Eleventh Doctor Novels Vol. 1 (audio cd review)
This is a compilation of the audios of the ‘Eleventh Doctor Novels’. There are four in this volume, covering a range of subjects including mini-invaders and killer robots amongst others.
Apollo 23 by Justin Richards
Read by James Albrecht
A shocking death on the Moon and an astronaut in an English burger joint in a shopping centre leads the Doctor to conclude there is something very wrong and Amy to conclude they won’t be going shopping.
Enjoyable romp on the Moon with some aliens and military types. Good fun.
The Night Of The Humans by David Llewellyn
Read by Arthur Darvill
When the Doctor and Amy arrive on the Gyre they walk into a frontier war. Split up, they discover both sides of the conflict that is taking place on an artificial environment formed of the floating junk that has gathered in a massive disc. Amy meets the shipwrecked Sittun who are not keen on humans. The Doctor meets the Sollogs, who fancy him as a snack and the humans who are not much better.
This is quite a serious story for one of the novels aimed at slightly younger readers. The grim war and the participants’ refusal to compromise their worldviews is entirely on point with the life we currently lead where wars and those who make them become almost part of the everyday. Science Fiction often takes these universal themes and makes us address our own prejudice.
The Forgotten Army
Read by Olivia Colman
A marauding mammoth in the New York Natural History Museum is just the start of the adventure for the Doctor and Amy. There’s a full-scale invasion going on and New York’s finest haven’t noticed.
This is at times hilarious and it’s a full-on fun adventure with lots going on. It’s brilliantly read by Olivia Coleman and we are truly honoured to get the Queen herself to do this.
Nuclear Time by Oli Smith
Read by Nicolas Briggs
Appletown looks on the surface like a quiet little town in Colorado. It’s 1981 and the Doctor, Amy and Rory are surprised to find the town in the middle of a desert.
This is an excellent timey-wimey adventure which remembers that the Doctor is a Lord of Time and makes him work hard to master it. Gripping and Briggs relishes all the voices and actions of the characters.
This set of four novels makes a good package of listening pleasure. If you’re going on any exceptionally long journeys then this will keep you entertained for many hours. This is a new compilation of novels that were released several years ago.
Sue Davies
November 2023
(pub: BBC Digital Audio/Penguin, 2023. 1200 minutes. Price: £16.00 (UK). ISBN: 978-1-52990-658-5)
readers: Arthur Darvill, Olivia Colman, James Albrecht and Nicholas Briggs
check out website: www.penguin.co.uk/books/455480/doctor-who-eleventh-doctor-novels-volume-1-by-smith-justin-richards-david-llewellyn-brian-minchin-oli/9781529906585