Christopher Cooper (8) (1969–)

What happens when the Krillitane—last seen in the Whoniverse in the New Who season 2 episode “School Reunion”—show up in mediaeval Worcester? Answer: they are seen as the Devil’s huntsmen, feared throughout the land. But what happens when the Krillitane themselves are being persecuted? How does that change the Doctor’s perspective on the situation?

This was an OK story, but enough things bugged me for it to be dropped from a 3 to a 2:

There were some shocking proofreading errors: show more an it’s/its confusion and the spectacular “The people had been living under the yolk of fear”.

There was excessive hugging between the Doctor and the female companion in this story, Emily—I know it’s Ten and he’s more of a hugger than, say, Twelve, but I find it eyeroll-inducing in print.

And what really annoyed me was having the Doctor think of the political situation in 1139 England as the Empress Matilda attempting to steal the throne from Stephen, when in fact her father, Henry I, wanted HER to be the ruler of England. Henry I had his barons swear an oath of loyalty to her, but they were crossing their fingers at the time and once Henry I was dead, they decided they’d rather have her (male) cousin ruling England than her. I can understand having the local English folk perceiving the situation as Matilda trying to steal the throne, because that would be their worldview, but that worldview seems kind of sexist for the Doctor to have. I would have expected him to think about it simply as “the Anarchy”, a civil war with two would-be rulers fighting for control of the throne, never mind the genders of the two rulers.

Overall, this was an OK read but certainly not one of my favourite Who novels. show less

Looking at the pictures and reading the interviews was a nice chance to revel in Star Trek nostalgia. It almost overcame the overall uneven nature of the book. It's literally a bunch of recycled magazine articles (some 10 to 20 years old), assembled into a book with seemingly little to no editing from their original appearances, so there are errors, poor writing and a lot of redundant coverage between the articles, especially of a film called "Unbelievable!!!!!" And for all the interviews show more included, there are quite a few glaring omissions of cast members from each Star Trek show. And it felt insensitive to actors who worked under a lot of alien make-up to not include photos of their actual faces in all but one case. I enjoyed the book, but mourn the missed potential here. show less

The three Road Trip audios take Bernice Summerfield, played as ever by Lisa Bowerman, to the edge of the universe in a quest for her son; they are fairly separate narratives (indeed, one mild frustration is that plot threads between the three are not really connected at all) which are reasonably penetrable even for listeners who have not previously encountered Benny, though the end of the third and final play is pretty heavy on continuity. All also feature actors who have appeared in show more televised Who or its spinoffs, notably Ayesha Antoine (who was Dee Dee in Midnight) as Benny's friend and travelling companion Ruth.

Brand Management by Christopher Cooper was my favourite of the three, with Benny landing on the world of Lyndyaz and encountering a culture where she is worshipped as a goddess. Anjli Mohindra, who played Rani on the Sarah Jane Adventures, turns up as one of a pair of evil siblings who are running the place, and there are lots of larks involving archaeology and explosions.

Bad Habits, by Paul Morris and Simon Barnard, continues the religious theme with Benny and Ruth going undercover as nuns in an order run by Jacqueline King (who played Donna's mother on TV Who) in order to get close to a vital relic. I went to a convent school so have heard all the nun jokes before, and several plot elements are wildly implausible even by the standards of Doctor Who spinoff stories, but at least everyone seems to be having fun.

Despite its title, Paradise Frost has no religious content, but instead features Benny, Ruth and their obnoxious pilot trying to solve the mystery of a frozen former resort with only three vaguely human inhabitants, of whom the most mysterious is played by Arthur Darville (Rory on TV Who) and the most evil by the ever-luscious tones of India Fisher (former audio companion Charley Pollard). There are also loads of sandroaches. I can't remember another audio with both Bowerman and Fisher, and they spark off each other beautifully, but I felt the means and motivation of Fisher's character didn't quite hold together. And then the last scene, where the main story is over and Benny reaches her destination, is basically an extended trailer for the next series. Which I look forward to. show less

I'm a big Doctor Who fan and I thought I would check out more of the books while the show is on a break. David Tennant is my second favorite Doctor, and this one looked like a good match for me. I liked how the story focused on an alien I hadn't met before, a Krillitane, and I personally hope I never meet them! Quite a beast they were!! Parts of the story were a little slow but overall I enjoyed it and I would pick up another Doctor Who story by Christopher Cooper.