Illegal Alien

http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/2635668.html

A Seventh Doctor novel published in 1997, featuring Ace and Cybermen in wartime 1940s London; grittily imagined, with good characterisation; one of the better Past Doctor Adventures that I have read. It shares certain resonances with The Doctor Dances / The Empty Child, but is really very true to the spirit of McCoy era Who, to the point that I wondered if it could have been a script in its own right.

As indeed, apparently, it was - submitted for the 1990 season that was never made.

This is a Doctor Who spin-off novel featuring the Seventh Doctor and Ace (Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred on TV) set in 1940, the second such spin-off novel I've read in the last month set during the Second World War. A mysteriously advanced bomb crashes on London during the Blitz. It is of course an alien artifact, produced by the Doctor's old enemies, the Cybermen. There are also Nazis, double agents and misguided British loyalists in the picture, all trying to use cyber-technology to create battle armour to gain an advantage for their respective sides in the global conflict. There are some shocking and grotesque set piece scenes of cyber-conversion that could never have been shown on screen (the authors originally submitted this as show more a script for a TV story, but this was frustrated when the series was sadly cancelled in 1990). I thought the two leads came over very well here, particularly Ace, and I could easily visualise a TV version of this story in my mind's eye. That said, in places it feels quite similar to the McCoy TV story Silver Nemesis and there was also another McCoy story set in the Second World War, The Curse of Fenric, so maybe this would not have worked in practice. show less

A WW2 story for the Seventh Doctor and Ace that showcases the true horror of the Cybermen. It also demonstrates Seven's dark, manipulative side rather well.

I thought this was a good tale, with some very interesting twists and plot developments. I have not had the pleasure of watching any of McCoy's portrayal of the Doctor or his companion Ace. But I feel that after reading this book I have a good understanding of them both.

I love it when the Doctor goes back into Earth history. It’s like having a very interesting and enjoyable history lesson. Even if it’s not all fact. I love how the start of the story is like a diary entry by the Private Eye Colby McBridge and it’s the same for the end. It’s nice to find out what happens to McBridge and Mullen. A great plot twist also which what they discover under the pumping station.

The epilogue suggests the possibility of a sequel. It is easy show more to see why this story was included in the monster specials to celebrate the 50th anniversary. show less

Illegal Alien by Mike Tucker and Robert Perry, finds the Dr. and Ace in 1940 London arriving in a private detective’s office straight out of a novel. Now, stories about the Cybermen are not my favorite. This one is different, the Cybermen are the back bone of the story but not the whole story. The plot weaves and bobs then weaves again. There are many almosts and very close calls that kept me on the edge of my seat to the end.