Doctor Who: Last of the Gadarene...Review by the Doctor

About the book:
'My name is Bliss,' said the newcomer, 'and I bring great news for you all!'

The new owners of a Second World War aerodrome promise a golden dawn of prosperity for the East Anglian village of Culverton. The population rejoices - with one or two exceptions. Former Spitfire pilot Alec Whistler knows the aerodrome of old, having found a strange, jade-coloured crystal there years before...

When black-shirted troops appear on the streets, Whistler takes his suspicions to his old friend Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. The Doctor and Jo are sent to investigate and soon discover that all is not well in the seemingly idyllic village.

What are the black coffin-like objects being unloaded at the aerodrome? What horror lies behind Legion International's impeccable facade? And what is the monstrous creature growing and mutating in the marsh?

As Culverton gears up for its summer fete, the Doctor finds himself involved in a race against time to prevent a massive colonisation of Earth. For the last of the Gaderene are on their way...

I can honestly say that the third Doctor, amazingly portrayed by John Pertwee, really was my first Doctor. I have vague recollections of watching the last story in which the third Doctor, receiving a fatal dose of radiation, regenerates into the fourth Doctor. I remember being terrified at the spiders, and haunted watching the third Doctor struggle and fight for life.

So imagine my joy when I got to review a book about my very first Doctor, written by Mark Gatiss. If you are unfamiliar with who Mark Gatiss is, go and watch Sherlock, and also watch some of the Doctor Who episodes that were written by him.

I honestly felt like a little kid who had not only managed to find a candy jar, but empty it, put it back on the shelf and have no one notice.

Over the years, the storytelling in Doctor Who has changed, and yet each of the episodes has a familiar flow and timing. The Last of the Gaderene is so well-written and so perfectly balanced that it could easily have been plucked from the early 1970s. The characterizations are fantastic, both in the Doctor, his companion Jo, and the supporting cast of Unit members. Even the non-repeating characters are well-written, with a personality that just flows off the page. I will not spoil your enjoyment by giving away too much of the story, but this is one of those times where, as a child, you would watch the screen, and all of a sudden some creature or some person would be revealed, and your first thought would be ‘damn it – it’s……. again’.

I am grateful to Mark Gatiss for writing such a fantastic story, and for giving me a trip back to my childhood. They say you can never go home again, but in reading this I was back to being a 12-year-old boy sitting in my bedroom with the new Doctor Who book, oblivious to the world, and enthralled as once again the Doctor took me places and expanded my mind in ways that nobody else can, or ever will.

Thanks to Lisa at TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to review this book. Because it's the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, the BBC is reissuing eleven classic Doctor Who novels.  One for each Doctor. You can learn more about Mark Gatiss here. You can see other reviews and tour stops here. You can purchase your own copy here.

Read 5/13

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5/13

Monday, May 13th  A Bookish Way of Life – Beautiful Chaos, Book 10
Wednesday, May 15th - A Library of My Own – Festival of Death, Book 4
Monday, May 20th – Tiffany’s Bookshelf – Dreams of Empire, Book 2
Monday, May 20th – Black ‘n Gold Girl’s Book Spot  - Who-ology: Doctor Who: The Official Miscellany 
Tuesday, May 21st – No More Grumpy Bookseller – Only HumanBook 9
Wednesday, May 22nd – The Best Books Ever – EarthworldBook 8
Wednesday, May 22nd - Col Reads – Ten Little AliensBook 1
Thursday, May 23rd – Reading Reality – Festival of DeathBook 4 
Friday, May 24th –  The Z Axis – Fear of the DarkBook 5
Friday, May 24th – 2 Kids and Tired – Dreams of EmpireBook 2
Monday, May 27th - More Than Just Magic – PlayersBook 6
Tuesday, May 28th – The Best Books Ever – The Silent Stars Go ByBook 11
Tuesday, May 28th – Bookish Ruth – Remembrance of the DaleksBook 7 
Wed, May 29th – A Library of My Own – Only HumanBook 9 
Thursday, May 30th – Black ‘n Gold Girl’s Book Spot – Last of the GadereneBook 3 
Friday, May 31st – Bookish Whimsy – Beautiful ChaosBook 10
Friday, May 31st - 2 Kids and Tired – Last of the GadereneBook 3
Monday, June 3rd – Book Addict Katie – Beautiful ChaosBook 10 
Monday, June 3rd – No More Grumpy Bookseller – The Silent Stars Go ByBook 11 
Tuesday, June 4th - Bookfoolery – Ten Little AliensBook 1
Tuesday, June 4th – In Bed with Books – Only HumanBook 9
Wednesday, June 5th - Tiffany’s Bookshelf – Last of the GadereneBook 3
Thursday, June 6th – Booktalk & More – EarthworldBook 8 
Friday, June 7th –  Speaking of Books – PlayersBook 6
Monday, June 10th  - The Z Axis – The Silent Stars Go ByBook 11 
Tuesday, June 11th- No More Grumpy Bookseller – Remembrance of the DaleksBook 7
Wednesday, June 12th – A Bookish Way of Life – Last of the GadereneBook 3
Thursday, June 13th - Speaking of Books – Fear of the DarkBook 5 
Friday, June 14th – Bookish Whimsy – Festival of DeathBook 4 
Monday, June 17th – 50 Books Project – Beautiful ChaosBook 10
Monday, June 17th – Black ‘n Gold Girl’s Book Spot – The Silent Stars Go ByBook 11
Tuesday, June 18th – Bookfoolery – Festival of DeathBook 4 
Wednesday, June 19th – Tiffany’s Bookshelf – Fear of the DarkBook 5 
Thursday, June 20th – In Bed With Books – Remembrance of the DaleksBook 7 
Friday, June 21st – Speaking of Books – Only HumanBook 9 
Monday, June 24th – Bookish Whimsy – PlayersBook 6
Tuesday, June 25th – Book Addict Katie – Festival of DeathBook 4 
Wednesday, June 26th – No More Grumpy Bookseller – EarthworldBook 8
Thursday, June 27th – Reading Reality – Ten Little Aliens, Book 1
Friday, June 28th:  Guiltless Reading – Beautiful ChaosBook 10  
Monday, July 1st – 50 Books Project – Dreams of EmpireBook 2
Date TBD– Diary of a Stay at Home Mom – The Silent Stars Go ByBook 11

Comments

  1. "I honestly felt like a little kid who had not only managed to find a candy jar, but empty it, put it back on the shelf and have no one notice."

    I love how much you enjoyed this one! Thanks so much for being a part of the tour.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is one of my top ones to pick up from the series - I love Gatiss.

    ReplyDelete

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