Issue 21 Fall 2018 forward to about Thirteen...... By Craig Hanson...... 27 Hamiltonian Mechanics ...... TThree Of An Imperfect Pair or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And - The Leisure Hive...... Love Peter Davison's Doctor...... By Thomas D. Bowyer...... 3 by Don Klees...... 29 Blog High for happiness...... Doctor Who Is ......

Art & Text by Steven Sautter By Jamie Beckwith...... 31 ...... 6 Twice Upon a Time Screening...... By Will Forbes...... 7 EDITOR’S NOTE I think many of us would like to be Time Lords. The Benny Code...... 8 After all, to be a Lord of Time implies having some mastery over time, which is some- By Matthew Kresal...... 7 thing I could really use. It would enable me to get edited faster and also to get on with the PDA for the PdaS...... other things in my life. However, I am not a Time Lord, so that’s By Nick Mellish...... 10 why 21 comes to you at this date. I wish you happy reading. Aya Vandenbuscche ...... Enjoy our articles by frequent contribu- tors as well as new writers Nathan Mullins and Doctor Who: The Writer’s Tale + Don Klees, as well as the art contributed by old Doctor Who: The Writer’s Tale – stalwarts and new contributors (Lunart, Hy- The Final Chapter...... 11 enacub, ArwendeLuhtiene, FionaBasta, Ezekiel Huerta and Chester H. Magruder III). What are the Targets For?—A Sort This is likely to be the last issue before of Review of the 10th anniversary issue. So, catch you on the flip side . . .

by Leslie McMurtry...... 14 Leslie McMurtry The Tempest and the Time Lord ..... by Steven Sautter...... 17 Hospital Ghosts...... Fiction by Nathan Mullins...... 23 Thirteen Things I’m Looking ......

The Terrible Zodin Art by Hyenacub Hamiltonian Mechanics - The Leisure Hive By Thomas D. Bowyer

Introduction ’s always had an . . . interesting relationship with science. On the one hand, the series was developed primarily to teach people about concepts in science and history, and as such, you will find that many episodes have a strong scientific basis. This is even seen in the present day, such as the episode “ ,” which has, at its horrific core, the idea that time can travel at different rates for different people, based on Einstein’s Let’s say that Argolis is one light year theory of Relativity. Equally so, science can away from Earth, which means that it would often be a little bit disappointing, with no take light one year to travel to Argolis. This greater disappointment than the fact that cur- means that if you were to get out a telescope rent scientific theory states that it is impossible and look at Argolis, you would be seeing Argol- to travel backwards in time. But what if we is as it was one year ago, and likewise, if you could? The story “ were on Argolis and were looking at Earth, you ,” written by David Fisher and script edit- would see Earth as it was one year ago. And ed by science journalist Christopher H Bid- we’ll set some ground rules first before we start mead, covers a way to travel through time that the trip, just to make things less complicated. may prove to be feasible, one day, using some- So we’ll say that on Earth, the year is 1980, the thing called a tachyon. year that “ ” was first broad- cast. And if we look at Argolis, we are seeing Background – What is a tachyon? the light that has traveled from Argolis to us, To understand what tachyons are and why and that light left Argolis in the Argolis-year they’re important, let’s first talk about the 1979, even though in Argolis, it is the Argolis- speed of light. The speed of light is very fast year 1980 as well and they see us in the Earth indeed. It is 3.00 x 108 metres per second, which year 1979. Now, let’s pop in our spaceship and means that in one second, it could travel from travel to Argolis at half the speed of light, just the North Pole to the South Pole approximately to start. The journey takes two years, and we 15 times. Now, the speed of light acts as a sort arrive in Argolis in Argolis-year 1982. And if of “speed limit” for the Universe. Nothing can you got a telescope to look up at Earth, you travel faster than the speed of light, according would see light that left Earth in the Earth-year to Einstein’s second postulate of Special Rela- 1981, even though in Earth, it is currently 1982 tivity. To see why this is important, let’s go on as well. And if you were to make a round trip a trip to Argolis. back to Earth, you would arrive in Earth in

The Terrible Zodin 3 1984, and look up at Argolis and see that it is 1983. So far, so simple. Let’s repeat the experiment, but at a different speed, say, the speed of light. So you leave Earth in 1980 and arrive at Argolis now in the Argolis year-1981. And if you looked up at Earth as soon as you arrived (and this is where things get trippy), you would see yourself leav- ing Earth! This is because you’re looking at light that left Earth from exactly the time that you left – 1980. And if you were to leave Argolis and go back to Earth, you would arrive on Earth in 1982, and if you were to look back at Argolis as soon as you arrived, you would see yourself leave Argolis! Now let’s repeat the experiment, but Figure 1: Pangol's dancing with the power of Tachyonics even faster, by breaking the speed of light entirely, going at twice the speed of light. So we leave Earth on the 1st of January 1980 and arrive Yeah, tachyons are theoretical particles, which means that people have thought that they might in Argolis on the 1st of July, 1980, Argolis-time. exist, but there is no evidence to suggest that As is now traditional, we look back at Earth, they do exist. So “ ,” is for the and we would see (and this is genuinely trippy) moment, pure science fiction. But we can, for Earth as it was on the 1st of July, 1979. This is the purposes of this article, say that they do before we have even left Earth, which is slightly exist, and from that, we can see whether what insane. And if you were to travel back to Earth, they’re capable of makes any sense. you would arrive at Earth at exactly the time So let’s start with the first thing that that you had left, the 1st of January 1980. And if tachyons are seen doing, which is in Part One. you were to have gone even faster on the return One of the Argolins, Pangol, goes into a booth trip, say at 4 times the speed of light, then you’d known as The Generator where his image from have arrived on the 1st of October 1979, before inside the booth is projected onto a screen you’d even left Earth in the first place! called The Visidome. On this screen, we see his And it is reasons like that which is why body parts detach from one another, and start it is impossible to travel faster than the speed dancing about, as in Figure 1. Pangol’s explana- of light, because if you travel faster than the tion for this is that “A tachyon field can be speed of light, then that means that you would made to arrive at point B – that Visidome, say be theoretically able to travel through time, – before its departure from point A, the Gener- which would violate all the laws of time, and ator”. And this makes sense, it’s just like what create all sorts of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey happened when we traveled faster than light to stuff. But let’s say that there could be some- Argolis and back, and arrived before we left, thing that could travel faster than the speed of except this time, it’s the image of Pangol’s body light. This is called a tachyon, and forms the parts dancing that’s arriving at the Visidome scientific basis of “ .” before Pangol chooses to make them dance. So yeah, this bit holds water, in my opinion. “The Leisure Hive” Next, we look at another thing that the tachyons can do, which is change the age of No. something. Now, I can’t speak for things that

The Terrible Zodin 4 undergo cellular regeneration to make them earlier on in the story that’s so horrendously younger, as it supposed in this story, because I bad, I was convinced that the rest of the story don’t know enough about that field to com- must be scientifically rubbish as well). Now, if ment, but I can speak for the idea of the Doctor you don’t mind, I’ll be off on a trip to Argolis. being aged, as is seen in the cliffhanger to Part If I hurry, I might be back in time to catch last Two. This could be achieved by tachyons night’s football match. through an unfortunate by-product of traveling faster than the speed of light. When we went on the trip to Argolis and back at twice the http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/blogs/physics speed of light, it took a year to complete, so you /2015/08/can-you-really-go-back-in-time-by- would have aged a year. However, if you were breaking-the-speed-of-light/ an observer on Earth, you would have seen the This article covers a lot of the same ground that ship leave the planet and arrive back immedi- I covered in the first half, but focuses more on ately, with the people on board having aged a what you would observe as an observer on year inexplicably. Thus, it follows that if the Earth. It’s very fascinating stuff, and I would Generator acted as some sort of tachyon trans- really recommend that you check it out if you port capsule, and allowed for faster than light feel so inclined. travel, he could have gone on a very long journey that would have aged him immensely, Z but returned back to Argolis, as if no time had passed at all. So while this isn’t the explanation that’s given in the story, it’s enough of an explanation that I’m willing to say that this part is theoretically possible as well. Finally, we come to the climax of the story, where Pangol creates a clone army of himself to take over Argolis, using the Genera- tor to produce tachyon duplicates of himself. And again, this does actually make some sense. When we traveled to Argolis at twice the speed of light, when we arrived back home, we were in time to see ourselves leave. Thus, it stands to reason that if we had gone fast enough, we would have arrived before we had even left, thus creating a double of ourselves. If we were to then do the trip again, we would produce more doubles exponentially, until we had creat- Art is Hyenacub’s life, and he enjoys engag- ed an army ready to take over whichever world ing in nearly any kind, from photography, we’d come across. So this makes sense too, to singing, to drawing. Most of his inspira- surprisingly. tion comes from books and the various roleplaying games he plays. Deviantart hosts his digital art, one or two fanfic- Conclusion tions, and stock photography, which can be So there we have it, if we accept that tachyons found at the following links: are real, “ ” does actually make a lot of sense. I’ll be honest, I’m as surprised as www.deviantart.com/hyenacub you are (particularly given that there’s a line https://www.deviantart.com/hyenacub stock

The Terrible Zodin 5 Which is fine, Blog High for as I get different things out of happiness watching them. Anyway, on the Art & Text by Steven rare occasion Sautter that Classic Who strove for It’s been a while since we’ve done something one of these, hasn’t it? Rather than more, it is aston- a full topic this issue, I’m going to ishing. In my take you into a journey inside the opinion, David depths of my mind (“ Maloney is easi- style) and explore just a couple ly the best direc- of thoughts about that tor that Tom have been rattling around in there. Really, it’s Baker had. Even watching the bowdler- hard to stop them. ized omnibus version, I have a new · J.G. Ballard’s is continually appreciation for the story. I already have cited as an influence on “ the Blu-ray on order. ,” but no one seems to mention . The Scoops, while clearly · Harry Sullivan is not an imbecile. modified garbage trucks in the movie, · I hope they get Tom Baker to read the presage the smaller scale Cleaners. Plus, audio of James Goss’ throw in a degenerate society, cannibal- novel. I further hope ism, and an action hero who’s only hero- that it’s based on the Sarah and Harry ic at the end, you’ve got yourself at least version of the story rather than Twiggy. an unconscious influence! “ Of course, if they could get Twiggy to ,” it must be said, is much kinder read it . . . to its female characters. · I understand why some people didn’t · Can we have a Big Finish spin-off series like the novelization, about John Simm’s beard? How long he but the line about the Doctor taking took to grow it? Grooming techniques? Peter Cushing off to make movies after How it seems to make him 500% more he died had me in stitches. evil? · #TeamLungbarrow · Apart from Davros’ and the Doctor’s speeches in the last couple episodes, I · It’s not too late to get a guest appear- thought “ ” was ance from Linda Thorson and complete overrated. But watching “ on the set of Avengers women. She should the big screen was even more amazing also appear in the next Bond film, for than watching one of the periodic theat- that matter. I mean, she did rical New Who presentations we get. . She clearly is not New Who is often designed to be cine- averse to genre. matic and Classic Who . . . wasn’t.

The Terrible Zodin 6 · I just rearranged by books. This may be the last time I keep them in chronological order. It’s getting to hard Twice Upon a to remember what MAs and PDAs go where, and, as Penguin reprints things Time Screening at a different size from the originals, some of those stacks are looking wobbli- By Will Forbes er than an Adipose after a jelly-eating contest. As an aside, where do you put things like and ? Before I had them between the Eighth Doctor and the Ninth, but since John Hurt came along and threw everything into a tizzy, I don’t know what to do with them.

· I still think they missed a trick by having Richard E. Grant play Doctor Simeon. I had really hoped he’d be an alternate Doctor from a dying timeline, driven mad by his universe collapsing. Imagine When I found out that there was to be an advance kicking off the 50th anniversary year with screening of “ ” near where I lived, I didn’t hesitate in applying for tickets. I was that! lucky enough to get my hands on one. And so it was that I caught the train through to Hartlepool · Is Nicholas Hoult too pretty to play one Thursday in December. Once I got there, I Abslom Daak? made my way to the venue. I only got lost once. Once there, I waited in the queue, printout · The death of Trevor Baxter still stings. I in one hand and birth certificate in the other, have not listened to hoping the latter would suffice to get me in, despite , despite the series being my the ticket saying I needed photo ID. There was absolute favorite thing Big Finish have fake snow blowing about, and not far from Bab’s done. One day, I’ll finally get around to Cab (there was an advance screening of the first of writing that long threatened the anniversary episode after ) was a TARDIS. Not, as I thought, guide and then I’ll have to listen any old TARDIS; the actual prop used in the to it. But for now, there’s still a little episode. I finally got to where the tickets were Baxterian treat out there. being taken. They didn’t even bother asking for ID, they just stuck a numbered sticker to my ticket · #LoomsForLife and waved me through. I got my picture taken with the TARDIS and made my way to the door. I had to open my bag to be searched and got wanded as I went in. I then had to hand over my mobile phone, which was put in a numbered enve- Z lope, and I was given the corresponding ticket. Then it was into the auditorium. There was a pre-screening talk, in which we were told we were very lucky that the BBC had agreed to let this

The Terrible Zodin 7 happen so, please don’t spoil things. They pointed out there would be someone with night vision goggles to make sure no one had snuck a mobile The Benny Code phone in. Then the lights went down, and the screening started. y Matthew Kresal Overall, I really enjoyed the episode. It was funnier than I ex- pected. The return of Bill was well done, and she got a few good lines One of the joys of social in at the chauvinism of the First media is that it's able, for Doctor and the Captain. Mark better or worse, to bring Gatiss confirmed that, no matter one closer to some of what anyone says about his writing those who’ve helped to or acting, he excels at delivering a create and shape monologue. The addition of Rusty . Earlier this year, was a nice surprise, once I worked probably a few months out where I’d seen him before (I before you read this arti- have a really, really hard time re- cle, I got into a conversa- membering that “ ” tion on Facebook with even exists). I loved Testimony. I loved Jim Mortimore, noted the look, I loved the idea of Testimo- and sometimes contro- ny. I loved the fact they are not versial author from the actually evil. (Possibly the biggest Wilderness Years of the laugh in the room was when the show. In talking about Thirteenth Doctor realized there conspiracy theories in a was actually no Big Bad.) Using the book he was hunting for, Christmas truce was a neat touch, he made mention of a and I actually gasped when the Art by Steven Sautter Bernice Summerfield novel Captain revealed he was a Leth- he’d written called bridge-Stewart. that touched upon many of Then the ending. With the nature of the same themes as Dan Brown’s more famous Testimony, anyone from the past could have turned up, but the appearance of Nardole was fun and novel . Intrigued, I bought Clara, though, expected, a treat. Back to the the book for all of $4.77 off Amazon and sat TARDIS, final words, “Doctor, I let you go”, fade down not long after it arrived to read it. The to white then . . . results were intriguing to say the least. To be continued. We were treated to came out in June everything except the first appearance of Jodie 1998 at a rather interesting moment in Virgin Whittaker. Books’ New Adventures range. Just over a year I dashed downstairs, retrieved my phone earlier, Virgin had published its last and ran round the building to get in line for novel in the range, Lance Parkin’s . Which isn’t , , after losing the license back to so you won't be interested in that. BBC Books. Virgin Books editors, though, were intent on going on without the Doctor and had used the presence of the archeologist Bernice Summerfield in to set up a new series of novels featuring her solo. Z came fourteenth in the Doc- tor-less New Adventures range and represented

The Terrible Zodin 8 (along with Lawrence Miles’ two entries) per- reasonably expect agents of Freemasons, poten- haps the most radical works to come out of the tially shady businessmen and conspiracy theo- range before it eventually folded in December 1999. ries to be part and parcel of the plot. Having now read the novel, it isn’t hard Mortimore’s novel may be a pre-echo of the to see why Mortimore made comparisons to genre that Brown would later make famous, but Dan Brown’s more famous novel. Both novels it is definitely in its own league. explore similar territory, dealing with the Like Brown’s more famous book, some Knights Templar, early Christian history, and of the religious stuff will likely make this off- (like Brown’s sequel novel ) limits to the easily offended. The novel’s last the role of Freemasonry in both. Those familiar third or so plays fast and loose with a lot of with Brown’s novel or the larger history and Christian myth and folklore ranging from vari- theories around the Templars will recognize a ous mythical artifacts right up to Crucifixions, number of names, faces and locations used resurrections and debates about the existence throughout the novel but most especially in its (or non-existence) of God. The last two chap- French locations. ters and the epilogue are particular steeped in Yet Mortimore ties in more than just this, leading into a sequence which is frankly so that. Taking a cue from Graham Hancock, the mind-boggling that I had to consult journalist who wrote , entry on the novel to really make sense of it all. and Those who avoided Brown’s novel on (known in the U.S as religious grounds would likely avoid this novel ), Mortimore explores a larger for the same reason, and I have to admit that series of ancient mysteries and artifacts. These what Mortimore does here is perhaps the most include the Ark of the Covenant, the Pyramids unlikely thing I would have expected to have of Egypt, the Sphinx (plus rumored chambers come out of a connected work. Of beneath it) and the possibility of a civilization course, the New Adventures were famous for lost somewhere in our own prehistory, with all pushing limits when they had the featuring to some degree in the plot. The result license, and it’s clear that they were still push- is a novel that touches upon a wide range of ing boundaries even after that. Which makes it conspiracy theories and possibilities which are a shame that fewer and fewer people were likely to be far more familiar now than they reading the novels by that point. would have been in 1998 when the book was While perhaps not for the easily offend- first published. ed, is still an intriguing What separates Mortimore’s work from piece of work. The pre-echoes of future bestsell- Dan Brown’s is its genre. ers are intriguing in their own right, but what is definitely a pseudo-historical quest novel is even more so is Mortimore’s own twists on in the style of Brown’s later works, but it is set what soon become clichés, something that firmly in the 26th century of the Bernice Sum- helps give this eighteen-year-old novel a fresh- merfield New Adventures. It’s a sweeping work ness that Dan Brown’s works cannot claim to that takes in Antarctica, London, Egypt, have. Plus, like much of Mortimore’s other France, Ethiopia and parts of Asia. The twist, related works including the famously and indeed added plot difficulties, lie in the rejected and his Big Finish audio genre setting including the fact that France has , it stands out as been overrun by a jungle of human/plant unique in a sea of stories connected to the series. hybrids brought about by Dalek plague mis- Oh and chances are it’s probably pretty siles. Nor would one expect one of Brown’s cheap if you do hunt it down. As Mr. Morti- novels to feature a cloned intelligent Raptor more replied back to me on Facebook when I running around nor time travel, but one could told him I had tracked it down “Hey, there may

The Terrible Zodin 9 never be a better review!” Hopefully this is a and natives that have a sense of mysticism slightly better review than that. about them all feel extremely cosy and familiar. This is a story so true to its era that you wonder if Dicks simply novelized an old script ...... or so it would be if he hadn’t then Z tried to make it “adult” and aim parts at an older audience and readership. Presumably that was part of the brief, too, or else why would he have Jo Grant explicitly saying she was going to be raped by one of the antago- nists, and why would you have a subplot about PDA for the PdaS drug abuse? This is where someone steps in and (A PUBLIC DISPLAY OF AF- notes that the plot of “ ” revolves around drug smuggling and abuse, FECTION FOR THE PAST DOC- and that is true. But here we have dealers TOR ADVENTURES) actively and graphically stabbing people to death and the full horrors of withdrawal lead- By Nick Mellish ing people to die. This drug subplot makes up a substantial portion of the book, and the main , then. This is an odd one. dealer is a very graphically violent character. Written by , his first out- Indeed, it’s the graphic nature of it all more ing in this range, the brief he has been given than the base subject matter that makes it feel would appear to be: tell a story with the Third at odds with everything surrounding it. Things Doctor and Jo that feels true to the era. Seeing are nice and traditional 1970s teatime viewing, as he co-ran said era, he’s a safe choice for this and then a head is severed and thrown onto the task, and most of the book holds true to this, balcony, or a woman contemplates being sexu- succeeding admirably. ally abused in order to get a fix, or Jo Grant The story takes place just after “ tells the Doctor she was going to be raped. It ” (in pretty much the same posi- all feels very tonally uneven in that respect. tion Nicholas Briggs used years later when Chucked into the mix is a Draconian landing writing ). The Doctor party which is purposely trying to provoke war receives a physic message: a cry of pain from a (an admittedly pretty funny idea), which is at nearby planet. Upon landing there, he soon once integral to proceedings and almost an discovers a human settlement on this planet, afterthought. The Draconian present on the rebels stirring up trouble with the local author- book’s cover suggests they were seen as a ities, a military presence threatening to let hell selling point, though, so I was surprised how loose upon the place, and a native population distant they are for much of the novel. The with a mysterious secret. Before too long, the book’s main flaw, though, is that it all feels very Doctor and Jo are caught up in this world and inconsequential. It would be a lie to say that its problems and the TARDIS has been hidden not a lot happens in it, but true to say that the away, meaning they have no choice but to get things which do happen take their time. The involved. ending is extremely quick to resolve and feels You can hear Jon Pertwee and Katy very simple and tidy after the length of time we Manning in much of the dialogue and the take reaching it. set-up of human colony on a jungle world, with Overall, is by no means a a military presence nearby, rebellious factions bad book. I read it very quickly, Dicks’ prose

The Terrible Zodin 10 is light and easy, and parts of the story and the action really grabbed me. But it’s also lacking Aya Vandenbuscche dramatic heft, and the gratuitous “adult” as- reviews pects failed to hit, feeling increasingly unneces- sary and incongruous. It makes for a novel that’s better than average, but also one that never reaches its full potential. By the end of Doctor Who: The the story, the Doctor and Jo have left far behind them, out of mind and sight, Writer’s Tale + and I fear that years down the line, the book’s impression upon my own memory will be similarly distant, faded and shrugged off. Doctor Who: The Writer’s Tale – Z The Final Chapter

As a graduate in film studies, a former camera assistant and an aspiring writer, I have read and studied many books about writing for film and television: from Aristotle’s and his unfinished text about comedy, to Syd Field’s various books about screenwriting. I have lis- tened to lectures and attended workshops, with varying degrees of success. There are many benefits to the plethora of books, lectures and workshops about writing, even when they leave much to be desired, if only to realize what not to do. ( , for example was a dull rehash of another writing book and it was so incredibly boring I don’t even remember the original book it was trying to explain. And I didn’t feel it contributed anything to my knowledge or practice of writ- ing.) While methods and disciplines may differ, I think all agree on one thing, if you want to write, you need to just write, a lot. Writing a book about any kind of writ- Art by LunArt ing, be it fiction, screenwriting, playwriting etc, is an art within itself. Not unlike a screenplay, it should grab the reader, and a good writing book should inspire and motivate you to write. I got , as a

The Terrible Zodin 11 Art by Steve Andrew present (thank you, Jamie) and later bought the second part myself. At first, I admit I had a few reservations. While I am a huge fan of , it took me awhile to get to know it well. I am also terrible at remembering story titles, writers’, producers’ and actors’ names, and I felt that a lot of -related material is not very inclusive. I often find myself lost and confused about dates, names and other infor- mation. The sheer volume of over fifty years of TV is enough to put people off watching the show, let alone entice them to read about it. As with everything I am a fan of, I have this silly desire to want everyone else to “get it” and appreciate it, and I was worried that would be jam-packed with tedious details I wouldn’t be able to follow. The size of the book and the fact that it was co-authored by a journalist1 I am not familiar with also contributed to the feeling of an exclusive club I wasn’t a part of, and this talk about everything, writers’ block, running would be a closed book for me and many ideas in your head vs sitting down to write, others. Furthermore, I wasn’t sure what it different versions of stories and their develop- could add to the millions of other books about ment, deadlines and the mother of all writers’ writing out there. enemies, procrastination. It often read like I am happy to say that I was, for the most RTD’s personal journal as a writer, and it’s part, wrong about this book. I still think that by open, frank and if you ever tried to write, its nature, title and cover, this book will prima- incredibly realistic. rily attract fans. This is a shame, Perhaps the biggest problem I have with as I think it is a book, especially this book is Benjamin Cook, which I think is a , which is primarily for writers and only symptomatic problem I find with many journal- then for fans. In fact, as a fan of ists, especially entertainment journalists and the show there were parts of the book that I critics. To be fair to Cook, he does ask some didn’t like, but putting my personal opinions very good questions and even occasionally aside, is quite makes intelligent observations. While in the possibly the most honest book about the writ- beginning he vows to remain invisible and not ing process that I have ever came across. interfere with RTD’s writing process, his ego is built gets the better of him and very quickly he out of a collection of emails, the “Great Corre- abandons the fly-on-the-wall approach and gets spondence” as Russell T Davies and Benjamin involved in the writing, making suggestions Cook refer to it, which delves quite deeply into and bouncing off ideas. A lot of them are not RTD’s personal writing process without hold- very good in my opinion, and what’s even more ing much back. In this correspondence they infuriating is that Russell listens. Not only is it infuriating that Cook arrogantly inserts himself 1 Full disclosure: Even now, I have yet to read anything that Benjamin Cook has written for or anything else. into the creative process (write your own damn

The Terrible Zodin 12 show!) and basically interferes, but he is betray- call the viewers who criticized him for mythiciz- ing the premise he himself set for the book. He ing the Doctor and turning him to a god, is not observing someone else writing, he is Dumboes, a very upsetting and childish re- participating in it and therefore not letting us mark. He tries to explain how in his first get the full RTD point of view. As the book episode, “ ,” he says the exact goes on, his involvement becomes increasingly opposite, that people are the ones creating infuriating, until in the second book gods, but completely ignores “ , he persuades RTD to abandon what ” and “ ” in which sounded like a good, simple idea for the series he effectively makes Martha walk the Earth like finale and convinces him to go with the grand Jesus and gets everyone to pray to the Doctor finale we got to see. At which point I was ready until the Doctor becomes a god, and like a to throw the book in Cook’s face. benevolent god he takes mercy on the Master. While the writing process is the main In this story the Doctor has moved far beyond subject of the book, there are a lot of emails solving problems with a sonic screwdriver, that are just them chatting, mostly about other fast-talk and clever inventions, in this story the TV shows. It is fun and funny and in the first Doctor becomes magic. Regardless of RTD’s book it is interesting to see how RTD com- original intentions, calling his viewers Dumb- pares writing styles and disciplines. However, oes for not understanding them instead of in it starts to feel overindul- taking responsibility that perhaps he didn’t gent, uninteresting and a distraction from the convey them all that well if there were that main theme of the book, which is the writing many comments about it, is immature. I’d have decisions regarding the end of the RTD era. expected more from the man who wrote “ In , RTD addresses ,” “ ” and so many other great some criticism and comments from fans. I was s. happy to discover that I wasn’t the only one Despite the problems, which are mostly who thought Rose was selfish, rude and often present in the second book , cruel towards Mickey. I was a little less happy is one of the best books I to read RTD’s excuse for her behavior. He have read about writing. It is highly engaging makes the point that Mickey has once hid an and inspiring. RTD is witty and intelligent as email from her, suggesting that that is unac- well as insecure and stressed, which is kinda ceptable behavior; this one incident, which I comforting to read. The honesty with which he personally don’t think is that unheard of for shares his writing process is eye-opening and people in a relationship to have some privacy insightful. I don’t know that everything about occasionally, according to RTD, justifies Rose’s his process is necessarily my style or that I behavior throughout the series. He even goes always agree with his decisions or with his taste on to suggest this one email he refuses to show in television. He is not always my favorite Rose might be considered as a sign of infidelity writer of , but on Mickey’s part, when there’s nothing in his is a valuable asset for aspiring writers. It lets behavior throughout to suggest that he’s ever you into a writer’s head and lets you go through been unfaithful to Rose, even when she was. I Lunart worked in the video game industry find this a very flimsy explanation, and I would but is now a freelance illustrator. You have preferred it if he had said that he inten- can find his art on tionally wrote Rose that way, since her selfish- www.facebook.com/lunartbook ness is manifested in more ways than just the and on his website www.lunart.fr He hopes way she treats Mickey. RTD then goes on to you enjoy his work.

The Terrible Zodin 13 the writing process together with him, like Secondly and almost as importantly, the watching an artist work in his/her studio. It is original Targets filled a gap when reassuring, frustrating, inspiring, difficult, stories were seen once or, if you were lucky, thrilling and exciting, insightful, helpful and twice if repeated, on British television. Things fantastic. were slightly different in the US, where every- thing was shown in a random order, which meant by the 1990s the KNME schedule was flooded with Tom Baker re-runs ad nauseum. For fans, they were a way to re-live episodes Z once seen and little remembered—or for young- sters to experience stories they had never seen and, until the bootleg VHS and Betamax came along, never would. Thus, I would argue that a third function What are the of the Targets was to encourage young readers. That was the original market for the books, and Targets For?—A to this day you’ll hear British fans waxing nostalgic about consuming these books at a madcap pace and, in many cases, launching Sort of Review of their lifelong love of reading. These are the most practical answers to the question what are the Targets for. You could have released other versions of these stories that did the exact same thing: in comics form, in published scripts. Why novelize them at all? The Targets, I would argue, provide by Leslie McMurtry novel points of view which are not indulged in I have to admit, when I first heard that there the TV versions of the stories. The authors of were going to be new Targets, I felt generally the best Targets ( positive. I didn’t, however, rush out and read ) also give us any. I read Target plenty in the way of the incidental characters, novelization completely on Jamie’s recommen- fleshing them out in a way not possible on- dation. My expectations were not high, which screen. Potentially, they also provide space for is no reflection on Jenny T. Colgan (whose amusing asides, for rendering subtext more -related writing I’ve enjoyed) nor textual, and for filling in blanks—scenes that we on Targets in general. Some people may have never saw onscreen and, in the context of questioned to the value of new Target books, televised drama, didn’t need to see. (The latter which novelize broadcast stories from the 2005 two, if not three are, I would say, one of the series onwards, which is, perhaps, superfluous, strategies for fan fiction, or at least that’s how given we can relive these stories on DVD as I’ve always seen it.) much as we want. So, then, what are the How does meas- Targets for? ure up? Quite well, I think. It’s certainly there Firstly and most importantly, I would to make money, though perhaps not to appeal argue, to make money. That’s the purpose of to young readers. I suspect, although I have no all tie-in merchandise—otherwise it would be, evidence, that the new Targets are being mar- gasp, fan fiction (an argument to which I’ll keted to completist fans, who tend to be older return). (“ fans will buy anything”), with

The Terrible Zodin 14 Art by FionaBasta their design, it naturally by her style, and length, side as if it were a which clearly part of her. As if harken back to they were, almost, the classic Tar- the same person. Except, of gets. Of course, course, he wasn’t a well-meaning a person and she family member didn’t know him trying to buy a at all. He had told -re- her, but she hadn’t lated gift for a understood and nephew or niece she hadn’t wanted might just pick to understand. up a new Target. However, as I speak to what we said before, are now more these nieces and familiar with in nephews can televised watch these epi- , courtesy sodes on DVD of Clara and the or Switch or Twelfth Doctor. whatever. Thus, In the noveli- I think the new Targets are heavy on what’s zation, Jackie becomes less a figure of fun and left—the amusing asides, the novel POVs, the indeed, sometimes quite pitiable. “Rose had incidental characters, filling in blanks, and, in spent eighteen Christmases in this flat,” Colgan a major way, based on , writes. “Eighteen years of dry turkey and filling in blanks. New Who’s “emotional intel- crying about her dad and getting the photo ligence” is, after all, an RTD invention, some- albums out again.” It does suggest to you that thing that Colgan clearly takes to heart and, I in a different show, the story of the Tylers would argue, in an entirely un-cynical way. could be very different indeed. The nuances of For me, was an Mickey and Rose’s relationship are also well- utter delight. It brought me back to an era of captured. Rose is not quite let off the hook. that was exciting and intoxicating, We get to know the staff of the Guinivere bringing (for me) the best of both worlds: the project much better (somehow the relationship near-perfect experience of Ninth Doctor stories between Matthew Nicolson and Duerte Rod- and the sheen of David Tennant episodes. I riguez reminds me of Carlos and Cecil in have a quite ambivalent relationship with the ). Tenth Doctor, but is also quite funny in places, with makes it easy to look past any potential nega- references to tives and just enjoy the ride. and, for example, this gem: “Daniel Llewellyn “ ” was a post- had never heard of UNIT. But he knew one regeneration episode, but not as we had previ- thing: this was the most astonishing thing that ously experienced them. Passages like had ever happened to him or, in his opinion, any Lampeter graduate.” This . . . alien, who had treated her like Colgan does not hit you in the face with someone he knew utterly and unquenchably. subtext. Lines such as “Was he the same man? His partner. Hand in hand, until she had How? Did he know everything? Did he feel the learned to trust that hand, until she had felt

The Terrible Zodin 15 same way? Would he act the same way? Could grown-up, and you believed every single thing he dance now?” can be interpreted relatively he said” (she’s also reasonably fond of the innocently by those who don’t like the “skinny, pretty boy” too). Doctor/Rose relationship, or even the Doctor Colgan is a little pointed and political in being in any kind of relationship at all. The . Even though she was Doctor himself seems quite unsure about the “just a girl,” she experienced the original Tar- whole thing, chiding himself for being “mushy.” get love that I have heard so many British male Rose is very young; the Doctor is very old. If fans recall with great affection. That comes you do “ship them” (I do, and Colgan does, through in , which I too), you have to wonder why them, why now? heartily recommend. Reading for a second time awakened nostalgia in me, so I went back Z and read some of my 10+ year-old fan fiction and my review of “ ” from twelve (!) years ago1:

I don’t know, just as I don’t know what it is about Rose that gave her the ability to become the Bad Wolf and save the Doctor. Was it her innocence, in episodes like “ ,” or her misplaced com- passion, in episodes like “ ” or “ ”? Was it her determina- tion, or her ability to commit mistakes and then learn from them, as in “ ”? Was it her nettling but endearing insistence on flirting with the Doctor, as in “ ”? I’m sure it was all these things—but they are, above all, human quali- ties. So when the Doctor saved Rose be- cause he loves her, and Rose saved the Doctor twice over with her love, I don’t necessarily mean the romantic kind of love, though I think that could be part of it. When she saves him twice over, she saves him physically from the Daleks, but she also saves him from the tragedy of this regener- ation—his loneliness, despair, and guilt. Kristina is a self-taught artist from It’s fashionable now to think badly of Christo- Lithuania. She Mostly uses traditional art pher Eccleston and with him, perhaps, the techniques like markers and pencils on entire Ninth Doctor’s era, but I find it difficult paper or acrylic paint on canvas to create to respond that way. On this, Colgan and I fan art or abstract art pieces, but lately seem to agree: “Chris wasn’t wacky; he was she has started trying digital techniques earthy, sincere, mindbogglingly sexy; a proper as well. She has a dream to become a professional artist in the future. Her art can be found at: 1 In “View from the Panopticon,” from back when I had time to www.deviantart.com/fionabasta write long reviews of each story. The last entry in this series was “ ” from 2013. www.facebook.com/fionabasta/ ello.co/nukritus

The Terrible Zodin 16 matchmaker, much as Prospero does with Fer- dinand and Miranda. Every now and again, it’s The Tempest and not so much influence as theft. David Ten- nant’s first episode “ ” the Time Lord featured a race of aliens known as the Sycorax. A year later in “ ,” the by Steven Sautter Doctor gives Shakespeare the word to eventual- ly use as the name of Caliban’s mother in This is a version of the paper Steven gave at the . This paper will discuss a few of the Shakespeare and Science Fiction conference at An- major examples in the 55-year history of glia Ruskin University, held on 28 April 2018. We and then explore some of the deeper thank him for letting us reproduce it here. –ED. character themes between the series and

There is a school of thought in fandom that the series is at its best when it RETELLINGS AND REIMAGININGS takes from other sources. Tom Baker himself The first stop on our tempestuous tour is has admitted this, saying, “It's not called plagia- 1975’s “ ,” starring Tom Baker. rism these days, it’s called homage.”1 Through Although at its heart it is more of a Jekyll and the years, they’ve plundered countless authors, Hyde tale, it was very heavily influenced by usually with a wink and a tip of the hat. But (1956), plucking the red Id has always been particularly fond creature directly from the film. Perhaps in a of Shakespeare, both as character and as inspi- nod to ’s inspiration, this ration. And while one can point to any number episode is the first in which the Doctor claims of Shakespearean influences, to have met Shakespeare, describing him as a keeps coming back to . It is “charming fellow, dreadful actor.” arguably one of Shakespeare’s most popular The Seventh Doctor has had two sepa- plays and one of his most magical. In her book rate audio adventures that reinterpret , Chantal Zabus . The first, released in 1998, was posits that reimaginings of “are , an adaptation which also includes to the contemporary reader, more of a living elements from (Aldous Hux- presence than [the original], which has been ley, 1932). Here, Prospero becomes Projoy, maintained alive artificially through the ‘per- geneticist and the leader of the planet Millan- formance’ of the text.”2 This proves perfect no. He and his son Milo are left for dead on fodder for a sci-fi show that has always focused Prosperity Island by his wife, Antoinette, who more on the fiction rather than the science. becomes the new ruler of the planet. Milo is Sometimes these influences can be psychokinetic, the result of Projoy’s in-utero small. For instance, the most famous phrase experiments. He uses Milo’s abilities as Prospe- from the play “brave new world” has been used ro uses his magic. After sixteen years, Projoy, in the dialogue of no less than four episodes of in his desire for revenge, has Milo crash a spaceship carrying Antoinette onto the shores , one of ,3 and has of the island. Unbeknownst to everyone, the provided the title of a audio adventure. Sometimes they’re more overt. In 1 http://www.warpedfactor.com/2015/01/doctor-who-dynamic-duo-of- the episode “ ,” an English teach- phillip.html 2 Zabus, pg 6. er wants to talk to Clara about as 3 “ ” “ / ”, “ the Doctor smiles on approvingly, playing ”, “ ”, “ ”

17 Art by Steven Sautter ship also at first contains sight. Be it two stowa- by nature or ways in the nurture, Mi- form of the randa is her Doctor and father’s Ace. Ace’s daughter character and finds a narratively way to a becomes a peaceful so- cross be- lution, re- tween Trin- turning to culo and Ferdinand, depending on what the the future to forge a new, more democratic plot demands. The Doctor, delightfully, re- government. What does so beau- mains the Doctor, and follows his own agenda, tifully is use the framework of to trying to discover Projoy’s secret past. Frustrat- heighten the action of its own story without ingly, the Doctor and Ace are mostly observers ever feeling beholden to the original. It is not to the story, playing no role in the denouement a retelling, it is a repurposing. at all. And so, to call 2016’s an adaption of is perhaps gener- ous; the plot, such as it is, is a Scooby Doo- THE DARK BACKWARD AND esque romp involving a crashed human colony ship on the planet Prosper, with other names ABYSM OF TIME like Caliban, Alonso, and Miranda getting di- While these references and reimaginings are rectly lifted for other characters. Oddly, none all very well and good, I would argue that of the characters acknowledge this. One would was intrinsically linked to expect the Doctor at least to say something. from the very start. “Have you ever Which leads us to 2001’s , a thought what it's like to be wanderers in the novel featuring the Eighth Doctor trapped on fourth dimension? Have you? To be exiles? Earth during the 1980s. The book, like the play, Susan and I are cut off from our own planet, starts with a storm, albeit a snowstorm rather without friends or protection. But one day we than a thunderstorm. By page 80, the Doctor shall get back.” These words, spoken by the has acquired an adoptive daughter named, wait Doctor in “ ,” the very first for it, Miranda. This Miranda, like her name- episode of , set the backstory for sake, doesn’t remember her true origins, being the formative years of the program. The exact too young to have known anything but her circumstances behind his exile are never re- current situation. As it turns out, Miranda is vealed, with the Doctor claiming on different also a Time Lord, from a distant future in occasions that he “was bored,”4 or “scared,”5 or which a Time Lord, heavily implied to be a trying to prevent certain Gallifreyan artifacts future incarnation of the Doctor, rules the from being abused.6 His only companion in his universe with an iron first. As a baby, Miranda travels was his granddaughter, Susan. His pri- was smuggled back in time to avoid a Romanov mary concern in those days was Susan’s wellbe- family-style massacre. Ferrain, the new ruler of ing, even acquiescing to her request to stay in the cosmos, pursues her to end the Imperial 4 “ ” bloodline, but instead falls in love with Miranda 5 “ ” 6 “ ”

18 Art by HyenaCub

1960s London for a time, de- Where did all of spite his better judgement, this come from? We have because she wanted some a surprising amount of sense of normalcy. Likewise, paperwork from the crea- Prospero tells Miranda he has tion of , giv- “done nothing but in care of en it was one of any thee, dear one.” He is not only number of programs father, but teacher, and is per- worked on by the BBC in haps even more proud of that the early sixties. And yet accomplishment: “here have I, there are still some ques- thy schoolmaster, made thee tions that we can’t quite more profit than other princes answer as to who created can, that have more time for what. Sydney Newman, vainer hours and tutors not so who was Head of Drama careful.”7 The idea of the Doctor as teacher at the time, is regarded, quite rightly, as the recurs throughout the series, seen most explic- creator of , but it was a collabora- itly with the Fourth Doctor and Leela, the tive effort. Newman describes himself in his Seventh Doctor and Ace, and the Twelfth autobiography as being “pretty ignorant of Doctor and Bill. Shakespeare,”8 so we know it can’t have come Susan’s departure ranks as one of the from him. C.E. Webber wrote several treat- most heartfelt of the classic era. Over the ments and outlines that were instrumental in course of “ ,” she the development of the show, but in his ver- has become close to David Campbell, a mem- sions, the Doctor and his companion Biddy ber of the resistance against the Daleks. This (later renamed Susan) were completely unrelat- does not go unnoticed by the Doctor, who ed to each other. Mention must be made of decides at the end of the story to leave without Rex Tucker, who was hired to be the program’s her, so she could be with David. “I want you to first director and acted as a de facto producer belong somewhere, to have roots of your own. through the early months of development. With David, you'll be able to find those roots More than a decade earlier, he wrote and and live normally like any woman should do. directed a live television adaptation of Believe me, my dear, your future lies with for the BBC, which was popular David, and not with a silly old buffer like me. enough to be remounted a few days later. Sadly, One day, I shall come back. Yes, I shall come this seems to be only a coincidence, as Tucker back. Until then, there must be no regrets, no left before the Doctor and Su- tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your san’s relationship was finalized. It appears that beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken it was Anthony Coburn, writer of “ in mine.” The Doctor’s speech echoes his ,” who suggested Susan should be the words from “ .” While Doctor’s granddaughter. Ostensibly, this was touching, it does make Susan a more passive done because he feared any notion of impropri- character. Like Miranda and Ferdinand’s court- ety between a young girl and an older gentle- ship, one is left to wonder how much of a man. But it is ’s first script editor, choice the participants had in the matter, or David Whitaker, who took this notion and ran whether it was all down to the machinations of with it. the parental figure. 7 Shakespeare, Act 1, scene ii 8 Newman,

19 It was Whitaker who revised the scripts of a fallen adversary. Had Ian not been there, for “ ” and Susan’s depar- the Doctor would have committed cold-blooded ture in “ .” Whitak- murder just to get back to the TARDIS. This er also wrote “ ,” which introduced was the Doctor’s first close encounter with another Miranda-like companion in the form of human morality. While he still had some way Vicki. Whitaker’s background in the theatre to go before becoming the character we think undoubtedly would have made him familiar of, this confrontation was one of the initial with Shakespeare. Indeed, his script for “ steps in the Doctor’s heroic journey. As Georg ” is at its cod-Shakespear- Gottfried Gervinus observed, “Free will is es- ean best, even attracting acclaimed Shakespear- teemed by [Shakespeare] as the most distin- ean actor Julian Glover to the cast. Of course, guishing gift of our race; mind and conscience this is not to underestimate the contribution of of our inward being, who are to restrain the the Doctor himself: William Hartnell knew the storms of passion.”11 What does it say about play and was smart enough to pick up on Prospero, who is human, that he needs some- Whitaker’s subtext. One of Hartnell’s earliest thing other to remind him of that? The inverse jobs was for Sir Francis Benson’s acting compa- is obvious. While the Doctor physically appears ny, where he worked on in 1926. human, his morality is not always the same as Unfortunately, precisely in what capacity he ours. Operating on a bigger scale, he is forced worked on the play has been lost to history. He to make decisions that we cannot initially com- described himself as a “spear carrier” in other prehend. Sometimes, while they might be shows in the company,9 so he might have been “right” in the bigger picture, they fail in the a sailor in the opening scene, or possibly one personal realm. The Doctor needs the voice of of Prospero’s sprites during the masque. his companion to ensure that he is still a good man. This has been one of the primary charac- ter struggles for him in the revived series. ECHOES AND ACTIONS Unique in Shakespeare’s magical canon, In Prospero demands retribu- Prospero has no innate magical ability. He is no tion for the crimes against him by his brother god, nor does he seem to worship one like the and the King of Naples. This is in sharp con- Scottish play’s wayward sisters. His magic trast with the Doctor, who tends to side with comes through wisdom and learning, concen- the underdog and does little for personal gain. trated through his staff and “magic garment.” Yet Prospero is only moved from his course When he gives up his magic to return to Milan, after Ariel says he would pity Prospero’s ene- he is the same as any mortal man. The Doctor has his own staff in the form of a sonic screw- mies if he were human.10 Likewise, the Doctor driver, which has over the years gone from a in his rare vengeful moods is stayed by his screwdriver to being able to light candles, track companion’s hand. For instance, in “ lifeforms, and reattach barbed wire! If he ,” the Doctor is prepared to utterly doesn’t have a magic garment as such, it has destroy both the Daleks and the Time Lords become a long running joke that the Doctor’s before Clara reminds him of his self-promise to pockets are as dimensionally transcendental as never be cruel or cowardly. The Doctor, with the TARDIS, capable of holding far more than the help of all his previous incarnations, finds they have any right to. And though the Doctor a way to remove Gallifrey from the universe does have some intrinsic physiological abilities and have the Daleks wipe themselves out. This 9 Carney, can also be seen in “ ” when 10 Shakespeare, , Act V, scene i. Ian stops the Doctor from staving-in the head 11 Gervinus, , p.625

20 that seem magical to us, back on Gallifrey he is ” all the way to the underlying story arc the same as everyone else. of this latest series. Once they had been friends, Antonio’s ambition and envy drove him and it has been hinted on occasion that they to overthrow his brother, Prospero. Even might be brothers, although this has never though he all but ruled the dukedom already, it been confirmed.17 The Doctor’s compassion was not enough. Even while stranded on the has been used to his own detriment in the past, island, he cannot help but stir up more trouble, but never his downfall. encouraging Sebastian to murder his brother “What kind of pleasure can a woman and become King of Naples. Though Prospero and a feminist take in this text?” asked Ann forgives Antonio his “rankest fault,” this seems Thompson of .18 From a modern to be merely perfunctory. In fact, Prospero and perspective, it can be amazingly frustrating that Antonio exchange no dialogue at all in the the one female character in the play is very course of the play. Whether this is by accident passive, existing as little more than a bargain- or design is left to conjecture. Created by ing chip for the male characters to fight over. Terrance Dicks and Barry Letts to be the It certainly doesn’t help that for over two 12 “Moriarty to the Doctor’s Sherlock Holmes,” hundred years, the one speech in which Miran- the Master has inherited many of Antonio’s da showed some backbone, “Abhorred slave character traits as well. If as Harold Bloom puts which any print of goodness wilt not take . . .”,19 13 it, “Prospero is the Anti-Faust,” the Master is was reassigned to Prospero both in perform- Faust. He even tried to make a deal with a ance and print, for fear that a woman confront- ing her attempted rapist wasn’t “ladylike.”20 Some critics have gone so far as to hold up Sycorax and Ferdinand’s sister Claribel, both of whom are named but never seen, as examples of female power in the play. By the same token, has run into trouble over its portrayal of the female companion over the years. Long-term writer Terrance Dicks has been quoted on many occa- sions as saying “the role of the 14 Art by Steven Sautter Daemon! The [companion] is to be strapped to the circular Master’s ambi- saw and scream until the Doctor comes to tion is nothing less than universal domination. rescue her.”21 This has been echoed by Carole He creates chaos, so he can step into the void 12 “ ” and seize power. He is not above pretending to 13 Bloom, 15 14 “ ” work with other races such as the Daleks and 15 “ ” 16 16 “ ” Cybermen , convincing them that he is work- 17 “ ” 18 Thompson, “’Miranda, Where’s Your Sister?’” ing in their best interests, until he can make his 19 Shakespeare, , Act 1, scene ii own move. Despite all his atrocities, the Doc- 20 https://books.google.com/books?id=FN6shAt50b8C&lpg=PA135&ots=3a8X tor, time and again, works to save the Master, zNyQ_H&dq=miranda%20abhorred%20slave&pg=PA135#v=onepage&q=mir anda%20abhorred%20slave&f=false from his first appearance in “ 21 “ ”

21 Ann Ford, who played Susan, regarding her is in turns clownish and authoritarian, doing decision to leave the series. In one interview impossible things to make sense of a cold, cruel she said, “I was just doing the same thing every universe. While Prospero is stuck on his island, week—we arrived somewhere, I got into trouble the Doctor carries his with him as the TARDIS. and then I got saved! Originally, I was supposed Both are strange places, operating outside of to be supremely intelligent and have telepathic society, and indeed physics. They are both capabilities.”22 Many subsequent companions characters defined by their exile; Prospero rails have managed to break away from this passive against it, and the Doctor revels in it. Prospero Miranda-like mold; the series has been full of will go to any lengths to return. He abandons strong, intelligent women such as Dr. Liz Shaw, his plans, his magic, everything, in his pursuit Romana, and Donna Noble, all of whom are at to get back to Milan. Perhaps this is why he least the Doctor’s equal in their own ways. forswears his revenge; knowing it would be More recent series have put a focus on the lives difficult to suddenly reappear and reclaim the of the companions outside of their travels with dukedom, he instead concedes to have the legal the Doctor. They choose to travel with the authority of the King pave his return to Milan. Doctor because they want to, not because they They both return home to power, having mar- must. Companion to the Fourth and Fifth ried off their charges. But whereas Prospero Doctors, Nyssa of Traken can be viewed as returns in triumph, every trip the Doctor melding of these two extremes. While she was makes to Gallifrey, save one, ends in a personal effectively an orphaned princess who traveled tragedy. It is the opposing duality in these with the Doctor after her planet was destroyed characters that make them appealing. Prospero, by the Master, she was also a scientist in her the doting father and angry disciplinarian; the own right, with an understanding of certain Doctor, savior and foreboding god. As a per- fields beyond the Doctor’s own. former, it gives one much to play with. As such, wildly different portrayals of the characters are not only possible but welcomed for the survival CONCLUSION of the work. It’s why we watch different produc- tions of , why we watch what each In his famous lecture series on Shakespeare, new Doctor does with the part. Each new age WH Auden noted that “like other mythopoetic will have its Prospero and its Doctor. works, inspired people to go on for themselves.”23 Just as Shakespeare has be- Z come ingrained in the collective consciousness of the world, we are beginning to see the same with . Many time travel stories done in the last ten years have contained some manner of reference to , their own tip of the hat to that which inspired them. In reducing into allegory, James Russell Lowell defined Prospero as Imagina- tion and Reason.24 If ever there was a descrip- tion of the Doctor, surely that is it. A man who

22 http://cultbox.co.uk/interviews/exclusives/carole-ann-ford-doctor-who- interview 23 Auden and Kirsch, 24 Lowell,

Art by HyenaCub 22 were ultimately too weak. It certainly made their friends think twice of ever going near the Hospital Ghosts place again. The local constabulary set about looking into such “unusual circumstances.” Their Fiction by Nathan investigations, however, saw their own person- Mullins nel falling victims to the terrors that faced them, and they were forced to admit that they Part 1 had failed the town and its citizens. UNIT were

The Robley Infirmary had been disused for almost a decade. It had once been the town of Broadstairs’ most efficient and reliable medical center and had looked after many of its patients extremely well. The council, however, had high hopes of re-developing the site, changing a much-loved part of the town into high-rise accommodation. Townsfolk went to war with the council, which blatantly ignored them, and as the workmen began pulling the place apart, the voices of the people grew louder until the demolition work was halted. By then, it was too late. The hospital had been wrecked, just as the council had schemed, and the site restricted. Some of the building remained intact, while other parts were deemed unsafe. Windows were smashed in, sunlight flooding corridors from various angles of broken glass as the sun came up over the white chalk cliffs. Seagulls moved in and made nests in the caved-in roof- tops, and in some aspects, the building still had drafted in, more or less due to public outcry, that lived-in sensation, as if it were still occu- seeing as Broadstairs’ police force had let it pied—by someone or something. down. However, it soon became apparent that In the early days, not long after construc- what UNIT was up against was something they tion workers downed tools, a border went up weren’t likely to put a stop to on their own. around the whole site, stopping vandals from They had hoped to call upon their scientific breaking in. It didn’t stop them, mind, and they advisor, but unfortunately he was away from still managed to climb over and wreak havoc, the office and wasn’t picking up the telephone. trashing rooms that hadn’t been disturbed It was left to Major John Benton to take charge since staff and patients first abandoned the of the operation, and he saw to it that the site hospital to its fate. Few of the fools who broke was closed down permanently, declaring the in were ever seen again, leading to speculation place a no-go area, and that was the end of that. as to what became of them. Those who had The townsfolk were naturally up in escaped told of frightening things, apparitions arms, angered by the lack of visible action by that came out of the darkness and took their UNIT and the local constabulary. The disap- friends. They would scream as they were car- pearances went unsolved, the families of the ried off, doing all they could to break away, victims were let down, and a distrust for the scrabbling at any chance of escape, but they Art by ArwendeLuhtiene 23 security services, who originally were drafted in they had recently discovered. Unsure of what to protect them, quickly developed among the action to take, they tried, for the hundredth people. But the public was convinced there was time, to call on their advisor in all things, something else going on, while trouble loomed known as the Doctor. And they were lucky, this large over Broadstairs. UNIT, despite shutting time, to make contact. the Robley Infirmary down, still took a vested Yaz was flying the TARDIS. It was spin- interest in it—returning to it now and then. ning and twisting and whizzing through space, Local residents would hear the sound of a without a care in the universe for time-space chopper in the skies at night. Looking out from safety. She was disregarding Ryan’s pleas for their bedroom windows, they’d see a search calm as he clung to the central column while light beam down onto the area below, as the hanging upside down, getting to grips with this crew surveyed their surroundings. This unusu- crazy trip of a lifetime. al activity was usually followed by a convoy of A phone was ringing, somewhere, and military vehicles, all headed in the direction of the Doctor came up from a hatch beneath the the hospital. The sound these large trucks railings and took the call. She leant on the made as they rolled past each house was console, struggling to keep her balance, but enough to wake the heaviest sleeper. The resi- sounded ever so calm over the telephone. dent who lived closest to the hospital would “Name, please,” she insisted. “Sorry . . . watch with interest, as soldiers hopped down but this could be anyone. Name first—best way from these cumbersome modes of transport to keep track of contacts who seem to have my and pushed back the gates to the Infirmary. number but who I can’t recall giving it to.” Others who witnessed all this would “Major John Benton, ma’am,” said the rush down to speak with the local press, who voice on the other end. “Is this . . . am I refused to publish anything which referred to speaking to . . . the Doctor?” the Robley Infirmary in their papers, part of an The woman on the other end of the line, embargo which had been agreed on between with the phone held snug to her ear, pushed themselves and UNIT. Of course, it couldn’t be back her curly gold hair and remembered the proved that UNIT had returned to the site, as name John Benton, only it was by his rank of often as every three weeks, as the press were Sergeant with which she would refer to him in not allowed to report on it, and any pictures the old days. that surfaced online were instantly removed. “Mr Benton,” she said, happily. “Well, Any such pictures were too blurry as a conse- may I say you’ve only gone and made my day, quence of being taken at night, and thus it was you really have!” difficult to identify what in fact had been taken “Well, that’s most kind of you to say so,” and where. he replied. He was making the telephone call Whenever UNIT did pay the town a from his desk, with an officer by his side, an visit, they always seemed to arrive and depart officer on the door, and soldiers running in the dead of night. But it was what they were around the grounds of the Robley Infirmary, all up to that concerned residents, fueling rumors trying to make themselves useful. of a cover up, and that the military did really “Yes,” said the woman, after a moment. know what was going on. So the conspiracy “I am the Doctor. What can I do for you?” theories stuck around, and the rumors persist- The TARDIS came to rest on a beach, ed. In the meantime, UNIT had set up a com- quite a way from the hospital at the centre of mand HQ at the very center of their operations UNIT’s dwellings. at the Infirmary, behind the high borders that Two women stepped out first, both best stopped the public from seeing what they were friends and full of wide-eyed wonder and doing and to identify and contain something amazement. Yaz was feeling pleased with her-

24 self that she’d finally got them somewhere, and “He knows that,” said Yaz. “What do you the Doctor was thrilled to be meeting with an think we’re doing here?” old acquaintance. “I thought, I dunno . . .” he shrugged. “I thought we were gonna visit some “What with you flying the TARDIS all over the hospital?” asked Ryan, taking in his surround- place, it was a mistake, an error. The Doctor ings. “This looks more like the seaside to me!” mentioned a hospital and then we ended up “And it so here! C’mon, I happens to be was listening, I where the hospi- swear, but I tal is,” replied the didn’t know it Doctor, “except was as serious as if what we’re up this!” against is as Mr “It’s about Benton put it, ‘a as serious as it supernatural gets around me,” phenomenon confessed the that snatches Doctor. “UNIT people, which and I go way some refer to as back. I used to ghosts,’ then help them out! landing the TAR- Bit of a go-to gal, DIS in close always on hand, a proximity of real fixer-upper! these things So, what’s this would be a mis- problem and take I don’t think I really how can we help?” want to risk making. Besides, Art by ArwendeLuhtiene It was coming up to mid- here’s Mr Benton now,” she day as the Doctor, Yaz, and added, spotting a couple of UNIT land rovers Ryan—accompanied by Major John Benton and cutting across the seafront. She waved to them his team of officers—entered the gates of the and strode ahead, her long beige coat trailing Robley Infirmary. The townsfolk thought it odd behind her in the wind. Benton got out of the to witness a convoy in daylight hours and driver's seat and saluted the Doctor. reckoned that whatever this signified meant “Mr Benton, it’s such a wonderful treat trouble wasn’t very far behind. to meet with you again, after all these years.” The TARDIS team were driven to the She shook his hand affectionately. dilapidated Infirmary—a shadow of its former “I’m as happy to see you as you are me,” self. They pulled up behind the high borders he replied, cheerfully. “UNIT has missed its that sealed the entire construction site off. The scientific advisor, and I have missed my good Doctor hopped down from the back of the land friend, the Doctor.” rover and stopped dead. She licked her index “Where are we?” asked Yaz, not able to finger and held it up in the air. place the time or the setting. “You okay?” asked Ryan, seemingly con- “By the Kent coast,” said Benton, taking cerned by her weird habits. in that fresh sea air. “We’ve got a problem.” “Yes,” she said. “I’m fine, thanks. I just “What?” asked Ryan. “You can tell us, I feel cold, is all.” She pulled her coat tighter promise. We can help.” around her.

25 “Cold in a coat as snug as yours?” won- the area. Where once the place had teemed dered Yaz. “Are you sure you’re not coming with life, it looked more run-down and like a down with something?” ghost town than it had ever looked in its long “Quite sure,” replied the Doctor. “Can’t history. “Over the years,” Benton continued, you feel it? It’s certainly got colder . . . it can’t running off what he knew of the site, “reports be just me?” came in of strange activity in and around the “No, you’re right,” said Benton, doing up area. People saw ghosts walking around the the buttons to his coat. “It’s got distinctly chilly. hospital, way before the borders went up. We I wonder why?” suspect that the rise in paranormal activity here “And I don’t know what it is,” said Yaz, is a direct result of those whose lives were speaking up, “but this whole place feels weird. taken, joining the spirit world.” While once he It’s got that slightly ominous feeling, you know? was skeptical of such things, Major Benton had Like the whole place, despite looking terribly come to regard his time at UNIT as a most run-down, is keeping something from us.” eye-opening experience. “We worked out that “What sort of something?” murmured if we steered clear of these ‘beings,’ they would Ryan. “You do know how to worry us!” steer clear of us, and the distance between us “Secrets. Terrible secrets.” and them led to the discovery of something “Hence the involvement of UNIT,” said else.” Benton, breaking his silence. He trailed off as he led the Doctor and “How many went missing here?” asked her friends across the construction site to the Doctor. where the diggers had stopped digging, many “Between the first and the last,” said years ago. There was a heap of debris made up Benton, counting on his fingers, going through of bricks, glass and concrete, cables, metal and the data in his head like that of a computer, rubble, upon which an excavating vehicle was “around 25 missing persons altogether.” perched on top. But next to it, there was a part “Why so many? I thought . . . I thought of a structure that neither Benton, nor the this place was sealed off, preventing people Doctor, could work out from where it had from winding up in the same predicament as come. It seemed to be made of the same stone the first victims?” work as the parts of the building left standing, “It was,” replied Benton, “but it didn’t but when one examined the building plan, stop people angry with the way the investiga- there was no mention of it, anywhere. It looked tions were handled from taking stupid risks, like an arch that had been kept aside for further breaking in, and finding proof of what hap- use, but it seemed to glow with energy of some pened to their loved ones, only they didn’t otherworldly origin. return home either!” He paused and scanned “What the hell is it?” asked Ryan. He walked toward it, but the Doctor held him back. AArwendeLuhtiene is an Astrophysics PhD “Alien,” observed the Doctor. “A door- student and a 24/7 geek. is her way, perhaps. No . . . a window,” she concluded. main fandom, alongside Tolkien, Sherlock, “But a window where? And when?” and many others. She be- “A window in time, maybe?” voiced Yaz, gan cosplaying as an established hobby also compelled to walk toward it, as if it were since 2013. Other interests include inter- calling to her. sectional feminism, playing music and “Yes, probably,” the Doctor nodded, also singing, drawing and painting, archery pulling at Yaz, doing her utmost to restrain her. and fencing, learning languages, baking, “Keep them back,” she said, looking over her and long haircare. https://www.instagram.com/arwendeluhti shoulder at Benton, before rushing forward to enecosplay/ get a closer look. She got to grips with the rock

26 and metal as she climbed the mound to further was lucky, she thought, that she had her friends inspect it, cutting her hands on the broken glass. to bounce ideas off. She knew she was going to “Anything?” yelled Yaz, held back by need their help, more than anyone else’s. Benton and his associates. “Then we decide on a proper course of “Something,” muttered the Doctor. action,” she went on. “Something’s got to be It was as she said it that a ghost, as done! Our objective is to restore normality to strong and as powerful as any human or Time this noisy seaside town and find out where this Lord, appeared in front of her, pushing her portal leads and what its significance is. It with such force that she flew back and tumbled could mean all the difference!” down to where her friends stood, in complete “To what?” asked Ryan, as he and Yaz awe. gathered round her with Benton close at hand. “What was that?” shrieked Yaz. “I’ve “To bringing about an end to all this!” never seen anything like that!” She turned around to face her friends but “Nor me,” said the Doctor, as Ryan chiefly Major Benton. “Mr Benton,” she ut- helped her to her feet. “Although years back, I tered, a twinkle in her eye, “it’s time we got encountered these creatures called the Gelth, down to business!” but I don’t think these can be . . . no . . . surely not!” To be continued... The ghost vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared. “It looked human,” noted Benton. “Per- Z haps it was one of the victims?” “I don’t know,” the Doctor mused. “But I’ll want to get to the bottom of what’s going on here—starting this instant! So team, here’s what I propose . . .” And she brushed herself down and rattled off a list of things off the top of her head. “We endeavor to communicate Thirteen Things with the ghosts, find out how we can help; there’s clearly something they want, otherwise I’m Looking what are they doing hanging around?” “Perhaps they were waiting for you,” voiced Benton, “just as we in UNIT were. Only forward to you can see what others can’t. Perhaps you can save them?” about Thirteen The Doctor smiled, then laughed to herself, but maybe Major Benton was right. She By Craig Hanson Nathan Mullins is 25 years old and from London. He’s had a short story published 1. It’s always great to have a fresh start, and in a Doctor Who Charity Anthology, this time it’s a total gamechanger. We and in a fanzine, . haven’t seen change like this since the He’s most recently been acknowledged in first regeneration or the leap from black- Whoblique Strategies, raising money for and-white to color. Children in Need. He hopes that, along with his co-writer - Cameron Holt - they bring 2. Thank goodness the era of the Doctor in you new and imaginative adventures in a fixed costume is long gone. The JNT time and Space! years were particularity prone to this,

27 and it was slightly boring. Jodie will most takes some getting used to, but I think it probably get to be the most adventurous has bedded in now. It can seem a little of all Doctors in terms of what to dress insipid if not used with a suitable back- up in. ground. 3. She’s keeping her natural accent. This is 7. Chris Chibnall. He’s yet another show- great news and will add a lot more depth runner who has always been a fan, so to her character. She grew up in Skel- that’s encouraging. Of all his work I manthorpe which is only 3 miles from think my favorite has been . where I grew up. I think she sound right Series One, in particular, was awesome gradely. She’s the first Doctor with a and highly recommended. West Yorkshire accent. Fears from far 8. There is a slight fear of having a Crowd- afield can be forgiven for only being able ed TARDIS. I don't think this will be the to identify it as Yorkshire, but please case. Mandip Gill as Yasmin Khan and don’t just call her Northern. That's like Tosin Cole as Ryan Sinclair: I think me lumping together Cornish and Cock- there will be plenty for them to get their ney as Southern. Rude. teeth stuck into. The four combine to make a 4. Bradley Walsh as Graham O’Brien. I totally new dynamic for a TARDIS team. think he's going to be a hit. He’s much 9. The New Sonic. Well, it’s totally differ- more than a comical game show host ent from any sonic yet seen. Much more and certainly has the chops to do drama. organic-looking. Wonder if that’s an A lot of people predicted Catherine Tate indication of what the TARDIS interior and Matt Lucas would fail, and they both will be like? knocked it out of the park. 10. Extensive 10-day shoot in South Africa. 5. There’s so much potential for the new Nice. TARDIS interior, but the one thing I really want is some white walls with 11. Only ten episodes for series 11 and one roundels. It’s nearly 30 years since we of those might be a Christmas Special. had them (not counting a few callbacks). So we could be down by up to four I’ve got a hunch that with all this change, episodes a year (not counting the split the traditional TARDIS interior might series, the episodes first dropped from make a comeback to act as an anchor for 13 to 12 in series 8. But on a positive all us old codgers. note, they are going to be five minutes longer at 50 minutes. 6. The New Logo. Chris Chibnall has de- creed that the logo is to be used on all 12. It’s great that the Doctor is now played products across the board. He is trying by a woman. There has been much to eliminate the destination between wailing and gnashing of teeth about it Classic and New Who. There’s been with some super-fans throwing their toys rumblings of dissent amongst Big Finish out of the pram. But the fact is, the fans who now have spines that don't Doctor is an alien and can change into match, but the kerfuffle has died down any form and very probably will in the as fans realize the more CDs they have, hundreds of years to come. the better their shelves look. The logo will be around as long as Sherlock Hol-

28 mes or Robin Hood. So this is a line in the sand for future generations. The Three Of An time when we stopped being close-mind- ed. They’ll look back and be surprised Imperfect Pair that there was ever a time when there weren’t female Doctors. Of course, in other media there have been female or How I Learned Doctors for many years, but they don’t always get counted as they’re not consid- To Stop Worrying ered canon!!! But that’s another story. 13. The baton being handed over in And Love Peter . In its own way as fasci- nating as on TV. We still have the Davison's Doctor Twelfth Doctor & Bill at the moment in an epic story called by Don Klees by Scott Gray (story) and John Ross (art). There are multiple callbacks, and I think only one issue to go, maybe two, When I started watching nearly before The End? 40 years ago, Tom Baker was the Doctor. Said in this context, it doesn’t mean that he was the current star of the program or even the fourth actor to play its starring role: He was the Doctor, no equivocation wanted or needed. Z Baker’s persona was so dominant—and the stories in which he appeared so unlike any TV show I’d seen before—that I couldn’t imagine that anyone had played the role before him, let alone that anyone would (or even could) after him. Art by Steven Sautter Because episodes outside of Tom Bak- er’s first few seasons weren’t widely shown in America at the time, it would be a few years until I finally saw his successor. After a steady diet of the early Tom Baker stories, it was probably inevitable that I’d find the much lower-key Peter Davison a bit underwhelming. By the time I’d watched more than a few of his episodes, I’d already seen Colin Baker in the role and decided that for all his flaws, a more extroverted Doctor was more to my liking. The initial impression soon solidified into a firm judgment—Davison had appeared in some great stories but was not himself a great Doctor. What surprised me most was not that I rethought my view so much as the stories that

The Terrible Zodin 29 inspired the reassessment. It was ultimately Meanwhile, “ ” effectively some of the least respected stories from his acknowledges its narrative shortcomings on tenure that helped me appreciate Davison the screen with the Doctor's remark about the most. In a story like “ ,” Master's plan being “small-time villainy.” To where nearly every onscreen element is well- some extent, all of these stories suffer from executed, even a strong performance like Davi- second episodes where the resolutions of the son’s doesn't necessarily stand out among the plot are decidedly less satisfying than the dilem- cast. In contrast, the more lightweight stories mas developed in the first installment. sometimes allow a viewer to appreciate what he Nevertheless, there’s a lot to enjoy in the brings to the role. This is particularly true of performances. Guest stars like Isla Blair, the three two-part stories produced during his Michael Cochrane and Dennis Lill are all in tenure. good form, and it’s nice to see the often under- None of this trio—“ ,” “ used Sarah Sutton play the dual roles of Nyssa ” and “ ”—are and her doppelgänger Ann Talbot in “ particularly well-regarded. “ ” is .” Even Anthony Ainley as the Master perhaps the best remembered if only for the benefits from a plot that doesn’t involve univer- widely seen outtake of an on location mishap, sal Armageddon in “ .” At while “ ” became the answer to a the heart of all these stories, though, is Peter trivia question about historically set stories. Davison. Divorced from the insistent melodra- “ ” seems to stand out the ma of “ ” or the temporal complexi- most by virtue of being ranked alongside ties of “ ,” it’s easier to “ ” as not just Davison's worst but appreciate the quiet conviction Davison brings also one of the worst stories of all to his performance as the Doctor. In contrast time. Though hardly television classics, all to his immediate predecessor and successor, he three are fun ways to spend an hour and have holds the viewers’ attention without calling actually aged better than many other stories attention to himself. If his Doctor seems less from Davison's run. assertive than either of the Bakers, it simply The fact that all of them either have a reflects a more patient approach to both under- historical setting or involve the recreation of standing the situation around him and steering one ensures there are relatively few of the events toward a desirable outcome. fashion victims that sometimes stand out for all Sometimes that outcome involves an the wrong reasons in futuristic/extraterrestrial unavoidable loss of life (or a village landmark episodes. Plus, even though the golden-age of in the case of “ ”). At the same BBC costume drama was a few years in the past time, Davison’s incarnation understands that, by this point, the Corporation still had the while a quiet word in the king’s ear might lack ability to create convincing period settings that the excitement of a bold gesture, it can be a far looked far more credible than might be expect- more effective way to save an innocent life. ed on the tight budget of a two-part When he recognizes something amiss with story in the early ‘80s. The combination King John, he’s content to go along with the allows the audience to appreciate the writing charade until he can think his way out. Wheth- and performances on their own terms. er the situation at hand is outlandish or dire, The scripts are where these stories are Davison maintains a balance between earnest weakest. “ ” and “ ” and dignified that’s unique to his portrayal. The both had potential, but the former is too de- approach characterizes many of his post- pendent on coincidence to move events for- roles such as Dangerous Davies in ward and the latter probably needed another and says a lot about why the episode to allow its plot to unfold properly.

The Terrible Zodin 30 Art by Deborah Taylor actor has remained a pop- ular presence on UK tele- vision to this day. Doctor It’s tempting to compare Davison to his Who Is ... later successor David Tennant, who’s also had By Jamie great success after step- ping down as the Doctor. Beckwith However, despite their off-screen linkage and is being six their on-screen pairing in years old, gawping in , Tennant’s amazement at the adven- intrepid take on the char- tures unfolding on your acter is more aligned with TV screen on an autumn Tom Baker’s approach night than that of his father-in- law. The 2008 story “ is Sylvester ” provides an apt point McCoy of comparison. Where his Doctor can’t resist making a show of his efforts to fit in with the is running around the playground literal world of Agatha Christie, when faced chanting “Exterminate” in harsh, clipped with a similar environment in “ ,” Skarosian Davison’s simply does it. If anything, Davison’s approach calls to is reading every novelization you mind William Hartnell in his historical adven- can get your hands on at your local library tures as the Doctor. He may not know every- thing—requiring him to bluff his way through is having a crush on Ace and then some tricky situations, as in “ ”— Leela and then Zoe but there’s clearly no one more likely to put the pieces together than him. History may be big- is imagining there are monsters ger than any one Time Lord, but as played by in the shadows when you go to sleep . . . and Peter Davison there’s no doubt which one has not being scared because you know the Doctor things under control. will save you

is your mum knitting you a Z question mark jumper

is writing your school book report on the novelization of and thinking it’s the best thing you’ve ever written Don Klees quite literally watches televi- sion for a living. In his spare time, he en- is watching the “old Doctors” on joys craft beer, geeky pursuits with VHS for the first time family and writing for publications such as We Are Cult, Celestial Toyroom and the is wanting the Ice Warriors to Outside In series. come back in every story

The Terrible Zodin 31 because “ is committing the ” was total entire script of crap, and Big “ ” Ron should to- to memory tally have won the vote anyway is being 9 years is old and waiting knowing the all summer for difference be- it to come back, tween a Zygon and there’s and a Kraal but nothing in the to say it will not knowing what that knowledge will help you with in later life is writing a politely-worded letter to the BBC recommending that another series is that show that only you and would be a good idea your dad remember, and the rest of the world hates is wondering why the repeat of “ ” on BBC2 is so different is the false dawn of PAUL MC- from the novelization GANN IS THE DOCTOR!

is the first time you saw “ is crying because Sylvester Mc- ” and it was brilliant Coy isn’t the Doctor anymore

is buying a two-armed Dapol is still getting a subscription to Davros and not realizing that’s weird

is keeping the faith even when all is listening to of your school friends have moved on to on BBC Radio but not really getting why

is reading the New Adventures is thinking it’s never coming back and falling in love with Bernice Summerfield is that show you loved as a kid is going to the opening of the and are nostalgic for when you go to university, Who Shop in East London and meeting Debo- so you take a sneaky copy of “ ” on rah Watling video with you

is dreaming about Sea Devils is buying your collection all over again because DVD has come along and ren- is being terribly excited that it’s dered VHS obsolete come back in 3D! is being cautiously optimistic is experiencing disillusion for the when they finally announce it’s coming back first time Art by Ezekiel Huerta and Chester H. Magruder III The Terrible Zodin 32 Art by Marc D Lewis

is being asked to write for and not yet running out of things to say

is pilgrimages to Cardiff

is finding friends that you can sit down with on a rainy night, gorge yourself on jelly babies with, and with them watch episodes broadcast decades before you were born

is sometimes thinking, far off in the distance, you can hear a wheezing, groaning sound

is learning to stop being upset when other people call it is being outraged that they cast pop star Billie Piper in the new series because it will be a total flop is learning to be comfortable with who you are, the weird and wonderful you is admitting you were wrong about Billie Piper is Jodie Whittaker

is fantastic! is

is wearing a battered old leather jacket Z is when Christmas is already your favorite time of the year, and now it always means new episodes

is discovering that your natural, skinny, glasses-wearing, crazy-haired look is suddenly hot

is meeting other fans online in Eighth Doctor by Ezekiel Huerta, an au- message boards and through review blogs thor and community organizer in Tucson, Arizona who can be found on Facebook, In- is the not knowing that when you stagram, and Tumblr as "LethargicAction- left a nice comment on a review of “ ” Hero". Fifth Doctor by his friend Chester H. you had inadvertently met your future wife Magruder III, a graphic designer who can be found on Deviantart and Youtube as is wearing a bow tie "ChMagIII".

The Terrible Zodin 33 Artists Index

A Andrew, Steve 12 ArwendeLuhtiene 23, 25

F FionaBasta 15

H Huerta, Ezekiel and Chester H. Magruder III 32 Hyenacub 3, 19, 22

L Lewis, Marc D 33 Lun-Art 11

M Marc137 33

S Sautter, Steven 6, 8, 17, 18, 21, 29

T Taylor, Deborah 31 TheChrisofFenric back cover

The Terrible Zodin 34 You were reading The Terrible Zodin v. 21 (front cover by Angel Saquero, back cover by TheChrisofFenric)

A not-for-profit fanzine edited by Leslie McMurtry 2018 ¬ Despite what the Joker says about not doing what you're good at for free, thanks to the talents of ArwendeLuhtiene, Jamie Beckwith, Thomas Bowyer, FionaBasta, Will Forbes, Craig Hanson, Ezekiel Huerta & Chester H. Magruder III, Hyenacub, Don Klees, Mat- thew Kresal, Marc D Lewis, Nick Mellish, Nathan Mullins, Angel Saquero, Steven Saut- ter, TheChrisofFenric, and Aya Vandenbussche, you have hours of fun, gratis. Isn't the world a beautiful place? By the way, did you see us in ?

The Terrible Zodin 35