Sophie Aldred

Sophie Aldred’s Doctor Who novel, At Childhood’s End, revisits her character of Dorothy McShane – Ace – who traveled with Sylvester McCoy’s Seventh Doctor and now runs the philanthropic organization, A Charitable Earth. Using her connections, she keeps apprised of extraterrestrial goings-on on Earth. When a mysterious object appears in orbit around the moon at the same time as alien abductions around the world, Ace begins to have dreams that suggest it has some connection to show more Fenric, who abducted her from Earth when she was young. She enlists the help of a British astronaut, Will, to travel to the alien object where she finds the Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Graham, and Ryan already on-site, having traveled aboard the TARDIS. They have an awkward reunion before returning to Earth to investigate the connection between the abductions and the alien craft.

Aldred’s story touches on many common themes of more recent Doctor Who stories, specifically what happens when companions leave or are left behind. How does their experience traveling with the Doctor change them. Aldred draws parallels between Ace’s disillusionment and the abductees, who felt cast off from society. Ace’s charity helps with the rebuilding process after wars, showing that simply ending a conflict isn’t enough if nobody helps to build the peace. As a Doctor Who veteran, Aldred knows that the underlying humanity and philosophical issues are part of what makes these stories work, and there’s plenty of that alongside enough action and adventure to keep a binary vascular system beating. This is a great book to prepare for the forthcoming Centenary Special, “The Power of the Doctor,” reuniting Ace with the Doctor on television! show less

Sophie Aldred and Mike Tucker’s Ace!: The Inside Story of the End of an Era traces the story of Aldred’s casting as Ace on Doctor Who as well as Tucker’s work designing effects for the last three seasons of the show. The book further includes an examination of how novels and comic books created new stories featuring Ace in the years before the 1996 television movie and 2005 Doctor Who revival. Aldred and Tucker pack the book with behind-the-scenes photographs, script notes, handwritten show more letters and memos from people involved in the show as well as fans, and more. Aldred's accounts brilliantly depict the heart of a show that, at the time of publication, faced an uncertain future. Tucker's portions provide useful insight for those curious about how the production staff came together to create something magical. Further, producer John Nathan-Turner’s comments about the show being best when it put heart and story first rather than relying on effects seems to have been the mantra that made the revived Doctor Who succeed beginning in 2005 (pg. 54). This is a great time-capsule of the franchise for fans, in particular those who loved Ace’s adventures with the Seventh Doctor! show less

4.5 out of 5

I love it when elements of Classic Who and New Who are combined to tell a whole new story. With a history this vast Doctor Who is a franchise that's perfect for such a mashup of the old and new. Especially given how much of a mixture of old and new this current era is - what with its female Doctor and its throwback to a three-companion TARDIS team. So, when the news broke that Sophie Alfred, the actress who played Ace (companion of the 7th Doctor and the prototype for the modern show more Doctor Who companion as we know them), would be writing a book detailing an adventure where Ace meets the current Doctor and her companions, I was totally on board. And, I gotta tell you, it's a really good book. In fact, it's so good that I wish it could be adapted into an episode or two of the show itself.

Sophie Aldred is a good writer. Yes, I know the book is technically co-written by Steve Cole and Mike Tucker, two veteran Doctor Who novelists, and it's hard to know who, exactly, wrote what. But I stand by that statement - Sophie Aldred is a good writer. Or, at least, she knows how to construct a really good Doctor Who story. Her prose may not be the best flowing, but she totally understands the various components that make a good Doctor Who story: a really compelling mystery, some really great character work, and a lot of fun. Honestly, At Childhood's End might rival Engines of War and The Good Doctor as my favorite Doctor Who novel that I've read to date.

At Childhood's End certainly has a good hook. It's been ages since Ace traveled with the Doctor, but she's suddenly having bad dreams about being transported to a weird, desert planet with sand that hurts your feet that remind her of her past experiences with a time scoop. Those dreams also seem to be related to a string of recent disappearances - where homeless/abandoned children are being kidnapped by weird, rat-like aliens. Then there's the sudden appearance of a UFO orbiting the moon with nobody seeing it approach. All of that makes for a really great hook for a Doctor Who story, especially when combined with the equally big hook of Ace meeting the 13th Doctor. But Aldred is really smart and withholds that first meeting until the very end of the first third of the novel. Instead, she spends the first chunk reintroducing readers to Ace (or introducing them to her for the first time, as the case may be) and allowing her to go on her own adventure as she tries to get to the bottom of what's going on. Honestly, I'd read an entire book that was just Ace investigating alien threats on her own, without the Doctor ever appearing. That's how good that first part is. But, of course, this is a Doctor Who story and the Doctor has to enter at some point, which she does with lots of panache at the end of the first part of the novel.

From there, the story plays out like any other Doctor Who tale. The Doctor enters the picture and starts to take control of the situation, gathering information from everyone involved and investigating various elements before plunging herself, and her friends, into certain danger until the story ultimately wraps up. While it's definitely a very entertaining and engaging story, I will say that it isn't exactly the novel's best element. The premise is strong, but it feels like it doesn't quite support the novel's length and in the latter half of the book, things feel as though they've been stretched just a bit too thin. As a result, the momentum of the actual story just sort of fizzles out in a climax that's not quite as climactic as it should be. The villain is interesting, but a bit under-explored and there are a few too many other potential villains that distract from the main one. It's not that any of this is bad, necessarily, but it does feel a tiny bit underwhelming, especially when compared to the excellent characterization found throughout the novel. Still, it's a very engaging plot, even if it does fizzle out a bit at the end. In that regard, it's in pretty great company beside loads of other great Doctor Who stories with somewhat problematic plots.

The best aspect of the novel, however, is easily its characterization. Aldred not only understands exactly what makes Ace tick, but she also has a deep understanding of what makes the 13th Doctor, Ryan, Graham, and Yaz tick and she's able to write all of these characters as if she's been writing them for years. The biggest joy, of course, is seeing how Ace has changed and grown in the years after her adventures with the Doctor. It's not as though Doctor Who's expanded universe hasn't explored Ace's life after the classic run of the series ended, of course, but rarely has a story jumped this far into her future and explored what her life might be like after the Doctor. This is an Ace who departed with the Doctor on less-than-good terms (an event which is hinted at throughout the novel in interludes but never fully shown) and, as a result, has taken that pain and allowed it to harden her in certain ways while pushing her to focus her energy on doing the most good she can do - which she does by running her charity, A Charitable Earth. This evolution of the character feels totally in line with the arc she went through during her time on the show. It feels like a natural continuation of her story and it's a large part of why her interactions with the 13th Doctor work as well as they do.

Speaking of the Doctor, her relationship with Ace contributes a lot to the novel. It's a lot of fun to see how this Doctor is both similar and different to the 7th Doctor, the one Ace is more familiar with. That Doctor was a lot more blatantly manipulative than the 13th Doctor is, but both Doctors cake their manipulations in a layer of "we're just trying to do what's best." Ace, of course, is more than fed up with the Doctor deciding what's best for her. In fact, one of the more interesting elements of Ace and the 13th Doctor's relationship is how Ace's knowledge of the Doctor's past influences Yaz's opinion of the Doctor, presently. It's also really interesting seeing how both Ace and the Doctor have changed since they parted ways. Ace has lived the rest of her life and simultaneously distanced herself from her past while allowing it to shape her into the woman she is today and the Doctor has been through... so much trauma that's definitely informed who she is. Both of them are different but both of them are also the same in a lot of ways. They're often at odds with each other, but they also easily slip back into their old friendship. Their relationship is the heart of the book and it's in these moments that the book shines its brightest. I almost wish it could have been an adventure with only those two just so we could see more of their dynamic. But as it is, it's some really good stuff and it's clear that Aldred has a lot to say about their relationship.

At Childhood's End has quite a large cast - there's Ace, Will (a British astronaut and Ace's ex), Sam (his coworker and current partner), Chantelle (Ace's childhood friend), Kim Fortune (a podcaster), the Doctor, Ryan, Yaz, and Graham. That's a sizeable cast and while Aldred does her best to give all of them a fair amount of page time and things to do, some of the characters will inevitably get left by the wayside - most notably Sam and Will, who completely disappear from the story in the final third, and Chantelle and Kim who make very little splash, in general, save for some attention in the climax that might have been better spent elsewhere. It's a shame because all four make a pretty good impression in the first third of the book before the Doctor enters the picture. But once the current TARDIS team arrives, they sort of suck all the attention away from the rest of Ace's friends. Which is understandable, if a bit sad. It makes me wish for Aldred to write more books with this cast of characters, just without the Doctor appearing in them.

However, Aldred does an excellent job of capturing the voices of Ryan, Yaz, and Graham and giving them something to do and ensuring they each get a fair chunk of attention throughout the story. Aldred clearly understands what makes these characters tick and it feels as though she's been writing them for ages. Yaz is definitely given the meatiest role of the current companions as Aldred uses Yaz as a character to contrast with Ace. While Ace doesn't trust the Doctor, Yaz doesn't trust Ace and she finds that she's jealous of Ace's past with the Doctor. This tension leads to some really good scenes later in the novel where Ace tells Yaz about the Doctor's darker side, truly shaking some of Yaz's faith in the Doctor. Combined with the ongoing arc in the current season of the show, this characterization of Yaz really enhances what audiences are seeing on screen and, honestly, it's the kind of characterization the show should be showing more of. It leads to some great scenes where Yaz confronts the Doctor about her subtle manipulations of the companions, giving us a really nice moment where the Doctor actually apologizes for her actions. It's good stuff. While Ryan and Graham don't get the same development or attention that Yaz and the Doctor do, they feel true to their TV selves, but they aren't given much to do outside of what they normally do. But honestly, it's okay because what characterization At Childhood's End does have is really wonderful and it carries the book a long way.

At the end of the day, At Childhood's End has everything you want in a Doctor Who story: a really good mystery, a lot of meaty character drama, and a rollicking good adventure. It's paced really well, written really well, and easily grabs your attention. It's one of those books that you pick up for the gimmick of a previous companion meeting the current Doctor but stick around for the excellent characterization and truly entertaining story that's being told. For a debut novel, At Childhood's End is a really promising one and I would love for Aldred to continue writing novels about Ace. This novel should easily please fans of both the classic and modern eras of Doctor Who; it's a beautiful merge between the two eras and is so well-executed that I really wish it would be adapted as a televised Christmas special or something. It'd be really Ace. Pun intended. show less

I was very, very excited when I got to the end of the most recent Doctor Who installment and saw Sophie Aldred in the preview of the next episode. Her character, Ace, was always one of my favorite companions, and she was definitely on my top ten list of characters from the classic series I'd most want to see again.

It also reminded me that I'd had this book sitting on my TBR for a little while, and I decided now was definitely the time to get to it, so I could see Sophie Aldred's own vision show more of a future for Ace before meeting whatever version is about to appear on our screens.

And it is a good version! I'm really pleased with the way the Ace depicted here -- or Dorothy, rather, as she's gone back to using her real name -- feels both believable as a 50-year-old woman who's done a lot of growing and maturing and making her own way in the world, and as someone who used to be the fiesty teenager we saw on our TVs in the 1980s. If the show's official reintroduction of her feels anything at all like this, I will be very pleased, indeed.

My feelings about the plot of this are a bit more mixed, though. Parts of it are fairly clever, and overall it feels very much like a Doctor Who story. But one or two elements do feel a bit silly (even for Doctor Who), or difficult to suspect my disbelief for (yes, even for Doctor Who). And while it was mostly fun, I can't say it always held my attention quite as well as I might have liked.

Rating: It's hard to know quite how to rate this, given aforementioned mixed feelings, but I think I'm going to be generous and give it a 4/5. After all, it did get the most important thing right! show less