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Post by newt5996 on Oct 25, 2018 15:11:44 GMT
A one-sentence defense of the VNAs: Give me an ambitious trainwreck over mediocre and accessible any day of the week.Hi Cat’s Cradle Witch mark
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Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2018 9:39:01 GMT
A one-sentence defense of the VNAs: Give me an ambitious trainwreck over mediocre and accessible any day of the week.Absolutely. Show me the Doctor as he waltzes with Death across the Moon's airless tundra in starlight. Show me a creature that feeds on the nostalgia of its victims as they climb desperately up the rainsoaked radio tower. Show me a house populated with bloodsucking orchids and impossibly beautiful terrors born of Time's own Id. Show me a transgalactic manhunt across the cosmos for an assassin who can end an eon-old war. Show me Holmes and Watson trapped in a purple, stinging hellscape straight from Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos. Show me ancient houses that seethe inside the deepest mountains with resentment and fumbling ambitions. Show me a villain who is an enemy of Reason itself, who strives to make every triumph and tragedy meaningless. And that's only seven of over fifty novels. If ever anyone is looking for something to challenge not only the tenants of Who, but some of sci-fi's own conventions, the VNAs are it. They can stumble from time-to-time, sure, but when they hit their mark it's something genuinely magical. I haven't read that many of the new Who books. I know I was disappointed, though, by the short stories in the 50th anniversary Doctor Who story anthology ( Doctor Who: Eleven Doctors, Eleven Stories. I found many of the stories overly simplistic and evenly out of character. They seemed to be aimed a a young audience. I have bought several new Who books that have been recommended by people here, though. Haven't gotten around to reading any of them yet, though. Hmm, I did not think that the story anthology was too bad, some stories I quite enjoyed. But yes, they are a bit simplistic. As are most of the NuWho novels I am afraid (one reason I branched out into the New Adventures, my first one was Human Nature, which also introduced me to Benny- it was love at first sight ). I also was not really happy with the River Song book, that was a bit disappointing, however, the Missy book at least was great fun (but of course it also won't win the Nobel prize for literature).
I can recommend The Stealers of Dreams and Prisoner of the Daleks for the NuWho novels, if you haven't read them already. I remember the first takes the core concept of "What if fiction was outlawed?" and explores it in a fairly complex and intelligent way. I read it years ago and I can still remember some of the scenes. The second manages to go a lot further with its plot than I expected. It was a nice surprise, it uses its shorter length rather well.
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Post by tuigirl on Oct 28, 2018 9:45:28 GMT
I can recommend The Stealers of Dreams and Prisoner of the Daleks for the NuWho novels, if you haven't read them already. I remember the first takes the core concept of "What if fiction was outlawed?" and explores it in a fairly complex and intelligent way. I read it years ago and I can still remember some of the scenes. The second manages to go a lot further with its plot than I expected. It was a nice surprise, it uses its shorter length rather well. Thanks for the recommendation! I have read Prisoner of the Daleks and liked it very much- I am not the biggest fan of the 10th Doctor and find most of his books mediocre at best, but that one was great. I have not read Stealers of Dreams yet, I will check it out!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2018 9:46:32 GMT
I haven't read that many of the new Who books. I know I was disappointed, though, by the short stories in the 50th anniversary Doctor Who story anthology ( Doctor Who: Eleven Doctors, Eleven Stories. I found many of the stories overly simplistic and evenly out of character. They seemed to be aimed a a young audience. I have bought several new Who books that have been recommended by people here, though. Haven't gotten around to reading any of them yet, though. Hmm, I did not think that the story anthology was too bad, some stories I quite enjoyed. But yes, they are a bit simplistic. As are most of the NuWho novels I am afraid (one reason I branched out into the New Adventures, my first one was Human Nature, which also introduced me to Benny- it was love at first sight ). I also was not really happy with the River Song book, that was a bit disappointing, however, the Missy book at least was great fun (but of course it also won't win the Nobel prize for literature).
Read and listen how do you find the time?
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Post by tuigirl on Oct 28, 2018 9:54:26 GMT
Hmm, I did not think that the story anthology was too bad, some stories I quite enjoyed. But yes, they are a bit simplistic. As are most of the NuWho novels I am afraid (one reason I branched out into the New Adventures, my first one was Human Nature, which also introduced me to Benny- it was love at first sight ). I also was not really happy with the River Song book, that was a bit disappointing, however, the Missy book at least was great fun (but of course it also won't win the Nobel prize for literature).
Read and listen how do you find the time? I go through phases. Right now I am in another listening phase where I listen to tons of audio plays and audio books (I also still have 10 audiobooks, Doctor Who related and others, on my backlog). At other times I read a lot. I even had a phases when I played a lot of computer games, but those have passed and maybe I am getting too old for that? Not sure.
I have no TV at home (thank god) so all that time other people spend in front of the box, I use for other things. Plus, one of my favorite hobbies is painting miniatures (Warhammer, Doctor Who and so on) and it is the most relaxing thing to just sit down, paint and listen to some stories.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2018 9:58:45 GMT
Read and listen how do you find the time? I go through phases. Right now I am in another listening phase where I listen to tons of audio plays and audio books (I also still have 10 audiobooks, Doctor Who related and others, on my backlog). At other times I read a lot. I even had a phases when I played a lot of computer games, but those have passed and maybe I am getting too old for that? Not sure.
I have no TV at home (thank god) so all that time other people spend in front of the box, I use for other things. Plus, one of my favorite hobbies is painting miniatures (Warhammer, Doctor Who and so on) and it is the most relaxing thing to just sit down, paint and listen to some stories.
I gave up computer games a few years back and handed all my games and consoles off to my nieces husband (he was 😃 PLEASED). I listen more than i read at moment unless its history/work books .I do find my interest in live tv has gone apart from news.But do tend to catch up with interests via dvd.
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Post by tuigirl on Oct 28, 2018 10:00:32 GMT
I go through phases. Right now I am in another listening phase where I listen to tons of audio plays and audio books (I also still have 10 audiobooks, Doctor Who related and others, on my backlog). At other times I read a lot. I even had a phases when I played a lot of computer games, but those have passed and maybe I am getting too old for that? Not sure.
I have no TV at home (thank god) so all that time other people spend in front of the box, I use for other things. Plus, one of my favorite hobbies is painting miniatures (Warhammer, Doctor Who and so on) and it is the most relaxing thing to just sit down, paint and listen to some stories.
I gave up computer games a few years back and handed all my games and consoles off to my nieces husband (he was 😃 PLEASED). I listen more than i read at moment unless its history/work books .I do find my interest in live tv has gone apart from news.But do tend to catch up with interests via dvd. Yeah, pretty much the same here.
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Post by agentten on Oct 28, 2018 23:53:37 GMT
Reading Russell T. Davies' novelization of "Rose". I'm enjoying the larger canvas Davies has to paint with. He adds a lot of nice flourishes and little background things that I know I'll be thinking about appreciatively on my next viewing of the episode.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 8, 2018 21:58:53 GMT
Venusian LullabyThe definitive examination of Venusian culture in Doctor Who for me and it still holds up on the re-read. There's something fundamentally wonderful about how its author, Paul Leonard, has taken all the little winks and nods up until 1994 and fashioned a Hartnell era society out of them. It breathes with the same sense of life as the Menoptera or the Aztecs. As an example, while the Doctor and an old Venusian friend are catching up, they discuss Susan's recent departure. Mrak-ecado believes that Barbara and Ian came from her as a form of division (budlings of a bud-parent), almost like mitosis, and the Doctor is too sombre to correct him. Even considering the daring of The Web Planet, I don't think they could have realised this on television in 1964 and it's stronger for it. Five episodes in full colour with only the imagination to get in the way. It's a very good book, I enjoy it immensely.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2018 11:21:33 GMT
You know... Almost completely by accident, I've come up with a shortlist of "must read" Target novelisations. Novellas that added something a bit more special to their stories in their adaptation: After a recent reread, I'd likewise add The Doomsday Weapon to that list. The amount of thoughtful detail Malcolm Hulke adds to the proceedings makes these characters breathe in a way that you don't often see across the range. It's startlingly clever.
Dent's devotion to IMC is explained in his home life. He has a company wife arranged by company computers that gave him company children who now go to an company school. IMC is his whole world. The "survivor" of the attacking lizard is an actor and one that Dent has used on numerous assignments like this. The Earth occupies the colonists' inner thoughts as a totem everything they want to get away from. A concrete jungle where you have to pay to see the sky and a holiday in anything even vaguely approaching nature consists of "walking" in a projection cubicle just two metres wide. It's aggressively totalitarian. Uxarieus may as well be a ball of salted dirt, but it's the best and only option they've got.
In a more drastic change to what appeared in the flesh on television, the aboriginal inhabitants in the city have ritualised the paranoid maintenance of an atomic reactor that houses the faceless, doll-like Guardian that dwells in its caldera. It eventually sees the weapon not just as evil in and of itself, but capable of inspiring such in others. This also might be one of the first bits of Who prose to deliberately try and meld with older stories too. Drahvins and Monoids are both mentioned as being potential dangers of the greater galaxy. An interesting addition as neither story was available at the time it was originally printed (unlike, say, The Zarbi or The Crusaders).
There's an enthusiasm here that throws caution to the wind in favour of everything Hulke can think of. A living, breathing world.
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Post by Ela on Dec 30, 2018 21:14:37 GMT
Finished reading Original Sin yesterday. Until I started my re-read of this book, I'd forgotten that it's the one in which Benny and the Doctor meet Chris Cwej and Roz (not a spoiler, as they are pictured on the cover).
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Post by tuigirl on Dec 31, 2018 9:14:59 GMT
Finished the audiobook "Angels Kiss- Melody Malone". You really should not take this one too seriously, if you take it as just a bit of cheeky fun, it is great. River is completely over the top, and since she is narrating the story, you cannot be sure how much of it she has made up. Alex Kingston did a good job reading this. The new powers attributed to the Angels... not sure about that. It does not necessarily contradict the series, but these new powers do come a bit out of the blue. But as I said, do not take it too seriously.
Also got myself "Harvest of Time" by Alastair Reynolds. This one got great reviews and it promises to be a fun romp with the 3rd Doctor, the Master and Jo. This is what got me hooked. I think they are among my favorite team-ups in the Classic Series. I am pretty sure I will enjoy this one.
And then there is my audiobook backlog... got the Krikkitmen and Big Bang Generation. Both got mixed reviews, but still, Big Bang Generation is read by Lisa Bowerman and she has done such a great job with the Benny audiobooks so far, I do not believe it will be a total miss. I will see.
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Post by newt5996 on Dec 31, 2018 18:08:33 GMT
So I'm like four chapters into Cat's Cradle: Witch Mark making up 100 pages of the 256 page novel and I just have to say, Andrew Hunt what were you thinking? Ace is practically the character we saw in Dragonfire, there are random scenes of the Doctor and Ace just eating breakfast, and I'm about to get to the bloody clone plot which doesn't go anywhere and apparently is brought up again in Return of the Living Dad which I don't actually remember.
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Post by constonks on Dec 31, 2018 18:27:25 GMT
So I'm like four chapters into Cat's Cradle: Witch Mark making up 100 pages of the 256 page novel and I just have to say, Andrew Hunt what were you thinking? Ace is practically the character we saw in Dragonfire, there are random scenes of the Doctor and Ace just eating breakfast, and I'm about to get to the bloody clone plot which doesn't go anywhere and apparently is brought up again in Return of the Living Dad which I don't actually remember. I agree on Ace's character - that story feels like you could happily slot it into Series 25 if not for the continuity references.
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lidar2
Castellan
You know, now that you mention it, I actually do rather like Attack of the Cybermen ...
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Post by lidar2 on Jan 3, 2019 13:36:06 GMT
Reading About Time 1, an interesting read
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lidar2
Castellan
You know, now that you mention it, I actually do rather like Attack of the Cybermen ...
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Post by lidar2 on Jan 3, 2019 13:36:49 GMT
It's a long time since I read an original Dr Who novel and reading this thread is putting me in the mood ...
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Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2019 19:28:38 GMT
The Missy Chronicles: Dismemberment Wow. I was worried, because Missy for most of her run was an anti hero that the “Missy media” would water her character down a bit to make her a bit river songy, certainly not as effective as the war master spin off lets say. How wrong was i. She was sensationally sadistic and if this is the sorta missy i adore. Shes cruel, shes evil, shes very young somehow (it is crazy to see how far she goes as a character from deep breath to the doctor falls) and all in all im very excited to finish this book (which i imagine ill do very quickly hahah)
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Post by tuigirl on Jan 22, 2019 21:15:18 GMT
The Missy Chronicles: Dismemberment Wow. I was worried, because Missy for most of her run was an anti hero that the “Missy media” would water her character down a bit to make her a bit river songy, certainly not as effective as the war master spin off lets say. How wrong was i. She was sensationally sadistic and if this is the sorta missy i adore. Shes cruel, shes evil, shes very young somehow (it is crazy to see how far she goes as a character from deep breath to the doctor falls) and all in all im very excited to finish this book (which i imagine ill do very quickly hahah) The book is AMAZING.
I especially love the "girl power" story. Complete surprise for me since most Who story anthologies were a bit underwhelming for me.
Enjoy!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2019 7:38:53 GMT
The Missy Chronicles: Dismemberment Wow. I was worried, because Missy for most of her run was an anti hero that the “Missy media” would water her character down a bit to make her a bit river songy, certainly not as effective as the war master spin off lets say. How wrong was i. She was sensationally sadistic and if this is the sorta missy i adore. Shes cruel, shes evil, shes very young somehow (it is crazy to see how far she goes as a character from deep breath to the doctor falls) and all in all im very excited to finish this book (which i imagine ill do very quickly hahah) The book is AMAZING.
I especially love the "girl power" story. Complete surprise for me since most Who story anthologies were a bit underwhelming for me.
Enjoy!
I particularly liked how she treated the whole affair as a lesson in manners. Right up to the *cough* with the *clears throat*.
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Post by tuigirl on Jan 24, 2019 10:20:23 GMT
Since it got such a glowing review by Shallacatop, who somehow got it early, I just bought the Doctor Who Scratchman audiobook on iTunes. I am quite curious about this. And the story sounds interesting and quite bonkers, so it might be quite fun.
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