Shada- Novelised!! Cover revealed!

[Alex Me]

Finished this yesterday, very enjoyable. Probably the best doctor who book (fiction) I've read for a good few years.

What notable about it is where Gareth has tweaked certain plot points from the versions we are probably more familiar with via the bbc tape and bf audio. Rather then feeling like sacrilege though these make the story feel more 'authentic' by clearing up some rather sloppy plot points that where in the original.

For example: I much prefer this version of the part 5 cliffhanger, the original version just made Salyavin out to be a bit of an idiot.

If there is one criticism its the final few chapters are a bit heavy on the info dumping. As Gareth was not afraid to change bits of the plot where necessary, I feel some of this could of been woven through the rest of the text rather then saved up to the end.

All in all though a fine reconstruction of the ultimate missing story; I would say this is the definite Shada, but as a new version seems to come out every few years that would probally be a bit hasty. 8/10

[Rob McCow]

Rather then feeling like sacrilege though these make the story feel more 'authentic' by clearing up some rather sloppy plot points that where in the original.

I agree. For once, a writer's 'improvements' are exactly that!

[Andrew Curnow]

About 1/3 of the way through (just into episode 3, as it were) and am really enjoying this - the TARDIS scene where Romana tells the Doctor about the Prof dying is very touching (totally Roberts' idea, or was it in the script?) and there are some nice details where he's able to suggest that Romana/the Doctor are from another time, such as Romana's reference (for example) to K9 needing charging because he's down to one bar which obviously makes no sense to Chris in 1979! It (so far anyway) really hangs together well AS A BOOK, and could easily be the definitive version!

[SiHart]

Just heard Gareth Roberts is to follow this up with a novelisation of City of Death. I think it's marvellous!

[Andrew Curnow]

About time too! Hurrah!

[Rob McCow]

Well I think it's marvelous!

[Andrew Curnow]

I'm going to buy seven copies, but brick six of them up in my cellar.

[SiHart]

Well I think it's marvellous!

So do I.

[SiHart]

I'm going to buy seven copies, but brick six of them up in my cellar.

That's a very nice piece of capital investment.

[Andrew Curnow]

Surely somebody somewhere should write a 'fanfic' in which Gareth Roberts is being forced to write seven original copies of the novelisation of City of Death.

Earlier in the same story would of course come the exchange "Hermann, sell one of the Wheel in Spaces - discretely"; "Discretely? Sell an original Terrance Dicks discretely?!"

[Dirk Gently]

[SiHart]

It would be an amazing ebay account!

[Andrew Curnow]

"What I don't understand is why a man who's got six copies of City of Death wants to go to all the trouble of stealing a seventh."

"Come on, Doctor, I've just told you. There are seven people who would buy that book in secret, but nobody's going to buy it while it's sitting in Bracknell Library! "

[Dirk Gently]

@Andrew








I've just had to explain why that's funny to Angela, ending with the words "if you don't find that funny then you're not a Doctor Who fan".

[Rob McCow]

Poor Angela!

[Dirk Gently]

It's her fault for not watching City of Death.

[SiHart]

Well she should- it has a bouquet, you know, like a good wine.

[Stuart Wallis]

Whereas Wheel In Space is more of a table wine. (The Space Pirates is more like wine vinegar...)

Fingers crossed someone comes to an agreement over the remaining Dalek stories...