Author: Terrance Dicks

Originally published: 1991

Read: August 2024 (and approx Sept 1991!)

Context:

This is the beginning of a (doctor who) journey that is rather long, daunting and possibly impossible to complete. However, I am going to try. To read every Virgin New Adventure, every EDA, every virgin missing adventure and every BBC PDA. I plan to read in a rough cycle starting with 8, then 7th, then missing and then new who novelisations. I have read, almost all the New Adventures and EDAs’ before, a very limited number of new who books and no PDA/Missing adventures. My love/obsession with Dr who is a life time thing, that has come and gone in waves..however now, at the very very middle age of 46 the love is back and here to stay. And it used to LOVE reading who novels.

I am very much a child of the hiatus, with memories of 25th and 26th season on broadcast and some repeats vague. I always, and still do, love reading (and writing to a lesser extent). I also like collecting and am happy spending too much money on the things I love. After my family, its Who and all Who things, they NEED me to own and consume them. Sounds a bit weird.

I am no literary critic, I am also by disposition a very positive person so I’m not likely to post much that is overly negative. If I don’t like something I will say but I want to keep these musings and mutterings as positive as possible. I

f a review is very short or maybe even blank….that might indicate that one wasn’t my cup of Early Grey.

LOL

Anyway, so I’m combining a host of things, I don’t mind if these are never read by any other living human. I think this will be fun. And maybe by 2056 I might have read them all!

If I really get into it I might expand to big finish stuff…which I have fell back in love with. Maybe.

NB I am aware this isn’t the first new adventure, however the idea to write a blog on this only occurred to me about 6 books in my literature who adventures, so I’m going to start here, go back, then when up to date post a blog whenever I have finished one. In theory. 2 kids and a busy work life allowing.

Only time will tell…….

THE REVIEW

What I thought: Ok, so I thought this was really good fun. I didn’t like Uncle D’s 8 doctors (more on that in another post) so I started this with some trepidation. I shouldn’t have worried as I got into this one very quickly. The story gathers pace, jumps to all sorts of different time periods and there are some great characters. The 7th doc and Ace jump off the page, they have a brilliant adventure and the introduction of the War chief etc made for a nice inclusion (sort of, kinda obvious who the big bad was). I also couldn’t imagine the ‘laser cane’ thing in any other way than a really bad 1980’s BBC 50p special effect. Regardless, it’s an interesting idea. The inclusion of all the top nazis was a ‘bold’ choice, and I do wonder if this was a draft for a 2020 audience it wouldn’t get past the editor. If I recall ‘camps’ may have even been eluded to. Is this suitable Dr Who context/content? MMmmm not so sure…that aside though, it’s a fun story, the 7th doctor and Ace are good in this and the story races forward in such a fun way. Really enjoyed this one.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Daleks (looses .5 of a Dalek for the whole Nazi hierarchy issue)

What I felt?

This one really took me back, as I progressed through it my memory of the first time I read it got stronger and stronger. It felt like I was that awkward teenager again….which in this context was a nice feeling. 1990’s Cheshire was vivid in my mind.

I also felt this was a bit of a contrast with the first book, Genesis….maybe this one would have been better first?

What am I left thinking?

• How the Hemmings thing will play out (I know he is important but I can’t really remember from that 1990’s read through)
• I can still, almost, imagine this as a TV episode..will other NA be that

Memorable bits

– The laser cane

– Jovial Goring

– Nazi 1950’s London