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Article 103 of 137

Subject:      The Gareth Roberts problem, aka Zamper review
From:         gaffney@pcnet.com (Sean Gaffney)
Date:         1995/09/12
Message-Id:   <432vn6$qb@pcnet2.pcnet.net>
Newsgroups:   rec.arts.drwho
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Zamper, aka The Gareth Roberts problem...(NO SPOILERS)

Well, here we go again.  The kinder, gentler Doctor is back.  I shouldn't
really have suspected anything different, after all, Gareth was writing...

Gareth Roberts seems to serve a weird purpose in the NAs.  After a number
of books in a row featuring the "dark Doctor" of all the fan's endearments,
it's up to Gareth's books to remind us, "Hey, he's still fallible and wacky and
endearing.  Don't panic."

The problem is that this frequently means a loss of tension.  The Doctor and
companions are getting along, nobody has to worry about betrayal...I know that
a lot of people would like to see the NAs return to this, but they've come too far
for that to be feasible to me.  Kate and Paul have "wacky, he's our Doctor"
moments, but they remind us that he _is_ different at the same time.  Likewise,
Kate and Daniel O'Mahony have the Doctor more guilt-ridden than a whole
passel of Lytton-trusters.

Gareth doesn't do this.  He writes for the TV Doctor.  I suppose I should enjoy
the rest, but I don't.  Gareth can write dark (vis Decalog 2), let's see more of it.

Oh, yeah.  I still liked the general feel of the book.  Good book.  Not sure if it's
a good NA.

*NOTE*  I loved The Romance of Crime, and hope Gareth writes for the 4th Doc
more often.  It really suits him better.

--Sean Gaffney
--"You git!  I thought you were dead!  Git git git!" - Benny, No Future

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