Doctor Who, 1996, Gary Russell
The Dying Days, 1997, Lance Parkin
Russell does his best, but the phrase “silk purse” and “sow’s ear” come to mind when thinking about writing an adaptation of the Fox Television tv-movie version of Doctor Who. McGann was good, and there’s even something to Eric Roberts as the Master, but between “half-human” and snake-Master, not to mention regeneration by medical malpractice or the heavy-handed and nonsensical allusions to Frankenstein, but Russell really had to work to turn that storyline into an even half-way enjoyable book.
Parkin, then, has it somewhat easy. He’s simply got the eighth Doctor and Bernice on contemporary Earth, preventing the Ice Warriors from invading England. It’s a nice adventure book, an appropriate farewell to the New Adventures line. Or at least the involvement of the Doctor in the line, as it continued for some time featuring characters introduced in the novels, notably a long line of solo novels for Bernice Summerfield.
And Benny and the Doctor totally do it at the end, which feels curiously appropriate.
Entries (RSS)
I have to say, that second cover really doesn’t sell the Ice Warriors as being particularly threatening. In fact, it almost looks as if that guy is coming over to see if the Doctor wants to stop by and play some X-Box after work.