Chris Barrie, best known for his iconic role as Arnold Rimmer in the beloved BBC sci-fi comedy Red Dwarf, is making a return to the franchise. The actor has been confirmed to narrate the audiobook of the upcoming spin-off novel, Red Dwarf: Titan, a prequel to the original series.
Barrie's Delight at Returning
Speaking about his involvement, Barrie expressed his enthusiasm: "I am finding Red Dwarf: Titan to be a very entertaining read. Recording any audiobook is always a challenge with so many characters to cover. But Red Dwarf: Titan, loaded as it is with laugh-out-loud lines and situations, is simply a joy!"
He added, "I'm delighted that the portrayer of Arnold J Rimmer himself, the fabulous multi-voiced Chris Barrie will be reading the audiobook of Red Dwarf Titan. And I'm certain that Rob would be too. In fact, we would be noisily competing as to whom was the most delighted. Currently that's me."
About the Novel
The novel, penned by Red Dwarf co-creator Rob Grant and Andrew Marshall, serves as a prequel to the series. In an interview with Radio Times before his passing, Grant explained the premise: "It's Lister and Rimmer before the accident on shore leave on Titan. It's set one universe to the side, so we can have familiar characters but we can do different things with them, because the difficulty was writing something that was going to be original and fresh and using the same characters without breaking the canon."
The story follows Lister and Rimmer as they "get a message from the far future warning them that all realities are going to collapse unless they do something about it." Grant promised that the signature silliness of Red Dwarf remains intact, assuring fans they will "laugh their little chippers off."
Barrie's History with Red Dwarf Audiobooks
Barrie previously narrated the first two Red Dwarf novels: Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers (1992) and Better Than Life (1995). His return to the audiobook format for this new installment has been met with excitement from fans.
Red Dwarf: Titan is set to be published in hardback, ebook, and audio on July 16. The original series is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
