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| What: | The Infinity Doctors (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
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| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
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| Date: | Saturday 6 September 2003 |
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| 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.
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 | Great Concept, Good Adventure |
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| What: | Last Man Running (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
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| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
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| Date: | Saturday 6 September 2003 |
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| 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.
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| Great Concept, Good Adventure |
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| What: | Last Man Running (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
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| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
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| Date: | Saturday 6 September 2003 |
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| 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) |
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| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
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| Date: | Saturday 6 September 2003 |
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| 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) |
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| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
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| Date: | Saturday 6 September 2003 |
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| 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) |
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| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
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| Date: | Saturday 6 September 2003 |
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| 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) |
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| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
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| Date: | Saturday 6 September 2003 |
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| 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) |
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| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
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| Date: | Saturday 6 September 2003 |
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| 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) |
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| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
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| Date: | Saturday 6 September 2003 |
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| 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.
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| Another Doctor on a Crusade Book |
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| What: | Vampire Science (BBC Eighth Doctor novels) |
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| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
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| Date: | Saturday 6 September 2003 |
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| 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) |
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| By: | The Master, UK |
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| Date: | Wednesday 27 August 2003 |
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| 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) |
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| By: | The Master, UK |
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| Date: | Wednesday 27 August 2003 |
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| 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) |
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| By: | Davros, UK |
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| Date: | Sunday 24 August 2003 |
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| Rating: | 1 |
Awfull gets worse as it goes on.Pathetic
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| Carnival of Monsters is smashing!! |
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One of the best Who stories ever. a classic script by robert holmes reminds us how much fun the Doctor Who format can be. I can't believe the Ressurection DVD got a better score, it is by no way a better story ,perhaps the extras are better.If Carnival looks and sounds this good i can't wait for Talons/Weng chiang and Curse of Fenric!
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| wipes the floor with 80' Who |
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| What: | The Talons of Weng-Chiang (BBC classic series DVDs/Blu-rays) |
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| By: | nick andrews, Manchester, England |
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| Date: | Sunday 17 August 2003 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
one the best stories of the whole series. Seeds of Doom, Zygons and Green Death should follow it
| What: | Players (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
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| By: | QL, Tuxford Notts |
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| Date: | Tuesday 5 August 2003 |
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| Rating: | 6 |
This was a great story arc book but it just left you wondering at the end, such an anti climax. The characters were wooden and didn't sympathise with them at all. Great idea just more excitement please
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| Most interesting and exciting novel |
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| What: | Casualties of War (BBC Eighth Doctor novels) |
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| By: | John, Rugby, England |
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| Date: | Sunday 3 August 2003 |
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| Rating: | 9 |
One of the most interesting and exciting novel i have read so far
well, just when I thought it was safe to assume Sabbath was history, he shows his ugly face again. Atleast we didn't have to put up with him throughout the whole book. Can we just put it to rest? Yes, he has been responsible for all the events that have created the current story arc, but he doesn't have to make an appearance in every single book.
it was good to see the struggle btwn the doctor and anji, as well as seeing a different, weaker side of fitz. we need more stories that are driven by the main characters.
the only other drawback besides sabbath was the story dragged out. the whole story could've been started at about the halfway point and the outcome still would've been the same.
I just can't wait till the doctor finds an alternate reality in which gallifrey wasn't destroyed. could prove beneficial to his memory loss and get things back the way they should be.
well, can we say reminiscent of Enlightenment? This book reminded me too much of that story although it doesn't take place in space, but on a water world. And I have to agree that it was a poor beginning to a new story arc.
Also, enough of Sabbath!! Things are getting out of hand with him and his plan to destroy history. Let's work on getting the Doctor his memories back. Maybe it's also time to either bring in a new companion or replace the existing crew. Anji and Fitz work well together, but they are being drawn out way too long for my liking. We need fresh blood!
