The Cabinet of Light
Encyclopedia
The Cabinet of Light was the ninth novella published by Telos Publishing Ltd.
as part of their Doctor Who novellas
series. It was written by Daniel O'Mahony
, and was released as a standard edition hardback, and a deluxe edition featuring a frontispiece by John Higgins
(ISBN 1-903889-19-7). Both editions had a foreword by Chaz Brenchley.
The novella featured an unspecified future incarnation of the Doctor
who appears to be travelling without a companion, although it is hinted that Emily Blandish
may have been travelling with him. The story focuses mostly on Honoré Lechasseur
, an ex-GI turned spiv
who is searching for the Doctor. Although the novella is now out of print, the characters of Emily and Honoré continued their adventures in the Telos Time Hunter
series of novellas. The book was not written with a spinoff series in mind, but was created by Telos after their licence to publish Doctor Who came to an end.
as a spiv. He is hired by a woman claiming to be Emily Blandish to track down her husband, the Doctor, and soon becomes embroiled in the machinations of a Nazi named Walken and a mysterious woman named Mestizer. Both are looking for the Doctor and something called "The Cabinet of Light", which is connected to him somehow.
Honoré is mistaken for the Doctor on more than one occasion because, as a time sensitive, his aura bears a passing similarity to the Time Lord's. This leads to him being kidnapped by Mestizer's servant, a hulking cyborg
named Abraxas, and learn about the Doctor's apparent connection to "the girl in the pink pyjamas", a mysterious amnesiac who appeared in the East End of London after what was assumed to be the detonation of an unexploded bomb. In speaking to her, Honoré helps her regain a small part of her lost memory: her name - Emily Blandish.
Honoré confronts his employer, the faux Emily, but doesn't manage to get much information before she is killed by Abraxas. His investigation lead him back to Walken's club, but he is caught in the crossfire as Mestizer attacks. Honoré only manages to escape thanks to the aid of a mysterious stranger who identifies himself only as "The Doctor".
Honoré follows the Doctor to his confrontation with Mestizer, but fails to understand much of what he sees. The Cabinet of Light turns out to be the Doctor's TARDIS
, and it is used to vanquish the enemy and allow the Doctor to escape. Mestizer disappears, leaving Abraxas to complete his mission: killing the real Emily Blandish.
Honoré manages to defeat the cyborg, and he and Emily head off into London.
and released in November 2008. Changes have been made to the text of this version of The Cabinet of Light to allow it to stand as a Time Hunter novella independent of its Doctor Who connections.
Telos Publishing Ltd.
Telos Publishing Ltd. is a publishing company, originally established by David J. Howe and Stephen James Walker, with their first publication being a horror anthology based on the television series Urban Gothic in 2001...
as part of their Doctor Who novellas
Telos Doctor Who novellas
The Telos Doctor Who novellas were a series of tie-in novellas based on the long-running BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, officially licensed by the BBC and published by Telos Publishing Ltd...
series. It was written by Daniel O'Mahony
Daniel O'Mahony
Daniel O'Mahony is a half-British half-Irish author, born in Croydon. He is the oldest of five children, his siblings including Eoin O'Mahony of the band Hamfatter, and Madeleine O'Mahony, who has designed and made hats for Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.-Biography:O'Mahony's first professionally...
, and was released as a standard edition hardback, and a deluxe edition featuring a frontispiece by John Higgins
John Higgins (comics)
John Higgins is an English comic book artist and writer. He did significant work for 2000 AD, and he has frequently worked with writer Alan Moore, most notably as colourist for Watchmen.-Biography:...
(ISBN 1-903889-19-7). Both editions had a foreword by Chaz Brenchley.
The novella featured an unspecified future incarnation of the Doctor
Doctor (Doctor Who)
The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and has also featured in two cinema feature films, a vast range of spin-off novels, audio dramas and comic strips connected to the series....
who appears to be travelling without a companion, although it is hinted that Emily Blandish
Emily Blandish
Emily Blandish is one of two main characters in the Doctor Who spin-off Time Hunter series published by Telos Publishing Ltd. She is a time channeller, which means that she is able to physically travel along people's timelines when she is working with a time sensitive, such as her friend Honoré...
may have been travelling with him. The story focuses mostly on Honoré Lechasseur
Honoré Lechasseur
Honoré Lechasseur is one of two main characters in the Doctor Who spin-off Time Hunter series published by Telos Publishing Ltd. He is a time sensitive, which means that he possess the ability to see into people's pasts and futures when he is in their vicinity...
, an ex-GI turned spiv
Spiv
In the United Kingdom, a spiv is a particular type of petty criminal, who deals in stolen or black market goods of questionable authenticity, especially a slickly-dressed man offering goods at bargain prices...
who is searching for the Doctor. Although the novella is now out of print, the characters of Emily and Honoré continued their adventures in the Telos Time Hunter
Time Hunter
The Time Hunter series of books is published by Telos Publishing Ltd. and features the characters Honoré Lechasseur and Emily Blandish from Daniel O'Mahony's Doctor Who novella The Cabinet of Light...
series of novellas. The book was not written with a spinoff series in mind, but was created by Telos after their licence to publish Doctor Who came to an end.
Synopsis
Honoré Lechasseur, a "fixer" with time-sensitive abilities, is hired by Emily Blandish to find someone known only as the Doctor. He soon discovers that the Doctor is a legendary figure that has drifted in and out of Earth's history. As he follows the trail of the Doctor, questions arise: what is the Doctor's connection with 1949 London and with the mysterious "cabinet of light" that another group is seeking?Plot
Set in 1949, the novella tells the story of Honoré Lechasseur, an ex-GI who is living and working in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
as a spiv. He is hired by a woman claiming to be Emily Blandish to track down her husband, the Doctor, and soon becomes embroiled in the machinations of a Nazi named Walken and a mysterious woman named Mestizer. Both are looking for the Doctor and something called "The Cabinet of Light", which is connected to him somehow.
Honoré is mistaken for the Doctor on more than one occasion because, as a time sensitive, his aura bears a passing similarity to the Time Lord's. This leads to him being kidnapped by Mestizer's servant, a hulking cyborg
Cyborg
A cyborg is a being with both biological and artificial parts. The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems in outer space. D. S...
named Abraxas, and learn about the Doctor's apparent connection to "the girl in the pink pyjamas", a mysterious amnesiac who appeared in the East End of London after what was assumed to be the detonation of an unexploded bomb. In speaking to her, Honoré helps her regain a small part of her lost memory: her name - Emily Blandish.
Honoré confronts his employer, the faux Emily, but doesn't manage to get much information before she is killed by Abraxas. His investigation lead him back to Walken's club, but he is caught in the crossfire as Mestizer attacks. Honoré only manages to escape thanks to the aid of a mysterious stranger who identifies himself only as "The Doctor".
Honoré follows the Doctor to his confrontation with Mestizer, but fails to understand much of what he sees. The Cabinet of Light turns out to be the Doctor's TARDIS
TARDIS
The TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
, and it is used to vanquish the enemy and allow the Doctor to escape. Mestizer disappears, leaving Abraxas to complete his mission: killing the real Emily Blandish.
Honoré manages to defeat the cyborg, and he and Emily head off into London.
Audiobook
In September 2008, Telos announced that a fan production company, Fantom Films, had been licensed to produce audiobook readings of the Time Hunter novellas for release on CD and as online downloads. The series begins with The Cabinet of Light, read by former Doctor Who actor Terry MolloyTerry Molloy
Terry Molloy is an English actor known predominantly for his work on radio and television.Molloy has been a member of the cast of BBC Radio 4's The Archers playing Mike Tucker since 1973 and has won awards for his work as an actor on radio.On television, Molloy is perhaps best known for his role...
and released in November 2008. Changes have been made to the text of this version of The Cabinet of Light to allow it to stand as a Time Hunter novella independent of its Doctor Who connections.
External links
- Telos Publishing - The Cabinet of Light
- The Cloister Library - The Cabinet of Light
- The Cabinet of Light foreword by Chaz Brenchley
- The Cabinet of Light audiobook
Reviews
- The Cabinet of Light reviews at Infinity Plus