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 | The curse of the brilliant DVD |
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Some people say that the "un"edited video version of TCOF is terrible, luckily for me i didn't have it!
Now when i buy a DVD (especially a Doctor Who one) i don't just look at the special features i look at the actual story/Film however in the case of TCOF i looked just at the special features (and Clayton Hickman's wonderful cover), reason being was that it had a remastered completely brand new "CGI" edition of TCOF included.
I thought this would be brilliant, well i thought right!
I can't stop watching it ever since i brought it and that was when it first came out, plonk a small child or large adult infront of this and they've got no excuse to not like it, it's the best(that's only my opinion please don't sue me)!
P.S Can the BBC please bring out more special editons!
| What: | Prime Time (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
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| By: | travis, London |
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| Date: | Sunday 12 September 2004 |
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| Rating: |   9 |
Prime time is brilliant,simple,simple like a visit to the chemist or a walk in the park or turning on the … Oh! Sorry I went of the point there. So your sitting there thinking that I’m going to reveal all of this story’s secrets, like revealing celebrity secrets in the latest issue of the heat magazine, well tough because I’m not,you're just going to have to buy and see. You poor pathetic fools, you thought I’d tell you everything ha ha ha ha ha ha ... I love that part.
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| "Wonderful Book, all of them!" |
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I enjoy Doctor Who books written by Terrance Dicks so when i heard that the first Eight Doctor book would be wrote by him i decided to read it striaght away!
When i first started reading the book i wasn't so sure but as the book (and the Doctor's) progressed i started to really enjoy it.
The story, is i admit not the best, but if you want a good read and a and an ever so basic multi-Doctor adventure then this is the book for you!
| What: | The Curse of Fenric: (Silva Screen classic series music soundtracks) |
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| By: | Peter Faizey, Worcestershire, England |
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| Date: | Saturday 11 September 2004 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
Another brilliant CD by Mark Ayres.
The scores are excellent, exciting and moving everything is captured in this CD of the music for a exceptional Doctor Who story.
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| Mike Tucker is a brilliant ("rhyme")! |
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| What: | Prime Time (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
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| By: | Xantos, London |
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| Date: | Saturday 11 September 2004 |
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| Rating: | 9 |
Mike Tucker is brilliant he has Mc coy and
Aldred down the spots on there face!
Oh and liked the fact that there was a surprise entrance by... oh i won't say i might spoil it for some!
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| This summer's blockbuster: Warmonger! |
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| What: | Warmonger (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
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| By: | Xantos, London |
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| Date: | Saturday 11 September 2004 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
Words cannot describe it; sheer brilliance!
This should be a Film!
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| Catastrophe? Bloody Marvellous! |
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| What: | Catastrophea (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
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| By: | Xantos, London |
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| Date: | Saturday 11 September 2004 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
When if first picked up Catastrophea i looked at the back and saw that it was £4.99, so there i admit it i brought it because it was cheap but when i read the blur it attracted me even more so i dug into my pocket to find a scrunched up fiver and took a chance.
When i arrived home i picked up and began to read...and read...and read...and read.
Untill i could read no more, there's something about that just makes you not want to put it down.
Terrance dicks is one of my favourite authors (along with Mike Tucker), especially when he's writing for one of his favourite Doctor's.
I know i haven't actually spoke much about the actual story but i want to leave you intrigued and desperate...to read the book!
So dig out your fiver and go to your local bookshop, NOW!!!
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| History was never my favourite subject |
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| What: | History 101 (BBC Eighth Doctor novels) |
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| By: | Piers, Lancashire |
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| Date: | Wednesday 8 September 2004 |
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| Rating: | 5 |
This book is disadvantaged merely by its position in this range - any title following the excellent 'Crooked World' has a tough act to follow. This novel is such a change of pace, and not a particularly easy one. When I was doing GCSE History, I seem to remember a large part of the course devoted to the reliability of historical sources (which source is more reliable than another etc...); this book takes those ideas further by questioning which reality is representative of historical fact. As such the plot here can feel a little ponderous sometimes, although there are numerous set pieces along the way to pep up the action. I have to admit that the Spanish Civil War is a period of history that I am unfamiliar with, and perhaps I would have enjoyed this book more if I was more aware of the political/historical backdrop.
The main drawback for me with this novel were the numerous characters that populate Barcelona and its environs. A lot of the time I wasn't sure who was on which side or what their individual motives were. I feel some of the characters could have been trimmed out and nothing would have been lost from the plot. Eleana only seems to have a brother for the Absolute to 'murder' - she barely dwells on his death. Another gripe I had with the plot is that Fitz and Sasha managed to make a somewhat implausible journey across the Pyrennes on foot in a page or so!!
There are however some strong points in this story. The highlights for me were: Fitz's journey to Guernica and his relationship with Sasha; the scene when Anji stands up to the racist abuse she receives; when the Doctor first encounters the Absolute. The Absolute as a monster is in keeping with the story - the way it is described is obviously derived from the style of Picasso. Was this an in-joke??!
There are plenty of other things I could mention (whinge about?!) with this book, but as a first novel for this author it could be a lot worse!
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| A Missing Adventure from the NAs |
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| What: | The Algebra of Ice (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
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| By: | Phil Ince, Highbury, London |
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| Date: | Wednesday 8 September 2004 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
Haven't read more than a handful of New Advetures but this is very much in the style of those I have read, perhaps closer to Time's Crucible than Nightshade (as I recollect them). Shows heavy influence and even reference of Paul "The Cornball" Cornell (reading like an homage to the NAs; much simpler feel to the writing though more complexity in the basis of the story than most of the BBC books I've read).
It's character heavy, fairly event light, but bowls along with some real wit and compassion not only in the dialogue but in the events themselves. Ace is 'emotional' but never raucous or shrill. The book's set early on in the NA sequence and for readers of the whole run, it probably adjusts the Doctor / Ace relationship since the Doctor's "coldness" is central to the book, even literally so by the end. This alien chill is given a context and his potential for apparantly dispassionate mass murder and manipulation is examined and 'explained'.
2 favourite things:
1. The expected happens. Why is that a positive?, you cry. Because the individuals are characters rather than plot points, ciphers. Rather than being a plod of predictability, the reader travels with the characters in the book as one might walk with them on a road. The consequence of the company and setting is that the reader can therefore see ahead.
2. It's messy. Rather than being full of pat resolutions where a punch or a bang conludes something, the energy of those sets something else off that then needs to be dealt with. Though the protagonists don't always recognise that at the time.
It has a few dashes of scientific philosophising, has a kind of Wells-ian or Clarke-ish taking of a single (in this case higher mathematical) idea and making a drama out of it.
I was absorbed by it and would recommend it heartily. If this is what the NAs were like even 2 times out of 5, I must get hold of some more.
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| Grossly over-rated - SPOILERS |
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| What: | Sometime Never... (BBC Eighth Doctor novels) |
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| By: | Phil Ince, Highbury, London |
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| Date: | Wednesday 8 September 2004 |
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| Rating: | 4 |
This is the 2nd book by Justin Richards that I've read, the other being The Burning. Now Justin is likely a very nice chap and good to his mother but ... whilst the two books are significant because they begin and conclude (different) strands in the 8th Doctor saga, neither has very much merit in itself. Sometime Never is substantially a colossally short-winded runaround, mostly in fact a steparound; a turgid, lifeless, po-faced dance to the mumbles of a 3rd rate baroque composer.
On the evidence of The Burning, Richards isn't in the least concerned with plausibility, embarassed by utility of the obvious, troubled by repetitiousness or capable of creating characters who breath.
There's a micro-episodic opening of crew being dropped in environments yielding one of the great terrible sequences in all Who literature when Trix winds up at a medieval royal banquet. Fitz is left to gatecrash a party which bares poor comparison with the 8Ds efforts in the TVM and what follows - and it may be as much as 100 pages; it certainly feels like it - is a chase which runs at the pace of chilled treacle. Random death occurs (notably a pointless loss for the Doctor which is then ignored; painfully painlessly written) and little else before a notably unimaginative conclusion of hour glasses containing the life essences of the protagonists (yes, you read that right) and Sabbath's final, heroic appearance. It's the kind of stunted, stilted, tepid turn-off of a book that discourages me from reading 8DAs for quite some time after.
This was a superb climax to the Eighth Doctor's adventures, taking plots that have been built way back since The Ancestor Cell and rolling them all into a non stop thrill ride, a story packed full of memorable incident and a bloody good enemy for the Doctor to fight. Justin Richards writes with his trademark skill and the story is one brilliant twist after another.
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| Disappointing (contains spoilers) |
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Advance news of this one sounded very promising indeed...an historical story featuring the infamous bodysnatchers Burke and Hare. What a shame that such a terrific story opportunity was wasted with Medicinal Purposes.
The main problem I had with the story is that it's a very slim premise padded out to four parts. There's a lot of running back and forth from one location to another with little of the plot being advanced. And then there's the sixth Doctors almost cheery attitude towards the actions of Burke and Hare. He tries to justify what they did to Evelyn and it just doesn't gell with what we know of the Doctor at all. He even tells Hare to keep up the good work. One expects the other shoe to drop and find that the Doctor has an ulterior motive for this behaviour, but it doesn't happen. The writer and script editor/director seem entirely comfortable with these views and that put me at odds with the story. And considering that TPTB at BF have gone to great lengths to make Colins Doctor more compassionate and emotional, this script doesn't do the evolving character of the sixth Doctor any favours at all.
More importantly, we've just come out of a story arc with Evelyn suffering a great deal of emotional turmoil at the death of innocents (three stories worth)...and here we have the Doctor taking her into a situation where he casually introduces her to characters who he admits will soon be killed. Colin Baker does what he can with the situations and lines he's given, but even he has trouble making the Doctors character in this story believable or indeed sympathetic and likeable. And the Doctors speech at the end of the story is very poorly handled by the author...he drops Daft Jamie off at a point where he's about to be killed and waffles on about Jamie getting what he's always wanted, a place in history and in peoples hearts. What the....?
As for Leslie Phillips, he's given a one note character to play in "Dr Robert Knox"...all purring charm and little else. I never felt at any point of the production that he was a force to be reckoned with. The character was so cliched that I found myself having to go back and listen to scenes because I had lost interest in the character and what his motivations where. Phillips, like the other actors, does his best with the material at hand but he certainly deserved better. What's really disappointing is the build up that this character may be a rogue Time Lord but is eventually revealed to be someone who bought a TARDIS and is using it to profit from his scheme. Maybe I'm missing something, but wouldn't it be extremely difficult for a non-Time Lord to understand and effortlessly control a TARDIS, especially this one which "Knox" claims is a Type 70..? Hell, even the Doctor has trouble controlling and maintaining a Type 40!
There's certainly stuff worthy of praise here. The sound design and music are excellent and the actors give their best. The cover art is very good. Just a shame that the story itself was so lacklustre.
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| Very nicely done original story |
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| What: | Scream of the Shalka (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
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| By: | Kairi Taylor, Astora, Queens, NY |
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| Date: | Wednesday 1 September 2004 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
The story, originally on the BBC website, is an unique one, which harkens back to the exciement of the older Doctor stories. While it's not quite up to the stories of, say, the Pertwee or Baker years, it's still very creative & entertaining.
Following on from the book 'Life During Wartime' (Part 1 of my review), this audio play was a very satisfying conclusion to this story. There is a strong sense of continuity here as Bernice goes right back to where we first met her, the planet Heaven where The Doctor and Ace found her (in Paul Cornell's NA 'Love & War'). Having only read that book for the first time only recently it was great how the action here tied in with other events in Bernice's history. As for the use of the Daleks, yes it is a crowd pleaser, but it is entirely plausible within the story; and also ironic considering the Fifth Axis' attitudes towards alien species. Good stuff! After such a long build-up throughout the book and these CDs, the ending does not disappoint, and I am now hungry for more Benny adventures...
As a bonus, this release also includes the short story 'Closure', previously only available to subscribers on the limited release 'Buried Treasures'. Although not perhaps the easiest of stories to enjoy, it is interesting in the moral dilemma it presents.
| What: | Salvation (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
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| By: | Matt, England |
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| Date: | Thursday 26 August 2004 |
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| Rating: | 9 |
Another brilliant little gem from Steve Lyons.
The character of Dodo is well introduced and written for throughout; she is a companion who has never really had a chance to shine. William Hartnell's Doctor is also catered for superbly.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but felt that the Gods' potential was never truly realised, very few revelations about them were actually made... Hopefully there will be a sequel!
I would vote 9.9 if possible. this is a Brilliant PDA, and an Excellent read- Highly recommended!
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| Captures the Real Spirit of Dr Who! |
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| What: | The Face-Eater (BBC Eighth Doctor novels) |
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| By: | Matt, England |
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| Date: | Wednesday 25 August 2004 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
A Fantastic book which I had trouble putting down. Written in classic Dr Who style, it captured the spirit of the T.V series, and I was able to read it as a stand-alone adventure, having not read an EDA since Dreamstone Moon.
The way the Doctor gets on the nerves of anybody in charge with very little effort is very amusing, and reminiscent of the more humorous side of Patrick Troughton's Doctor.
Particularly recommended- a brilliant read!
| What: | The Witch Hunters (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
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| By: | Matt, England |
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| Date: | Wednesday 25 August 2004 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
A brilliant novel which captures the fear and anger, and other emotions of the witch trials setting very well- I had trouble putting this book down.
If this story had been shown as part of the T.V series, it would probably be considered a "model" historical Doctor Who story.
Excellent Book- Highly recommended!
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| Good Ideas that did'nt pull together |
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| What: | Dreamstone Moon (BBC Eighth Doctor novels) |
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| By: | Matt, England |
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| Date: | Wednesday 25 August 2004 |
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| Rating: | 7 |
The Blurb for Dreamstone Moon made me want to read the book straight away, the ideas sounded promising. Most of the book was excellently written, with emotions, characters and settings captured perfectly.
The ending however, was a bit of a let down, I felt the well constructed components in the novel never pulled together, which is why my rating is not nine or ten.
I also felt several characters did so much moving from setting to setting, it was hard keep track of where they were- one minute in an airlock staring at a monster with huge teeth, then suddenly in a tunnel fifty miles underground for example.
Overall a well written book that, I felt, fell apart towards the end.
First off, I fell for Big Finish's marketing ploy completely, but then I'm glad I did! I was drawn to the Bernice Summerfield range by the 'Death & The Daleks' audio play, but when I opened the sleeve I realised that the CD was the second part of the story. Hence I forked out for this book before I gave it a listen. I was a bit worried that I would be jumping into this story part the way through, but thanks to the recap/character outlines in the introduction, newcomers such as myself can read this book and completely understand the scenario. The parallels between the Fifth Axis and the Nazis are clear from the beginning, and I guess the Braxiatel Collection is an allegory for the German Occupation of the Channel Islands: both are small pieces of land, but are symbollically important to those that possess them. By exploring the themes arising from Nazi Occupation against the backdrop of the 'Doctor Who/Bernice Universe' makes them refreshing here. This book is largely character driven, and my favourite story here is 'The Traitors', where military orders and love tragically clash. One of the best aspects of this book is Jason's character development: without giving anything away I was very surprised! It is the final story, 'A Bell Ringing In An Empty Sky' that seems to have split other reviewers. I found the story interesting, but how it fits in with the rest of the book is ultimately up to you. The story proper finishes with the final 'Lockdown Conversation': the cliffhanger will have you rushing over to your stereo!
I can't recommend this book enough!
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| Not quite the sum of its parts... |
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| What: | Halflife (BBC Eighth Doctor novels) |
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| By: | John Ellison, Atlanta, USA |
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| Date: | Sunday 15 August 2004 |
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| Rating: | 7 |
A solid story with lots of interesting tidbits. Always nice to see the line acknowledging events from the past novels. I like continuity!
I found the setting interesting--reminds me of Casablanca for some reason. That said though, the various components of the novel never quite manage to come together and create a truly satisfying story for me. The above average rating I give it comes more from the book looking back at some INTERESTING aspects of the lines past and the unspoken promise of what may be coming.
All-in-all, a solid adventure.
