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May 17 and 18, 2005 Found in a British shop in Gütersloh -so I had to buy it.
This is a book set in the Red Dwarf reality. Red Dwarf is a British comedy TV show, set many millions of years in the future, where there's only one remaining human: and he was a social No-Body, whose job was Assistant to the cleaner of the Soup Machines. (He was put in stasis over a petty crime, when the disaster happened, killing everyone else on the ship.) It's a show I've always enjoyed, so when I saw this book, I picked it up without even consciously considering it.
It doesn't have the philosophical angle which I most love in SF books, but it's well written, and has some interesting concepts in it, and is a gripping adventure. (The adventure includes a prison break-out, the vanquishing of an evil twin out of a parallel universe, the discovering, and confronting of an unknown son, and being chased by hairy, bear-like in-laws, with laser cannons.) The innovations, were Cyber-Jails: where prisoners are hooked into Virtual Reality, where they're made to live in their own personal Hells, as punishment, (And that's for crimes not yet committed, but for those that they are foreseen doing.) There is also the use of Viruses to terraform planets, as well as, (I hope I'm not giving too much away,) the beneficial viruses, such as the Luck Virus, -which, obviously, makes you lucky.
Now, the thing I was the most curious about, was when this book was written, in comparison to the TV series. Many of the scenes in this book, I know, nearly verbatim, from the Series. (Including "My nipples don't work." and "The only way we're ever going to [make the trade,] is if you agree to marry Khakhakhakkhhakhakkkhakkkkkh." as well as the favourite "Laudable ... Well, in the old days you frequently helped me out with my laundry duties, by wearing your underpants inside out and extending their wear time by three weeks. Does that count?") So, I was wondering if this book was put together using scenes from the series, or, if the scenes were very appreciated, and then ripped from the book, to use in the series. Hmmm... I think, due to the lack of the Emo-Hawk in the book, that it came first. (The Book, not the Emo-hawk.) You see, it came with the scene of Lister marrying the giant Bear-like creature, Khakhak... etc. who then sent an emo-hawk after them, in anger, after Lister ran away on his wedding night. I found this Emo-hawk a wonderful idea; it is a freely morphing life form, which sucks emotions out of people, leaving them confused, and not-them-selves. An inspired idea, and interesting. So, I think that if the Series had come first, then the Emo-hawk would surly have been put into the book. And that is my proof that the book came first.
What else have I to say though? It was nice to see that Lister, (The last man in the universe,) Was together, and paired with his life long love, Kochansky. -and was a better person for it, too. Also, I was relatively moved by Lister's friend's predicament too; He's been a life long coward, and nobody. And his son, which he'd never known he'd had, has been raised on tales of his fearless, stupendous, courageous Father, who's the bravest and best rocket commander of his time. And the son has spent his entire life trying to live up to this standard; to make himself half as good as his hero-worshipped image of a father. And then Rimmer, (the Father,) does the one, Single brave act in his life: he confronts his son, and tells him that the brave and excellent person, is only who he's always wished to be, but never, NEVER has been. This situation -touched me. As well as when the father's life has nearly ended, and he finds a way that he can save his friends and his son from impending death by sacrificing himself. And then he does so. But he turns back, still, at the last second. Not to run away though, as would be expected of him, but to give one last cryptic message: "SMAKIBBFB." And it's understood, (Inside joke from the series,) that he's able to see himself as the great Hero at last. That would have been the most touching moment of the whole book for me.
Not, however, the moment I most enjoyed. There were many other parts of the book where I was laughing out loud. And I'd guess that it was those placed which I most enjoyed. (Certainly, that's partly just my mood at the moment: I wish to be entertained, not taken through my emotional paces.)
Anyhow, Hoorah! Good book. Smeggin' excelent man. -only it would be less enjoyed by those who didn't know all I know about the series. (I think it would still be enjoyed by them. Certainly. But not to such a "Gotta read more!!!" degree.)
I was one night wanting something to pass ten or twenty minutes. Not wanting to start a new book just then, I picked this one up and opened it to somewhere three quarters through. The next day, I thought, "That was enjoyable, last night!" -and continued reading it until the end. The day after that, I thought I might as well go from the beginning. -And within a day or two, I got to where I first started, and stopped there.
SO! do I have anything to add to what I earlier wrote about this? (Let me read back, and see...) Not much. It's interesting that other things stood out to me this time though; the idiot president on Earth, who orders some scientific experiments, which then doom the sun to an early extinction, (And who worries terribly how he can get into office a second time with something like that looming over him,) as well as the entire Gelf history, (the Geneticly Engineered Life Forms.)
An interesting comment on human psychology, takes place when Lister is trapped in a jail, and wants to find a way out. He "knows" he can't figure it out by himself, but he can get a simulation of his Mechanoid friend, which he can then discuss things with. -The simulation can not tell him anything he doesn't know, as the entire simulation is generated out of thoughts within his own head. But the discussion helps him anyhow. SO...
The point is that we have greater mental powers than we admit, or can even use. Some of them can be released through talking with others, even if that other has nothing to add. This idea seems... real. It seems like a true possibility. I could be easily convinced that it's a fact. And I haven't any idea what more I might have to say about it now.
So, still a good book, and worth picking up a second time.