choice by Doug.

Backwards may be more in keeping with the comedy of Dwarf and the first two novels, but it also lingers on some sections of the story for far too bloody long.

[Anonymous]

It’s been years since I read the books but I really enjoyed IWCD and BTL. I had the omnibus edition (which some tosser borrowed and fucked off without returning it) and it really did read like one book. I loved the back stories for Rimmer and Lister, the explanation about holograms and Trixie!

Last Human I still have and didn’t enjoy – I need to revisit that one before further comment. Backwards I haven’t read. Looks like I need to order it and a replacement omnibus and get some reading done.

[JamesTC]

Re-reading IWCD right now, I find Rimmer’s death much more tragic than in the show, in the book he is finally learning how to revise well, if his revision time-table wasn’t fucked up I think he could have passed the astro-navigation exam.

Yesterday I was up to the future echoes section of the book and slapped on Series 1 in the background, at the bit where Holly said something to Lister about plugging in the thing into the drive console I read the line out of the book.

[Pete Part Three]

>in the book he is finally learning how to revise well, if his revision time-table wasn?t fucked up I think he could have passed the astro-navigation exam.

Eh?

[JamesTC]

In teh book it says he started to revise 3-4 hours a day and use the rest of his spare time not existing (stasis). He made the revision time-table in a few hours, he made a mistake on the time-table putting two septembers meaning he missed the exam, if he didn’t make that mistake I think he could have passed the exam, he was revising in a smart way.

[Mr Flibble]

Except…

The exam is a month earlier than he thinks it is.

August, September, September, October, November

Exam is on October 27th.
Rimmer thinks it’s November 27th. Because he included two Septembers.

So let’s get rid of the two Septembers:

August, September, October, November, December

Ah.

That suggests Rimmer really thinks it’s on December 27th?

In order to make the cockup he did, there needs to be a month *missing*.

Ah well, only 20 years late.

[Dave]

>That suggests Rimmer really thinks it?s on December 27th?

There’s a retake on Geldof 27th

[Seb Patrick]

No, it’s never made sense to me, either.

[Blisschick]

I’m glad I saw this post, because I just purchased all four books on Amazon last night since they’re not to be found in any bookstore anywhere around me. I was told by Barns & Noble they’re out of print. (I don’t know how true that actually is.) It was a toss-up between the first two or the Omnibus, so I figured I’d get the two originals and get the other later and compare the two. Any thoughts on that?

>ONE MEASLY, STINKIN? DOLLAR.

And I’m the guilty party that bought it. A couple of them, actually. I’d prefer new, but since I just bought the Series VIII DVDs brand new the other day for the price of my firstborn, I’m having to go cheap. (YAY! I even got the collector’s cards!)

>I prefer listining to the audios really. Chris Barrie brings the first two books to life. Craig Charles has a much harder job with the slobbering GELF filled ?Last Human? but still does a fantastic job. Rob Grant does a weird Ace Rimmer.

I’ve been listening to them…I think I’m still at the beginning of Backwards somewheres. IMO, Rob Grant is okaaaay, a lot easier to listen to than Craig Charles even though he lacks the ability to really personalize the characters. I absolutely love listening to Chris Barrie and his eerie, dead-on impersonations. I think he sounds more like Kryten than Kryten sometimes! (I’m also biased because I think he has a sexy voice…it’s a girl thang.)

;-)

[Ben Paddon]

Girls in Red Dwarf fandom, I have noticed, seem to have a thing for Rimmer generally. I think it’s probably all down to some deep desire to “fix” him.

[Blisschick]

>Girls in Red Dwarf fandom, I have noticed, seem to have a thing for Rimmer generally. I think it?s probably all down to some deep desire to ?fix? him.

Probably you’re right. Most of us are hardwired to be nurturing and maternal. It’s just hard not to feel sorry for him. In the real world, though, I’d be telling someone like him to suck it up and move on and probably would’ve thought he was a real creep.

[ChrisM]

I?m glad I saw this post, because I just purchased all four books on Amazon last night since they?re not to be found in any bookstore anywhere around me. I was told by Barns & Noble they?re out of print. (I don?t know how true that actually is.) It was a toss-up between the first two or the Omnibus, so I figured I?d get the two originals and get the other later and compare the two. Any thoughts on that?

If you’ve bought the first two, I’m not sure there is a whole lot of point in getting the omnibus later as you’re mainly buying the same material. Unless you’re a collector of course.

That being said, I think there are a couple of goodies at the back of the omnibus that might not be in the other two books (but check first, by all means.) One is a script for The End (or part of it anyway.) and the beer mat in which they scribbled ideas for the show.

[Pete Part Three]

As long as you know who Kevin Keegan is, you’ll be fine.

[Seb Patrick]

Originals >> Omnibus

[hummingbird]

> Girls in Red Dwarf fandom, I have noticed, seem to have a thing for Rimmer generally. I think it?s probably all down to some deep desire to ?fix? him.

Personally, no.

Maybe it’s just the sort of girls you hang out with, Seb.

[Blisschick]

>As long as you know who Kevin Keegan is, you?ll be fine.

I’m in trouble then.

*off to Google Kevin Keegan*

[Danny Stephenson]

Originals >> Omnibus

Why do you say that, Seb?

[JamesTC]

Am I right in thinking that the omnibus are like a re-mastered version of the original novels. I have the omnibus right now because I lent the original IWCD to a friend and he has still not gave it back, in the end I wanted to read it and so bought it again, it was only ?5 and I got BTL with it in the omnibus.

[locusceruleus]

>Girls in Red Dwarf fandom, I have noticed, seem to have a thing for Rimmer generally. I think it?s probably all down to some deep desire to ?fix? him.

That’s almost frighteningly astute.

[Jonathan Capps]

> Am I right in thinking that the omnibus are like a re-mastered version of the original novels.

I never was a fan of the new CG words.

[Pete Part Three]

Worse bit in Omnibus?

“Lister’s Window was filled with red.
And red.
And red.
He couldn’t see where it started and he couldn’t see where it finished. But it was big. No, it was BIG.
A big, red, ugly pencil that looked poorly rendered and really shit”

[JamesTC]

I demand a spin-off book on the rubber plant.

[Danny Stephenson]

So you’ve not seen the RubberPlant Diaries then?

[JamesTC]

Looks good, *add to basket*

[Arlene Rimmer BSc SSc]

>Girls in Red Dwarf fandom, I have noticed, seem to have a thing for Rimmer generally. I think it?s probably all down to some deep desire to ?fix? him.

Actually, the reason is “Terrorform”. Partly it’s “Holoship”, and maybe a little tiny bit “Demons and Angels” (if that’s your kink), but mostly it’s that one scene or so from “Terrorform”.

[Mr Flibble]

?Lister?s Window was filled with red.
And red.
And red.
He couldn?t see where it started and he couldn?t see where it finished. But it was big. No, it was BIG.
A big, red, ugly pencil that looked poorly rendered and really shit?

I nominate this for hall of fame status.

G&T people – how about giving a list of all comments with “Hall of Fame” in them? That’s pretty easy to do.

[Ian Symes]

You know what, I was thinking that exact thing as I was reading through the forum this morning.

[Seb Patrick]

>Maybe it?s just the sort of girls you hang out with, Seb.

Or possibly the sort of girls Ben hangs out with, since it was him that said it.

… although yes, the majority of female Dwarf fans I know do seem to love their Rimmer. With the exception of Rachel, who used to fancy Lister instead. Maybe she just has a thing for pudgy irritating Scousers.

>Why do you say that, Seb?

Mainly for the Kevin Keegan thing – a totally unnecessary change and one that renders the joke, such as it is, entirely unfunny. I think there are a couple of others, as well, and it just feels akin to substituting Felicity Kendal for Marilyn Monroe.

[Tanya Jones]

I think the Rimmer thing is the mothering instinct in action, as he so obviously needs looking after. I also really fancy geeky blokes, but anyone who’s seen John will know that I’m a Rimmer fan.

[Ian Symes]

Anyone who’s seen John will know that you’re a Tubbs fan.

[Seb Patrick]

I nominate the above post for Hall of Making Me Spit Tea All Over My Keyboard status.

[Ben Paddon]

OM NOM NOMINATE.

[Lonely Among Us]

Just reading IWCD again. It’s almost eerie how much I related to how Lister felt after Kochanski dumped him, after splitting up with me burd.

[Ben Paddon]

Probably because that situation is a pretty universally shared state to be in

[Tarka Dal]

So can someone just confirm for me, does the omnibus feature trimmed versions of the original novels? Only that’s the only version of them I’ve ever read.

[Ian Symes]

Not trimmed as such, but with a couple of little changes, the most famous of which being changing “Football: It’s A Funny Old Game by Kevin Keegan” into “Football: It’s A Funny Old Game by Joe Klumpp”.

[Tarka Dal]

Cheers.

Is Joe Klumpp a fictional creation?

[Pete Part Three]

Uh huh.

Thereby ruining the joke.

[peas_and_corn]

I found the original funny and I didn’t know who Kevin Keegan was…

[Author]

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