Three to Conquer
by Eric Frank Russell (Avalon, 1956)
Russell selectively breeds two SF storylines — alien body snatchers and telepathic outsider — to produce a memorable invasion tale, told in the manner of hardboiled detective fiction (itself melding lone wolf with FBI manhunt). Cited for possible adaptation during Doctor Who’s planning stages.
Doctor Who: Landbound
by Selim Ulug; audiobook read by Nicholas Briggs (Big Finish, 2017)
While exiled on Earth, the Third Doctor crosses paths with a grounded sea captain. After an uninspiring beginning—a rather forced set-to wherein the Doctor can display his Venusian aikido—this develops into an apposite, rather wistful vignette, cathartic for both characters.
Doctor Who: Fury From the Deep
by Victor Pemberton (Target, 1986)
Having opened on a well-staged cliffhanger, Pemberton proceeds with a workmanlike retelling of this lost serial, contented more or less to prosify his own script. Off-screen as on-, his only feat of note is the puckish metatextualising of Doctor Who’s screaming companion.
The Doctor Who Audio Annual
(BBC, 2017)
Presented in chronological order (First to Sixth Doctors) and read mostly by erstwhile companions, this collection of stories from the old Doctor Who Annuals has a nostalgic appeal, capturing the tone of each era. Little surprise though that the authors were uncredited.
Doctor Who: Legends of Ashildr
by James Goss, David Llewellyn, Jenny T. Colgan & Justin Richards (BBC, 2015)
A shameless, mostly unreadable cash-in. Of the four stories in this collection, only Colgan’s could claim anything like independent worth. In the other tales, Ashildr is either unrecognisable (Goss), superfluous (Llewellyn), or bland (Richards). Uninspiring narratives that fritter away Ashildr’s unique potential.
Doctor Who: Forever Fallen
by Joshua Wanisko; audiobook read by Nicholas Briggs (Big Finish, 2016)
A nicely low-key story exploring one of Doctor Who’s great untapped questions: what would happen if the villain just stopped when given the chance to rethink his megalomaniacal scheme? Between them, Wanisko and Briggs capture some of the Seventh Doctor’s melancholic brooding.
Doctor Who: Match of the Day
by Chris Boucher (BBC Books, 2005)
Anyone considering this novel should take note that its strength lies entirely in the journey, not the destination. Boucher, who created the companion Leela, develops her (and the Doctor) with charming authenticity, but the scenario nosedives into a rushed, barely coherent ending.
Doctor Who: The Romans
by Donald Cotton (Target, 1987)
Without reference to the televised serial, this odd and irreverent epistolary novelisation comes across as something of a fever dream. Even in context, it takes liberties in elevating and expanding upon the plot’s farcical elements. Nonetheless, a funny and uncommonly erudite read.
Doctor Who: Dark Eyes
by Nicholas Briggs (Big Finish, 2012)
A nicely focussed runabout (if such can exist), the epic threads of which are held together by the strong dynamic between Paul McGann’s Eighth Doctor and new companion Molly O’Sullivan. On a down note, the Doctor has little say in the outcome.
Class, Series 1
by Patrick Ness (BBC, 2016)
A Doctor Who spinoff in name only. This appropriation of Coal Hill School carries an oppressive, bleak atmosphere, and far too much teenage angst to sit well (especially sans all but the occasional sardonic quip for comic relief). Nevertheless, a worthwhile experiment.