Reviews of ‘Infinity Welcomes…’ from non-Dwarfers

[Podey]

As mentioned in the ‘Mundane Observation Zone’ thread (as it will forever now be known), I spotted a load of reviews of IWCD on StoryGraph this morning from people for whom it was their first exposure to Red Dwarf. 
I found them interesting enough to share, so here’s a selection:


















Reading through ALL the comments from Dwarfers and non-Dwarfers alike, I was surprised to see the most oft repeated criticism was of the ending. That’s always been the most memorable bit of the book, for me…! 

Topic

[Warbodog]

Over the years, I’ve read and low-effort micro-reviewed loads of books from series and authors it turned out I wasn’t into at all, that other people really are, so I won’t take issue with anyone’s incorrect opinions on the best things.

[Dave]

I find the regular criticism of the treatment of (and lack of) women characters interesting – and it’s obviously something that gets levelled at the TV show regularly too.

For me, given that it’s a key part of the core premise of the show, it isn’t problematic that there are no female characters around. Having a regular female character would definitely change the dynamic (as we saw later with Kochanski becoming a regular) and would pull the show away from its focus on a lone man at the end of the universe with only other male characters for company.

The show’s tendency to see female characters through the eyes of flawed male characters is a feature, not a bug – and usually this is tempered by an either implicit or explicit commentary on how men view women.

Introducing Hattie as Holly was a nice way to get a female voice in the show without forcing a female humanoid character into the mix, but in terms of regulars I think that’s probably about as far as it can go without turning the show into something quite different. 

[Podey]

I think the show itself is more progressive than that (I remember the Galifrey Gals being impressed by the gender commentary in ‘Parallel Universe’) but you can have sexist characters without the thing itself being sexist. It’s more to do with the narration handling them in the same way they’re viewed by the male characters. 

There was one comment saying it didn’t get 5 stars because it fails the Bechdel test, but the reader was a viewer so I didn’t include it. 

I don’t think it’s necessarily fair to judge it outside of the context of it’s publication era on such things, but it is a valid thing to note. 

[Dave]

There was one comment saying it didn’t get 5 stars because it fails the Bechdel test

I don’t think this test was ever intended to be some kind of absolute barometer of acceptability, so it’s odd that some people now treat it as such.

[Ben Saunders]

I really like I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream, but I just can’t give it five stars because two women don’t talk to each other about some bullshit for no reason halfway through.

[Author]

Replies