There are 4,125 reviews so far. To add a review of your own, click on the item in question, then click the Vote link.
| What: | Superior Beings (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
|
| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
|
| Date: | Saturday 6 September 2003 |
|
| Rating: |   7 |
Of the many companions of the series, Peri suffered from some of the worst characterization. The novels and audios have gone a long way to fix that error, and in this novel we get a Peri whose appeal is more than just sexual. The Doctor 5/Peri combination had only two stories to develop, so it is nice to see and hear it go further. They would have been an excellent combination had things worked out. About the novel itself, Walters writes an exciting story about the consequences of cult worship. The gods are not what they seem. His vulpine aliens are nasty, but nasty by nature, and certainly have redeemable traits. This is one definitely worth reading.
| What: | The Shadow in the Glass (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
|
| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
|
| Date: | Saturday 6 September 2003 |
|
| Rating: | 6 |
So, it had to happen at some point. We had to get the Doctor to meet Hitler. The virtues of the book are that, as with most books and audios about Doctor 6, it is better than most the stories Colin Baker got to act in during the regular run of Doctor Who. The authors use the freedom that novel-writing offers to go back and forth in time convincingly. The plot is perhaps more complicated than it needs to be. There is a nasty twist at the end of the book. Overall, it is quite entertaining.
| What: | The Quantum Archangel (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
|
| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
|
| Date: | Saturday 6 September 2003 |
|
| Rating: | 2 |
Craig Hinton is perhaps my least favorite of the Doctor Who novelists. And this is my least favorite of his books. The main problem is that Hinton tries to write big, really big. We are talking all the universe all of space and time big. But, his rather pedestrian approach to cosmic plots creates a huge dischord. I am always leary when mere mortals try to write about and in the point of view of gods or godlike beings. The earthly metaphors rarely match the immense powers that these beings are supposed to have. Furthermore, Hinton seems to be of the school of writers who presume that everyone whom the Doctor meets for any extended amount of time is made miserable by it. So our characters who return from "The Time Monster" all have had horrible lives. And Mel is furious at the Doctor for something that was not his fault. I thought the Doctor was supposed to be a hero. Flawed, yes, but heroic nevertheless.
| What: | Imperial Moon (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
|
| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
|
| Date: | Saturday 6 September 2003 |
|
| Rating: | 6 |
This is a really fun book. The idea is to set Doctor Who into a typical 1890s "scientific romance" as they used to be called. I have read several of these, most, except for Wells and Verne, unintentionally hilarious. Bulis does a good job of catching the spirit of these things (intrepid adventurers, honor of England, quirky scientist, stallwart scientist's daughter, amazonian maidens, giant bug-like creatures) while writing in a modern style. "Imperial Moon" is not a deep book, but it is a jolly good read.
| What: | Corpse Marker (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
|
| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
|
| Date: | Saturday 6 September 2003 |
|
| Rating: | 7 |
Most the novel sequels to well-liked Who stories have been sad disappointments. I was not disappointed with this one. As usual with Boucher stories, the background is well-worked out so that characters move and act in believable ways. Also, Boucher chooses wisely not to write "Robots of Death" again, but to give a substantially new and different sort of story years after the events of the first. Overall, I am perplexed by the dissatisfied reaction of the fans to Boucher's books. In my opinion, Boucher's refusal to turn Doctor Who into comic-book silliness is refreshing and the right way to take the series.
| What: | The Final Sanction (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
|
| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
|
| Date: | Saturday 6 September 2003 |
|
| Rating: | 8 |
Since the Virgin novels days, Lyons has been working on the history of his pet monsters, the Selachians, the sharks of outer space. This is the final? book about them. In one sense it is, because it movingly and compassionately tells of the demise of their race. As with "Warriors of the Deep," the overall mood is not outrage at war, but sadness at the destruction, personal and social, that it causes. Lives are ruined in all sorts of ways. My one complaint is that this story may have been better not being Doctor Who, that is that the premise means that the Doctor is really not a major player in the events. Still, the book makes mighty good reading.
| What: | The Infinity Doctors (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
|
| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
|
| Date: | Saturday 6 September 2003 |
|
| Rating: | 6 |
I guess this book helped creat the idea for Doctor Who Unbound audios. The basic premise is that the Doctor stayed on Gallifrey. This allows Parkin to use the basic idea of Logopolis, the universe coming to an early entropic demise, to good effect. One complaint: The Doctor and The Master are in this, as in many recent Who works, established roles in Gallifreyan society. I am not fond at all of this trend. The original idea of the name Doctor was his preservation of anonymity. The Doctor and Master are rogues, not roles.
 |  |  |
 | Great Concept, Good Adventure |
|
| | |
| What: | Last Man Running (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
|
| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
|
| Date: | Saturday 6 September 2003 |
|
| Rating: | 7 |
Chris Boucher is one of my favorite of the Dr. Who series writers. I also admire his scripts for the significantly underrated "Star Cops" series. In this novel he brings along what he does best - concept and action. There is very little deja-vu in the plot. The characters are believable, especially in their motivations. Boucher has taken time to work out the cultural backgrounds to his characters so that their actions make sense.
| | |
| Great Concept, Good Adventure |
|
| | |
| What: | Last Man Running (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
|
| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
|
| Date: | Saturday 6 September 2003 |
|
| Rating: | 7 |
Chris Boucher is one of my favorite of the Dr. Who series writers. I also admire his scripts for the significantly unerrated "Star Cops" series. In this novel he brings along what he does best - concept and action. There is very little deja-vu in the plot. The characters are believable, especially in their motivations. Boucher has taken time to work out the cultural backgrounds to his characters so that their actions make sense.
| What: | Mission: Impractical (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
|
| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
|
| Date: | Saturday 6 September 2003 |
|
| Rating: | 3 |
I grant that McIntee intended to write a light, inconsequential book. That he has done. But much of the humor forces a strain on the reader's credulity. Also, McIntee has chosen to rely on the awful Baker duo portrayal of Glitz as a nincompoop rather than Robert Holmes' superior characterization of Glitz as a smart professional who enjoys being a thief.
| What: | The Hollow Men (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
|
| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
|
| Date: | Saturday 6 September 2003 |
|
| Rating: | 6 |
This is a genuinely scary book about a village possessed by "something" for generations. There is not much new here, as the plot is a "Midwich Cuckoos" variation with some "Wicker Man" thrown in. But it is good fun. The authors have decided to go with the usual 7th Doctor characterization of a Time Lord on a mission that only he knows about.
| What: | The Roundheads (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
|
| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
|
| Date: | Saturday 6 September 2003 |
|
| Rating: | 4 |
The book attempts a novelistic version of the Doctor Who historicals. Given the freedom that a novel has, Gatiss goes all out, including spies, voyages at sea, a female pirate captain, and the Doctor playing soothsayer to Oliver Cromwell. Much of it is silly in the way that "The Romans" was silly. The adventures of Ben and the Pirate Captain are just too much for me to take, too many cliches and not much contribution to the story. Gatiss has written better books than this.
| What: | Illegal Alien (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
|
| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
|
| Date: | Saturday 6 September 2003 |
|
| Rating: | 6 |
Set during the Blitz, the novel involves as many icons of the 1940s as one can think of. There's an American detective, stallwart Londoners, orphans, and of course Cybermen. The plot is very complicated, involving attempts by British and German agents to get ahold of and use Cyber technology. Meanwhile the Cybermen themselves are trying to re-write their own history. The writers do a good job of keeping multiple narrative strands going at once.
| What: | The Murder Game (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
|
| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
|
| Date: | Saturday 6 September 2003 |
|
| Rating: | 7 |
Steve Lyons is one of the better Who novelists. His characters are realistic, and their actions consistent with their attributes. The story to this one is classic Dr. Who: enclosed settings (a hotel in space and a spaceship with a water environment), a small set of characters, a plot revolving around a mystery, the Doctor and friends stumbling into places they should not be. A good read for people who like Who in that classic style.
This one is fast-paced, exciting, and gory as a teen slasher film.
| What: | Alien Bodies (BBC Eighth Doctor novels) |
|
| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
|
| Date: | Saturday 6 September 2003 |
|
| Rating: | 6 |
The book is relatively well written, but terribly depressing. Most depressing at all is the implication at the end that the Doctor's final death will be an ignominious one caused by a slimy con artist.
| | |
| Another Doctor on a Crusade Book |
|
| | |
| What: | Vampire Science (BBC Eighth Doctor novels) |
|
| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
|
| Date: | Saturday 6 September 2003 |
|
| Rating: | 2 |
The basic problems here are typical of Jonathan Blum's approach to Doctor Who. First, we start in the middle of the story with the Doctor and companion already well into action. Second, we get the Doctor as sensitive superhero crusader. The Doctor is a much better character as an unwilling hero. Third, we get nearly every vampire cliche one can think of.
| What: | Byzantium! (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
|
| By: | The Master, UK |
|
| Date: | Wednesday 27 August 2003 |
|
| Rating: | 2 |
If this is supposed to be set between The Rescue and The Romans if makes no sense.Ian and Vicki are also poorly Characterised.
| What: | Verdigris (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
|
| By: | The Master, UK |
|
| Date: | Wednesday 27 August 2003 |
|
| Rating: | 1 |
The Author thinks hes wrote a clever book but its just a load of crap.
| What: | Tomb of Valdemar (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
|
| By: | Davros, UK |
|
| Date: | Sunday 24 August 2003 |
|
| Rating: | 1 |
Awfull gets worse as it goes on.Pathetic
