#the Drosten's curse

[gallifreywhere]

Just for an instant the Doctor contemplated what would happen if he were to become irreversibly insane.

And then someone not very far away screamed horribly, which was a great relief, somehow. The Doctor knew exactly what to do when he heard horrible screaming-run towards it and help.

(From The Drosten's Curse, by A.L. Kennedy)

[lunammoon]

Here's a page from the Drosten's curse. I'd have to say this book has probably been the strongest influence on how I write Four.

[spacepuffling]

[ouidamforeman]

My favorite Doctor Who stories come in two flavors: “This is an amazing and beautiful work of art that I love” and “I shamelessly enjoy this and every single second of it makes me stupidly happy”

[blackscarabfilmz]

Given my tentative plans to attend Boston Fan Expo, (don’t worry I am vaccinated and probably going to be wearing a mask) I’ve been brainstorming cosplay ideas.

Given that I am currently reading The Drosten’s Curse (a 4th Doctor novel), I think I’ve decided to use my Season 12 Fourth Doctor costume that I came up with for quarantine Halloween last year. But I also got the idea to modify it into a season 18 variant, since I own both scarves.

Obviously this is a quick and dirty test, hence the dark undershirt. But I think I can pull it off. Although maybe I’ll bring both and swap the costume pieces between days and pretend to be crossing my own time stream.

[tardispowered]

Doctor Who Book Review: Fear of the Dark

Summary

Non Spoilery Review: A solid story with a few missteps. It doesn’t quite get the emotional payoff it was reaching for but is nevertheless an interesting (if sometimes bland) read. (and just a bit unintentionally kinky)

Spoiler Warning: This review contains spoilers

The Good:

This was a well structured book plot wise, with a few exceptions. While it wasn’t the most enthusiastic read, it was easy to read and there weren’t any moments where I wanted to fling the book against the wall. (As opposed to the Drosten’s Curse for example) All in all it’s a mostly solid story.

We also were introduced to a couple interesting characters, Stoker and Bunny Cheung. I loved Stoker as the hard bitten mercenary/pirate leader of the group with a passion for cigars and a get it done kind of personality. I also like the idea that she was given a love interest, if not the execution. Bunny Cheung also had a nice backstory and I loved that he had a family and a cybernetic arm. In the beginning, I enjoyed reading about them.

Another aspect I liked were Nyssa’s thoughts of Traaken and the couple mentions of Adaric and his demise. You could tell the central theme of the book was supposed to be death and the inevitability of it. Nyssa had lost everything she had and the narrative kind of touches on that very lightly.

The ending was kind of amusing, unintentionally I am pretty sure, so I can’t give it credit; but there were parts that made me grin and think of certain anime.

 The Not So Good:

This book felt always like it was reaching for something with a deep emotional resonance, but it never quite managed to get it. There could have been pathos about Nyssa coming to terms with Traaken or even just thinking of it and grieving it. I was thinking and hoping the Darkness would be somewhat attached or connected to that. But… it really wasn’t. It could have been about Adric’s death… and while they do mention it twice it’s only:

Ist time: Tegan remembering Adaric died and wondering how she could have forgotten about it.

Yeah how could you? Except maybe it’s thematically convenient.

2nd time: It’s mentioned the Doctor is always thinking of Adric’s death.

Except it never comes up, except in these two times. It could have been mentioned elsewhere. It could have been just after that death and they are still sort of reeling from the trauma so the Dark has a better hold on them. It’s only name dropped and nothing is done with it.

The Dark itself is a pretty lame antagonist. It didn’t help that I just read about a dark creature from the dawn of time that killed people and was the embodiment of evil in the Drosten’s Curse (and at least four tickled it into passivity while five kicked it back into the pit and set it on fire). Even if I hadn’t just read about it, I’ve seen this kind of enemy dozens of times. Dark entity, epitome of all evil, infects characters (somewhat arbitrarily) etc etc etc. Has a villain monologue near the end. And so on. I just didn’t care. There’s nothing interesting about pure evil. It COULD have been interesting if it accessed those hurtful emotions and had them mourn or even be sad about things which is a much more interesting take than making them fighty.

Back to Stoker and Cheung… As much as I liked Stoker as a concept…she really wanted the shiny the moon provided because…she just wanted the money I guess. But she keeps on wanting it even over the health and safety of her crew and them DYING until Cheung dies and she does a 180 like, glad to know they were just cannon fodder. And of course he was cannon fodder too. He was given a great little backstory but was killed off just to provide angst. The bloodbath of everyone dying save for our heroes was unnecessary, imo. I mean I guess it kind of fits the point that Death is inevitable but GOOD THING NO ONE SUPER IMPORTANT DIED right?

Also about halfway through some military guys come along because of a distress call and wouldn’t you know it, the commander Lawrence is Stoker’s old flame and they don’t hit it off because he’s dating someone else. Coincidence. I didn’t really care about that so much except when it switched to their conversations because I was not invested enough in their characters in and of themselves to give a damn. The author was much more invested in his OCs than I was.

And I like when there are characters aside from Doctor/Companions in the story but they need to have/develop some kind of relationship with the Core Cast otherwise they’re just a bunch of people in one room. Also their chat didn’t really have anything really to do with the main plot. It was just kind of there to round out their characters. But ultimately it didn’t matter because they both died in the end anyway. Also onboard the ship they have someone CONVENIENTLY there to be a secret heel turn/face turn and who knew how to defeat the Dark. Good thing he was there. :/  It was lame.

But not overtly terrible.

Conclusion:

A decent start to a somewhat disappointing ending and boring bits. It reads as one of the more blander of Five’s episodes. While I wouldn’t necessarily recommend reading it, I wouldn’t warn anyone away from it either. All in all pretty meh.

In my canon library?

….eh. Why not.

 Three out of Five stars

 Up Next: Players by Terrance Dicks

[gallifreywhere]

[The Doctor] could feel his muscles straining, his head spinning - and the tumult of temptations rolled on. The Bah-Sokhar knew him now- he knew what to offer better than all the petty tyrants and monomaniacs who had tried to buy him with crowns and riches. Nightmares he was used to, monsters he could resist, wealth and glory didn't interest him... but happy endings, visions of rich and fulfilled lives, of saving and aiding lives... visions of his own life finally reaching a point where he didn't have to leave just as the good bits happened and the dangers were done with... That was much harder to resist.

(The Drosten's Curse, A.L. Kennedy)

[gallifreywhere]

'Yes. The men who hit the ground with sticks, they wake me first. They get so angry and this... In the long ago, I would do what the hatethinks would ask of me and I would be fed. I am very hungry - even when I am only a little awake. The stick men hate. I wake a little for them. I wake because one of them wants me. I serve the hate stick man. Then I am hurt and I consume him. I know more about him now. But he is gone. I am lonely. I cannot serve. I need a mind to serve if I am awake all the way awake. You have big mind.'

'Thank you, yes, I know.' The Doctor could hardly take this as a compliment, coming as it did from the universe's most legendary killer - something which made a habit of eating golfers, old ladies in anoraks and who knew who else.

(The Drosten's Curse, A.L. Kennedy)

Welcome to Doctor Who

[gallifreywhere]

I started reading The Drosten's Curse on 12/20/23 and didn't manage to finish it until the day before yesterday. I'm SO relieved that herculean task is finally behind me. The story's good, but the writer's style is, well, slightly exhausting to read. Reminds me of how I used to write for a while when I was a teenager, and even then that was the reason why I hated proofreading myself. It's silly, but what kept me going in the end is that even the editors seemed to have given up by then- I noticed typos like benches in a park. I really should have believed the reviews, just this once. I won't read it again, but still, I'm glad I did. Despite the Doctor's magnificence and the TARDIS basically being a powerful moody pet dog, it does have some good bits 😉

I'm halfway through the novelisation of The Church On Ruby Road now, it's like a breeze of fresh air ✨

[ouidamforeman]

Dr Who book recs but they’re ones I’ve never seen recced or talked about much before

The I, Who reference books

Perfect Timing I and II (charity anthologies)

Fear of the Dark

The Decalogs (especially #3: Consequences)

Short Trips: The Muses

Actually most of the Short Trips books are criminally underrated, including Steel Skies, Repercussions, and Seven Deadly Sins

The Empire of Glass

Nightdreamers, because it’s Three and Jo do A Midsummer Night’s Dream in space

Now We Are Six Hundred (the poetry book illustrated by Russell T. Davies)

Time Trips (the anthology)

The Scientific Secrets of Doctor Who (this book is so delightful like you don’t even know. It was my traveling anti-anxiety comfort book for quite a while.)

Space Helmet for a Cow: The Mad, True Story of Doctor Who

The Drosten’s Curse

The Gallifrey Chronicles (the 1991 one)

[ouidamforeman]

Hey so, I've read a couple of Eight's books, and I was wondering if you had any specific recs for your fave DW books? Not just Eight, but any Doctor? Which ones have you liked most? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Hhhhhh holy shit. Ok.I’ve read a TON of Dr Who books and there are MANY I love so here are my very faves. I’ll list the range they’re in, whether or not they’re standalone, and any other really important info next to them but if you have any other questions like where to find copies (I’ll most likely be able to dig up PDFs for you), more of what they’re about, etc. just message me. Idk what you’ve read either, so yeah I’m just gonna make a general list.Ok, so very fav books:-Alien Bodies (EDA, it introduces a lot of plot threads and concepts so it’s basically standalone. It’s not actually one of my ultimate favorites but it’s considered to be one of the best DW books ever written so I’m including it bc I agree everyone should read it.)-The Scarlet Empress (EDA)-Unnatural History (EDA, my favorite Doctor Who novel ahhhh. There’s a lot of character continuity in this one and continuations of plot threads from other books though so I’d watch out here a little bit if you know nothing about the early EDAs)-Interference (EDAs, comes in two parts/books. Plot heavy but honestly whatever bc it’s not in a way that detracts from anything cool. And these books are really cool.)-The Blue Angel (EDA. This book is weird as SHIT, please read it. And then read the sequel and screenplay adaptation because they’re all GREAT.)-The Turing Test (EDA, recommending this because it’s probably my favorite DW historical story. It takes place in the middle of the Eighth Doctor’s amnesia arc but other than that there’s nothing continuity heavy in this one I don’t think. It’s just a really damn good book tbh.)-The Year of Intelligent Tigers (EDA, basically standalone except for the Doctor’s amnesia. My third favorite EDA.)-The City of the Dead (EDA, pretty much standalone. This is my second favorite Doctor Who novel. I have no idea what the wider fandom opinion on this book is but I fucking love it to bits, it’s dark and atmospheric and HILARIOUS.)-Mad Dogs and Englishmen (EDA, standalone if you know who Iris Wildthyme is. Read this for a damn good time.)-Camera Obscura (EDA, I don’t remember how standalone this can be, there’s a reoccurring villain and some other stuff but idk how much it effects everything. Read it anyway it’s great.)-Fallen Gods (Telos Novella, standalone. Probably in my top ten DW books ever. Hhhholy shit it’s beautiful.)-The Drosten’s Curse (a more recently published Fourth Doctor novel, so idk if it counts as a PDA? Anyways it’s standalone and it makes me happy every time I think about it.)-Festival of Death (PDA, standalone. I haven’t read this in at least five years I just remember it’s good)-If you haven’t read Shada you probably should-Cold Fusion (VMA. This is a lore-heavy book so it’s kind of standalone and not standalone at the same time. Idk it’s just filled with continuity fuckery. Just read it and figure everything out afterwards like I did. I love this book so much I spent $72 on a physical copy bc I am lame.)-The Infinity Doctors (PDA. Kind of the sequel to Cold Fusion, you’ll probably want to read this after it as it continues and explains some things. This book is simultaneously one of the most lore- and continuity-heavy Doctor Who stories ever and almost completely independent and standalone. I don’t know how that happened. Read it and you’ll see what I mean.)-Fear of the Dark (PDA, standalone and very scary)-The Empire of Glass is fun, if you like Braxiatel and Vicki and Steven and horribly complicated historical misadventures.-I haven’t read them yet but I constantly hear about how good The Witch Hunters (PDA) and Verdigris (PDA) are? Harvest of Time too probably (I’ve read that one I just totally forget everything about it because it’s been years)-There are lots of good VNAs but I’m super behind on those so you’ll have to ask someone else for recommendations on them-You might want to read Engines of War, the one War Doctor novel (it ties into Day of the Doctor)-Read Big Bang Generation for the sole reason of seeing Benny Summerfield and the Twelfth Doctor together I’m also a huge fan of anthologies, so here are some of my favorites:-Decalog 3, because you HAVE to read Continuity Errors oh my god -Short Trips and Side Steps is an experience -Short Trips: The Muses is my favorite Big Finish Short Trips book, it’s gorgeous and you’ll probably cry -Companions, Steel Skies, and Farewells are some of my other favorite Short Trips books, and Seven Deadly Sins has a really cool plot thread through the whole thing even if every individual story isn’t the greatest ever. Anyways the Short Trips books are all underrated and more people should read them.-Time Trips is a beautiful illustrated collection -The Scientific Secrets of Doctor Who is also wonderful Aaaand I think that’s all of my top favorites, there are many more but those are kind of my must-read ones, along with some other stuff I like just to add some variety to the recommendations lmao (I rly like EDAs and anthologies help me). If you want anything more specific I could give recs based on feel/genre/content, Doctors/companions, etc. too.