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I didn't like The People's Temple, but the other 2 stories were good. Paul McGann is good too, so I give it a six.
Looking at the summary and cover for Crooked World left me expecting something so outrageous that I'd be disappointed with the new Doctor line of books and thanking that they aren't sold in N. America. After reading it, however, I found myself not being able to put it down and thankful that I order through Amazon UK.
The most enjoyment I had with this book was that it wasn't your typical chase them around a space station or planet epic. It showed exactly what the Doctor's and companion's presence can do to change a world. It was nice to see them all at a total loss as to how to behave and react in a new world.
What was really fun was figuring out which real-life cartoons the citizens of Crooked World resembled. some were a bit more obvious than others and I had several of my friends remembering Saturday morning cartoons here in the States to figure out some of them (esp the Wacky Racer teams)
All in all, I'd say that this has been my favorite 8th Doctor book this year. I just hope that the continuation of this story arc is just as good.
| What: | Bunker Soldiers (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
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| By: | James, Bristol, England |
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| Date: | Thursday 19 September 2002 |
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| Rating: |   5 |
This book had a really intriuging cover and blurb that grabbed me right away. Sadly, the writing wasn't quite good enough to bare it out. The crew land in Kiev in 1240, just before its going to be sacked by the Mongols, and theres a nasty alien thing running around too. I don't want to reveal more than that. The plot of this book was very ambitious (a huge cast of characters and scenes ranging from alien-infested catacombs to the splendour of the Mongol army) and, to be fair, damn good. The historical setting was also quite well researched. However, the writing style let it down. The dialogue seemed stilted and the Doctor's actions were made to seem *senseless* rather than *mysterious* (he does several about-faces on changing history). There were surprisingly few action scenes. The author had the chance to make the scenes in Dmitri's house ones of suspense and paranoia, but this doesn't come across - the Russians seem content to *ignore* the alien. Some new tricks are tried, such as doing Steven's bit in the first-person, but the tone used felt wrong for Steven. None of the characters are really explored (with the exception of Yevhen). The end chapters are very cheesey, but the first few are quite good. The author should have waited longer before introducing the alien, though he did a good job of keeping you guessing about it's motives. The Mongol attack on Kiev is well told, and the alien's flashbacks are atmospheric, but overall I found this book disappointing, because it should have been absolutely amazing (Mongols, struggling not to change history and aliens - what more should you want?).
| What: | Camera Obscura (BBC Eighth Doctor novels) |
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| By: | John Ellison, Atlanta, Georgia, USA |
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| Date: | Wednesday 18 September 2002 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
Things have definitely been improving over the last several novels! Again, the characterization is excellent and Anji and Fitz are portrayed as three dimensional. Fitz has never seemed more human. I only wish we had been given more of those human moments--perhaps Fitz is finally coming of age (he is in his 30's now).
I will not give any of the plot away, but I suspected that after CITY OF THE DEAD, Rose would deliver a rich novel. I expected to be teased by certain events and I was. Happily, the resolution to the on-going tease was satisfying and did not seem contrived or forced. To say nothing of the bomb that was dropped at the end...
Where do we go from here?
This is one of those books where it takes a long time to make any sense out of it as well as exciting. The first three quarters of this book dragged on and was mostly chase scenes. With the appearance of the Unnoticed, things got a little more interesting. The book really seemed to take off once the Doctor learned of the location of the Unnoticed's planet.
SPOILER>>>DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN"T READ THE BOOK YET:
Was Carmodi the future self of Rhian??? The only confusing part of this whole paradox mess...
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 | Basically, the thing is the keys! |
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| What: | The Keys of Marinus (BBC classic series videos) |
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| By: | Mark Seymour, Brighton, England |
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| Date: | Friday 13 September 2002 |
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| Rating: | 7 |
Basically, the Doctor in this one is hardly in it and at the end of the day lacks authority. The thing to remember, though, guys, is that this story basically features one of the 1960s design classics (no, not the ice guards!!!)the sensational Voord. At the end of the day, I have to say that my Aunt knew two of the people who played Voords (apparently!), Peter Diment and Jenny Tyler and both complained of heat rash at the end of the week's shooting! Other than that, the quest bit can get a bit dull and that actress in the cellar (Fiona Walker) is awful: thank God her performances in Dr Who (Silver Nemesis) and the Mokades classic 'The Mighty Bum' were better! Go back and re-watch!
| What: | Colditz (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Nick Skerten, Surrey |
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| Date: | Friday 13 September 2002 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
If ever there was an under-rated Big Finish play, it's this one. From the superb paradox the Doctor and ace find themselves in to the chilling and yet fallible Klein, this one is one of my favourites. McCoy has nailed 'the Doctor' and has become the character the TV series seemed to be driving towards, with his mixture of trickster (the 'tearing' of Klein's papers)and the manipulator. The magnificently eerie and uncanny scenes of the Doctor and Klein in the darkening German forest are easily some of the most thrilling yet, and it is a sheer delight for Klein to escape into the night at the end. More please!
| What: | City of Death (BBC classic series videos) |
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| By: | Eric Luskin, Brighton, England |
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| Date: | Wednesday 11 September 2002 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
This is without a doubt one of the classics from the history of Doctor Who. Sterling performances from Tom and Lalla throughout the duration of the show - suitably set in the city of romance - Paris. What makes this story great is the superb work carried out by the whole Dr. Who team (even down to the extras, where Colin Murray and Nicky Skerten deliver a fine performance eating a romantic meal). This is without a doubt the highlight of Season 17.
A nice, solid story unfortunately let down by occasional bad sound-design (there is often an echo in spaces like the inside of the car!). The storyline merges well with the fresh direction and incidental music, creating something exciting and new. Worthy of the great Peter Diment himself!
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| A View to a Krill, or a Coralee Thrill! |
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| What: | Storm Harvest (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
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| By: | EDL Foster, Invercargill, New Zealand |
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| Date: | Wednesday 28 August 2002 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
This is the second Seventh Doctor book I have read from the Perry/Tucker trio, and in my opinion, it ranks as probably the best ("Matrix" probably following a close second).
It follows traditional plotlines with a few surprises inbetween - for once, the Doctor is not looking for wrongs to right, and yet he and Ace choose a certain aquatic holiday planet for a vacation. A planet ripe with corruption, intrigue, action, and danger in the form of the engineered, parasitic Krill (apparently also seen on "Dust Breeding") - they would have been superb on the screen, yet probably would have scared the bejabbers off the viewers! A pox on those who once claimed that the Seventh Doctor lacked credible foes to battle!
As with "Matrix", Perry and Tucker further explore the idea of the normally manipulative Seventh Doctor not always being in control of events, as outlined in the subplot involving the Klingon-like Cythosi and their scheme to scientifically unleash the perfect killing machine against their Zithra enemies. The religious subplot involving the cultists and the ancient weapon totem was reminiscent of something you might view on the "Relic Hunter" TV show, and also provided another delightfully sinister subplot.
While the aforementioned "Matrix" primarily explored the concepts of the Doctor's past and possible future (did anyone spot the reference to the 1996 TV Movie?), this book superseeds it by additionally portraying a more personal insight into the comradeship between the Doctor and Ace, how it becomes more permanently stable, even after the terrifying interference of the Ripper (aka the Valeyard) in Whitechapel.
Overall, this sunswept beach/tropical weather/glorious ocean themed adventure is a book to enjoy and be proud of. Gung-ho, blockbuster material just seeps off the pages when you read it.
What do you think, James Cameron? This book has been compared to a cinematic masterpiece of your inspiration. Interested?
I can hardly wait for "Loving the Alien", if it promises to be much of the same quality.
I have been quite critical of the BBC book range. Few Past Doctor stories capture the essence of their era, but Festival of Death manages this to perfection. Festival is right up there with City of Death.
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| Good, if you overlook the bubble wrap! |
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See a man mutate into a mass of green bubble wrap! See a monster that walks although it's legs don't touch the floor! You'll thrill to superimposed toy space stations that wobble about as if supported by strings! Okay, well, if you click on NEW CGI EFFECTS it will suddenly look a whole lot better! I actually enjoyed this story a great deal, it's a wonderful script and the cast do it very well. But the set is the thing that really makes it work, like the impressive sets for the very similar Fifth Doctor tale Four To Doomsday, the Ark set is very nice to look at, a forerunner of spectactular futuristic tales that came later (Earthshock, etc). This is also another example of a top notch story being put on DVD. I was convinced by the first batch of releases (Five Doctors, Caves of Androzani, Spearhead, Robots of Death, Resurrection of the Daleks, Tomb and this one) that the DVD's were going to represent the "best of" Dr.Who.
But sadly we will soon have such major dissapointments as Carnival of superimposed Muppets, The Ribos Yawn, The Power of Krap, The Insult of Tara and the Armageddin' Outa' here Factor on DVD! I mean, WHY in God's name?
Bring on Earth shock, The Visitation, Kinda/Snakedance, The return of the Master Trilogy/Black Guardian Trilogy, Pyramids of Mars, Genesis of the Daleks, Inferno, The Silurians, even the rather dreary but classy Talons of Weng Chiang! Heck, I'd prefer Warriors of the Deep over the Key to Time sequence. Seriously! I hate to keep saying it, but Tom Baker wasn't THAT great. He was great in the lead role, but some of his stories...a lot of his stories...just weren't that good.
| What: | Unnatural History (BBC Eighth Doctor novels) |
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| By: | Nate, Seattle |
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| Date: | Thursday 22 August 2002 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
Couldn't put it down.
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| Certainly the best Years tape |
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| What: | The Tom Baker Years (BBC Years videos) |
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| By: | Tom Lingwood, Broseley, Shropshire |
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| Date: | Tuesday 20 August 2002 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
This is my favourite Years tape. 3 hours of classic Who on 2 tapes. It has Tom Baker looking through clips of all his stories as the Doctor plus miscellaneous footage e.g. his marriage to Lalla Ward (Romana 2) and the news coverage of his departure from the series. Tom watches a clip and comments on it. To begin with, Tom can’t remember much but his memory gets better as the tape goes on. If he can’t remember something, it is displayed on a caption at the bottom of the screen. Colin Baker did a similar tape, The Colin Baker Years. It’s a shame that Jon Pertwee didn’t do a similar one and Peter Davison and Sylvester McCoy never did The Davison Years and The McCoy Years. The Tom Baker Years is an enjoyable, funny video, which all Doctor Who fans should have to their collection.
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| Intriguing...and a 3 dimensional Fitz! |
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| What: | History 101 (BBC Eighth Doctor novels) |
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| By: | John Ellison, Atlanta, Georgia, USA |
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| Date: | Monday 19 August 2002 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
If I remember correctly from the "about the author" page, this is Halliday's first Who novel. I am, to say the least, quite impressed and pleased.
She has woven a story I found to be both original and satisfying. She also managed to bring Fitz more depth than I recall seeing since "Revolution Man". Bravo! It is about time we saw an author treat him as more than just a comic foil (or worse the bumbling, loveable fool). Also, the interaction between Fitz and Anji is well written--their grudging concern for each other is clearly evident.
At times, I did find myself wondering when some of the "players" had entered. Perhaps a little more development on their parts could have been helpful. On the whole though, I find myself dangerously close to having to eat my words from a previous review (see Book of the Still) and mail a formal apology to Jac Rayner. The line seems to be on an upswing!
| What: | Drift (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
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| By: | Jerry Lewandowski, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
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| Date: | Saturday 17 August 2002 |
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| Rating: | 7 |
This book was a good depiction of a Tom Baker Dr. Who story. I thoroughly enjoyed this, especially the build up of suspense. There were, however, a couple of drawbacks to the storyline: the way the creature was explained was done rather haphazardly with not much description, and leela didn't really have much of an active part as her character did in the television program. leela's pairing up with kristal was a good idea, but they should have fed off of each other instead of leela just following kristal around. they were a perfect match but the relationship didn't seem all the strong in the story.
I was fortunate enough to receive this book from my local library to read. I have heard nothing but high praise for the author (Kate Orman) and her particular depiction of a planet at war, involving humanity and aliens.
There is really nothing more that I can say to recommend this book, since most reviewers have already used the best summing-up phrases. Kudos must go to the author's husband (Jonathan Blum) as well, for his apparent assistance in contributing to the historical interludes which outline the surprisingly rational reasoning behind the Doctor's seemingly manic obsession to play first concerto in the Hitchemus orchestra.
Kate's portrayal of the Eighth Doctor was the best to date, as I saw definitive elements of Patrick Troughton and Tom Baker's incarnations, creeping within certain high points - the absolute otherworldiness, and the ability to feign ignorance when you know more than you're prepared to admit. The costume analysis was also accurately detailed, and Ms. Orman herself acknowledges invaluable help from certain novel historians.
The beginning was admittedly slow, but tension soon built up at a cracking pace. Scenes which provided different perspectives from various characters (for example, the tragic demise of the xenobiologist, Besma Grieve), provided insights into the machinations/desires of the people involved. The scheming Longbody for example, reminded me of a similar character used in a certain televised story about humanoid reptiles.
All I can say to finish is that I can't wait to see what "Blue Box" contains (Sixth Doctor and Peri adventure). I also can't wait to see the submitted email newsletter (web address provided at the end of the book), which contains ideas and inspirations from Ms. Orman and Mr. Blum.
| What: | Rags (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
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| By: | Jerry Lewandowski, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
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| Date: | Sunday 11 August 2002 |
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| Rating: | 6 |
Well, if you could get past all the blood and violence you have the makings of a good dr. who story. Note the word good. it's not great...the explanation for the ragman is pretty weak in my opinion and the climax of the story even weaker. seems that the extreme violence was there to cover up the inadequacies of the storyline. jo grant mesmerized by the music is nothing new, she is always getting hypnotized in some form or another. and what's with mike yates? why wasn't he really affected by the ragman until the very end? less violence and more substance and you've got yourself an a+ book.
A contemporary adventure in New Orleans, revolving around magic, with much soul-searching by the Doctor. The plot is good, with some nice twists, but where this book really shines is the supporting cast (Rust & Dupre in paticular) and the dialogue, particularly between Fitz and Anji. Fitz and Anji are both fanatstic, likeable companions that readers can really relate to, and I think they are one of the main reasons the 8th Doctor series has won so much praise lately. Although I think the 'final showdown' was a bit of an anti-climax, and some scenes are a bit risque for Who, I can't say either of these really mar this great book. And Paul McGann would love it too - every other page seems to mention how handsome the Doctor is!
| What: | The Happiness Patrol (BBC classic series videos) |
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| By: | , Ulm, Germany |
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| Date: | Friday 9 August 2002 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
One of the best Doctor Who stories.
