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Chris Howarth and Steve Lyons – Red Dwarf Programme Guide | Review

Title: Red Dwarf Programme Guide

Author: Chris Howarth and Steve Lyons

Type: Non-Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 296

Rating: 4*/5

Chris Howarth and Steve Lyons – Red Dwarf Programme Guide

This book isn’t going to make much sense to you unless you’re a fan of the Red Dwarf TV show. If you are a Red Dwarf fan, though, you’re likely to enjoy this. The only real problem is that it’s a good few years old and so it’s not up to date with the latest episodes.

But still, it’s pretty clear that the writers have done their research, and it includes basically every possible piece of information about the early series. It includes a breakdown of characters and episodes, as well as a thorough appendix that includes everything you’ll ever need to know in an alphabetic index. It’s basically a dictionary of Red Dwarf references, and it’s a lot of fun.

I was also hooked by the behind the scenes photographs and the descriptions of all of the merchandise. By now, most of the stuff in that section will be considered a collector’s item – after all, this was published when the Red Dwarf fan club was still active, and still a thing.

And therein lies the only real problem that there is with this – it only covers the older episodes. I got into Red Dwarf at an early age, but even then season eight was out – and this one only really covers the first four. For me, then, it’s not quite complete, despite the fact that I read the second edition. But despite all of that, I got it for a steal – and if you can get it for a bargain, I’d recommend it. I’m almost sad that I’ve finished reading it because now I need to read serious books.

The Red Dwarf Crew

Click here to buy Red Dwarf Programme Guide.

Richard Hammond – On the Edge | Review

Title: On the Edge

Author: Richard Hammond

Type: Non-Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 309

Rating: 7/10

Richard Hammond – On the Edge

Now, I should preface this by pointing out that I’m not exactly a massive Richard Hammond fan – I don’t hate the guy, and he doesn’t annoy me as much as Jeremy Clarkson, but neither do I worship his every move and catch every programme that he creates. In fact, I’m not even sure how I came to own this book – I probably bought it on a whim at a charity shop.

And really, it does exactly what you’d expect it to – it covers the majority of Hammond’s life, with a particular focus on the car crash that almost killed him. Along the way, he receives a helping hand from Mindy, his wife who also happens to be the more talented writer of the two, and so you get to see two sides of his story.

That said, I didn’t find it particularly interesting, and it’s pretty much average for a celebrity autobiography – there are many worse examples and there are many better ones, and so unless you’re a particular fan of Hammond’s then you may as well go and read something else. Gordon Ramsay’s autobiographies, for example, are phenomenal, and I can say that because I’m not really a foodie.

Still, there are plenty of redeeming factors too, like the glossy photographs inside and the quality of the writing and editing, both of which are professionally done. Even now, when the book is a little out of date, it does at least offer up a snapshot of how the hamster got where he is today, and there’s also plenty of juicy details for petrol-heads and Top Gear fans who are more interested in cars than people. Hopefully that helps you to figure out which audience you belong to.