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Chicks Unravel Time: Women Journey Through Every Season of Doctor Who by L.M. Myles, Deborah Stanish
tmleblanc's review against another edition
2.0
Probably a better read if you have seen more of episodes of Doctor Who prior to the recent reboot. Towards the end, I skipped many of the essays about the seasons prior to the reboot.
tehani's review against another edition
5.0
I'm a fairly recent Doctor Who convert. Early last year I became hooked thanks to wanting to watch the Neil Gaiman authored episode "The Doctor's Wife", so started with the Eleventh Doctor, and was so enamoured I went immediately back to the beginning of New Who and devoured the lot. Of course I have memories of watching Classic Who when I was a kid, with the Fourth Doctor, K9 and the Daleks being the only real things that I remember. And despite the best efforts of good friends trying to encourage me to embrace a bit of Classic Who now, I've struggled. Well, after reading Chicks Unravel Time, I just want to go back in time myself and be able to watch the whole of Doctor Who from the very beginning!
The essays in this book are passionate, engaging and fascinating, encompassing, as the subtitle suggests, every season of Doctor Who. As we lead up to the 50th anniversary of the airing of the first episode, I can't think of a better way to garner an understanding of the show in its entirety! Some authors focussed on characters, some on story, some on companions, some on production, but all, even those finding fault with some show elements, betray the writer's love for Doctor Who, and this more than anything was a key factor in my own enjoyment.
To be completely honest though, I do have a complaint - I simply wanted more! Some of the essays I really wanted to be longer, and I would have loved to see further exploration of the tie-in media (Big Finish audio plays and the novelisations etc) in relation to the characters being discussed. But really, when the one complaint is that the reader loves the books so much she wishes it was longer? That's a pretty good recommendation I reckon!
The essays in this book are passionate, engaging and fascinating, encompassing, as the subtitle suggests, every season of Doctor Who. As we lead up to the 50th anniversary of the airing of the first episode, I can't think of a better way to garner an understanding of the show in its entirety! Some authors focussed on characters, some on story, some on companions, some on production, but all, even those finding fault with some show elements, betray the writer's love for Doctor Who, and this more than anything was a key factor in my own enjoyment.
To be completely honest though, I do have a complaint - I simply wanted more! Some of the essays I really wanted to be longer, and I would have loved to see further exploration of the tie-in media (Big Finish audio plays and the novelisations etc) in relation to the characters being discussed. But really, when the one complaint is that the reader loves the books so much she wishes it was longer? That's a pretty good recommendation I reckon!
jennykeery's review against another edition
3.0
Although I loved the sister volume to this anthology of essays, [b:Chicks Dig Time Lords: A Celebration of Doctor Who by the Women Who Love It|6828177|Chicks Dig Time Lords A Celebration of Doctor Who by the Women Who Love It|Lynne M. Thomas|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1306173435s/6828177.jpg|7038134], which was also arranged thematically rather than chronologically, I found the structure of 'Chicks Unravel Time' incoherent. The introduction does point to the fact that each essay is accompanied by the season number, allowing the book to be read 'in order' if you prefer, but I found this useless due to the fact that these numbers did not appear in the contents page. To use the season references at all you have to flick through the book! Maybe I am just simple, but instead of helping me to identify where the essays fit in, the numbers just brought it to my attention that the structure was weird. Like I said, I didn't have this problem with 'Chicks Dig Time Lords', which just felt like a collection of essays. I think the half-hearted structuring was a mistake.
Thankfully most of the essays were really interesting, although 'The Doctor's Balls' by Diana Gabaldon put my back up quite early on. The subject of her essay is the masculinity of Doctor Who, and when she stated that "he's got balls" is the ultimate masculine compliment I knew we weren't going to get on. Her approach to female roles in the show were hypocritical: women should be equal, but men should protect them without question if something goes wrong. Ergh. I also did not appreciate her squeezing in a self-serving, smug footnote that took up half a page. However, it is the nature of anthologies to include a wide range of opinions, and, to Gabaldon's credit, she did get me thinking about the masculinity of the show.
On to the positives! I recently borrowed another anthology of Doctor Who essays, [b:Time, Unincorporated: Volume 2-Writings on the Classic Series|7107223|Time, Unincorporated Volume 2-Writings on the Classic Series (Time, Unincorporated, 2)|Graeme Burk|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348093855s/7107223.jpg|7366028], which made it clear to me why a women-only collection was necessary - a huge majority of the contributors are male. I am looking forward to reading it, but it made me appreciate the 'Chicks' series for giving the women in fandom more of a voice. These books have a really inclusive feel to them, which I suppose comes from the fact that the essays are discussing something I love.
The essays that stood out for me were 'A Dance With Drashigs' by Emma Nichols, 'Donna Noble Saves the Universe' by Martha Wells, 'The Women We Don't See' by K. Tempest Bradford, 'The Problem With Peri' by Jennifer Pelland, 'The Sound's the Star' by Emily Kausalik, and 'Guten Tag, Hitler' by Rachel Swirsky. All of them contributed something interesting, however, even if I didn't agree!
Overall this is an excellent book of essays that, for me, was let down by the structure.
Thankfully most of the essays were really interesting, although 'The Doctor's Balls' by Diana Gabaldon put my back up quite early on. The subject of her essay is the masculinity of Doctor Who, and when she stated that "he's got balls" is the ultimate masculine compliment I knew we weren't going to get on. Her approach to female roles in the show were hypocritical: women should be equal, but men should protect them without question if something goes wrong. Ergh. I also did not appreciate her squeezing in a self-serving, smug footnote that took up half a page. However, it is the nature of anthologies to include a wide range of opinions, and, to Gabaldon's credit, she did get me thinking about the masculinity of the show.
On to the positives! I recently borrowed another anthology of Doctor Who essays, [b:Time, Unincorporated: Volume 2-Writings on the Classic Series|7107223|Time, Unincorporated Volume 2-Writings on the Classic Series (Time, Unincorporated, 2)|Graeme Burk|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348093855s/7107223.jpg|7366028], which made it clear to me why a women-only collection was necessary - a huge majority of the contributors are male. I am looking forward to reading it, but it made me appreciate the 'Chicks' series for giving the women in fandom more of a voice. These books have a really inclusive feel to them, which I suppose comes from the fact that the essays are discussing something I love.
The essays that stood out for me were 'A Dance With Drashigs' by Emma Nichols, 'Donna Noble Saves the Universe' by Martha Wells, 'The Women We Don't See' by K. Tempest Bradford, 'The Problem With Peri' by Jennifer Pelland, 'The Sound's the Star' by Emily Kausalik, and 'Guten Tag, Hitler' by Rachel Swirsky. All of them contributed something interesting, however, even if I didn't agree!
Overall this is an excellent book of essays that, for me, was let down by the structure.
kristamccracken's review against another edition
4.0
A great collection of analytical essays written by female fans on each season of new and classic Doctor Who. The range of authors, their relationships to Doctor Who, and their educational or personal interest backgrounds made for a very diverse anthology. I didn't love every essay but I think that's to be anticipated with any book of this nature. But I did find every essay interesting and enjoyed the book generally.
nwhyte's review against another edition
4.0
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/2065071.html[return][return]A sister book to Chicks Dig Time Lords, this is a set of essays by women on each season/series of Doctor Who, old and new. One or two are sheer squee, but most are serious examinations of the show, usually (but not always) positive, often looking at gender issues, and one or two commentaries on race (also one chapter on "The Doctor's Balls" and another on "David Tennant's Bum"). I particularly enjoyed the chapters which were constructively critical - thinking of Caroline Symcox and Aliette de Bodard in particular - but almost all of them are good and thought-provoking. (But I discover that I have a finite tolerance for sheer squee.) Recommended for thoughtful Who fans.
catherine_t's review against another edition
4.0
In this, the companion volume to Chicks Dig Time Lords, female fans of "Doctor Who" go through every season--more or less--and write about aspects of the show that changed their perspectives, or that they take issue with, or that they simply wish to praise. Every incarnation of the Doctor is discussed (including the Eighth Doctor, in case you were wondering!), sometimes more than once. And the overall result is... timey-wimey.
These essays, written by science-fiction authors in the main, touch on all kinds of subjects: the role of the companion, the changing face of the fandom, the use of music in Classic Who, the (questionable) science of "Doctor Who," even spirituality. They're thoughtful, well-written, and often amusing as well as thought-provoking. Once you've read this (and Chicks Dig Time Lords), you'll never look at "Doctor Who" in the same way again.
These essays, written by science-fiction authors in the main, touch on all kinds of subjects: the role of the companion, the changing face of the fandom, the use of music in Classic Who, the (questionable) science of "Doctor Who," even spirituality. They're thoughtful, well-written, and often amusing as well as thought-provoking. Once you've read this (and Chicks Dig Time Lords), you'll never look at "Doctor Who" in the same way again.
mayakittenreads's review against another edition
5.0
I adored this book. Some essays made me punch the air, some made me laugh, all made me think, and some made me rush to the DVD rental store because I really wanted to see more Jo Grant.
kellswitch's review
5.0
I had a lot of fun reading this book, it brought back a lot of memories of my old Doctor Who watching experiences, gave me new perspectives to look back on them with and in some cases exposed me to seasons I had not seen so it sort of felt like it was filling in the gaps a bit.
I was impressed with how honest the essays were, these were not written by rabid, rose colored glass wearing fangirls but by thoughtful fans who clearly put a lot of thought into what made one of their favorite shows work and sometimes not work. Where it got it right, where it got it wrong and why both were important for so many reasons.
My one and only quibble with this book is that I wish they had organized the essays in order of the seasons they covered. I feel it would have been interesting to see the essays as a progression through the series but that is such a small thing and ultimately their order didn 19t really detract from my enjoyment of reading them so I don 19t really hold it against the book.
If you are a fan of Doctor Who, especially if you are a fan of the classic Doctor Who series this is a fun book that makes you think and look a bit differently at a beloved series and it made me want to invest in a regionless DVD player so I can get as many of the surviving episodes as I can.
I was impressed with how honest the essays were, these were not written by rabid, rose colored glass wearing fangirls but by thoughtful fans who clearly put a lot of thought into what made one of their favorite shows work and sometimes not work. Where it got it right, where it got it wrong and why both were important for so many reasons.
My one and only quibble with this book is that I wish they had organized the essays in order of the seasons they covered. I feel it would have been interesting to see the essays as a progression through the series but that is such a small thing and ultimately their order didn 19t really detract from my enjoyment of reading them so I don 19t really hold it against the book.
If you are a fan of Doctor Who, especially if you are a fan of the classic Doctor Who series this is a fun book that makes you think and look a bit differently at a beloved series and it made me want to invest in a regionless DVD player so I can get as many of the surviving episodes as I can.
tachyondecay's review
4.0
I came to Doctor Who solely through the revived series. Christopher Eccleston was my first doctor, and it’s true that I’ll never forget him. I was gutted to learn that he was leaving after only the first season and convinced that this new fellow, “David Tennant” (if that’s even his real name) could never live up to the Ninth Doctor’s brusque charisma. The rest is history, of course—the Tenth Doctor stole my heart, along with the hearts of many other Whovians, and then he left and the world would never be the same. Again. The story of new Who fans mirrors the story of generations’ coming-of-age: we forget those who came before already had to go through this. We feel like we’re the first ones to experience these anguishes. But no, fans who had been watching since the black-and-white era had been through this seven times before. It’s special, but it’s not the end of the world.
My experience with older episodes of Doctor Who has only picked up recently. My roommate showed me Tom Baker’s E-space Trilogy, introducing me (and bidding farewell to) Romana II, Adric, and K-9. Prior to that, I had only seen one or two episodes (I can’t even remember which Doctor, let alone the plot of the episodes) in bits and pieces. Reading Chicks Unravel Time has made me hungry to see more. The specificity with which each of these authors discuss the various seasons of Doctor Who made me yearn to be as familiar with the show as they are. I wanted to meet Barbara and Ian, Liz and Jo, Sarah Jane, Leela, Tegan, et al. Prior to this, I’d been aware of how much of the show’s rich history I’ve been missing out on—but this made it more tangible, less mysterious. Reading Wikipedia articles just isn’t the same, because they lack the deep emotional connections that these essays invoke.
The book weaves through the history of Doctor Who in an appropriately non-chronological fashion. Each essay loosely examines a specific season, but each writer approaches the concept of a season-spanning essay slightly differently. Some examine the impact of certain Doctors or their companions on their experience as fans, such as in the exquisitely-titled essays “The Doctor’s Balls” and “David Tennant’s Bum”, by Diana Gabaldon and Laura Mead, respectively. Others look at how that Doctor’s contributions over their particular season affected the course of the show, as in the case of “The Ultimate Sixth”, by Tansy Rayner Roberts, or “How the Cold War Killed the Fifth Doctor”, by Erica McGillivray. I really enjoyed both of these approaches. They exposed me to different fans’ interpretations of seasons I had never seen, heightening that eagerness to discover these Doctors and companions for myself.
Many of the other essays touched on the portrayal of race and gender in Doctor Who. Plenty of the essays extol the various companions, and in so doing offer different ways of looking at Doctor Who’s treatment of women and people of colour. Some compare Liz Shaw to Jo Grant and find the latter wanting, expressing disappointment over her seemingly-shallow characterization in contrast to Shaw’s doctorates and expertise. Others draw the opposite conclusion, finding Jo a realistic depiction of someone who is constantly underestimated because of her appearance but much more capable than she might appear. Having never seen these companions, I’ll have to wait until I can draw my own conclusions. Similarly, some of the essays examine the colonialist tones to the show—once again, trying to find that balance between dismissing the show as a product of its time and excoriating it for its missteps. Again, difficult for me to agree or disagree with the specific comments, but it’s fascinating to see all the different perspectives and analyses.
Though I understand the attraction of the season-based premise, I almost wish the essays hadn’t been constricted in that way. I’d be really fascinated to read broader essays that analyze the show from the same perspectives across the years. (The authors do this to some extent, naturally. I’m talking about far more ambitious analysis that really doesn’t focus on a particular season.) And with Matt Smith leaving and the fiftieth anniversary special soon upon us, I smell a sequel brewing with some updated content (in my dreams!).
So take it from me, fan of the new show but really uninitiated into the old, there’s still something here for any stripe of Doctor Who fan. Every one of these essays is good—which is what you would expect, considering the all-star cast that Stanish and Thomas have lined up. Every one offers a unique, insightful take on a particular season of Doctor Who, grappling with it on a much deeper level than simply listing the reasons they love it. To me, this is the ultimate act of love for a show: critiquing it. I can’t stand fans who get all touchy when you start poking holes in their favourite show. If you truly love something, you should still be able to love it in spite of its flaws. Discussing, examining, acknowledging, deconstructing those flaws are all important ways to be more involved. And, of course, there’s always the potential for change as a result of such discussions—who knows, maybe someone will listen. There’s no point in culture if we just sit by and consume it. We need to become participants. Chicks Unravel Time exemplifies this tradition of fan-led critique, and I highly recommend it.
My experience with older episodes of Doctor Who has only picked up recently. My roommate showed me Tom Baker’s E-space Trilogy, introducing me (and bidding farewell to) Romana II, Adric, and K-9. Prior to that, I had only seen one or two episodes (I can’t even remember which Doctor, let alone the plot of the episodes) in bits and pieces. Reading Chicks Unravel Time has made me hungry to see more. The specificity with which each of these authors discuss the various seasons of Doctor Who made me yearn to be as familiar with the show as they are. I wanted to meet Barbara and Ian, Liz and Jo, Sarah Jane, Leela, Tegan, et al. Prior to this, I’d been aware of how much of the show’s rich history I’ve been missing out on—but this made it more tangible, less mysterious. Reading Wikipedia articles just isn’t the same, because they lack the deep emotional connections that these essays invoke.
The book weaves through the history of Doctor Who in an appropriately non-chronological fashion. Each essay loosely examines a specific season, but each writer approaches the concept of a season-spanning essay slightly differently. Some examine the impact of certain Doctors or their companions on their experience as fans, such as in the exquisitely-titled essays “The Doctor’s Balls” and “David Tennant’s Bum”, by Diana Gabaldon and Laura Mead, respectively. Others look at how that Doctor’s contributions over their particular season affected the course of the show, as in the case of “The Ultimate Sixth”, by Tansy Rayner Roberts, or “How the Cold War Killed the Fifth Doctor”, by Erica McGillivray. I really enjoyed both of these approaches. They exposed me to different fans’ interpretations of seasons I had never seen, heightening that eagerness to discover these Doctors and companions for myself.
Many of the other essays touched on the portrayal of race and gender in Doctor Who. Plenty of the essays extol the various companions, and in so doing offer different ways of looking at Doctor Who’s treatment of women and people of colour. Some compare Liz Shaw to Jo Grant and find the latter wanting, expressing disappointment over her seemingly-shallow characterization in contrast to Shaw’s doctorates and expertise. Others draw the opposite conclusion, finding Jo a realistic depiction of someone who is constantly underestimated because of her appearance but much more capable than she might appear. Having never seen these companions, I’ll have to wait until I can draw my own conclusions. Similarly, some of the essays examine the colonialist tones to the show—once again, trying to find that balance between dismissing the show as a product of its time and excoriating it for its missteps. Again, difficult for me to agree or disagree with the specific comments, but it’s fascinating to see all the different perspectives and analyses.
Though I understand the attraction of the season-based premise, I almost wish the essays hadn’t been constricted in that way. I’d be really fascinated to read broader essays that analyze the show from the same perspectives across the years. (The authors do this to some extent, naturally. I’m talking about far more ambitious analysis that really doesn’t focus on a particular season.) And with Matt Smith leaving and the fiftieth anniversary special soon upon us, I smell a sequel brewing with some updated content (in my dreams!).
So take it from me, fan of the new show but really uninitiated into the old, there’s still something here for any stripe of Doctor Who fan. Every one of these essays is good—which is what you would expect, considering the all-star cast that Stanish and Thomas have lined up. Every one offers a unique, insightful take on a particular season of Doctor Who, grappling with it on a much deeper level than simply listing the reasons they love it. To me, this is the ultimate act of love for a show: critiquing it. I can’t stand fans who get all touchy when you start poking holes in their favourite show. If you truly love something, you should still be able to love it in spite of its flaws. Discussing, examining, acknowledging, deconstructing those flaws are all important ways to be more involved. And, of course, there’s always the potential for change as a result of such discussions—who knows, maybe someone will listen. There’s no point in culture if we just sit by and consume it. We need to become participants. Chicks Unravel Time exemplifies this tradition of fan-led critique, and I highly recommend it.