Scan barcode
nwhyte's review
3.0
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/2540605.html
I came to this just after reading Volume 6 of TARDIS Eruditorum, which has a chapter excoriating this book. It's not as bad as all that. I think Gary Russell is one of the better Who writers currently in action; granted, this book is from 18 years ago, his first for the Past Doctors range, but it shows his potential. I'm also a bit baffled by the criticism that it exists only to be a Sixth Doctor-Brigadier story, and/or a Mel origin story. Granted, I think that The Spectre of Lanyon Moor did the former better, and The Wrong Doctors did the latter better, but Who has an unspoken history of recycling ideas sometimes. I'll concede that Busines Unusual isn't going to be i many people's top ten or top twenty spinoff novels, but I thought it did at least take the Brigadier to some interesting places. (I admit that I can't really say the same for Mel's back-story as told here.)
I came to this just after reading Volume 6 of TARDIS Eruditorum, which has a chapter excoriating this book. It's not as bad as all that. I think Gary Russell is one of the better Who writers currently in action; granted, this book is from 18 years ago, his first for the Past Doctors range, but it shows his potential. I'm also a bit baffled by the criticism that it exists only to be a Sixth Doctor-Brigadier story, and/or a Mel origin story. Granted, I think that The Spectre of Lanyon Moor did the former better, and The Wrong Doctors did the latter better, but Who has an unspoken history of recycling ideas sometimes. I'll concede that Busines Unusual isn't going to be i many people's top ten or top twenty spinoff novels, but I thought it did at least take the Brigadier to some interesting places. (I admit that I can't really say the same for Mel's back-story as told here.)
sleepytechnokid's review
4.0
Business Unusual is an interesting piece of Literature, serving a Debut story for Melanie Bush and Gary trying to capture the Sixth Doctor Characteristics that Colin what his Incarnation wanted to be, and this book is just nothing but Fanservice but I rather did enjoy reading this Book, and gave me this We Are the Daleks-esque feel but less Political.
But there are downfalls, the book quite slows down at the end, The Bigrader is nothing but a Plot Device till the end. So basically it's trying to be a Character Piece and a traditional Doctor Who Story at the same time but leaving some dents but not crashing to something, and as I do like Character Piece Stories and as I don't dislike Mel, it's a decent one, I definitely like the moments with her and the Doctor were at it each other as they met, the Doctor being mean and cruel just so Mel won't choose to travel with him because the whole thing with him fearing that he will become like the Valeyard
But other than that I like it and I highly recommend to any who like Mel and the Autons. I really like the story concept in this, with Companies like Game Companies, have Alien Involvement but since I said that this Reminds me of We Are The Daleks, It loses that Authenticity because it has been done before.
But there are downfalls, the book quite slows down at the end, The Bigrader is nothing but a Plot Device till the end. So basically it's trying to be a Character Piece and a traditional Doctor Who Story at the same time but leaving some dents but not crashing to something, and as I do like Character Piece Stories and as I don't dislike Mel, it's a decent one, I definitely like the moments with her and the Doctor were at it each other as they met, the Doctor being mean and cruel just so Mel won't choose to travel with him because the whole thing with him fearing that he will become like the Valeyard
But other than that I like it and I highly recommend to any who like Mel and the Autons. I really like the story concept in this, with Companies like Game Companies, have Alien Involvement but since I said that this Reminds me of We Are The Daleks, It loses that Authenticity because it has been done before.
More...