#doctor who expanded universe

[daughterofheartshaven]

A Virgin New Adventures reading guide

I told @gotyouanyway that I'd give them my reading guide for the Virgin New adventures that I made for a friend a while back and posting it publicly was easy and also means other people can use this too. I wrote this back in 2021, but stand by it from what I remember. It has been like 5-6 years since I read some of these books, so if I rated your favorite too low lemme know and I'll give it a re-read.

This might not be that helpful if you want to pick just a few books - I designed it more to streamline VNA experiance

The key:

1 - I'd recommend skipping

2 - Eh. You can skip, but there is at least something to be gained by reading it

3 - I would recommend reading this. It's not plot-critical, but it is a good read or useful setup

4 - Read this for sure. It's either plot-relevant, or just that damn good (or both).

Timewyrm: Genesys - 4 (introduces the timewyrm and the series; unfortunately it's also not great.)

Timewyrm: Exodus - 3 (continues the timewyrm story, and is a fairly straightforward but interesting story)

Timewyrm: Apocalypse - 2 (eh. Not much for or against it either way)

Timewyrm: Revelation - 4 (concludes the timewyrm arc with style)

Cat's Cradle: Time's Crucible - 3 (Good if you can wrap you head around it)

Cat's Cradle: Warhead - 2 (depressing as all get out, but very well written)

Cat's Cradle: Witch Mark - 3 (just plain weird. Does finish the current arc and sets up Return of the Living Dad)

Nightshade - 2 (kinda weird. Notable as the first Mark Gatiss story)

Love and War - 4 (plot-relevant. Also awesome)

Transit -4 (Introduces important recurring character. Hard to follow but really good even if you can't follow it)

The Highest Science - 3 (good story, but ultimately not amazingly important)

The Pit - 1 (I did not enjoy)

Deceit - 4 (Not a great read, but important to the plot)

Lucifer Rising - 4 (Amazing, with important character development for our protagonists)

White Darkness - 2 (first David A. McIntee novel, but not especially gripping)

Shadowmind - 3 (good demonstration of where Ace and Benny are as characters, vaguely interesting plot)

Birthright - 3 (good character piece for Ace and Benny, shows a darker side to the Doctor without being dumb about it)

Iceberg - 2 (plot is messy and weird. Only read if you need the Doctor's half of the story from Birthright)

Blood Heat - 4 (starts alternate universe arc, important developments for the Tardis)

The Dimension Riders - 2 (gonna be honest here - I don't remember a thing about this one either way)

The Left-Handed Hummingbird - 3 (first Kate Orman novel. Pretty good, although a little weird and hard to follow)

Conundrum - 3 (Be prepared for weirdness. And superheroes. Helps setup for No Future and Head Games)

No Future - 4 (concludes the alternate universe arc with style, establishes Ace from here on out)

Tragedy Day - 3 (dark, but good. Worth a read)

Legacy - 3 (Kinda dark, but it works. Be prepared for over-continuity)

Theatre of War - 4 (Pulls off one of the best plot twists I've seen anywhere, and introduces Braxieatel to the Whoniverse)

All-Consuming Fire - 4 (Not plot-relevent at all, but is very good, especially if you are a Sherlock Holmes fan)

Blood Harvest - 4 (Major plot point in the Whoniverse)

Strange England - 2 (takes strangeness to an art form. Can be freely skipped)

First Frontier - 4 (plot relevant for spoiler-y reasons)

St Anthony's Fire - 2 (dark and weird, but well written)

Falls the Shadow - 1 (Just... no)

Parasite - 1 (Written by Jim Mortimore, therefore depressing as all get out)

Warlock - 2 (I did not read. Sequel to Warhead, so only read if you liked it)

Set Piece - 4 (major plot developments for multiple characters)

Infinite Requiem - 2 (like The Dimension Riders, I remember nothing)

Sanctuary - 3 (a pure historical. Not really great on its own, but helps set up Human Nature)

Human Nature - 4 (The story that was adapted to TV. One of the best New Adventures by itself, becomes even better by having fun comparing it to the TV version)

Original Sin - 4 (plot-relevant)

Sky Pirates! - 2 (Only if you like Douglas-Adams-esque dark humor)

Zamper - 3 (Somewhat interesting follow-up to The Highest Science)

Toy Soldiers - 2 (Adds pretty much nothing, but not painfully bad) 

Head Games - 4 (a worthwhile look at where the Doctor has been going and who he is)

The Also People - 4 (probably my favorite New Adventure, although Theatre of War and Human Nature are also up there. Also resolves a recurring character's arc)

Shakedown - 3 (Fun, but ultimately fluff)

Just War - 2 (Weird and ultimately unimportant)

Warchild - 2 (Same situation as Warlock. Starts Psi arc, but can be skipped)

SLEEPY - 4 (Generally good story, sets up Psi arc if you skipped Warchild)

Death and Diplomacy - 3 (only worthwhile as setup for Happy Endings)

Happy Endings - 4 (Plot relevant. Ultimately fluff, but plot-relevant)

GodEngine - 4 (not plot-relevant, but an excellent story)

Christmas on a Rational Planet - 2 (part of Psi arc, and lays groundwork for Faction Paradox stuff, but I couldn't really follow it)

Return of the Living Dad - 4 (cleans up old plot threads, and is a great story in its own right)

Cold Fusion - 4 (Not plot relevant, but an excellent, gripping story)

The Death of Art - 2 (part of Psi arc, but not great)

Damaged Goods - 2 (Russel T. Davis's first Who work, but very dark and nasty)

So Vile a Sin - 4 (finishes Psi arc and has other plot relevance)

Bad Therapy - 2 (deals mostly with repercussions of previous story, but not great in and of itself)

Eternity Weeps - 1 (Jim Mortimore's writing is too depressing for me. Technically plot relevant in that Benny and Jason get divorced but not worth it)

The Room With No Doors - 4 (setup for Lungbarrow, good story in its own right)

Lungbarrow - 4 (concludes the new adventures of the seventh doctor in a surprisingly meaningful way)

The Dying Days - 4 (a nice little coda to the series that sets up Benny's adventures as well)

[lightfromandromeda]

first you get into doctor who (2005) and youre like "wow what a beautiful piece of sci fi with heartbreaking moments and well written characters"

then you get into the original classic doctor who (1963) and youre like: "oh wow the shows history is vast and rich and full of great stories and a huge variety of characters and the practical effects are so fun!"

then you get into the doctor who expanded universe and youre like ".......why the fuck is doctor who on tv. we cant keep letting them get away with this"

[gallifreyanhotfive]

Now, now, we all know that the One Who Waits must be *shuffles a deck of classic and EU character cards and they all go flying everywhere* Shit. Uh. It must be *gathers up cards hastily but they spill out over my fingers* Shit. Shit. I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry. Fucking hell. We all know that the One Who Waits must be *dramatically selects a single card and holds it up for the audience* the Doctor’s Aunt Flavia.

[jazzrazzberry]

god I love the doctor who books. Reading vampire science it’s like. There’s this guy, he’s deranged, he’s insane, he nearly kills a pov character, he was buried alive and clawed his way back through cement to get free. He wore his fingers to the bone. He’s gone mad from starvation and isolation. He’s absolutely bloodthirsty and murderous and has no concept of morality. He’s named Weird Harold.

[kronos-lungbarrow-oakdown]

Okay, a fact we all need to get straight is that Time Lords are walking around saying "Thanks, Omega" (meaning the same of "Thanks God") without knowing what ABO is. Oh, the blessings of being an alien.

[dw-ebook-preservation-society]

Welcome to the Doctor Who eBook Preservation Society

See original post.

What is this?

"This" is just a bunch of nerds making properly formatted EPUBs (convertible into other file types (e.g. MOBI, AZW3)) of Doctor Who books! It was started because @blazing-dynamo wanted to read properly formatted Eighth Doctor Adventures, however has expanded.

Currently the main focuses are Eighth Doctor Adventures, New Series Adventures, and Virgin New Adventures.

How far along are you?

EDAs: 31/74

NSAs: 2/?

VNAs: 2/84

PDAs: 1/76

Have you done the book I want?

Check the folders or the masterlists (EDAs, NSAs, VNAs) to see if the book you want has already been made. If not, send a request through this form or an ask. The form is preferred.

I found an error in a book

Send the error report through this form. Despite its title, it is for all books. Alternatively, you can send an ask, though the form is preferred.

I want to help out

Great! Join the Discord server here.

I have another question

Check the FAQs page or post, or send and ask.

[leelarots]

I redrew it and now I like it. old one under cut

[alyona11]

Missing Narvin hours

[yowzeight]

girls be like I'm really normal about doctor who then proceeds to tell you the difference between EDAs 8DAs PDAs and VNAs

[secretlyhuntokar]

Irving Braxiatel

reblog if you agree. reblog if you disagree. hell, reblog if you have no opinion on him. the world shall know the name Irving Braxiatel

[magpiefrankie]

"I told you we'd get caught!"

-

I don't usually hop on to trends like this but the moment I saw it I thought oh yeah. That's totally them. I've not seen an academy era version yet but I did see a tensimm one which coincidentally was the other way around.

[daughterofheartshaven]

Something I find really interesting in both Doctor Who and its expanded universe is how the character of Rassilon is handled over time. When the character is first introduced in comic story The Tides of Time and then shown onscreen in The Five Doctors, he is seen as a benevolent figure, if a harsh one. Then during the 90s, there start to be seeds that Rassilon might be a bit more malicious then he's been presented as so far in the books, but as far as I can tell, its just that - some small hints. He's still presented as a mostly acting in the interest in Good, but his actions are presented as pretty sketchy. (These hints show up in The Virgin New Adventures and the Doctor Who Magazine Comics, and I'm pretty sure also the Eighth Doctor Adventures as well, but I haven't read those). Then, in 2002, the Big Finish audio story Zagreus presents Rassilon as tyrannical xenophobic power-grabber, explaining the benevolence as a façade. It's a pretty big departure from how he's been presented prior, although the writers of Zagreus do a good job of making it feel in-line enough with everything that's been presented prior.

And then that is Rassilon's characterization pretty much from then on. In the expanded universe and tv proper both. I've never seen such a complete reversal of characterization happen so gradually or naturally.

[lightfromandromeda]

OMG is that Fitz Fortune?

You haven’t done your research, darling. I’m Fitz Fortune, of course. Just as big as that guy -’ he gestured at Elvis - ‘back in the old twentieth century. The printing department must be a bit behind; I expect there’ll be posters of me up there any day now.’

‘Fitz Fortune?’

‘The one and only, baby!’

Earthworld, by Jaqueline Rayner 2001

ever since i read that passage ive wanted to make fitz some of his own posters.....based off of this one

i hav another one on the back burner that i hope to finish before pride month ends but ive been ,, very fatigued these past couple weeks

[gallifreyanhotfive]

Just...the emphasis on the Doctor’s complexity in terms of space and time. The fact that he said he was extradimensional.

They don't often say that part out loud on TV. Most of the content about extradimensional Time Lords is in the expanded universe.

Just...yes. Yes. The Doctor’s not human. He can't even be fully perceived by humans. He's extradimensional. Yes.

Lordieeee, are we eating good right now

[jazzrazzberry]

Fred the eternal snail my beloved I’m so sorry I didn’t mention you on the post that wasn’t about you