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riley_smith's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexism
dwgradio's review
3.0
Saward wrote a number of very good serials during the classic Doctor Who period, but this story falls short of his work on the television series. The original radio drama is very confusing and feels incomplete. The novelization fills in a lot of back story and adds a coherency originally absent, but there are still a few holes left unpatched. The first half of the book is very obviously an imitation of Douglas Adams' writing style, and although anyone familiar with the original Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy radio series will undoubtedly hear Peter Jones reading these chapters in their minds, Saward simply isn't the sharp wit Adams was.
Saward's time as a writer and script editor for the television series was marred by controversy for his inclusion of graphic violence, which he has defended as a criticism of real world violence. In one scene of this book (I don't recall if it is included in the radio play), he has a policeman slapping the Doctor's companion Peri. It is completely unnecessary to plot or characterization, and rather than a critique of violence it just comes across as misogynistic. So while this is not the best Doctor Who story, despite its shortcomings it is still quite a good Doctor Who story.
Saward's time as a writer and script editor for the television series was marred by controversy for his inclusion of graphic violence, which he has defended as a criticism of real world violence. In one scene of this book (I don't recall if it is included in the radio play), he has a policeman slapping the Doctor's companion Peri. It is completely unnecessary to plot or characterization, and rather than a critique of violence it just comes across as misogynistic. So while this is not the best Doctor Who story, despite its shortcomings it is still quite a good Doctor Who story.
stratosphear's review
2.0
I would give this an extra half-star if I could, but I just can't bring myself to give it 3. This book was hard-going as a pre-bedtime read. I'd lose the plot easily, and then the words would blur...
The beginning started off (as many other reviews have said) in an almost Douglas Adams sort of style, but it seemed to have very little to do with the rest of the book. I mentioned that the plot was a bit confusing at times, and having 3 or more characters with names starting with "S" for me makes them interchangeable. Still, there were good moments and some interesting characters. Could be better but not completely without merit.
The beginning started off (as many other reviews have said) in an almost Douglas Adams sort of style, but it seemed to have very little to do with the rest of the book. I mentioned that the plot was a bit confusing at times, and having 3 or more characters with names starting with "S" for me makes them interchangeable. Still, there were good moments and some interesting characters. Could be better but not completely without merit.