Despite disappointing news about a planned Red Dwarf special being cancelled, fans can rejoice – the show is returning in a different way!
After a 30-year hiatus, a new Red Dwarf novel is coming this summer! It’s written by Rob Grant, one of the show’s original creators, and Andrew Marshall, who created the sitcom 2point4 Children.
Titan is a new prequel to the classic BBC sci-fi comedy Red Dwarf. The show originally followed Dave Lister (Craig Charles), who wakes up after three million years to discover he’s the last human alive. His only companions are a hologram of his old roommate, Arnold Rimmer (Chris Barrie), and a creature that evolved from his cat (Danny John-Jules).
Grant shared with TopMob that his new novel explores the early adventures of Lister and Rimmer, depicting them on shore leave before the events that took place on Titan.
This story takes place in a separate universe, allowing us to explore familiar characters in new ways. The challenge was creating something original while staying true to established character backgrounds and storylines.
The project ended up taking us about a year and a half longer than we originally planned, and it was quite complex.
He explained that the new story will involve Lister and Rimmer receiving a warning from the distant future: unless they take action, all realities will cease to exist.
Although these two writers have collaborated previously, this marks Marshall’s debut working on Red Dwarf.
Marshall admitted he was a little hesitant at first, knowing he couldn’t fill the shoes of Doug Naylor, the co-creator of Red Dwarf. He emphasized that Doug is simply irreplaceable.
He explained that Grant eventually convinced him they could bring a fresh take to Red Dwarf if they collaborated. While the characters themselves wouldn’t change, they’d be able to explore them from a new angle.
I wanted to create more complex and fully-developed characters, allowing the audience to understand their inner lives better. Unlike a sitcom, a book gives you the space to show character growth and let each one experience a personal journey, which was a really appealing idea.
Viewers can look forward to seeing beloved characters return, along with hidden references and surprises. Marshall hinted at a mysterious villain on Titan who turns out to be surprisingly important to the wider Red Dwarf story.
Grant promises the classic, quirky humor of Red Dwarf is returning stronger than ever, guaranteeing fans will be in stitches.
The new novel, Red Dwarf: Titan, will be released in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats on July 16, 2026. You can currently watch Red Dwarf on BBC iPlayer.
Authors
Louise Griffin edits the Sci-Fi & Fantasy section at TopMob, where she writes about popular franchises like Doctor Who, Star Wars, Marvel, House of the Dragon, and Good Omens. Before TopMob, she was a Senior Entertainment Reporter at Metro, and she holds a degree in English Literature.
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2026-02-19 14:36