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93 reviews for:
Doctor Who: 12 Doctors, 12 Stories
Eoin Colfer, Charlie Higson, Richelle Mead, Alex Scarrow, Derek Landy, Holly Black, Philip Reeve, Patrick Ness, Marcus Sedgwick, Neil Gaiman, Michael Scott, Malorie Blackman
4.05 AVERAGE
93 reviews for:
Doctor Who: 12 Doctors, 12 Stories
Eoin Colfer, Charlie Higson, Richelle Mead, Alex Scarrow, Derek Landy, Holly Black, Philip Reeve, Patrick Ness, Marcus Sedgwick, Neil Gaiman, Michael Scott, Malorie Blackman
4.05 AVERAGE
Absolutely loved reading this, full of amazing stories, written by brilliant authors. Would definitely recommend to any whovian
I read this for the "Written by More Than One Author" part of my 2020 reading challenge. This was really well done, a collection of short stories each featuring a different Doctor, by a different author. The stories were all well written and felt like they could easily become an episode.
A fair mix of stories both good and bad. Some of them more memorable than others. I enjoyed seven's a lot and three's wasn't bad (except I wasn't happy with one thing they did) but for the most part I enjoyed it
Except for Eight, Nine and Ten's stories-- which were awful.
Eight's story had literally maybe one or two moments of Eight's character, otherwise it was just 'general representation of the Doctor'. I mean I get that maybe the author was just restricted to the TV movie and not the Big Finish escapades... but even there Eight has a ton of character. He's tender, he's compassionate, vulnerable, kissy, has no concept of personal space, is elegant and self sacrificing and while there was some of it there could have been a LOT more.
Nine's story sounded like the goofy aspect of nine which is what you see a lot in his run, but really doesn't touch on how much pain he's going through. Also I didn't buy a word of it and the precocious child who knew everything was just irritating.
Ten's wasn't bad but wasn't particularly engaging and I didn't get much of Martha's character from it. Aside from one or two lines she could have been anyone and in a lot of spots ten felt more like twelve.
Twelve's story was nice though I liked that. (for the most part). All in all it wasn't a bad collection.
Except for Eight, Nine and Ten's stories-- which were awful.
Eight's story had literally maybe one or two moments of Eight's character, otherwise it was just 'general representation of the Doctor'. I mean I get that maybe the author was just restricted to the TV movie and not the Big Finish escapades... but even there Eight has a ton of character. He's tender, he's compassionate, vulnerable, kissy, has no concept of personal space, is elegant and self sacrificing and while there was some of it there could have been a LOT more.
Nine's story sounded like the goofy aspect of nine which is what you see a lot in his run, but really doesn't touch on how much pain he's going through. Also I didn't buy a word of it and the precocious child who knew everything was just irritating.
Ten's wasn't bad but wasn't particularly engaging and I didn't get much of Martha's character from it. Aside from one or two lines she could have been anyone and in a lot of spots ten felt more like twelve.
Twelve's story was nice though I liked that. (for the most part). All in all it wasn't a bad collection.
Doctor Who books can be hit or miss. These short stories were well done, and captured each version of the doctor. If you're in the DW world, these are worth reading.
Please find my review at: http://echoes-empty-mind.blogspot.com/2017/06/book-review-12-doctors-12-stories-12.html.
First Doctor: A Big Hand for the Doctor by Eoin Colfer - 3,5/5
I love Eoin's writing, always have, and I did enjoy reading this book as well as the idea of Soul Pirates and the whole Peter Pan theme. However, the story in its details has left me with an impression that Eoin wasn't exactly too familiar with the canon of Doctor Who. Mainly, it's the First Doctor, being so energetic and striving to save lives, whereas I remember him, in the beginning of his adventures, as a grumpy observer with purely scientific curiosity and back pains that prevented him from running around too much.
Second Doctor: The Nameless City by Michael Scott - 3/5
A good story and a big thank you to the author for allowing Jamie to meet Delgado!Master - I love them both and I loved the interaction that couldn't possibly happen in the show.
Third Doctor: The Spear of Destiny by Marcus Sedgwick - 3/5
And the Master, again, but here I was more glad to see Jo, so carefully written, since I tend to miss her and the Third Doctor a lot.
Fourth Doctor: Roots of Evil by Philip Reeve - 5/5
Oh, pure delight! Firstly, the worldbuilding! This is simply the thing in which Philip Reeve excels. I'd LOVE to read an entire novel about the Heligan Structure; it's so interesting, so detailed and fascinating - can I have more? Secondly, the Doctor and Leela. Thank you so so much, Philip Reeve, for choosing Leela as the companion for a story! She is my favourite among the companions of the Fourth Doctor, and they are written just wonderfully. All the dialogues and little quirks and everything, really. And, of course, the big reveal about the Doctor in the end! Predictable, yes, but no less enjoyable. Just love it.
Fifth Doctor: Tip of the Tongue by Patrick Ness - 3,5/5
Okay, I think Patrick played it safe here. He chose to write through the POV of a teenager - the thing he often does and is good at. He also chose to leave the Doctor almost out of sight, giving him only one companion (a rare thing for the Fifth) because a company of two was easier to write, I guess (or was it a rule for the collection?). Not a bad move per se (the leaving out of sight part), but a little bit of a letdown for the Anniversary Series where everyone would love to meet their Doctors in full. Liked the story, though.
Sixth Doctor: Something Borrowed by Richelle Mead - 2,5/5
The Sixth Doctor and Peri were quite well-written, however, I found the story in itself a bit boring, struggling towards the end.
Seventh Doctor: The Ripple Effect by Malorie Blackman - 3/5
Liked the idea. Maybe not very original ("good" Daleks have been exploited numerously throughout the canon) but still impactful.
Eighth Doctor: Spore by Alex Scarrow - 3/5
Okay, what is it with the Eighth Doctor, really? A Seal of Death and Gore or something? I'm not complaining, not one bit, but it's still amusing - that it is the Eighth Doctor who gets a story with a deadly virus and liquefied bodies and bones scattered everywhere. Something just never changes!
Ninth Doctor: The Beast of Babylon by Charlie Higson - 3/5
The choice of the companion is original, the portrayal of the Ninth Doctor is endearing, but the story is a little... confusing, I guess. Blurred. And I have a problem with the fact that, according to this book, the Ninth Doctor met Ali almost after he left Rose and then got back to Rose without traveling anywhere else. I mean... what about the photos? Of the Titanic and JFK assassination? When he is alone? I know, it's not strictly canon but it is commonly believed that the Doctor did travel a bit on his own before returning to Rose. So, yeah, not so sure about that move.
Tenth Doctor: The Mystery of the Haunted Cottage by Derek Landy - 4/5
This story is bonkers and that's beautiful! It made me look Derek Landy up because I definitely want to read more from the person who pulled off something like that.
Eleventh Doctor: Nothing Hour by Neil Gaiman - 5/5
Can I give more? Please? Just when I believe that Gaiman can't be more brilliant than he already is, I'm proved wrong, again, because he obviously can. The Doctor and Amy, so alive and themselves as if they have jumped off the screen; their portrayal so spot-on and fun. I read the lines and saw them saying them, every time. And the story! The monster! Oh, just the best! Forgive me, I'm still emotional. Can we have more from Neil in the Whoniverse? We need him here.
Twelfth Doctor: Lights Out by Holly Black - 4/5
It's so good. From the coffee station as a crime scene to the Twelfth Doctor, so odd and loveable and scary (so, basically, himself), to the companion who is also the monster. Extra kudos for Benton - I actually cried out loud when the Doctor mentioned his name.
I love Eoin's writing, always have, and I did enjoy reading this book as well as the idea of Soul Pirates and the whole Peter Pan theme. However, the story in its details has left me with an impression that Eoin wasn't exactly too familiar with the canon of Doctor Who. Mainly, it's the First Doctor, being so energetic and striving to save lives, whereas I remember him, in the beginning of his adventures, as a grumpy observer with purely scientific curiosity and back pains that prevented him from running around too much.
Second Doctor: The Nameless City by Michael Scott - 3/5
A good story and a big thank you to the author for allowing Jamie to meet Delgado!Master - I love them both and I loved the interaction that couldn't possibly happen in the show.
Third Doctor: The Spear of Destiny by Marcus Sedgwick - 3/5
And the Master, again, but here I was more glad to see Jo, so carefully written, since I tend to miss her and the Third Doctor a lot.
Fourth Doctor: Roots of Evil by Philip Reeve - 5/5
Oh, pure delight! Firstly, the worldbuilding! This is simply the thing in which Philip Reeve excels. I'd LOVE to read an entire novel about the Heligan Structure; it's so interesting, so detailed and fascinating - can I have more? Secondly, the Doctor and Leela. Thank you so so much, Philip Reeve, for choosing Leela as the companion for a story! She is my favourite among the companions of the Fourth Doctor, and they are written just wonderfully. All the dialogues and little quirks and everything, really. And, of course, the big reveal about the Doctor in the end! Predictable, yes, but no less enjoyable. Just love it.
Fifth Doctor: Tip of the Tongue by Patrick Ness - 3,5/5
Okay, I think Patrick played it safe here. He chose to write through the POV of a teenager - the thing he often does and is good at. He also chose to leave the Doctor almost out of sight, giving him only one companion (a rare thing for the Fifth) because a company of two was easier to write, I guess (or was it a rule for the collection?). Not a bad move per se (the leaving out of sight part), but a little bit of a letdown for the Anniversary Series where everyone would love to meet their Doctors in full. Liked the story, though.
Sixth Doctor: Something Borrowed by Richelle Mead - 2,5/5
The Sixth Doctor and Peri were quite well-written, however, I found the story in itself a bit boring, struggling towards the end.
Seventh Doctor: The Ripple Effect by Malorie Blackman - 3/5
Liked the idea. Maybe not very original ("good" Daleks have been exploited numerously throughout the canon) but still impactful.
Eighth Doctor: Spore by Alex Scarrow - 3/5
Okay, what is it with the Eighth Doctor, really? A Seal of Death and Gore or something? I'm not complaining, not one bit, but it's still amusing - that it is the Eighth Doctor who gets a story with a deadly virus and liquefied bodies and bones scattered everywhere. Something just never changes!
Ninth Doctor: The Beast of Babylon by Charlie Higson - 3/5
The choice of the companion is original, the portrayal of the Ninth Doctor is endearing, but the story is a little... confusing, I guess. Blurred. And I have a problem with the fact that, according to this book, the Ninth Doctor met Ali almost after he left Rose and then got back to Rose without traveling anywhere else. I mean... what about the photos? Of the Titanic and JFK assassination? When he is alone? I know, it's not strictly canon but it is commonly believed that the Doctor did travel a bit on his own before returning to Rose. So, yeah, not so sure about that move.
Tenth Doctor: The Mystery of the Haunted Cottage by Derek Landy - 4/5
This story is bonkers and that's beautiful! It made me look Derek Landy up because I definitely want to read more from the person who pulled off something like that.
Eleventh Doctor: Nothing Hour by Neil Gaiman - 5/5
Can I give more? Please? Just when I believe that Gaiman can't be more brilliant than he already is, I'm proved wrong, again, because he obviously can. The Doctor and Amy, so alive and themselves as if they have jumped off the screen; their portrayal so spot-on and fun. I read the lines and saw them saying them, every time. And the story! The monster! Oh, just the best! Forgive me, I'm still emotional. Can we have more from Neil in the Whoniverse? We need him here.
Twelfth Doctor: Lights Out by Holly Black - 4/5
It's so good. From the coffee station as a crime scene to the Twelfth Doctor, so odd and loveable and scary (so, basically, himself), to the companion who is also the monster. Extra kudos for Benton - I actually cried out loud when the Doctor mentioned his name.
Twelve fantastic authors come together to tell twelve original Doctor Who short stories - each one featuring an incarnation of the Doctor.
I was so excited when I saw this on the new shelf at my local library - I ran right over and snatched it up before anyone else got the same idea! Although there are so many great authors participating in this collection, I only wanted to read the stories to go along with the new era of the show (9th-12th). I am interested in the classic era, but I would like to have a greater sense of the character's voice and tone - like I do for Eccleston's, Tennant's, and Smith's (I haven't seen any of Capaldi's episodes yet, but I will soon). I'd like to have a greater familiarity with the previous actors in the part before I look into their stories.
I read "The Ninth Doctor: The Beast of Babylon" by Charlie Higson, "The Tenth Doctor: The Mystery of the Haunted Cottage" by Derek Landy, "The Eleventh Doctor: Nothing O'Clock" by Neil Gaiman, and "The Twelfth Doctor: Lights Out" by Holly Black (even though I'm not yet familiar with Capaldi's performance I wanted to read this since I like Holly Black and I will hopefully be watching the series eight soon). Each story was very good on it's own, but my two favorites were "Nothing O'Clock" (with Amy) and "The Mystery of the Haunted Cottage" (with Martha). I would love to see tv adaptations of both of these! "Nothing O'Clock" is super creepy and it's written by one of my favorite authors (and sometime writer for Doctor Who) - the Kin would be great villains to see on screen. "The Mystery of the Haunted Cottage" has a brilliant concept - the Doctor and Martha find themselves in recreated worlds of different books.
In regards to "The Beast of Babylon", the 9th Doctor's story, it's also quite good and is set between the time when the Doctor first asks Rose to travel the universe with him and that the TARDIS can also travel in time. This is a side adventure with a non-human companion where he realizes he should ask Rose one more time. The 12th Doctor's story, "Lights Out", features the Doctor on a mission to get Clara a really good coffee at the International Coffee Roasting Station, but he gets mixed up in a murder mystery alongside one of the roasted coffee bean shippers. Both of these were good, but I did prefer the 11th and 10th (Tennant is my personal favorite) Doctor's stories.
Of the four stories I read from this collection, each author really gets the Doctor's tone and his known companions (Martha and Amy, in this case) down pat. I really enjoyed reading them and in the future I'm looking forward to checking out the previous Doctors' stories (when I'm more familiar with them, anyway). I also can't wait to watch the eighth series with Peter Capaldi!
I was so excited when I saw this on the new shelf at my local library - I ran right over and snatched it up before anyone else got the same idea! Although there are so many great authors participating in this collection, I only wanted to read the stories to go along with the new era of the show (9th-12th). I am interested in the classic era, but I would like to have a greater sense of the character's voice and tone - like I do for Eccleston's, Tennant's, and Smith's (I haven't seen any of Capaldi's episodes yet, but I will soon). I'd like to have a greater familiarity with the previous actors in the part before I look into their stories.
I read "The Ninth Doctor: The Beast of Babylon" by Charlie Higson, "The Tenth Doctor: The Mystery of the Haunted Cottage" by Derek Landy, "The Eleventh Doctor: Nothing O'Clock" by Neil Gaiman, and "The Twelfth Doctor: Lights Out" by Holly Black (even though I'm not yet familiar with Capaldi's performance I wanted to read this since I like Holly Black and I will hopefully be watching the series eight soon). Each story was very good on it's own, but my two favorites were "Nothing O'Clock" (with Amy) and "The Mystery of the Haunted Cottage" (with Martha). I would love to see tv adaptations of both of these! "Nothing O'Clock" is super creepy and it's written by one of my favorite authors (and sometime writer for Doctor Who) - the Kin would be great villains to see on screen. "The Mystery of the Haunted Cottage" has a brilliant concept - the Doctor and Martha find themselves in recreated worlds of different books.
In regards to "The Beast of Babylon", the 9th Doctor's story, it's also quite good and is set between the time when the Doctor first asks Rose to travel the universe with him and that the TARDIS can also travel in time. This is a side adventure with a non-human companion where he realizes he should ask Rose one more time. The 12th Doctor's story, "Lights Out", features the Doctor on a mission to get Clara a really good coffee at the International Coffee Roasting Station, but he gets mixed up in a murder mystery alongside one of the roasted coffee bean shippers. Both of these were good, but I did prefer the 11th and 10th (Tennant is my personal favorite) Doctor's stories.
Of the four stories I read from this collection, each author really gets the Doctor's tone and his known companions (Martha and Amy, in this case) down pat. I really enjoyed reading them and in the future I'm looking forward to checking out the previous Doctors' stories (when I'm more familiar with them, anyway). I also can't wait to watch the eighth series with Peter Capaldi!
The audiobook version of this is well worth a listen, the narrators do a great job bringing each author's work to life. While some of the stories collected here are in other collections I didn't mind listening even to my least favorite renditions of the Doctor.
Favorite stories were The Mystery of the Haunted Cottage by Derek Landy, The Roots of Evil by Philip Reeve and A Big Hand for the Doctor by Eoin Colfer. Even for those unfamiliar with past Doctors, each story can be enjoyed without much background knowledge, or even none at all. Each has some elements of mystery, adventure and a dash of romance, just as in the television show. There is much cleverness from the Doctor, plenty of humor and in total it adds up to quite a fun listen.
I would definitely recommend this to families with kids in grades 5+ for road trip or just general car listening. You can always skip a story if it's not to your liking, but odds are the family will listen through the whole set.
Favorite stories were The Mystery of the Haunted Cottage by Derek Landy, The Roots of Evil by Philip Reeve and A Big Hand for the Doctor by Eoin Colfer. Even for those unfamiliar with past Doctors, each story can be enjoyed without much background knowledge, or even none at all. Each has some elements of mystery, adventure and a dash of romance, just as in the television show. There is much cleverness from the Doctor, plenty of humor and in total it adds up to quite a fun listen.
I would definitely recommend this to families with kids in grades 5+ for road trip or just general car listening. You can always skip a story if it's not to your liking, but odds are the family will listen through the whole set.