11) Doctor Who and the City of Death, by David Lawrence

When I was reading through the Doctor Who novelisations over the spring and summer, I bemoaned the fact that all were available, in print or electronically, apart from the unofficial New Zealand fan write-up of City of Death. I spoke too soon; because back in August, thanks I believe to the efforts of Paul Scoones, it was published on the NZDWFC website. I only discovered this at the weekend, and managed to download the book and read it over today’s commute.

I think it is by some way the best of the New Zealand books. It helps that the original story is one of the best Who stories ever – the Doctor and Romana flirting in Paris, presumably about the time that the actors portraying them were falling in love; Douglas Adams at his best, concentrating on witty and sparkling dialogue rather than trying to write sf; a comic time-travelling plot about the Mona Lisa, the origin of life on Earth and the potential destruction of humanity. But Lawrence has managed a) to write it all down without sucking the life out of it and b) throw in a few extra original details which reinforce the story. So, for instance, we get an insight into that peculiar phenomenon, the marital life of the Scarlionis; he makes the Doctor/Romana relationship more Timelordish; and he has a wonderful run of opening scenes, including a moment with K’anpo on Gallifrey and a party at Leonardo da Vinci’s where the guests include Mozart, William Blake, Shakespeare, Napoleon, Dickens and Homer. Strongly recommended for all Who fans. And I’m glad to finish my reading of the Who novelisations with such a fine example of the sub-genre.