The books were written after the TV series was first produced. Presumably the cover artist wasn't aware this was a novelisation of an existing TV series.
If you've ever read any 1970s sci-fi books, the ladies on the front cover, wearing totally inappropriate clothing for a brisk breeze let alone space give a hint at what cover artists have to work with. Some of my favourite books from the era (James White - Sector General) have beautiful WTFs that 95% of the time bear no resemblance to the plot.
I mean, I saw nothing to indicate that the main characters looked any different. When Chris Barrie read the audiobooks, he did the voices of the cast. Note also Lister being white.
No, the artist just didn't have a reference and didn't seem to know it was based on a show.
If it was based on the American remake Holly would be a lot hotter.
The books are written by the creators of the series, with character portrayals heavily informed by the performances of the actors. And when Chris Barrie read the audiobooks, he based the character voices on the actors. And the Cat was specifically mentioned as having humanlike features. So no, the book doesn't specify his ethnicity, but it's very much Craig Charles's Lister.
No, he wasn’t. The cover artist wasn’t familiar with the show, hadn’t read the book, and was only given a brief description to go on. This happens quite a lot with front covers.
The Doctor Who Target novelisations reprinted in places like Poland, France and Japan had a few notable examples that were just outright bonkers.
Anyway, this edition is from 1993 and is a collection of the first two novels without the extra stuff that appeared in the Omnibus. It's from an imprint of Doubleday called Guild America, they released this as part of their science-fiction book club subscription service.
How TF did the cover artist (a) never watch the show, and (b) have Lister be clean-cut? And IWCD describes the cat as human with catlike features, not a walking cat. This irritates me lol
I doubt the artist had time to actually read the book. If they didn't know about the show, and they're just given the publisher's synopsis and descriptions of the characters, that's about what you'd expect them to come up with.
The white Lister still bugs me, though IIRC Lister wasn't written as Black, but when they asked Craig Charles to read the script and tell them if the Cat was racist, Charles liked the Lister character and wanted to audition.
It was the 90's and this was for a US edition IIRC. The artist probably didn't have access to the show.
Although I'm surprised no one sent them a picture of the cast.
Artist probably half-listened to the first part of hollys opening monologue of
“
"This is an SOS distress call from the mining ship Red Dwarf. The crew are dead, killed by a radiation leak. The only survivors are Dave Lister, who was in suspended animation during the disaster, and his pregnant cat, who was safely sealed in the hold. Revived three million years later, Lister's only companions are a life form who evolved from his cat, and Arnold Rimmer, a hologram simulation of one of the dead crew”
And then just switched it off and decided he had enough info.
No way! I so want to find a copy of this, it's such an oddity. My dream would be to find this edition of Red Dwarf, and a Mr Flibbles puppet... a girl can only dream.
This was my introduction to Red Dwarf. My father got the book from his book club. He loved and thought I would. I did. I didn’t see the TV show for another few years. I still have the book. It’s a prized possession of mine. The audio books are also great and a comfort listen of mine.
Very cool - I love hearing about the different ways people get into things! I had been a fan of the show since it first came to my PBS station, and I had actually special-ordered the books from England.
I bought this book online once from some esoteric book seller in America. Stock photo showed it was this version. I asked them for confirmation that it was the US edition, and it was. Bought it, had it shipped over, happy days.
When it arrived... there was no dust cover. Just a plain grey book with red spine. Smeg.
If you want a copy with a specific front cover, never buy a book online unless the accompanying photo is of the actual book that’s being sent to you. I recommend buying from an independent seller on eBay rather than a book selling company.
I love that the artist has interpreted Cat’s propensity for being appearance-obsessed and highly tailored by dressing him like an Edwardian London Banker
Just realised that the fish is meant to be Lister’s robot goldfish (but looks like a catfish in this case?). Hence why Lister and Arnie look so stressed.
It's a collection of the two books they wrote together. I remember seeing pictures of this in the 90s - IIRC it was a book club edition, and they just...didn't have a reference shot to give the cover artist.
The novels were written a few years after the show started. In England, where Red Dwarf is a known property, they had the familiar Red Dwarf logo. But this edition is a collection of both the Grant Naylor novels, that was distributed by an American science fiction book club. Think the Columbia Record Club, but with sci-fi novels. Though I still find it a bit ridiculous for a *science fiction* distributor to not be aware of what was then a rising cult show.
There was a series of sketches on a Radio 4 show, but these didn't have Rimmer, or Cat, and the computer was called Hab.
I think the commenter has conflated the background to Red Dwarf and Hitchhikers Guide, maybe.
This is crazy, I have childhood memories of listening to this as a boy on my nans radio alarm clock in the room I stayed in late at night. I always assumed somehow they played the audiobooks on the radio at this time but it never quite made sense to me.
No I’m not. According to Rob and Doug, Dave Hollins is considered to be the first incarnation of Red Dwarf. Btw Chris was the computer.
ETA https://reddwarf.fandom.com/wiki/Dave_Hollins:_Space_Cadet
Sketches on BBC Radio are considered in the entertainment industry to be a radio play. Doug and Rob both call them radio plays in all of the books about the making of.
They're referring to [Dave Hollins: Space Cadet](https://youtu.be/u1tJbW_OmX4?si=PCMOquFafGc7FopS), which is not exactly Dwarf but shares a similar premise and a few of the same jokes
Well, no. The *Dave Hollins: Space Cadet* sketches from *Cliché* and *Son of Cliché* were the loose basis for *Red Dwarf*.
Hollins is an astronaut whose being marooned seven billion years in the future is attributed to his oversleeping in cryogenic suspension and his crew being eaten by an alien monster. He's totally alone aboard the Psion IV and the first sketch ends with his decapitation by some aliens who consider swapping heads for an hour as a polite greeting.
Hollins returns alive in four more sketches in the second series, now aboard the Melissa V and with HAB the computer - a more on the nose parody of HAL from *2001* than Holly - and the final sketch ends with him finally getting home to Earth, only to find fruit flies have taken over and have subjugated the remaining species, cockroaches and PE teachers.
I read the books when I was about 11 (a *long* time ago) but was the cat actually meant to look like a…cat?
The books were written after the TV series was first produced. Presumably the cover artist wasn't aware this was a novelisation of an existing TV series.
Fair enough but I wanna blame Rimmer for this. The Smeghead Smegged it up faster then a pot noodle.
If you've ever read any 1970s sci-fi books, the ladies on the front cover, wearing totally inappropriate clothing for a brisk breeze let alone space give a hint at what cover artists have to work with. Some of my favourite books from the era (James White - Sector General) have beautiful WTFs that 95% of the time bear no resemblance to the plot.
The Nightmare on Elm Street posters are a favorite example of this for me.
I mean, I saw nothing to indicate that the main characters looked any different. When Chris Barrie read the audiobooks, he did the voices of the cast. Note also Lister being white.
Note that I said the *main* characters. They did replace Captain Hollister with "a short American woman with the unfortunate surname 'Kirk'."
Is this based on the American remake?
No, the artist just didn't have a reference and didn't seem to know it was based on a show. If it was based on the American remake Holly would be a lot hotter.
Jane Leeves, according to a quick Google of American red dwarf
Indeed. The fact that it didn't take off meant she could go and be Daphne on Fraiser.
Not wanting to start an argument, but is the colour of any character's skin mentioned in the books?
The books are written by the creators of the series, with character portrayals heavily informed by the performances of the actors. And when Chris Barrie read the audiobooks, he based the character voices on the actors. And the Cat was specifically mentioned as having humanlike features. So no, the book doesn't specify his ethnicity, but it's very much Craig Charles's Lister.
No, he wasn’t. The cover artist wasn’t familiar with the show, hadn’t read the book, and was only given a brief description to go on. This happens quite a lot with front covers.
The Doctor Who Target novelisations reprinted in places like Poland, France and Japan had a few notable examples that were just outright bonkers. Anyway, this edition is from 1993 and is a collection of the first two novels without the extra stuff that appeared in the Omnibus. It's from an imprint of Doubleday called Guild America, they released this as part of their science-fiction book club subscription service.
Yes.
Cat in his second-purest form. Because Danny John-Jules is 110% pure.
Weirdly, Holly is the most correct character here
Yet somehow looks more like Richard O’Brien than Norman Lovett.
Looks like Richard O'Brien? It's astounding! 😉
🎶Let’s do the Holly Hop again!🎵
Time is fleeting
I'm kinda surprised there's not even an attempt at Kryten. But I *am* impressed that the ersatz Cat is eating one of Lister's robot fishies.
How TF did the cover artist (a) never watch the show, and (b) have Lister be clean-cut? And IWCD describes the cat as human with catlike features, not a walking cat. This irritates me lol
I doubt the artist had time to actually read the book. If they didn't know about the show, and they're just given the publisher's synopsis and descriptions of the characters, that's about what you'd expect them to come up with. The white Lister still bugs me, though IIRC Lister wasn't written as Black, but when they asked Craig Charles to read the script and tell them if the Cat was racist, Charles liked the Lister character and wanted to audition.
TIL they had to have someone read the script to determine if Cat was racist
The very idea of Craig Charles as Cat!!! Danny JJ embodies that role so much that I can't imagine anyone else in it!
They didn't ask CC to audition for the role of the Cat, they just asked him to give the character a once-over to see if he thought it was racist.
It was the 90's and this was for a US edition IIRC. The artist probably didn't have access to the show. Although I'm surprised no one sent them a picture of the cast.
Artist probably half-listened to the first part of hollys opening monologue of “ "This is an SOS distress call from the mining ship Red Dwarf. The crew are dead, killed by a radiation leak. The only survivors are Dave Lister, who was in suspended animation during the disaster, and his pregnant cat, who was safely sealed in the hold. Revived three million years later, Lister's only companions are a life form who evolved from his cat, and Arnold Rimmer, a hologram simulation of one of the dead crew” And then just switched it off and decided he had enough info.
I think this is very likely - this does look like how you’d portray them if that was all the info you had
"Holy Ravioli Mario! Some-a-body toucha my spagett!" - Rimmer, probably.
Can't say I see it, but I love a good "some-a-body toucha my spagett!"
I don’t know what’s worse. White Lister or Disproportionate Cat
wat
I agree, friend.
No way! I so want to find a copy of this, it's such an oddity. My dream would be to find this edition of Red Dwarf, and a Mr Flibbles puppet... a girl can only dream.
That’s a goal worth chasing!
Mr. Flibble is able to be purchased on Etsy. Mine has hexvision.
They're out of stock at the moment, I believe - though I check it every now and then!
Is this a US edition? The UK one just had the Red Dwarf logo and a road sign saying “infinity welcomes careful drivers”
It's two books in one, infinity welcomes careful drivers and better than life. The back flap does say printed in the USA.
This was my introduction to Red Dwarf. My father got the book from his book club. He loved and thought I would. I did. I didn’t see the TV show for another few years. I still have the book. It’s a prized possession of mine. The audio books are also great and a comfort listen of mine.
Very cool - I love hearing about the different ways people get into things! I had been a fan of the show since it first came to my PBS station, and I had actually special-ordered the books from England.
I bought this book online once from some esoteric book seller in America. Stock photo showed it was this version. I asked them for confirmation that it was the US edition, and it was. Bought it, had it shipped over, happy days. When it arrived... there was no dust cover. Just a plain grey book with red spine. Smeg.
If you want a copy with a specific front cover, never buy a book online unless the accompanying photo is of the actual book that’s being sent to you. I recommend buying from an independent seller on eBay rather than a book selling company.
I know it’s all very wrong but why on earth did they choose to have Rimmer dressed in denim dungarees ?
He’s a low-ranking technician who fixes dispensing machines, so I get this bit to be honest
I guess that does sort of make sense, it’s just seems so not like his character to wear something like that though
That’s amazing thank you for posting!!
That's the copy I have!
I actually read that before I ever watched the show (I live in rural SD, USA). It is still on my book shelves, and is a fun read.
Oh yeah, I’ve read all four books many times and I love them. They stimulate my Douglas Adams Cortex.
what is this is this the same book as Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers or is it something different
It’s a collection of the first two books. Published in America, in the erroneous belief that no one in America knew what RD was.
Rimmer looks like a farmer and lister looks like your uncle in the 70s or 80s.
Is Rimmer saying ‘suits you, Sir’?
FISH!
so lucky!
Didn't realize that was rare as that is the book I have.
Oh cool! Was yours a book club edition?
I just checked, it’s not.
Crappy AI art before there was crappy AI art?
They even managed to whitewash the Cat. Impressive.
The sad part is the person who sold this to half price books got ripped off. Never sell to this store.
I love that the artist has interpreted Cat’s propensity for being appearance-obsessed and highly tailored by dressing him like an Edwardian London Banker
Just realised that the fish is meant to be Lister’s robot goldfish (but looks like a catfish in this case?). Hence why Lister and Arnie look so stressed.
This has to be by the same people who do those African movie posters!
Damn the cat turned into a full-ass Tabaxi
does anyone have the ISBN for this edition??
Which book is this?
It's a collection of the two books they wrote together. I remember seeing pictures of this in the 90s - IIRC it was a book club edition, and they just...didn't have a reference shot to give the cover artist.
It's two in one. Infinity welcomes careful drivers / BTL
Was this written and or illustrated before the show?
The novels were written a few years after the show started. In England, where Red Dwarf is a known property, they had the familiar Red Dwarf logo. But this edition is a collection of both the Grant Naylor novels, that was distributed by an American science fiction book club. Think the Columbia Record Club, but with sci-fi novels. Though I still find it a bit ridiculous for a *science fiction* distributor to not be aware of what was then a rising cult show.
So what you’re saying is… this is the fabled red dwarf USA?
Early 90s I think, but please remember Red Dwarf’s first incarnation was a radio play.
Really? I've never heard of this.
There was a series of sketches on a Radio 4 show, but these didn't have Rimmer, or Cat, and the computer was called Hab. I think the commenter has conflated the background to Red Dwarf and Hitchhikers Guide, maybe.
The "Dave Hollins, Space Cadet" sketches had ideas that found their way into Red Dwarf, but aren't in any way connected.
Yep.
This is crazy, I have childhood memories of listening to this as a boy on my nans radio alarm clock in the room I stayed in late at night. I always assumed somehow they played the audiobooks on the radio at this time but it never quite made sense to me.
Does this ring a bell? https://youtu.be/u1tJbW_OmX4?si=8ExdMEZZoERx9QSx
Thank you man this is so awesome. didn't even think to look for these.
No I’m not. According to Rob and Doug, Dave Hollins is considered to be the first incarnation of Red Dwarf. Btw Chris was the computer. ETA https://reddwarf.fandom.com/wiki/Dave_Hollins:_Space_Cadet
I think your link supports what I said. Sketches, not a radio play. https://youtu.be/u1tJbW_OmX4?si=8ExdMEZZoERx9QSx
Sketches on BBC Radio are considered in the entertainment industry to be a radio play. Doug and Rob both call them radio plays in all of the books about the making of.
Ahhh I see.
They're referring to [Dave Hollins: Space Cadet](https://youtu.be/u1tJbW_OmX4?si=PCMOquFafGc7FopS), which is not exactly Dwarf but shares a similar premise and a few of the same jokes
It was called Dave Hollins and was a kind of forerunner to the TV show.
It was called Dave Hollins and was a kind of forerunner to the TV show. No Rimmer, Cat, or Kryten though.
Well, no. The *Dave Hollins: Space Cadet* sketches from *Cliché* and *Son of Cliché* were the loose basis for *Red Dwarf*. Hollins is an astronaut whose being marooned seven billion years in the future is attributed to his oversleeping in cryogenic suspension and his crew being eaten by an alien monster. He's totally alone aboard the Psion IV and the first sketch ends with his decapitation by some aliens who consider swapping heads for an hour as a polite greeting. Hollins returns alive in four more sketches in the second series, now aboard the Melissa V and with HAB the computer - a more on the nose parody of HAL from *2001* than Holly - and the final sketch ends with him finally getting home to Earth, only to find fruit flies have taken over and have subjugated the remaining species, cockroaches and PE teachers.