Review: Well, I was none too thrilled when the time came to read this
book. The last Third Doctor "Missing Adventure" I read was The
Ghosts Of N-Space, and it completely stank. But, to my surprise, this one
was actually good. Paul Leonard has done the memory of the third Doctor some
justice.
The events of this story are precipitated by a typical Third Doctor plot
accelerator - the building of a totally unscientifically based invention called (now
don't laugh) a "Personal Time-Line Prognosticator." This device shows events
that are going to happen sometime in the future. So, the Doctor fires this machine
up, and it shows the Brigadier shooting and killing the Doctor and Jo! These
events are a fact, and cannot be changed - or so the Doctor says. So, of course, he
tries to change them by coming up with the plan to split the three of them up,
thereby making it impossible for this event to take place.
The other plotline concerns the fictional Middle Eastern country called
Kebiria. UNIT has sent an operative to investigate a strange "anomaly"
somewhere in the desert mountains of this foreign land, which was
photographed by reconnaissance aircraft. Lethbridge-Stewart receives a phone
call from a reporter who is covering peace talks between this country and its
neighbor, who met this UNIT operative just prior to his grisly death. He drove
out of the desert in a UNIT jeep, and this reporter found that he was severely
bloated (and it wasn't the water he drank) and babbling something about
"dancing the code." He then proceeds to burst open, and out flows yummy
honey! The Bedouin tribe this reporter is staying with also witnesses this, and
burns the remains. Apparently there is a story in their folklore relating these same
events - and of course, it is a bad omen. So the Brig decides to send Mike Yates
and some troops to check this out, and Jo follows along so she doesn't get shot
and killed by the Brigadier. (She doesn't want to get shot and killed, so she goes
to a war-torn Middle Eastern country...good thinking!)
Anyway, off they go to this lovely country, only to get instantly captured by
rebels. The UNIT soldiers get held in a regular jail, while Jo gets thrown into
another specifically for political prisoners. The cell Jo is thrown into, by sheer
coincidence, is also occupied by the reporter who earlier witnessed the UNIT
soldier's unpleasant demise. Jo befriends her and decides they must escape, or
they shall surely die.
Back in England, The Doctor hears about the "anomaly" and the soldier
bursting, and also hears that Jo Grant, and the troops sent there to investigate
have not been heard from. So, in hero mode, the Doctor and the Brigadier get in
a jet fighter, and fly off to save the world. Of course they are promptly shot
down, and the Doctor is captured by zombie-like humans who take him to a giant
hive-like structure - the "anomaly" pictured in the photograph. He, of course, is
dead interested in the goings-on therein, so goes along with his capture with
pleasure. The Brigadier has hoofed it into the desert, and is wandering around
looking for his soldiers, using good old British know-how. All the separate plots
merge into a pitched battle for global supremacy by quite an interesting enemy -
and no, it is NOT the Master for a change!
The characterizations in this book are spot on. You could actually
hear the words being spoken by the actors. Jo even blushes and becomes
embarrassed when she hears another person swear! Quite realistic in all, and a
very enjoyable Third Doctor adventure. My review does not do it justice, and I
recommend reading it. It is a 7.5 out of 10 for sure, read it if you can find it. If
you like the Third Doctor, it will bring back some funny memories of grainy
footage, and make you want to drag out the old videos to re-watch some super
over-the-top acting.
Timeline:
reviewed by Jeremy Benner
The Menagerie
written by Martin Day
Review: A nameless planet living in fear of technology - this is the
setting of this Missing Adventure. The Doctor, along with Jamie and Zoe, arrive
on this rain-sodden world just in time to become embroiled in a confrontation
between the classes. On one side, The Knights of Kuabris, who are the anti-science
police who rule this town with fear and intimidation. On the other, the creatures
who live beneath the city, in the fabled "Menagerie of Ukkazaal."
These two sides could not be more different. The Knights have little or no
knowledge of the existance of these subterranean societies, yet the three groups
who live below (the Dugracs, a species of bipedal rat-men; the Rocarby, a race
of apelike Sasquatch men; and the Taculbain, who are described as bipedal
bee-men) all know of the surface dwellers, and don't trust them a bit.
Of course, the age-old scenario which allows the story to flow rears its head:
Separate the TARDIS crew. The Doctor is arrested and brought to the Castle where
he is questioned by the Knights. Zoe is also brought to the Castle, but she is
mistaken for a prostitute and is sent to the slave market for sale (I'll bid ten
grotzits!). And Jamie evades capture and manages to rope a few of the city folk
into the adventure.
There is one other race on this world. A vicious, genetically modified,
cryogenically frozen, group of murderous killers: The Mecrim. Their resurrection
must be stopped at all cost or surely the societies, both above and below, will
be utterly wiped out.
A lot of the action takes place in this unnamed town and its surrounding areas,
but the richness of characters allow for ample enjoyment. Also, the three time
travelers are well written for, and at times I could even picture it being
broadcast in glorious black & white! The underground city is a very eerie
place by all descriptions, but to say more would betray the secrets of the
Menagerie itself!
I had a real good time reading this book, the only downside being the rather
stupid names people are given: Argaabil, Xaelobran, Zaitabor, and Defrabax, to
name just a few. With so little of the second Doctor's adventures available on
Video (or CD) one tends to forget how good he can be. But this is a good example
of how to write for him. The placing of this book just before
The War Games
is quite sad though, knowing that to be his last adventure in that body, and
knowing of the depressing destiny which awaits both Jamie and Zoe. But, I still
have many more second Doctor books to read, and hopefully they are as good as
this one. I'm giving it, believe it or not, 9/10. I can't say that it is the
be-all-and-end-all-of the second Doctor's adventures, but I enjoyed it a lot.
Review: In one week's time, Integrated Intelligence is bringing
OFFNet online. All of the computer-controlled systems in the entire world
will be linked together to work more efficiently as one.
But is this just a way of making life easier? Or is it part of a
cunning plan by an alien race in their plot to take over the Earth?
It is 1998, and the Doctor, accompanied by Sarah Jane Smith, arrives
in - of all places - London! Convinced that no interesting historic
events had ever happened in that year, he decides to have a drink and move
on. But when a strange man bursts through the door of the pub, followed
closely by an even stranger woman, the Doctor becomes interested. His
curiousity is piqued after the pursued man bumps into him, and runs out
the door...slipping a CD-ROM and a note into the Doctor's capacious pocket
in the process.
As interested as the Doctor is, it is not until the very same man ends
up murdered a few blocks away that the game is afoot. Something
interesting might well be happening in 1998, and they're going to find
out what it was.
The Doctor and Sarah begin to investigate the death, and find that
they are not the only ones interested in the rogue CD-ROM. In their
zealousness to discover the truth, and the Doctor's inability to be
discreet, they are brought in by MI5. It seems that the two time
travellers were quite obvious in their investigations, and the Assistant
Director of MI5 wants to ask them a few questions. This Director is none
other than Harry Sullivan, who upon seeing the Doctor and the old girl,
knows very well that something unusual is about to take place somewhere.
After all, when does anything normal happen to the Doctor, or the people
around him?
The Doctor runs this CD-ROM and finds that a unique computer virus,
which calls itself Voractyl, is living on it. Yes, I said living. The
virus is alive, in a way, and it has been created to convert all of the
Earth's computer systems to its way of thinking. It believes that
biological organisms are inefficient and must be subjugated. This will
be carried out by the Voracians, the servants of Voractyl. They also
happen to be the ones who run Integrated Intelligence! Contrived? One
may think so, but it isn't Doctor Who without one villainous plot or
another.
These aliens are quite amusing. They talk to each other in business
jargon ("My people will contact your people, and we can do lunch
to see if the idea is a go...") and deal with their invasion plans
in a purely professional way. It is the first time I've seen aliens go
over graphs to discern what percentage of the takeover of the world
will be a sucess.
The Fourth Doctor is written for adequately. There are a few too
many times when he walks around whistling various tunes to himself.
Sarah and Harry do their parts, even though most of their conversation
comes down to a "But why, Doctor?" here and a "What does
that mean, Doctor?" there. What I didn't understand is: why was
U.N.I.T never contacted? Aliens taking over the Earth, and Harry never
calls up the Brigadier? I know in 1998 the Brig is living in happy
retirement, but as if Harry doesn't know his home phone number!
I give this one 8/10. The cover art is quite lame. Sarah Jane is
holding a machine gun in a completely awkward way. It looks totally
bizarre! Oh well, back to the old grindstone!
DOCTOR WHO and all related characters and placenames
are the property of the British Broadcasting Corporation. This document is not
intended to infringe upon the BBC's copyright in any way. The author(s)
make no attempt - in using the names described herein - to supercede the
copyrights of the copyright holders, nor are these files officially sanctioned,
licensed, or endorsed by the shows' creators or producers.
between the classes. On one side, The Knights of Kuabris, who are the anti-science
police who rule this town with fear and intimidation. On the other, the creatures
who live beneath the city, in the fabled "Menagerie of Ukkazaal."
These two sides could not be more different. The Knights have little or no
knowledge of the existance of these subterranean societies, yet the three groups
who live below (the Dugracs, a species of bipedal rat-men; the Rocarby, a race
of apelike Sasquatch men; and the Taculbain, who are described as bipedal
bee-men) all know of the surface dwellers, and don't trust them a bit.
the door...slipping a CD-ROM and a note into the Doctor's capacious pocket
in the process. 
