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Monday, 26 January 2015 11:45
The BBC are rereleasing another set of Doctor Who books, this time under the theme of "history"! And having judged the last set of these they did, I am going to judge these ones too. :D
The Witch Hunters - Steve Lyons (One, Susan, Ian, Barbara) Aw, this was one of the first ones I read, and I liked it a lot! Nice characterisation and fits into the era perfectly. (Apart from the big continuity error in the coda, which relies on ( spoilers ))
The Roundheads - Mark Gatiss (Two, Jamie, Ben, Polly) It's ages since I read this, so I don't remember it terribly well, but I think it was pretty decent? I think there was some gender stuff that annoyed me, but Gatiss's work is usually fairly enjoyable, and anything with this TARDIS team that isn't a disaster generally makes me happy.
Amorality Tale - David Bishop (Three, Sarah Jane) Again, it's been a while, but I'm pretty sure I basically hated this one?
The English Way of Death - Gareth Roberts (Four, Romana II, K-9) Hey, this one I read pretty recently! It's a bit Missing-Adventures-y in that there's some gratuitous gruesomeness, but otherwise it's great fun.
No Fifth Doctor books, though thinking about the ones I've read, I'm not sure what they could have picked. The only historical I can think of is Empire of Death, which contained an anti-abortion subplot delivered with all the subtlety of a brick to the forehead. D:
Shadow in the Glass - Stephen Cole and Justin Richards (Six, the Brig) ...I have definitely read this, but remember nothing about it. It's got the Brigadier in it, so that's a point in its favour? (Having checked my tags, apparently I read it in 2007 and liked it.)
Human Nature - Paul Cornell (Seven, Benny) Read this, it's great. It has a much better ending than the TV version, plus more pacifism, Benny befriending a suffragette, and also some gay characters, hurrah! It doesn't have Martha, but since she hadn't been invented when it was written, I suppose I can let that slide.
NO EIGHTH DOCTOR BOOK THIS IS A TRAVESTY. HE HAD A WHOLE ARC WHERE HE WAS TRAPPED ON EARTH AND ENCOUNTERING HISTORY, AND MOST OF IT WAS PRETTY GOOD. NOT TO MENTION AUTUMN MIST OR THE TAINT (which, ok, wasn't great, but does introduce Fitz) OR HISTORY 101, WHICH IS EXCELLENT AND HAS "HISTORY" RIGHT THERE IN THE TITLE (and is by Mags L. Halliday, and would therefore have increased the number of female authors in this set to two), WAS SOMEONE ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL? LOOK AT YOUR LIFE, BBC BOOKS, LOOK AT YOUR CHOICES.
No Ninth Doctor book, either. I have less outrage about this, though, largely because I've only read one Ninth Doctor book and it was set in the present day. Sorry, Nine!
The Stone Rose - Jacqueline Rayner (Ten, Rose) I haven't read this (though I do own it), but it's by Jacqueline Rayner so it's probably good.
Dead of Winter - James Goss (Eleven, Amy, Rory) I haven't read this one either! It's got good reviews, but I am judging it a bit for not being Una McCormack's The Way Through the Woods, though, that one was great.
The Witch Hunters - Steve Lyons (One, Susan, Ian, Barbara) Aw, this was one of the first ones I read, and I liked it a lot! Nice characterisation and fits into the era perfectly. (Apart from the big continuity error in the coda, which relies on ( spoilers ))
The Roundheads - Mark Gatiss (Two, Jamie, Ben, Polly) It's ages since I read this, so I don't remember it terribly well, but I think it was pretty decent? I think there was some gender stuff that annoyed me, but Gatiss's work is usually fairly enjoyable, and anything with this TARDIS team that isn't a disaster generally makes me happy.
Amorality Tale - David Bishop (Three, Sarah Jane) Again, it's been a while, but I'm pretty sure I basically hated this one?
The English Way of Death - Gareth Roberts (Four, Romana II, K-9) Hey, this one I read pretty recently! It's a bit Missing-Adventures-y in that there's some gratuitous gruesomeness, but otherwise it's great fun.
No Fifth Doctor books, though thinking about the ones I've read, I'm not sure what they could have picked. The only historical I can think of is Empire of Death, which contained an anti-abortion subplot delivered with all the subtlety of a brick to the forehead. D:
Shadow in the Glass - Stephen Cole and Justin Richards (Six, the Brig) ...I have definitely read this, but remember nothing about it. It's got the Brigadier in it, so that's a point in its favour? (Having checked my tags, apparently I read it in 2007 and liked it.)
Human Nature - Paul Cornell (Seven, Benny) Read this, it's great. It has a much better ending than the TV version, plus more pacifism, Benny befriending a suffragette, and also some gay characters, hurrah! It doesn't have Martha, but since she hadn't been invented when it was written, I suppose I can let that slide.
NO EIGHTH DOCTOR BOOK THIS IS A TRAVESTY. HE HAD A WHOLE ARC WHERE HE WAS TRAPPED ON EARTH AND ENCOUNTERING HISTORY, AND MOST OF IT WAS PRETTY GOOD. NOT TO MENTION AUTUMN MIST OR THE TAINT (which, ok, wasn't great, but does introduce Fitz) OR HISTORY 101, WHICH IS EXCELLENT AND HAS "HISTORY" RIGHT THERE IN THE TITLE (and is by Mags L. Halliday, and would therefore have increased the number of female authors in this set to two), WAS SOMEONE ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL? LOOK AT YOUR LIFE, BBC BOOKS, LOOK AT YOUR CHOICES.
No Ninth Doctor book, either. I have less outrage about this, though, largely because I've only read one Ninth Doctor book and it was set in the present day. Sorry, Nine!
The Stone Rose - Jacqueline Rayner (Ten, Rose) I haven't read this (though I do own it), but it's by Jacqueline Rayner so it's probably good.
Dead of Winter - James Goss (Eleven, Amy, Rory) I haven't read this one either! It's got good reviews, but I am judging it a bit for not being Una McCormack's The Way Through the Woods, though, that one was great.
