Backwards
Dave Lister has finally found his way back to the planet Earth. Which is good. What's bad is that time isn't running in quite the right direction. And if he doesn't get off the planet soon, he's going to have to go through puberty again. Backwards. Still, his crewmates have come to rescue him. Which is good. What's bad is that they consist of a robot with a hyperactive guilt chip, a creature who evolved from cats, and a dead man. And if they fail, Lister will carry on growing younger until he becomes a baby, then an embryo... And finally, he'll meet a very sticky end indeed. Rejoin the trepid band of space zeroes from RED DWARF and BETTER THAN LIFE -- Lister, Rimmer, Kryten, Holly and the Cat -- as they continue their epic journey through frontal-lobe-knotting realities where none dare venture but the bravest of the brave, the boldest of the bold or the feeblest of the feeble-minded.
Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of Science Fiction, Nonfiction, Fiction. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.
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What the reading experience may hold
A fuller profile for choosing with more confidence—not just another copy of the preview.
Science Fiction · Nonfiction · Fiction
Use these as starting points rather than limits; the most memorable books often stretch beyond their catalog labels.
Catalog signals suggest warfare and conflict. These notes may not be complete; consult a publisher or reader-supplied guide when detailed warnings matter.
These notes are inferred from available catalog information and may not be complete. Check a publisher or reader-supplied guide if you need comprehensive warnings.
Dark tone · Steady pace
Preview the edition to decide how it fits your available reading time.
A good fit if…
Readers who want a thoughtful experience and enjoy noticing the connections beneath a book’s surface story.
This book's DNA
A visual estimate based on this edition's categories, description, and length. Select a star to explore the signals.
This signal is descriptive, not a rating. It helps compare the kind of reading experience this edition may offer.
Spoiler-Free Emotional Arc
A broad estimate of the book’s emotional rhythm, shown without story events or outcomes.
This visualization is an interpretive estimate based on catalog description, categories, tone, pace, and content signals. It does not describe specific scenes.
A quick reading snapshot
Edition facts and catalog signals to help you decide whether this book fits what you want to read next.
- ISBN-13
- 978-0-0071-0566-3
- Language
- English
- Edition record
- OL9215868M
A more thoughtful way into this book
This guide uses the edition details and category signals above to help you choose deliberately. It does not replace the author's work or a full review.
Preview the edition to decide how it fits your available reading time.
Begin with its place in Science Fiction, then notice where the book resists that label.
Read for connection, not completion.
Mark one passage that sharpens the book's central concern and one that complicates it. That tension often reveals more than a quick summary.
Three questions to carry with you
- Which familiar part of life becomes easier to see through this imagined world?
- What rules shape the world, and who benefits from them?
- Where does wonder, fear, or possibility change a character’s choices?
Editorial framework by Wesley Bryan, BookenDeX Founder and Editor.
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Why it fits: shares Science fiction and Nonfiction, a similar publication era.