Christopher Cooper (8) (1969–)

Looking at the pictures and reading the interviews was a nice chance to revel in Star Trek nostalgia. It almost overcame the overall uneven nature of the book. It's literally a bunch of recycled magazine articles (some 10 to 20 years old), assembled into a book with seemingly little to no editing from their original appearances, so there are errors, poor writing and a lot of redundant coverage between the articles, especially of a film called "Unbelievable!!!!!" And for all the interviews included, there are quite a few glaring omissions of cast members from each Star Trek show. And it felt insensitive to actors who worked under a lot of alien make-up to not include photos of their actual faces in all but one case. I enjoyed the book, but mourn the missed potential here.… (more)

What happens when the Krillitane—last seen in the Whoniverse in the New Who season 2 episode “School Reunion”—show up in mediaeval Worcester? Answer: they are seen as the Devil’s huntsmen, feared throughout the land. But what happens when the Krillitane themselves are being persecuted? How does that change the Doctor’s perspective on the situation?

This was an OK story, but enough things bugged me for it to be dropped from a 3 to a 2:

There were some shocking proofreading errors: an it’s/its confusion and the spectacular “The people had been living under the yolk of fear”.

There was excessive hugging between the Doctor and the female companion in this story, Emily—I know it’s Ten and he’s more of a hugger than, say, Twelve, but I find it eyeroll-inducing in print.

And what really annoyed me was having the Doctor think of the political situation in 1139 England as the Empress Matilda attempting to steal the throne from Stephen, when in fact her father, Henry I, wanted HER to be the ruler of England. Henry I had his barons swear an oath of loyalty to her, but they were crossing their fingers at the time and once Henry I was dead, they decided they’d rather have her (male) cousin ruling England than her. I can understand having the local English folk perceiving the situation as Matilda trying to steal the throne, because that would be their worldview, but that worldview seems kind of sexist for the Doctor to have. I would have expected him to think about it simply as “the Anarchy”, a civil war with two would-be rulers fighting for control of the throne, never mind the genders of the two rulers.

Overall, this was an OK read but certainly not one of my favourite Who novels.… (more)