Category Archives: Virgin New Adventures

The Dying Days by Lance Parkin (1997)

‘Today, after over twenty years, the human race returns to Mars. This would be a cause for celebration regardless of which nation had got there. But it isn’t, I am sure, jingoism to suggest that we are all particularly glad that it is the United Kingdom that got there first.’ – applause – ‘Twenty yearsContinue reading “The Dying Days by Lance Parkin (1997)”

Damaged Goods By Russell T Davies (1996)

‘Bev lay awake, hoping that Father Christmas would come, but the Tall Man came instead. She could hear his voice in the front room, but her mother’s crying drowned his actual words. Mum had been upset all day, ever since she came home. Her mother had different sorts of tears – mostly anger, like whenContinue reading “Damaged Goods By Russell T Davies (1996)”

Lungbarrow by Marc Platt (1997)

‘… and Rassilon, in great anger, banished the Other from Gallifrey that he might never return to the world.Then there was great rejoicing through the Citadel.But the Other, as he fled, stole away the Hand of Omega and departed the world forever.‘ ‘The little figure had slowed and finally stopped a few feet from theContinue reading “Lungbarrow by Marc Platt (1997)”

Human Nature by Paul Cornell (1994)

Long ago, and far away, in the reign of Queen Victoria, there lived a silver-haired old man, who had a very good idea. He had thought of a shelter for policemen, with a telephone, so that anybody who was in trouble could call for help. And that was clever; because nobody knew what a telephoneContinue reading “Human Nature by Paul Cornell (1994)”

The Left-handed Hummingbird by Kate Orman (1993)

‘And deep inside him, something Blue was itching, something Blue was wrapping itself around him like a shroud. It was possible, even probable, that he was not aware of it. But the Blue was there, an unnatural colour, a spreading stain in the soft greyness of his brain. ‘ What do the deaths of JohnContinue reading “The Left-handed Hummingbird by Kate Orman (1993)”

Love and War by Paul Cornell (1992)

‘So, he called it Heaven in Common Tongue, which meant that the translation fitted with whatever your own particular vision of bliss was. The High Command hadn’t liked that much. They hadn’t liked it either when Hall, once the Dragon Wars had ended and the two species were united against the Daleks, walked into theContinue reading “Love and War by Paul Cornell (1992)”

Nightshade by Mark Gatiss (1992)

Ah, nostalgia. So seductive. So dangerous. And so odd to be feeling it for some of my own work. Nightshade, now looking like the brittle-paged Tenth Planet I had as a kid.What surprises me now, re-reading the book after so many years is how SERIOUS it is. Grim, in fact. But you have to rememberContinue reading “Nightshade by Mark Gatiss (1992)”

Adventures too broad and too deep – Doctor Who in the 1990’s

So by 1989, ‘Doctor Who’ had died a slow death, more by a 1000 cuts and neglect from those in power than anything else. Those making the show had done their best to come up with original, distinctive stories in the face of indifference and neglect from those above. It couldn’t keep up though, despiteContinue reading “Adventures too broad and too deep – Doctor Who in the 1990’s”