#virgin new adventures

[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)

[unnamedmedicalprofessional]

Imagine if Clara had been the seventh doctor's companion. They would have destroyed the entire universe within a week of meeting each other.

[tengirl]

here we are: series 14 (or series 1 or whatever you want to call it lol) is over. i made an updated survey based on last year’s to reflect this if you guys want to fill it out 💫☄️🪐🛸

i’ll close responses in 2 months on august 25th :)

[st4rshiptr00per]

my creation today

[melbush]

if there’s one thing about me, i love an alignment chart

[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.

[vivvision]

It'll never not amaze me the depths and vast expansive-ness of Doctor Who spin-off content. Can any other fandom or show truly say that they have a 'universe' in the same way that Doctor Who does? You have decades of audio dramas, licensed, partially licensed, and unlicensed. Books about the main character, books about the main characters friends, books about timelines that never were or might have been! Movies with villains from the show and promotional shorts that occupy a secret third special place between plain fun and actual canon. Is all of it canon? Is none of it canon besides the show? Are only the bits we like canon? YOU decide, because you have decades and mountains and worlds to choose from.

Not to mention that this all gives fans the easiest in to make fan-content, fan doctors, etc and they do, hundreds of them! They have been for decades!

The Whoniverse is ever expanding, vast in a way that few can truly grasp onto, and you'll never be done discovering it. I'll never not be in awe of it.

[yowzeight]

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

[hijinxed]

fucking SICK haul from my local used bookstore today!!! my partner and I are obsessed with dw so we’re very excited to read these!!!

[inkpalace]

getting really annoyed that the wilderness years / expanded canon of doctor who has so many contradictions but also contradicting ourselves because every discontinuity can effectively be dismissed by saying "faction paradox did it"

[someotherthingsanstuff]

90's who was wild and weird.

[innocet]

i dont really know how to go about this other than making Posts and leading by example, but i really would love to try and build a culture in dweu fandoms to Leave The Wiki Better Than You Found It. SO MANY works on tardiswiki don't have synopses, and so often i see people complaining about tardiswiki being innaccurate or unhelpful. these are problems that you have the power to solve! you can edit the wiki! as i read wilderness years books, i make a point to write a synopsis if there isn't one. if you're worried about not doing it well, a bad synopsis is better than no synopsis--it gives other editors something to edit! even if it's just a few paragraphs overviewing what happens, it makes the wiki better and makes these stories far more accessible and comprehensible to the average dr who fan. i think many people forget that fan wikis are made and edited by fans and that The Power Lies In Your Hands. the style guide/editor's manual can be found here.

[dalesramblingsblog]

Only in the New Adventures can you get two thirds of the way through and have the author turn to you and go "And then the entire primary cast fucking died" and go "Ooh, it's been a while since we've done that one, here we go!"

[familyparadox]

[st4rshiptr00per]

tiny comic of No Future... i love Expressions

[image ID. a simple comic with four panels. the first panel shows Bernice Summerfield standing behind the seventh doctor, hitting the top of his hat irritatedly with her fist while he makes an annoyed face, sticking out his tongue. her speech bubble reads "Helloooo!! anybody in there!". In the next panel she's pushing his hat down over his eyes while he frowns, her speech bubble says "Stop being so rude, git-features!!". in the third panel the doctor looks up at her, fixing his hat angrily, with a shadow over his eyes. in the fourth panel he suddenly gives a big apologetic smile, putting up his hands and saying "guilty!". end ID.]

[melbush]

“sound familiar?” whack him again