[Previous] [Next] [Current Results] [Get Thread] [Author Profile] [Post] [Post] [Reply] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Article 1 of 137 Subject: Head Games - a slightly bigger than usual review by the Happy guy From: gaffney@pcnet.com (Sean Gaffney) Date: 1995/10/22 Message-Id: <46e633$6nm@pcnet2.pcnet.net> Newsgroups: rec.arts.drwho [More Headers] Ah, me. I'm going to try to make this a little more in-depth than usual, as this book will probably be one of the more debated on USENET. Remember those questions that Marc and Paul bring up in their books? Steve Lyons is apparently trying for some mythos writing as well. In addition, the mental anguish scale is well up on the Kate Orman level. But anyway... SPOILERS!!!!! OK, let's start with the book itself. I thought it would be comic, but it's much more serious than I imagined. Not that it isn't highly amusing in spots, it's just that the tone of the book is very heavy. There's betryal in the air, and we get to experience every minute of it. Characters other than the regulars: Good. Nice characterization of Bambera, and I like the twins! The aliens are well characterized, and the ebony reverse racism thing actually works well after Toy Soldiers. We don't get to find out their future, but that's the point. Chris's girlfriend is particularly well done. Dr Who - A plot device (but tha's a good thing) Jason - Very well written. The idea of Dr Who occasionally reminding him of all the people he's just destroyed helps us to understand his inner self better. The ending also leaves hope for him yet. Roz - She reminded me a bit of Dana Scully in this one. Partner, partner, partner. Nevertheless, even with her doubts, we trust her from the start. She needs more development, though. Judging from the cover, Warchild might do that. Chris - Long overdue. Chris has been the least well-drawn character, and it's good to find him given more depth. He has the ability to do whipped dog extremely well, and he certainly gets it here. He does, however, get a chance to examine the greys of the world in his uneasy alliance with Dr Who and Jason. Bernice - Well, typically Benny through most of the book, but then, this isn't her book. She does, however, get to reinforce her status as the "true" companion, and furthermore the only one out of all the Seventh Doctor's "bimbos" than he can unburden himself to. The bartender role. Ace - Yeah, she'd back, but it makes perfect sense. This Ace is from only a few days after we left her, but we can still see the peace that she has gained. She may have learned a little too much from him, as her manipulations are just as devious. She can even get to him. Nevertheless, she doesn't abandon the Doctor, and when he is at his worst, she still makes him realize this. We even see that the Doctor is now becoming _part_ of her life, now. Excellent cameo. Mel - Ah, Mel. In Millenial Rites, I thought Mel to be too developed, if that is possible. We didn't see enough of the computer expert, IQ 163. We saw the whining screamer. And we get that here. But, this is a good thing, because it reminds us of how the Doctor has changed, which is after all the point of this book. I don't think a reunion would be a good idea, here. Also, for you "why the hell'd she go with Glitz?" naysayers, well, I guess the answer is obvious in hindsight. The Sixth Doctor (sorta) - Jeez. Now, I can't accuse Steve of being a Colin-basher, because Time of Your Life was brilliant (yeah, you heard me), and we've got another one on the way. But then, this isn't really the sixth Doctor, but that asect of the Doctor's psyche. This is where the book actually gets scary, because we see what the Doctor's guilt has done to his psyche. So much for Colin ever being in the Doctor's mind. (Though I did notice Patrick there. I onder what that explanation is). Our hero - Well, he goes through a lot. This might have been more affecting if we knew it would change him. But actually, I suspected that it wouldn't. Time's Champion is not yet retired, and therefore we can't see that regeneration yet. It even gives a decent explanation for the "hitting the head on the console" thing. We see all of the aspects of the New Adv. Doctor that have been criticized, and yet we see many of the strengths, too. This is a grey Doctor, dark grey, in fact, and he knows it. He knows that he can still become the Valeyard. And in the end, we still see him doing things secretly, without consulting his companions. Hey, it's our Doctor. Go for broke. Even if you don't like him, understand why people do. Overall - Well, 10/10, but then you knew that. But this one will keep me thinking for a while, and only Paul and Kate's books have managed to do that. Welcome, Steve. --Sean Gaffney --"You git! I thought you were dead! Git git git!" - Benny, No Future --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Previous] [Next] [Current Results] [Get Thread] [Author Profile] [Post] [Post] [Reply] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------