Comments | who_at_50: 39 Weeks to 50: Poll-of-Polls Countdown: The Dying Days

hammard in who_at_50

39 Weeks to 50: Poll-of-Polls Countdown: The Dying Days

Feb 23, 2013 12:05

Continuing my 50th Anniversary countdown of aggregated poll results for Doctor Who Books, TV Serials & Audio Dramas, with number 39:

( #39 Behind Cut )

50 years of who, eighth doctor, books, poll-of-polls countdown

Comments 8

a_phoenixdragon February 23 2013, 16:35:13 UTC

Thank you *adds to list*

jjpor February 23 2013, 19:44:34 UTC

Another one I give a wholehearted thumbs-up to. :) I love this book to an unreasonable degree - Eight, being awesome. Benny, being awesome. The Brig, being awesome. Ice Warriors, being...well, you get the idea. Benny taking out an Ice Warrior with an improvised vodka-bomb and then being horrified by the suffering she's inflicted is a good character moment. The bit with the improvised balloon/parachute thing and the way it's set up in advance is nothing short of amazing, although my favourite line/bit has to be (paraphrasing heavily): "Who isss thisss Jesssusss Chrissst?! I challenge him to sssingle combat!"

I refuse to believe, btw, that RTD wasn't thinking of this one when he was writing Aliens of London/World War Three. ;D

hammard February 23 2013, 20:39:09 UTC

There is no such this as an unreasonble degree for loving a Lance Parkin book. Was the first VNA I read and still probably my favourite. I still get chills when I read:
It ends now, Xznaal
Who are you? Sshow yoursself. Identify yoursself
I am the man that gives monsters nightmares. The Daleks call me the Bringer of Darkness. I am the Eighth Man Bound. I am the Champion of Life and Time. I'm the guy with two hearts. I make history better. I... Am...The Doctor!

HAHA! I'd forgotten that line, there so mcuh great comedy in it.

Interestingly I always saw The Christmas Invasion as being inspired by it: A New Doctor who comes back to miraculously save them, the probe to Mars, the alien spaceship over London, they even mention Martains. I think it is very modern (and awesome!) no one can help but be influenced by it. :D

swordznsorcery February 23 2013, 21:43:09 UTC

A good one! I wasn't a fan of the Virgin books particularly, because so many of them seemed like they were trying too hard to be adult - or maybe I just hadn't yet adjusted properly to a more grown up form of Who. Either way, this was a fun one, and it's a shame we didn't see more of Eight and Benny. They seemed like a promising team.

And did they or didn't they at the end?! ;)

hammard February 23 2013, 21:48:33 UTC

They were a great team. Have you listened to Company of Friends by Big Finish? That has a rather good 8-Benny story.

I think Benny wanted to but 8 didn't understand what she was interested in (rather like 11 and Amy in Flesh and Stone). Also Wolsey was on the bed... that would have been awkward. ;)

swordznsorcery February 23 2013, 23:47:03 UTC

I have heard that one, yes. Fitz had the wrong voice! But yes, the Benny one was good.

ponygirl72 February 25 2013, 17:09:43 UTC

I'm not sure what it says about me, but my copy of this somewhat rare book is one of my most prized possessions. Now if only I could find a decent copy of So Vile A Sin for less than $100...

hammard February 25 2013, 21:09:20 UTC

I would probably keep it in air tight container and never open it if I got hold of a physical copy.
Still never read so Vile A Sin for that reason. I still keep an eye on Ebay but no luck so far...

[Sorry, accidentally still logged in as my OH]