Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers
INFINITY WELCOMES CAREFUL DRIVERS (Grant Naylor) - Three Stars
Having just completed a week-plus vacation, I have several reviews to write, so look for a new one each day or two for the next few days.
Those of you familiar with the British TV series "Red Dwarf" will probably recognize the title of this novel; those who aren't should probably skip this review entirely. Infinity... is the novelization of the first two seasons of "Red Dwarf." The novelization is by the series creators, Rob Grant and Doug Naylor. They use this opportunity to go into a bit more detail behind the characters and plot-lines, such as the exact circumstances that lead to Lister joining the crew of the mining ship "Red Dwarf."
They do take a few liberties, however, and the book is not an exact match for the TV show. This is a plus, because at times the TV show (at least in the first two seasons) seemed stripped down to be solely a comedic vehicle, while the book is a bit more multi-dimensional. The book maintains the series' deliciously warped sense of humor and dry wit (Rimmer heard what sounded like a nuclear wind rushing down the corridor to meet him. It was, in fact, a nuclear wind rushing down the corridor to meet him.) while adding bucket-loads more character depth and not just a little bit of darkness.
That (to me, as a "Red Dwarf" fan) is the highlight of reading the book. Lister comes across as a bit more (albeit not much more) than a shiftless, alcoholic loser. Rimmer is just as loathsome and unlikeable as ever, but perhaps a bit more sympathetic as more details are shed on his truly pathetic existence. There are more musings on the psychological aspects of the characters, stuff that can be difficult to portray on a half-hour TV comedy. I get the feeling that this is what Rob Grant and Doug Naylor truly intended for the series. It's still largely a comedy, still slightly sci-fi, but it does have a bit of a sharp edge to it and (as the ambiguous and surprisingly ominous ending to the book displays) more than hints at the darkness that can lurk inside the human psyche.
Having just completed a week-plus vacation, I have several reviews to write, so look for a new one each day or two for the next few days.
Those of you familiar with the British TV series "Red Dwarf" will probably recognize the title of this novel; those who aren't should probably skip this review entirely. Infinity... is the novelization of the first two seasons of "Red Dwarf." The novelization is by the series creators, Rob Grant and Doug Naylor. They use this opportunity to go into a bit more detail behind the characters and plot-lines, such as the exact circumstances that lead to Lister joining the crew of the mining ship "Red Dwarf."
They do take a few liberties, however, and the book is not an exact match for the TV show. This is a plus, because at times the TV show (at least in the first two seasons) seemed stripped down to be solely a comedic vehicle, while the book is a bit more multi-dimensional. The book maintains the series' deliciously warped sense of humor and dry wit (Rimmer heard what sounded like a nuclear wind rushing down the corridor to meet him. It was, in fact, a nuclear wind rushing down the corridor to meet him.) while adding bucket-loads more character depth and not just a little bit of darkness.
That (to me, as a "Red Dwarf" fan) is the highlight of reading the book. Lister comes across as a bit more (albeit not much more) than a shiftless, alcoholic loser. Rimmer is just as loathsome and unlikeable as ever, but perhaps a bit more sympathetic as more details are shed on his truly pathetic existence. There are more musings on the psychological aspects of the characters, stuff that can be difficult to portray on a half-hour TV comedy. I get the feeling that this is what Rob Grant and Doug Naylor truly intended for the series. It's still largely a comedy, still slightly sci-fi, but it does have a bit of a sharp edge to it and (as the ambiguous and surprisingly ominous ending to the book displays) more than hints at the darkness that can lurk inside the human psyche.
posted by Kevin at 10:29 PM
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