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| What: | Zagreus (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Russell Gillenwater, Atlanta, GA |
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| Date: | Monday 9 February 2004 |
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| Rating: |   1 |
An utter piece of crap. Just proof that if BF released a steaming turd some people would like like it. If I could have voted zero I would have, to think I spent $22 for this.
| What: | Verdigris (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
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| By: | Stephen Carlin, Bangor, Northern Ireland |
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| Date: | Monday 9 February 2004 |
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| Rating: | 1 |
Imagine a Carry On film with some of the lesser Carry On cast, you know - Jim Dale, Jack Douglas and June Whitfield. From the very start you wish that Sid James, Kenneth Williams et al had signed up for this one - at least there might have been some redeeming feature.
That's what this book is like. Instead of a clever satire on Doctor Who and The Tomorrow People its a collection of ideas (UNIT is just a conspiracy to make aliens look evil, the Doctor look like the world's saviour, the Brigadier running a convenience store - Benton and Yates his staff). Unfortunately it comes across as a drunken rambling with the inebriated author chuckling at his own jokes while his sober audience politely smiles.
I enjoy humour and I enjoy clever satires, but I do not enjoy out and out silliness. Its like Monty Python does Doctor Who with Graham Chapman popping up as the Brigadier and saying "Stop this right now, you are all being very silly".
I did not enjoy this book at all.
| What: | Happy Endings (New Adventures novels) |
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| By: | Dylan, Melbourne Aust |
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| Date: | Friday 6 February 2004 |
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| Rating: | 7 |
I liked this book! It was never meant to be anything but a bit of light fluff and a bit of fun, which it was....I quite enjoyed the and it was nice to see Ishtar and a few of the others from earlier NA's come back if only briefly...
| What: | Camera Obscura (BBC Eighth Doctor novels) |
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| By: | Dylan, Melbourne Australia |
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| Date: | Friday 6 February 2004 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
To be honest, this was a well written good book - but I'm really sick of reading about the Doctor and Co in Victorian London....over it!!! That said, it was a good book and I did like the carnies :)
A controversial piece because the Doctor's character has been quite dramtically changed. It works wonderfully, though, and Collings' performance is truly exceptional.
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 | Better than "Attack of the Cybermen" |
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btw, that was sarcasm. I don't consider AOTC (hmm, where have we seen that..) good, but I do consider it typical of the Sixth Doctor stories. "Summoned by Shadows" is closer in look and feel to a Seventh Doctor story (ala "Ghost Light") and so wedges nicely between "Revelation of the Daleks" and "Trial of a Time Lord", if you are that type of person. Many of the extras are not bad. The audio-only prequel to the story was quite good, even if it seemed to lose itself at times. The reminicenses with Colin Baker and Pip and J(essie?) Baker (writers) gave me new understanding into the behind-the-scenes politics of the last 2 parts of "Trial of a Time Lord". Just because your budget is a shoestring, doesn't mean you can't tell a good story.
| What: | Time Lord (Miscellaneous activity books) |
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| By: | James, England |
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| Date: | Tuesday 20 January 2004 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
Time Lord has a lot to offer:
FOR THE ROLE-PLAYER: An elegant, easy to use system with the emphasis definately on character interaction and fun instead of combat and rules lawyering. The book is VERY well written, with a great sense of humour and a solid sample adventure. Background sections provide EVERYTHING you need to know; the book does not assume you are a Doctor Who expert and there is never an offputting 'obsessive' feeling; this caters perfectly well to somebody who has seen a few episodes and thinks an RPG would be a laugh. The thing I liked best was the way it captured the genre in the rules; skills like 'Screaming', 'Gloating' and 'Resourceful Pockets' really add to the TV atmosphere and are great fun to roleplay. No real character generation or experience system though, so probably best for running one-off's in the style of the Past Doctor novels and Audio Adventures, rather than camapaigns.
FOR THE WHO FAN: Ideal for somebody who likes the new novels or audio dramas and wants to make their own 'missing episode' with the help of their friends. Rules are very easy to learn if you've not played RPGs before, and can be explained quickly to friends. Although the background section serves as a useful series companion, it can't provide rules for every alien or character in the series, so you may have to write some of your own if you want e.g. the Mara or Rutans, but this should be quite easy.
I'd love to see a new edition, with a classy Black Sheep cover and rules for the 8th Doctor and his companions. Download 'current' edition from www.torsononline.com and other places!
| What: | Emotional Chemistry (BBC Eighth Doctor novels) |
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| By: | John Ellison, Atlanta, USA |
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| Date: | Sunday 18 January 2004 |
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| Rating: | 7 |
Although the book didn't grab me at first it became more and more compelling. The introduction of OGRON and a number of people who have the Doctor at a disadvantage by knowing him (from previous incarnations) when he doesn't remember them keeps the pages turning. In the end a satisfying performance emerges.
The story does suffer some from the recent trend to spread the Doctor and his companions too thinly (in my opinion). One can always hope the next author will break this trend. Just one story where they don't all end up seperated would be nice...
Also buried in the book is a real gem where the Doctor is forced to lay the seeds of doubt about why he is always running from one place to the next...could he be avoiding dealing with an issue he doesn't want to remember?
If any of the regular authors frequent this site let me assure you there is at least one reader who wants to see the Doctor come to grips with his past actions!
| What: | The Eight Doctors (BBC Eighth Doctor novels) |
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| By: | Spike, Gloucester |
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| Date: | Sunday 18 January 2004 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
Nostalgic and at times predictable, however a well written introduction of Sam and a good starter for Mcgann's character.
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| Hollywood-style Who that actually works |
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Now this is more like it! Blum and Orman ably demonstrate how the Eighth Doctor could have worked, had the TV series been taken up. They even treat the reader to what is, essentially, a pre-title action sequence in chapter one. Yes, we’re handed a whole collection of Vampire clichés; but these are all undermined and gently mocked by the authors, making for a lighter tone to what could have been a very grim tale, given the subject matter’s roots. There are some genuinely amusing moments here, and some tender ones too (the birthday card was a nice touch), and there’s excitement aplenty. The Eighth Doctor now feels like a character in his own right, and Sam is a wonderfully human foil for him. Maybe it’s not classic Who, or classic Vampires, come to that, but it is great fun for a modern, post-buffy, horror-savvy, adventure-loving audience. Not perfect, but damn good.
| What: | Timeless (BBC Eighth Doctor novels) |
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| By: | John Ellison, Atlanta, USA |
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| Date: | Saturday 17 January 2004 |
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| Rating: | 4 |
It pains me to say that this may be the "dullest" installment I have read since "Cold Heart". I agree with my counterpart above that the first half of the book was incredibly slow.
I found myself tempted to count the Doctor's actual page time to determine if the book could even be considered a "Doctor" novel. I love Fitz and Anji (and am sure Trix may yet grow on me) but I hate the formula some author's seem to use where the three are split up and used as devices for telling three seperate subplots. The Doctor should have learned by now, even minus his memory, that everyone should stay together! Fitz, the poor boy, should have at least had it beaten into him!
I agree the bright point in the novel is when we finally get a glimer of hope that there are still a few "elementals" who survived the destruction of Gallifrey. Now if only Sam Beckett could leap in and put right what once went wrong...
In the end, the book put me to sleep on more than one occassion and as an Anji fan--while the "departure" was given adequate page time--I found myself saying, "that's it?"
Read for youself...am I wrong?
This was my first NAA, so I didn't know what to expect. Action sequences don't work well in Audio, so a story needs to concentrate on having an excellent plot and engaging dialogue. This has latter but not the former.
Positive: All the main cast were superb. Evelyn is an instantly likeable character, and the interplay between her and the Doctor really works. Nicholas Pegg and Colin Baker make a great job of characterising a 6th Doctor who is not only arrogant and vain but also caring, witty and humane. Nicholas Courtney was a welcome addition who made a real difference to the story, though the Brigadier did seem to rather fall into step with the Doctor and didn't express much curiosity about this new incarnation. There are some great pieces of dialogue, especially when the Doctor shouts down the archaeology professor, then gets admonished by Evelyn. Sometimes things get a little silly (the villain gloats), but never unenjoyable. The script was skillful in setting the visual scene without being too obvious (no "Doctor, we're in a 10*10' room with a brown carpet and..."). The supporting cast were alright, but nothing special. The music is sometimes atmospheric, sometimes hammy, but never annoying.
Negative: The plot is VERY traditional Pertwee fare, and EXTREMELY predictable. The "terrifying" creature just sounds silly; work on those vocodas, Big Finish. Fights (which are fortuneatly kept to a minimum, this being Doctor Who) are pretty hard to visualise (bang, crash, fake growl, oh no he's dead).
Overall, whilst it is always enjoyable, has some gems of dialogue and acting and would have been a welcome addition to the 6th Doctor's TV outings, the Spectre of Lanyon Moor doesn't have any surprises. This, and the hefty price tag on NAAs mean I'm not overly inspired to buy more.
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| Douglas Adams would have been proud |
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Its good when someone can laugh at themselves. Its evan better when it is one of the best stories to date.
The One Doctor, could have been written by Mr Adams himself and hitch hikers all over the universe would have noticed right away, the pace, humour and delivery.
Mr Biggins as ever was entertaining.
This is one of the best.
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| Peter Davidson and Gang at their best |
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I used to find some of the historical plots a little flat but this story has a good solid plot, strong charaters and the right amount of humour.
The 5th Doctor always seemed to work better with a gang and his newest member is great, far better than charley with the 8th Doctor, as she seems to not understand things, questions and confidence is not misplaced, but because of who she is.
A good listen - would have made great TV
This pulls off, the real McCoy, playing on the darker side of life and the doctor. Delivered through a strong story, supported and enhanced with a great use of sound.
The master makes a welcome return, with his usual errors of excessive self believe.
The story grips and excellent sounds send your mind racing, I wonder how it would have looked on TV.
| What: | The Crystal Bucephalus (Missing Adventures novels) |
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| By: | Tegan Jovanka, UK |
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| Date: | Tuesday 6 January 2004 |
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| Rating: | 1 |
Dull and Boring
After a very slow beginning, like half of the book, I was surprised at the turns the book took. I am glad that they finally tied in the Doctor's past and things that he's been supressing this long. It was also a relief to see other "time Lords" finally re-emerge. Now, let's please finally see the end of Sabbath. Story arc over, time to move on.
This book begins badly. It has some of the worst old-guy-writing-young-characters’-dialogue I think I've ever encountered. And the teachers at Sam's school explaining youth drug culture to the reader (who, it seems, would have to have been living in the Eye of Orion for any of it to feel authentic) is the lowest of low point - worth reading, in fact, if you want a good old belly laugh.
However, once the action leaves earth, things do actually pick up. This is basically a portmanteau, with the Eighth Doctor wandering through his own past, meeting previous incarnations, and having adventures along the way. This structure is both a strength and a weakness. A strength, because it’s nice to see this interaction, and to get reacquainted with the past Doctors. A weakness, because this could have been a very strong opening story arc, devoting a single novel to each tale. Most glaringly, the action involving the Sixth Doctor is longer than any of the others and, given a full book, could have shaped up to be a pretty good political thriller, exposing the dark underbelly of the Gallifreyan ruling class. At the other end of the scale, though, is the tale involving the Seventh Doctor, which comes across almost as an afterthought – though it is, perhaps, the biggest missed opportunity here. It would have been nice to see a novel devoted to the Seventh Doctor’s final adventure (though we do, at least, learn how the Master got those death-defying-worm-powers he displayed in the TV movie).
Over all, this book is simply a starter. It whets the appetite for what is to follow, without managing to satisfy in its own right. You only need this book if, like me, you plan to read all the Eighth Doctor novels in sequence.
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| Richard Franklin, underestimated by far |
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Richard Franklin's role as Captain Moke Yates was only the tip of the iceberg; he is an all-round talented actor and generous human being who inspired many young would-be actors. As Captain Mike Yates, good as he was in the role, we only saw one side to what is a multi-dimensional and talented actor
... if it wasn't so witless. A bafflingly crude piece of humourless, teenage jizz. Shows an almost autistic lack of comprehension of human behaviour. Way beyond awful, this is an insult to the intelligence. Crud.
