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Red Dwarf legend to return to beloved comedy series for new project
Rimmer is back in action!
BBC/UKTV/Joel Anderson
- Louise Griffin
Published: Tuesday, 16 June 2026 at 9:00 am
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Chris Barrie is returning to the world of Red Dwarf, as he's set to narrate the audiobook of new spin-off novel, Red Dwarf: Titan.
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The actor, who played Rimmer in the beloved sci-fi comedy, will be the voice of the new book, written by Red Dwarf co-creator Rob Grant and Andrew Marshall.
Barrie said: "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!"
Marshall 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."
As well as starring as Rimmer in the 13 seasons of Red Dwarf, Barrie also narrated the first two Red Dwarf books: Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers (1992) and Better Than Life (1995).
Red Dwarf: Titan will serve as a prequel to the BBC sci-fi comedy, which followed Craig Charles's Dave Lister who wakes up after three million years to find he's the last living human - and is only accompanied by a hologram of his deceased bunkmate, Arnold Rimmer (Chris Barrie), and a humanoid creature evolved from his pet cat (Danny John-Jules).
Arnold Rimmer (Chris Barrie) in Red Dwarf. BBC/UKTV/Des Willie
Speaking to Radio Times in the weeks before his passing, co-author Grant explained of the novel: "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 book cover of Red Dwarf: Titan. Gollancz
He added that the story will see Lister and Rimmer "get a message from the far future warning them that all realities are going to collapse unless they do something about it."
Grant also assured us that Red Dwarf's signature silliness is back in full force, with the writer promising that fans will "laugh their little chippers off".
Red Dwarf: Titan will publish in hardback, ebook and audio on 16 July 2026 and is available to preorder now. Red Dwarf is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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Authors
Louise GriffinSci-Fi and Fantasy Editor
Louise Griffin is the Sci-Fi & Fantasy Editor for Radio Times, covering everything from Doctor Who, Star Wars and Marvel to House of the Dragon and Good Omens. She previously worked at Metro as a Senior Entertainment Reporter and has a degree in English Literature.
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