Virgin New Adventures
Encyclopedia
The Virgin New Adventures (NA series, or NAs) were a series of novels from Virgin Publishing based on the British
science-fiction television
series Doctor Who
. They continued the story of the Doctor from the point at which the television programme went into hiatus from television (in 1989).
From 1991 to 1997 all books (except the final one) involved the Seventh Doctor
, played on television by Sylvester McCoy
; in further books published between 1997 and 1999, the New Adventures series focused on the character Bernice Summerfield
and the Doctor did not appear. Like all Doctor Who media, their continuity in relation to all other Doctor Who media is open to interpretation.
in 1989, with Virgin's new fiction editor Peter Darvill-Evans
taking over the range. Target's major output was novelisations of televised Doctor Who stories, and Darvill-Evans realised that there were few stories left to be novelised. He approached the BBC
for permission to commission original stories written directly for print, but such a licence was initially refused. However, after the television series was cancelled at the end of 1989, Virgin were granted the licence to produce full-length original novels continuing the story from the point at which the series had concluded.
The range, titled the New Adventures, was launched in 1991 with a series of four linked novels, beginning with Timewyrm: Genesys
by John Peel
, who had previously contributed to Target's successful range of novelisations. Of the other three initial authors, Terrance Dicks
had been both a regular contributor to the television series itself and the major contributor to Target's book range; Nigel Robinson had been Darvill-Evans' predecessor as editor of the Target books; and Paul Cornell
, although new to professional publishing, had been an active contributor to the Doctor Who fanzine
scene and was beginning a career as a television scriptwriter.
The initial four Timewyrm
books were successful, and the range quickly became a regular bi-monthly series. Eventually, the novels became popular enough that not only did Virgin switch to a monthly publication schedule, it also put out another range, the Missing Adventures
, which told stories of previous incarnations of the Doctor.
However, following the Doctor Who television movie
in 1996 the BBC chose not to renew Virgin's licence to produce Doctor Who novels, choosing instead to publish their own line of original Doctor Who fiction. After 61 New Adventures and 33 Missing Adventures, Doctor Who fiction came to an end at Virgin with The Dying Days
, their only Eighth Doctor
novel. However, the final Doctor Who book published by Virgin was actually So Vile a Sin
, featuring the Seventh Doctor; it had been scheduled for release several months before The Dying Days but was delayed due to difficulties with the manuscript.
, one of the new companions
introduced for the New Adventures, as the lead character, starting with her taking up a job as professor of archaeology at the St Oscar's University on the planet of Dellah. The new line was written by many of the writers that had written for the New Adventures and continued to feature elements of both the Doctor Who New Adventures and, to a lesser extent, television continuity. Indeed, its concluding arc — the so-called "Gods arc", which sees an alien race with god-like powers devastating Dellah — ties in with concurrent events in the BBC Eighth Doctor line. The links between the NA Dead Romance
(a standalone volume in which Bernice Summerfield does not actually appear) and the two-volume Eighth Doctor novel Interference
(all written by Lawrence Miles) are particularly close.
Among the developments were a "hardening" of Ace
, with a story arc that had her leave the Doctor for three years (from her perspective) and returning as an older and more cynical character, more morally ambiguous endings and the introduction of new companions, such as Bernice and the Adjudicators Chris Cwej
and Roz Forrester
. Bernice, in particular, proved so popular that in addition to appearing in her own novels, she has gone on to star in her own audio plays
as well.
The novels were guided by the so-called Cartmel Masterplan
, which was the backstory that Doctor Who story editor Andrew Cartmel
had constructed for the television series when it was cancelled and never brought to fruition. Hints were therefore dropped about the "true" nature of the Seventh Doctor, which culminated in the penultimate novel in the Virgin series, Lungbarrow
, written by Marc Platt
. That said, neither of the main editors of the line, Peter Darvill-Evans
or Rebecca Levene
took the Masterplan as an absolute, preferring to develop those themes by tone rather than plot. Only a handful of books in the line are heavily based around the Masterplan.
One novel in the series, Shakedown, was in fact a novelisation of an independent video production that had featured the Sontaran
s. Unlicensed productions of this sort are tolerated by the BBC as long as the Doctor and other BBC-copyrighted elements are not featured. The novelisation of Shakedown, however, was expanded to include the Doctor. (Similarly, the NA's sister series, the Missing Adventures, included a novelisation of the spin-off production, Downtime
.)
who wrote five of the novels, including the single most popular one (according to the Doctor Who Magazine
poll), Human Nature. Cornell went on to write for the 2005 revival of the television series ("Father's Day
" and "Human Nature
"/"The Family of Blood
", the latter a two-part adaptation of said novel). Others who later worked on the revived television series include Mark Gatiss
, Gareth Roberts
, Matt Jones
, Simon Winstone
and Gary Russell
. Even Russell T Davies contributed to the range with his novel Damaged Goods
. Gatiss and Roberts both did their first ever professional fiction writing for the line, as did others who later found success elsewhere, including Daniel Blythe
and Lance Parkin
.
Several writers from the classic television series also got their chance to contribute — one of the better received novels was The Also People
by Ben Aaronovitch
. Terrance Dicks
, the author of many Target episode novelizations and a writer and script editor
for the TV series going back to the 1960s, contributed a number of novels. Barry Letts
, former producer of the series during the Jon Pertwee
era, contributed to the Missing Adventures line.
Despite moving to the BBC line of novels, the writers (many who cut their teeth with the Virgin series) attempted to maintain continuity with the Virgin range and many elements from this series appeared in later Doctor Who stories. With Big Finish Productions
acquiring the licence to produce both Doctor Who and Bernice Summerfield audio plays and short fiction, they have been able to set audio plays within the universe of the Virgin novel line, as is the case with The Shadow of the Scourge
and The Dark Flame
, for example. Although the continuity of the audio plays and the BBC's Eighth Doctor Adventures
diverge sharply from each other, they both broadly appear to maintain continuity with the Virgin series, although Big Finish's early Bernice Summerfield works did not.
decided to take advantage of this by negotiating to make some of the most popular and sought-after of the now long out-of-print series available to read for free online as part of their Doctor Who website. These e-book versions have in some cases been slightly re-written by the original writers, and include such bonuses as illustrations and DVD commentary-style chapter-by-chapter notes by the authors.
As of January 2011 these have been removed from the site.
Big Finish Productions
produced audio drama adaptations of the novels Birthright and Just War, altering them to remove the Doctor and focus on the character of Benny Summerfield.
The Doctor Who Reprint Society is a group of fans campaigning to have the New Adventures reprinted for a new generation of fans.
¹Due to Aaronovitch's difficulty in completing the novel solo to deadline, it was delayed and co-written by Orman, eventually being published after The Dying Days. It is listed here in the position it occupies in the series' ongoing narrative continuity.
The adventures of Bernice Summerfield continued in a series of novels and short story anthologies published by Big Finish Productions
from 2000.
. The character of the Doctor was recast as Time's Champion, which was sometimes interpreted figuratively and sometimes literally — Time, Death and Pain are occasionally seen as personified beings (possibly Eternals
), who were worshipped as gods in Ancient Gallifrey. The Doctor was also shown to have a link to the Other
, a figure from the time of Rassilon
and Omega
; the nature of this link was most explicitly shown in Lungbarrow.
Many new parts of the TARDIS were seen in the New Adventures, including a tertiary console room made of stone. The Doctor was also seen to have a house in Kent which he used as a base of operations at different points in the 20th and 21st centuries; this "House on Allen Road" first appeared in Cat's Cradle: Warhead
. Also appearing in Warhead and its sequels, Warlock
and Warchild
(all by Andrew Cartmel
) are the ecological activist Justine and psychic Vincent Wheaton.
Alien races created for the New Adventures include the Chelonians (who first appear in The Highest Science
) and the Pakhars (who first appear in Legacy
). Another group of adversaries who appear in several New and Missing Adventures are the Great Old Ones, derived from H. P. Lovecraft
's Cthulhu Mythos
. In the New Adventures, these beings are survivors of the universe before this one, who therefore exist in accordance with a different set of physical laws. A being calling itself Azathoth in All-Consuming Fire
turns out to be an impostor, but the novel identifies several other Doctor Who monsters with Lovecraftian entities: the Great Intelligence
is Yog-Sothoth
, the Animus is Lloigor
, Fenric is Hastur the Unspeakable
, and an Old One encountered in White Darkness
is Cthulhu
.
The early New Adventures were explicitly linked in story arc
s, indicated in the books' titles. Later novels in the series were often, but not always, linked in looser story arcs, which were noted in publicity materials but not in the titles.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
science-fiction television
Science fiction on television
Science fiction first appeared on a television program during the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary world not limited by the constraints of reality; this makes television an excellent medium...
series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
. They continued the story of the Doctor from the point at which the television programme went into hiatus from television (in 1989).
From 1991 to 1997 all books (except the final one) involved the Seventh Doctor
Seventh Doctor
The Seventh Doctor is the seventh incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by the actor Sylvester McCoy....
, played on television by Sylvester McCoy
Sylvester McCoy
Sylvester McCoy is a Scottish actor. As a comic act and busker he appeared regularly on stage and on BBC Children's television in the 1970s and 80s, but is best known for playing the seventh incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction television series Doctor Who from 1987 to...
; in further books published between 1997 and 1999, the New Adventures series focused on the character Bernice Summerfield
Bernice Summerfield
Bernice Surprise Summerfield is a fictional character created by author Paul Cornell as a new companion of the Seventh Doctor in Virgin Publishing's range of original full-length Doctor Who novels, the New Adventures...
and the Doctor did not appear. Like all Doctor Who media, their continuity in relation to all other Doctor Who media is open to interpretation.
Doctor Who
Virgin had purchased the successful children's imprint Target BooksTarget Books
Target Books was a British publishing imprint, established in 1973 by Universal-Tandem Publishing Co Ltd, a paperback publishing company. The imprint was established as a children's imprint to complement the adult Tandem imprint, and became well known for their highly successful range of...
in 1989, with Virgin's new fiction editor Peter Darvill-Evans
Peter Darvill-Evans
Peter Darvill-Evans is an English writer and editor.He was born and lived in Buckinghamshire until he went to university, graduating in 1975 from University College, London with a degree in History....
taking over the range. Target's major output was novelisations of televised Doctor Who stories, and Darvill-Evans realised that there were few stories left to be novelised. He approached the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
for permission to commission original stories written directly for print, but such a licence was initially refused. However, after the television series was cancelled at the end of 1989, Virgin were granted the licence to produce full-length original novels continuing the story from the point at which the series had concluded.
The range, titled the New Adventures, was launched in 1991 with a series of four linked novels, beginning with Timewyrm: Genesys
Timewyrm: Genesys
Timewyrm: Genesys is an original Doctor Who novel, published by Virgin Publishing in their New Adventures range of Doctor Who novels...
by John Peel
John Peel (writer)
John Peel is a British writer, best known for his books connected to several television series. He has written under several pseudonyms, including John Vincent and Nicholas Adams. He lives in Long Island, New York and his wife is a U.S...
, who had previously contributed to Target's successful range of novelisations. Of the other three initial authors, Terrance Dicks
Terrance Dicks
Terrance Dicks is an English writer, best known for his work in television and for writing a large number of popular children's books during the 1970s and 80s.- Early career :...
had been both a regular contributor to the television series itself and the major contributor to Target's book range; Nigel Robinson had been Darvill-Evans' predecessor as editor of the Target books; and Paul Cornell
Paul Cornell
Paul Cornell is a British writer best known for his work in television drama as well as Doctor Who fiction, and as the creator of one of the Doctor's spin-off companions, Bernice Summerfield....
, although new to professional publishing, had been an active contributor to the Doctor Who fanzine
Fanzine
A fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...
scene and was beginning a career as a television scriptwriter.
The initial four Timewyrm
Timewyrm
The Timewyrm is the name of a recurring villain from the Virgin New Adventures spin-off novels based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who. The character featured in a four-novel story arc: Timewyrm: Genesys, Timewyrm: Exodus, Timewyrm: Apocalypse and Timewyrm: Revelation.The...
books were successful, and the range quickly became a regular bi-monthly series. Eventually, the novels became popular enough that not only did Virgin switch to a monthly publication schedule, it also put out another range, the Missing Adventures
Virgin Missing Adventures
The Virgin Missing Adventures were a series of novels from Virgin Publishing based on the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who, which had been cancelled in 1989, featuring stories set between televised episodes of the programme. The novels were published from 1994 to 1997, and...
, which told stories of previous incarnations of the Doctor.
However, following the Doctor Who television movie
Doctor Who (1996)
Doctor Who is a television movie based on the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Developed as a co-production amongst Universal Television, BBC Television, BBC Worldwide, and the American network FOX, the 1996 television film premiered on 12 May 1996 on CITV in Edmonton,...
in 1996 the BBC chose not to renew Virgin's licence to produce Doctor Who novels, choosing instead to publish their own line of original Doctor Who fiction. After 61 New Adventures and 33 Missing Adventures, Doctor Who fiction came to an end at Virgin with The Dying Days
The Dying Days
The Dying Days is an original novel written by Lance Parkin and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was last of that range to feature the Doctor and the only one of that range to feature Paul McGann's Eighth Doctor. Thereafter the series centred around...
, their only Eighth Doctor
Eighth Doctor
The Eighth Doctor is the eighth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by Paul McGann...
novel. However, the final Doctor Who book published by Virgin was actually So Vile a Sin
So Vile a Sin
So Vile a Sin is an original novel written by Ben Aaronovitch & Kate Orman and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Chris and Roz, Bernice, Jason, Kadiatu Lethbridge-Stewart...
, featuring the Seventh Doctor; it had been scheduled for release several months before The Dying Days but was delayed due to difficulties with the manuscript.
Bernice Summerfield
The New Adventures series continued with Bernice SummerfieldBernice Summerfield
Bernice Surprise Summerfield is a fictional character created by author Paul Cornell as a new companion of the Seventh Doctor in Virgin Publishing's range of original full-length Doctor Who novels, the New Adventures...
, one of the new companions
Companion (Doctor Who)
In the long-running BBC television science fiction programme Doctor Who and related works, the term "companion" refers to a character who travels with, and shares the adventures of the Doctor. In most Doctor Who stories, the primary companion acts as both deuteragonist and audience surrogate...
introduced for the New Adventures, as the lead character, starting with her taking up a job as professor of archaeology at the St Oscar's University on the planet of Dellah. The new line was written by many of the writers that had written for the New Adventures and continued to feature elements of both the Doctor Who New Adventures and, to a lesser extent, television continuity. Indeed, its concluding arc — the so-called "Gods arc", which sees an alien race with god-like powers devastating Dellah — ties in with concurrent events in the BBC Eighth Doctor line. The links between the NA Dead Romance
Dead Romance
Dead Romance is an original novel by Lawrence Miles, originally published as part of the Virgin New Adventures series. The New Adventures were a spin-off from the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
(a standalone volume in which Bernice Summerfield does not actually appear) and the two-volume Eighth Doctor novel Interference
Interference: Book One
Interference: Book One is an original novel written by Lawrence Miles and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
(all written by Lawrence Miles) are particularly close.
Storytelling
The New Adventures were self-described as being "stories too broad and deep for the small screen," and to take Doctor Who into "previously unexplored realms of time and space". What this meant, in practice, was a shift towards more adult-oriented science fiction writing, and using the literary form to be able to play around with the standard conventions of the series. From the beginning, the novels were controversial for their use of sex, violence and bad language, although this was never as frequent or as extreme as most people seemed to believe, and over time, fans began to accept the new direction as the series found its audience.Among the developments were a "hardening" of Ace
Ace (Doctor Who)
Dorothy Gale McShane, better known by her nickname Ace, is a fictional character played by Sophie Aldred in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
, with a story arc that had her leave the Doctor for three years (from her perspective) and returning as an older and more cynical character, more morally ambiguous endings and the introduction of new companions, such as Bernice and the Adjudicators Chris Cwej
Chris Cwej
Christopher Rodonanté Cwej, usually just known as Chris Cwej, is a fictional character from the Virgin New Adventures range of spin-offs based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who...
and Roz Forrester
Roz Forrester
Roslyn Sarah Inyathi Forrester, usually just known as Roz Forrester, is a fictional character from the Virgin New Adventures range of spin-offs based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who....
. Bernice, in particular, proved so popular that in addition to appearing in her own novels, she has gone on to star in her own audio plays
Radio drama
Radio drama is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance, broadcast on radio or published on audio media, such as tape or CD. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine the characters and story...
as well.
The novels were guided by the so-called Cartmel Masterplan
Cartmel Masterplan
The Cartmel Masterplan is a fan name for the planned Doctor Who backstory developed primarily by Andrew Cartmel, Ben Aaronovitch, and Marc Platt, which they intended to restore some of the mystery of the Doctor's background that had been lost through revelation of the existing backstory...
, which was the backstory that Doctor Who story editor Andrew Cartmel
Andrew Cartmel
Andrew Cartmel is a British science fiction writer and journalist, and former script editor of Doctor Who. He has also worked as a script editor on other television series, as a magazine editor, a film studies lecturer and as a novelist.-Biography:...
had constructed for the television series when it was cancelled and never brought to fruition. Hints were therefore dropped about the "true" nature of the Seventh Doctor, which culminated in the penultimate novel in the Virgin series, Lungbarrow
Lungbarrow
Lungbarrow is an original novel written by Marc Platt and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
, written by Marc Platt
Marc Platt
Marc Platt is a British writer. He is most known for his work with the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who.After studying catering at a technical college, Platt worked first for Trust House Forte, and then in administration for the BBC...
. That said, neither of the main editors of the line, Peter Darvill-Evans
Peter Darvill-Evans
Peter Darvill-Evans is an English writer and editor.He was born and lived in Buckinghamshire until he went to university, graduating in 1975 from University College, London with a degree in History....
or Rebecca Levene
Rebecca Levene
Rebecca Levene is a British author and editor, best known for editing Virgin's New Adventures series of original fiction Doctor Who novels.-Biography:...
took the Masterplan as an absolute, preferring to develop those themes by tone rather than plot. Only a handful of books in the line are heavily based around the Masterplan.
One novel in the series, Shakedown, was in fact a novelisation of an independent video production that had featured the Sontaran
Sontaran
The Sontarans are a fictional extraterrestrial race of humanoids from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and also seen in spin-off series The Sarah Jane Adventures. They were created by writer Robert Holmes.-Culture:...
s. Unlicensed productions of this sort are tolerated by the BBC as long as the Doctor and other BBC-copyrighted elements are not featured. The novelisation of Shakedown, however, was expanded to include the Doctor. (Similarly, the NA's sister series, the Missing Adventures, included a novelisation of the spin-off production, Downtime
Downtime (Doctor Who)
Downtime is a direct-to-video spin-off of the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was released direct-to-video and produced by the independent production company Reeltime Pictures...
.)
Writers
As well as introducing new characters, the range also provided a showcase for new writing talent. Notable was Paul CornellPaul Cornell
Paul Cornell is a British writer best known for his work in television drama as well as Doctor Who fiction, and as the creator of one of the Doctor's spin-off companions, Bernice Summerfield....
who wrote five of the novels, including the single most popular one (according to the Doctor Who Magazine
Doctor Who Magazine
Doctor Who Magazine is a magazine devoted to the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
poll), Human Nature. Cornell went on to write for the 2005 revival of the television series ("Father's Day
Father's Day (Doctor Who)
"Father's Day" is the eighth episode in series one of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The episode was first broadcast on 14 May 2005...
" and "Human Nature
Human Nature (Doctor Who episode)
"Human Nature" is the eighth episode of the third series of the revived British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It is the first episode of a two-part story written by Paul Cornell adapted from his 1995 Doctor Who novel Human Nature...
"/"The Family of Blood
The Family of Blood
"The Family of Blood" is the ninth episode of Series 3 of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Preceded by "Human Nature", it is the second episode of a two-part story written by Paul Cornell adapted from his 1995 Doctor Who novel Human Nature...
", the latter a two-part adaptation of said novel). Others who later worked on the revived television series include Mark Gatiss
Mark Gatiss
Mark Gatiss is an English actor, screenwriter and novelist. He is best known as a member of the comedy team The League of Gentlemen, and has both written for and acted in the TV series Doctor Who and Sherlock....
, Gareth Roberts
Gareth Roberts (writer)
Gareth John Pritchard Roberts is a British television screenwriter and novelist, best known for his work related to the science-fiction television series Doctor Who...
, Matt Jones
Matt Jones (writer)
Matthew David Jones is a British television writer and producer, who has worked on a variety of popular drama programmes for several television networks in the UK....
, Simon Winstone
Simon Winstone
Simon Winstone is a British author and editor, known for his work on Doctor Who and on the BBC soap opera EastEnders.Winstone worked for Virgin Books, overseeing their Missing Adventures Doctor Who series and briefly being in charge of the New Adventures after the series had ceased being a Doctor...
and Gary Russell
Gary Russell
Gary James Russell is a freelance writer and former child actor. As a writer, he is best known for his work in connection with the television series Doctor Who and its spin-offs in other media...
. Even Russell T Davies contributed to the range with his novel Damaged Goods
Damaged Goods
Damaged Goods is an original Doctor Who novel, released by Virgin Publishing in their New Adventures range of Doctor Who books in 1996...
. Gatiss and Roberts both did their first ever professional fiction writing for the line, as did others who later found success elsewhere, including Daniel Blythe
Daniel Blythe
Daniel Blythe is a British author, who was born in Maidstone in 1969 and studied Modern Languages at St John's College, Oxford. After several years writing stories for the small press, Blythe began his professional career writing for the Virgin New Adventures series of Doctor Who novels, and very...
and Lance Parkin
Lance Parkin
Lance Parkin is a British author, best known for writing fiction and reference books for television series, in particular Doctor Who and Emmerdale...
.
Several writers from the classic television series also got their chance to contribute — one of the better received novels was The Also People
The Also People
The Also People is an original novel written by Ben Aaronovitch and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Bernice, Chris, Roz and Kadiatu.-Plot:...
by Ben Aaronovitch
Ben Aaronovitch
Ben Denis Aaronovitch is a London-born British writer who has worked on television series including Doctor Who, Casualty, Jupiter Moon and Dark Knight...
. Terrance Dicks
Terrance Dicks
Terrance Dicks is an English writer, best known for his work in television and for writing a large number of popular children's books during the 1970s and 80s.- Early career :...
, the author of many Target episode novelizations and a writer and script editor
Script editor
A script editor is a member of the production team of scripted television programmes, usually dramas and comedies. The script editor has many responsibilities including finding new script writers, developing storyline and series ideas with writers, ensuring that scripts are suitable for production...
for the TV series going back to the 1960s, contributed a number of novels. Barry Letts
Barry Letts
Barry Leopold Letts was a British actor, television director, writer and producer best known for his work on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, and for producing the BBC's Sunday Classic drama serials in the late 1970s and early 1980s...
, former producer of the series during the Jon Pertwee
Jon Pertwee
John Devon Roland Pertwee , was an English actor. Pertwee is best known for his role in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, in which he played the third incarnation of the Doctor from 1970 to 1974, and as the title character in the series Worzel Gummidge...
era, contributed to the Missing Adventures line.
Despite moving to the BBC line of novels, the writers (many who cut their teeth with the Virgin series) attempted to maintain continuity with the Virgin range and many elements from this series appeared in later Doctor Who stories. With Big Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and audio plays based, primarily, on cult British science fiction properties...
acquiring the licence to produce both Doctor Who and Bernice Summerfield audio plays and short fiction, they have been able to set audio plays within the universe of the Virgin novel line, as is the case with The Shadow of the Scourge
The Shadow of the Scourge
The Shadow of the Scourge is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.-Cast:*The Doctor — Sylvester McCoy*Ace — Sophie Aldred*Bernice Summerfield — Lisa Bowerman...
and The Dark Flame
The Dark Flame
The Dark Flame is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.-Cast:*The Doctor — Sylvester McCoy*Ace — Sophie Aldred*Bernice Summerfield — Lisa Bowerman...
, for example. Although the continuity of the audio plays and the BBC's Eighth Doctor Adventures
Eighth Doctor Adventures
The Eighth Doctor Adventures are a series of spin off novels based on the long running BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who and published under the BBC Books imprint. 73 books were published overall...
diverge sharply from each other, they both broadly appear to maintain continuity with the Virgin series, although Big Finish's early Bernice Summerfield works did not.
E-books
By 2002, copyright in some of the books had reverted to the individual authors, and BBCiBbc.co.uk
BBC Online is the brand name and home for the BBC's UK online service. It is a large network of websites including such high profile sites as BBC News and Sport, the on-demand video and radio services co-branded BBC iPlayer, the pre-school site Cbeebies, and learning services such as Bitesize...
decided to take advantage of this by negotiating to make some of the most popular and sought-after of the now long out-of-print series available to read for free online as part of their Doctor Who website. These e-book versions have in some cases been slightly re-written by the original writers, and include such bonuses as illustrations and DVD commentary-style chapter-by-chapter notes by the authors.
As of January 2011 these have been removed from the site.
Adaptations
Paul Cornell's 1995 novel, Human Nature, as noted above, formed the basis of a two-part episode of the television series broadcast in 2007. This was the first time a full-length original Doctor Who had been adapted for television, although Cornell (who also wrote the teleplay) had to make substantial changes to transform his Seventh Doctor novel into a story featuring the Tenth Doctor.Big Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and audio plays based, primarily, on cult British science fiction properties...
produced audio drama adaptations of the novels Birthright and Just War, altering them to remove the Doctor and focus on the character of Benny Summerfield.
Reprints
As yet only the Target and Eighth Doctor Adventures are due to be reprinted.The Doctor Who Reprint Society is a group of fans campaigning to have the New Adventures reprinted for a new generation of fans.
Featuring the Doctor
| # | Title | Author | Featuring | Published |
| 1 | Timewyrm: Genesys Timewyrm: Genesys Timewyrm: Genesys is an original Doctor Who novel, published by Virgin Publishing in their New Adventures range of Doctor Who novels... |
John Peel John Peel (writer) John Peel is a British writer, best known for his books connected to several television series. He has written under several pseudonyms, including John Vincent and Nicholas Adams. He lives in Long Island, New York and his wife is a U.S... |
Ace | June 1991 |
| 2 | Timewyrm: Exodus Timewyrm: Exodus Timewyrm: Exodus is an original Doctor Who novel, published by Virgin Publishing in their New Adventures range of Doctor Who novels... |
Terrance Dicks Terrance Dicks Terrance Dicks is an English writer, best known for his work in television and for writing a large number of popular children's books during the 1970s and 80s.- Early career :... |
Ace | August 1991 |
| 3 | Timewyrm: Apocalypse Timewyrm: Apocalypse Timewyrm: Apocalypse is an original Doctor Who novel, published by Virgin Publishing in their New Adventures range of Doctor Who novels. It features the Seventh Doctor and Ace, as well as brief flashbacks- as well as a telepathic message- of the Second Doctor.-Synopsis:The Doctor and Ace follow... |
Nigel Robinson Nigel Robinson Nigel Robinson is an English author, known for such works as the First Contact series.Nigel was born in Preston, Lancashire and attended St Thomas More school.... |
Ace | October 1991 |
| 4 | Timewyrm: Revelation Timewyrm: Revelation Timewyrm: Revelation is an original Doctor Who novel, published by Virgin Publishing in their New Adventures range of Doctor Who novels... |
Paul Cornell Paul Cornell Paul Cornell is a British writer best known for his work in television drama as well as Doctor Who fiction, and as the creator of one of the Doctor's spin-off companions, Bernice Summerfield.... |
Ace | December 1991 |
| 5 | Cat's Cradle: Time's Crucible Cat's Cradle: Time's Crucible Cat's Cradle: Time's Crucible is an original novel written by Marc Platt and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor and Ace.-Plot:... |
Marc Platt Marc Platt Marc Platt is a British writer. He is most known for his work with the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who.After studying catering at a technical college, Platt worked first for Trust House Forte, and then in administration for the BBC... |
Ace | February 1992 |
| 6 | Cat's Cradle: Warhead Cat's Cradle: Warhead Cat's Cradle: Warhead is an original novel written by Andrew Cartmel and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor and Ace... |
Andrew Cartmel Andrew Cartmel Andrew Cartmel is a British science fiction writer and journalist, and former script editor of Doctor Who. He has also worked as a script editor on other television series, as a magazine editor, a film studies lecturer and as a novelist.-Biography:... |
Ace | April 1992 |
| 7 | Cat's Cradle: Witch Mark | Andrew Hunt | Ace | June 1992 |
| 8 | Nightshade Nightshade (Doctor Who) Nightshade is an original novel written by Mark Gatiss and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor and Ace. A prelude to the novel, also penned by Gatiss, appeared in Doctor Who Magazine #190.-Synopsis:The Doctor and Ace end up... |
Mark Gatiss Mark Gatiss Mark Gatiss is an English actor, screenwriter and novelist. He is best known as a member of the comedy team The League of Gentlemen, and has both written for and acted in the TV series Doctor Who and Sherlock.... |
Ace | August 1992 |
| 9 | Love and War Love and War (Doctor Who) Love and War is an original novel written by Paul Cornell and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Ace and introduces a new companion, Bernice Summerfield... |
Paul Cornell | Ace, Bernice Bernice Summerfield Bernice Surprise Summerfield is a fictional character created by author Paul Cornell as a new companion of the Seventh Doctor in Virgin Publishing's range of original full-length Doctor Who novels, the New Adventures... |
October 1992 |
| 10 | Transit Transit (Doctor Who) Transit is an original novel written by Ben Aaronovitch and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Bernice and the first appearance of Kadiatu Lethbridge-Stewart... |
Ben Aaronovitch Ben Aaronovitch Ben Denis Aaronovitch is a London-born British writer who has worked on television series including Doctor Who, Casualty, Jupiter Moon and Dark Knight... |
Bernice, Kadiatu Lethbridge-Stewart Kadiatu Lethbridge-Stewart Kadiatu Lethbridge-Stewart is a fictional character from the Virgin New Adventures range of spin-offs based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who. She is a descendant of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart.... |
December 1992 |
| 11 | The Highest Science The Highest Science The Highest Science is an original novel written by Gareth Roberts and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor and Bernice and the first appearance of the recurring monsters, the Chelonians... |
Gareth Roberts Gareth Roberts (writer) Gareth John Pritchard Roberts is a British television screenwriter and novelist, best known for his work related to the science-fiction television series Doctor Who... |
Bernice | February 1993 |
| 12 | The Pit The Pit (Doctor Who) The Pit is an original novel written by Neil Penswick and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor and Bernice... |
Neil Penswick | Bernice | March 1993 |
| 13 | Deceit Deceit (Doctor Who) Deceit is an original novel written by Peter Darvill-Evans and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Bernice. Also included is Doctor Who Magazine comic character Abslom Daak, in his first appearance outside of DWM... |
Peter Darvill-Evans Peter Darvill-Evans Peter Darvill-Evans is an English writer and editor.He was born and lived in Buckinghamshire until he went to university, graduating in 1975 from University College, London with a degree in History.... |
Ace, Bernice | April 1993 |
| 14 | Lucifer Rising Lucifer Rising (Doctor Who) Lucifer Rising is an original Virgin New Adventures novel written by Jim Mortimore and Andy Lane and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Bernice. A prelude to the novel, also penned by Mortimore and Lane, appeared... |
Jim Mortimore Jim Mortimore Jim Mortimore is a British science fiction writer, who has written several spin-off novels for popular television series, principally Doctor Who, but also Farscape and Babylon 5.... & Andy Lane Andy Lane Andrew Lane , who also writes as Andy Lane, is a British author and journalist. He has written a number of spin-off novels in the Virgin New Adventures range and audio dramas for Big Finish based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who , as well as assorted non fiction books based... |
Ace, Bernice | May 1993 |
| 15 | White Darkness White Darkness White Darkness is an original novel written by David A. McIntee and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Bernice... |
David A. McIntee David A. McIntee -Biography:McIntee has written many spin-off novels based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, as well as one each based on Final Destination and Space: 1999. He has also written a non-fiction book on Star Trek: Voyager and one jointly on the Alien and Predator movie franchises... |
Ace, Bernice | June 1993 |
| 16 | Shadowmind Shadowmind Shadowmind is an original novel written by Christopher Bulis and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was number 16 in the New Adventures and features the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Bernice. A prelude to the novel, also penned by Bulis, appeared in Doctor... |
Christopher Bulis Christopher Bulis Christopher Bulis is a writer best known for his work on various Doctor Who spin-offs. He is one of the most prolific authors to write for the various ranges of spin-offs from the BBC Television series Doctor Who, with twelve novels to his name, and between 1993 and 2000 he had at least one Doctor... |
Ace, Bernice | July 1993 |
| 17 | Birthright Birthright (Doctor Who) Birthright is a novel by Nigel Robinson from the Virgin New Adventures. The New Adventures were a spin-off from the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who... |
Nigel Robinson | Ace, Bernice | August 1993 |
| 18 | Iceberg Iceberg (Doctor Who) Iceberg is an original novel written by David Banks and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was number 18 in the Virgin New Adventures range and featured the Cybermen, being a sequel to the serials The Invasion and The Tenth Planet. The events of the... |
David Banks | Ruby | September 1993 |
| 19 | Blood Heat Blood Heat Blood Heat is an original novel written by Jim Mortimore and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Bernice. A prelude to the novel, also penned by Mortimore, appeared in Doctor Who Magazine #205... |
Jim Mortimore | Ace, Bernice | October 1993 |
| 20 | The Dimension Riders The Dimension Riders The Dimension Riders is an original novel written by Daniel Blythe and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Bernice. A prelude to the novel, also penned by Blythe, appeared in Doctor Who Magazine #206... |
Daniel Blythe Daniel Blythe Daniel Blythe is a British author, who was born in Maidstone in 1969 and studied Modern Languages at St John's College, Oxford. After several years writing stories for the small press, Blythe began his professional career writing for the Virgin New Adventures series of Doctor Who novels, and very... |
Ace, Bernice | November 1993 |
| 21 | The Left-Handed Hummingbird The Left-Handed Hummingbird The Left-Handed Hummingbird is an original novel written by Kate Orman and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Bernice. A prelude to the novel, also written by Orman, appeared in Doctor Who Magazine #207... |
Kate Orman Kate Orman Kate Orman is an Australian author, best known for her books connected to the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who.-Biography:... |
Ace, Bernice | December 1993 |
| 22 | Conundrum Conundrum (Doctor Who) Conundrum is an original novel written by Steve Lyons and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Bernice. A prelude to the novel, also penned by Lyons, appeared in Doctor Who Magazine #208... |
Steve Lyons | Ace, Bernice | January 1994 |
| 23 | No Future No Future No Future is an original novel written by Paul Cornell and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Bernice. A prelude to the novel, also penned by Cornell, appeared in Doctor Who Magazine #209... |
Paul Cornell | Ace, Bernice | February 1994 |
| 24 | Tragedy Day Tragedy Day Tragedy Day is an original novel written by Gareth Roberts and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Bernice... |
Gareth Roberts | Ace, Bernice | March 1994 |
| 25 | Legacy Legacy (Doctor Who) Legacy is an original novel written by Gary Russell and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Ace, Bernice, the Ice Warriors and Alpha Centauri and a return for the Doctor to Peladon. A prelude to the novel, also penned by... |
Gary Russell Gary Russell Gary James Russell is a freelance writer and former child actor. As a writer, he is best known for his work in connection with the television series Doctor Who and its spin-offs in other media... |
Ace, Bernice | April 1994 |
| 26 | Theatre of War | Justin Richards Justin Richards Justin Richards is a British writer. He has written science fiction and fantasy novels, including series set in Victorian or early-20th-century London, and also adventure stories set in the present day... |
Ace, Bernice | May 1994 |
| 27 | All-Consuming Fire All-Consuming Fire All-Consuming Fire is an original novel written by Andy Lane and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The novel is a crossover with Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional detective Sherlock Holmes featuring the characters of both Holmes and Doctor Watson, and also... |
Andy Lane | Ace, Bernice | June 1994 |
| 28 | Blood Harvest Blood Harvest Blood Harvest is an original novel written by Terrance Dicks and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features vampires in common with Dicks' 1980 television serial State of Decay and makes reference to that story's events as well as to those of The... |
Terrance Dicks | Ace, Bernice, Romana | July 1994 |
| 29 | Strange England Strange England Strange England is an original novel written by Simon Messingham and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Bernice. A prelude to the novel, also penned by Messingham, appeared in Doctor Who Magazine #215.... |
Simon Messingham Simon Messingham Simon Messingham is a British science fiction writer who has written six Doctor Who novels and another story released as an BBC Audio Drama. He also wrote and performed in the cable television programmes The Dave Saint Show and Tales of Uplift and Moral Improvement.-Past Doctor Adventures:*Zeta... |
Ace, Bernice | August 1994 |
| 30 | First Frontier First Frontier First Frontier is an original novel written by David A. McIntee and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Bernice... |
David A. McIntee | Ace, Bernice | September 1994 |
| 31 | St Anthony's Fire St Anthony's Fire (Doctor Who) St Anthony's Fire is an original novel written by Mark Gatiss and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Bernice. A prelude to the novel, also penned by Gatiss, appeared in Doctor Who Magazine #217.... |
Mark Gatiss | Ace, Bernice | October 1994 |
| 32 | Falls the Shadow | 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... |
Ace, Bernice | November 1994 |
| 33 | Parasite Parasite (Doctor Who) Parasite is an original novel written by Jim Mortimore and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Bernice. A prelude to the novel, also penned by Mortimore, appeared in Doctor Who Magazine #220.... |
Jim Mortimore | Ace, Bernice | December 1994 |
| 34 | Warlock Warlock (Doctor Who) Warlock is an original novel written by Andrew Cartmel and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Bernice. The book is the middle novel in the "War trilogy", following on from Cat's Cradle: Warhead and concluding in... |
Andrew Cartmel | Ace, Bernice | January 1995 |
| 35 | Set Piece Set Piece (Doctor Who) Set Piece is an original novel written by Kate Orman and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Ace, Bernice and Kadiatu Lethbridge-Stewart. It is the last New Adventure to feature Ace as a regular character, although she... |
Kate Orman | Ace, Bernice, Kadiatu | February 1995 |
| 36 | Infinite Requiem Infinite Requiem Infinite Requiem is an original novel written by Daniel Blythe and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor and Bernice. A prelude to the novel, also penned by Blythe, appeared in Doctor Who Magazine #223.-External links:**... |
Daniel Blythe | Bernice | March 1995 |
| 37 | Sanctuary Sanctuary (Doctor Who) Sanctuary is an original novel written by David A. McIntee and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor and Bernice. A prelude to the novel, also penned by McIntee, appeared in Doctor Who Magazine #225... |
David A. McIntee | Bernice | April 1995 |
| 38 | Human Nature | Paul Cornell | Bernice | May 1995 |
| 39 | Original Sin Original Sin (Doctor Who) Original Sin is an original novel written by Andy Lane and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It introduces the Seventh Doctor's new companions Roz Forrester and Chris Cwej.-Plot:... |
Andy Lane | Bernice, Chris Chris Cwej Christopher Rodonanté Cwej, usually just known as Chris Cwej, is a fictional character from the Virgin New Adventures range of spin-offs based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who... , Roz Roz Forrester Roslyn Sarah Inyathi Forrester, usually just known as Roz Forrester, is a fictional character from the Virgin New Adventures range of spin-offs based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who.... |
June 1995 |
| 40 | Sky Pirates! Sky Pirates! Sky Pirates! is an original novel written by Dave Stone and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Bernice, Chris and Roz. The novel was unusual for being written in a humorous style similar to that of Terry Pratchett and... |
Dave Stone Dave Stone -Biography:Stone has written many spin off novels based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who and Judge Dredd.Stone also contributed a number of comic series to 2000AD and the Judge Dredd Megazine, focusing on the Dreddverse... |
Bernice, Chris, Roz | July 1995 |
| 41 | Zamper Zamper Zamper is an original novel written by Gareth Roberts and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Bernice, Chris and Roz.-Synopsis:... |
Gareth Roberts | Bernice, Chris, Roz | August 1995 |
| 42 | Toy Soldiers Toy Soldiers (Doctor Who) Toy Soldiers is an original novel written by Paul Leonard and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Bernice, Chris and Roz.-Synopsis:... |
Paul Leonard Paul Leonard (writer) Paul J. Leonard Hinder, better known by his pseudonym of Paul Leonard and also originally published as PJL Hinder, is an author best known for his work on various spin-off fiction based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.Leonard has acknowledged a debt to his... |
Bernice, Chris, Roz | September 1995 |
| 43 | Head Games Head Games (Doctor Who) Head Games is an original novel written by Steve Lyons and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who... |
Steve Lyons | Bernice, Chris, Roz, Mel Melanie Bush Mel, also sometimes referred to as Melanie, is a fictional character in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. A computer programmer from the 20th Century who is a companion of the Sixth and Seventh Doctors, she was a regular in the programme from 1986 to 1987... , Ace |
October 1995 |
| 44 | The Also People The Also People The Also People is an original novel written by Ben Aaronovitch and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Bernice, Chris, Roz and Kadiatu.-Plot:... |
Ben Aaronovitch | Bernice, Chris, Roz, Kadiatu | November 1995 |
| 45 | Shakedown | Terrance Dicks | Bernice, Chris, Roz | December 1995 |
| 46 | Just War Just War (Doctor Who) Just War is a novel by Lance Parkin from the Virgin New Adventures. The New Adventures were based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who... |
Lance Parkin Lance Parkin Lance Parkin is a British author, best known for writing fiction and reference books for television series, in particular Doctor Who and Emmerdale... |
Bernice, Chris, Roz | January 1996 |
| 47 | Warchild Warchild (Doctor Who) Warchild is an original novel written by Andrew Cartmel and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Bernice, Chris, and Roz. This novel marks the conclusion of the "War trilogy" begun in Cat's Cradle: Warhead and Warlock, both... |
Andrew Cartmel | Bernice, Chris, Roz | February 1996 |
| 48 | SLEEPY SLEEPY SLEEPY is an original novel written by Kate Orman and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Bernice, Chris and Roz. It is part of the "Psi Powers series".-Synopsis:... |
Kate Orman | Bernice, Chris, Roz | March 1996 |
| 49 | Death and Diplomacy Death and Diplomacy Death and Diplomacy is an original novel written by Dave Stone and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Bernice, Chris, Roz and the first appearance of Jason.... |
Dave Stone | Bernice, Chris, Roz, Jason Kane | April 1996 |
| 50 | Happy Endings Happy Endings (Doctor Who) Happy Endings is an original novel written by Paul Cornell and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It is the fiftieth book in the Virgin New Adventures series... |
Paul Cornell | Bernice, Chris, Roz, Jason, Ace, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart Brigadier Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, generally referred to simply as the Brigadier, is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, played by Nicholas Courtney... , Romana II, Kadiatu, Braxiatel Irving Braxiatel Irving Braxiatel or Cardinal Braxiatel is a fictional character from the Virgin New Adventures—spin-off novels based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who. He subsequently became a regular character in novels and audio dramas in the Bernice Summerfield universe... , Ruby |
May 1996 |
| 51 | GodEngine GodEngine GodEngine is an original novel written by Craig Hinton and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Chris, Roz, the Ice Warriors and the Daleks.... |
Craig Hinton Craig Hinton Craig Paul Alexander Hinton was a British writer best known for his work on various spin-offs from the BBC Television series Doctor Who.... |
Chris, Roz | June 1996 |
| 52 | Christmas on a Rational Planet Christmas on a Rational Planet Christmas on a Rational Planet is an original novel written by Lawrence Miles and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who... |
Lawrence Miles Lawrence Miles Lawrence Miles is a science fiction author known for his work on original Doctor Who novels and the subsequent spin-off Faction Paradox... |
Chris, Roz | July 1996 |
| 53 | Return of the Living Dad Return of the Living Dad Return of the Living Dad is an original novel written by Kate Orman and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Chris and Roz, Bernice and Jason.... |
Kate Orman | Chris, Roz, Bernice, Jason | August 1996 |
| 54 | The Death of Art The Death of Art The Death of Art is an original novel written by Simon Bucher-Jones and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Chris, Roz and Ace. It is part of the "Psi Powers series".... |
Simon Bucher-Jones Simon Bucher-Jones Simon Bucher-Jones in Liverpool; he is a British author, poet, artist, and amateur actor, best known for his Doctor Who novels for Virgin and the BBC and as a contributor to the Faction Paradox spin-off series.... |
Chris, Roz, Ace | September 1996 |
| 55 | Damaged Goods Damaged Goods Damaged Goods is an original Doctor Who novel, released by Virgin Publishing in their New Adventures range of Doctor Who books in 1996... |
Russell T Davies | Chris, Roz | October 1996 |
| 56 | So Vile a Sin So Vile a Sin So Vile a Sin is an original novel written by Ben Aaronovitch & Kate Orman and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Chris and Roz, Bernice, Jason, Kadiatu Lethbridge-Stewart... ¹ |
Ben Aaronovitch & Kate Orman | Chris, Roz, Bernice, Jason, Kadiatu | May 1997 |
| 57 | Bad Therapy Bad Therapy Bad Therapy is an original novel written by Matthew Jones and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Chris and Peri.... |
Matthew Jones Matt Jones (writer) Matthew David Jones is a British television writer and producer, who has worked on a variety of popular drama programmes for several television networks in the UK.... |
Chris, Peri Peri Brown Peri Brown, full name Perpugilliam Brown, is a fictional character played by Nicola Bryant in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.... |
December 1996 |
| 58 | Eternity Weeps Eternity Weeps Eternity Weeps is an original novel written by Jim Mortimore and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Chris, Bernice, Jason and Liz.... |
Jim Mortimore | Chris, Bernice, Jason, Liz Shaw Liz Shaw (Doctor Who) Dr. Elizabeth "Liz" Shaw is a fictional character played by Caroline John in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who and its spin-offs... |
January 1997 |
| 59 | The Room With No Doors The Room With No Doors The Room With No Doors is an original novel written by Kate Orman and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor and Chris.... |
Kate Orman | Chris | February 1997 |
| 60 | Lungbarrow Lungbarrow Lungbarrow is an original novel written by Marc Platt and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who... |
Marc Platt | Chris, Romana, Ace, Leela Leela (Doctor Who) Leela is a fictional character played by Louise Jameson in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Leela was a companion of the Fourth Doctor and a regular in the programme from 1977 to 1978... , K-9 K-9 (Doctor Who) K-9, or K9, is the name of several fictional robotic canines in the long-running British science fiction television series, Doctor Who, first appearing in 1977... |
March 1997 |
| 61 | The Dying Days The Dying Days The Dying Days is an original novel written by Lance Parkin and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was last of that range to feature the Doctor and the only one of that range to feature Paul McGann's Eighth Doctor. Thereafter the series centred around... |
Lance Parkin | Bernice, the Brigadier | April 1997 |
¹Due to Aaronovitch's difficulty in completing the novel solo to deadline, it was delayed and co-written by Orman, eventually being published after The Dying Days. It is listed here in the position it occupies in the series' ongoing narrative continuity.
Featuring Bernice Summerfield
| # | Title | Author | Published |
| 1 | Oh No It Isn't! Oh No It Isn't! Oh No It Isn't! is a novel published in 1997 by Paul Cornell from the Virgin New Adventures featuring the fictional archaeologist Bernice Summerfield.... |
Paul Cornell Paul Cornell Paul Cornell is a British writer best known for his work in television drama as well as Doctor Who fiction, and as the creator of one of the Doctor's spin-off companions, Bernice Summerfield.... |
May 1997 |
| 2 | Dragons' Wrath Dragons' Wrath Dragons' Wrath is a novel by Justin Richards from the Virgin New Adventures starring the fictional archaeologist Bernice Summerfield. The New Adventures were based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who... |
Justin Richards Justin Richards Justin Richards is a British writer. He has written science fiction and fantasy novels, including series set in Victorian or early-20th-century London, and also adventure stories set in the present day... |
June 1997 |
| 3 | Beyond the Sun Beyond the Sun (Bernice Summerfield) Beyond the Sun is a novel by Matt Jones featuring the fictional archaeologist Bernice Summerfield, his second for the Virgin New Adventures. The New Adventures were a spin-off from the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The book is, in part, a coming-of-age story for... |
Matthew Jones Matt Jones (writer) Matthew David Jones is a British television writer and producer, who has worked on a variety of popular drama programmes for several television networks in the UK.... |
July 1997 |
| 4 | Ship of Fools | Dave Stone Dave Stone -Biography:Stone has written many spin off novels based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who and Judge Dredd.Stone also contributed a number of comic series to 2000AD and the Judge Dredd Megazine, focusing on the Dreddverse... |
August 1997 |
| 5 | Down Down (Bernice Summerfield) Down is an original novel by Lawrence Miles featuring the fictional archaeologist Bernice Summerfield. The New Adventures were a spin-off from the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.... |
Lawrence Miles Lawrence Miles Lawrence Miles is a science fiction author known for his work on original Doctor Who novels and the subsequent spin-off Faction Paradox... |
September 1997 |
| 6 | Deadfall Deadfall (Bernice Summerfield) Deadfall is an original novel by Gary Russell featuring the fictional archaeologist Bernice Summerfield. The New Adventures were a spin-off from the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.... |
Gary Russell Gary Russell Gary James Russell is a freelance writer and former child actor. As a writer, he is best known for his work in connection with the television series Doctor Who and its spin-offs in other media... |
October 1997 |
| 7 | Ghost Devices Ghost Devices Ghost Devices is an original novel by Simon Bucher-Jones featuring the fictional archaeologist Bernice Summerfield. The New Adventures were a spin-off from the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.... |
Simon Bucher-Jones Simon Bucher-Jones Simon Bucher-Jones in Liverpool; he is a British author, poet, artist, and amateur actor, best known for his Doctor Who novels for Virgin and the BBC and as a contributor to the Faction Paradox spin-off series.... |
November 1997 |
| 8 | Mean Streets Mean Streets (Bernice Summerfield) Mean Streets is an original novel by Terrance Dicks featuring the fictional archaeologist Bernice Summerfield. The New Adventures were a spin-off from the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.-External links:*... |
Terrance Dicks Terrance Dicks Terrance Dicks is an English writer, best known for his work in television and for writing a large number of popular children's books during the 1970s and 80s.- Early career :... |
December 1997 |
| 9 | Tempest Tempest (Bernice Summerfield) Tempest is an original novel by Christopher Bulis featuring the fictional archaeologist Bernice Summerfield. The New Adventures were a spin-off from the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.-Synopsis:... |
Christopher Bulis Christopher Bulis Christopher Bulis is a writer best known for his work on various Doctor Who spin-offs. He is one of the most prolific authors to write for the various ranges of spin-offs from the BBC Television series Doctor Who, with twelve novels to his name, and between 1993 and 2000 he had at least one Doctor... |
January 1998 |
| 10 | Walking to Babylon Walking to Babylon Walking to Babylon is a 1998 novel by Kate Orman in the Virgin New Adventures series featuring the fictional archaeologist Bernice Summerfield .... |
Kate Orman Kate Orman Kate Orman is an Australian author, best known for her books connected to the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who.-Biography:... |
February 1998 |
| 11 | Oblivion Oblivion (Bernice Summerfield) Oblivion is an original novel by Dave Stone featuring the fictional archaeologist Bernice Summerfield. The New Adventures were a spin-off from the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.... |
Dave Stone Dave Stone -Biography:Stone has written many spin off novels based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who and Judge Dredd.Stone also contributed a number of comic series to 2000AD and the Judge Dredd Megazine, focusing on the Dreddverse... |
March 1998 |
| 12 | The Medusa Effect The Medusa Effect The Medusa Effect is an original novel by Justin Richards featuring the fictional archaeologist Bernice Summerfield. The New Adventures were a spin-off from the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.... |
Justin Richards Justin Richards Justin Richards is a British writer. He has written science fiction and fantasy novels, including series set in Victorian or early-20th-century London, and also adventure stories set in the present day... |
April 1998 |
| 13 | Dry Pilgrimage Dry Pilgrimage Dry Pilgrimage is an original novel by Paul Leonard and Nick Walters featuring the fictional archaeologist Bernice Summerfield. The New Adventures were a spin-off from the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.... |
Paul Leonard Paul Leonard (writer) Paul J. Leonard Hinder, better known by his pseudonym of Paul Leonard and also originally published as PJL Hinder, is an author best known for his work on various spin-off fiction based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.Leonard has acknowledged a debt to his... and Nick Walters Nick Walters (writer) Nick Walters is a British writer. He has written many spin off novels based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, as well as cowriting one featuring Bernice Summerfield.Walters is a regular guest at the science fiction event Microcon.... |
May 1998 |
| 14 | The Sword of Forever The Sword of Forever The Sword of Forever is an original novel by Jim Mortimore featuring the fictional archaeologist Bernice Summerfield. The New Adventures were a spin-off from the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.-Synopsis:... |
Jim Mortimore Jim Mortimore Jim Mortimore is a British science fiction writer, who has written several spin-off novels for popular television series, principally Doctor Who, but also Farscape and Babylon 5.... |
June 1998 |
| 15 | Another Girl, Another Planet Another Girl, Another Planet (Bernice Summerfield) Another Girl, Another Planet is an original novel by Len Beech and Martin Day featuring the fictional archaeologist Bernice Summerfield... |
Martin Day Martin Day Martin Day is a screenwriter and novelist best known for his work on various spin-offs related to the BBC Television series Doctor Who, and many episodes of the daytime soaps Doctors and Family Affairs.-Work:... and Len Beech Steve Bowkett Steve Bowkett is a writer and hypnotherapist. Born and raised in South Wales he moved to Leicestershire with his family in the Sixties. He writes children's fiction and poetry and wrote three adult horror novels under the pseudonym of Ben Leech... |
August 1998 |
| 16 | Beige Planet Mars Beige Planet Mars Beige Planet Mars is an original novel by Lance Parkin and Mark Clapham featuring the fictional archaeologist Bernice Summerfield. The New Adventures were a spin-off from the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.... |
Lance Parkin Lance Parkin Lance Parkin is a British author, best known for writing fiction and reference books for television series, in particular Doctor Who and Emmerdale... and Mark Clapham Mark Clapham Mark Clapham is a British author, best known for writing fiction and reference books for television series, in particular Doctor Who in his book : Who's Next.... |
October 1998 |
| 17 | Where Angels Fear Where Angels Fear Where Angels Fear is an original novel by Rebecca Levene and Simon Winstone featuring the fictional archaeologist Bernice Summerfield. The New Adventures were a spin-off from the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.... |
Rebecca Levene Rebecca Levene Rebecca Levene is a British author and editor, best known for editing Virgin's New Adventures series of original fiction Doctor Who novels.-Biography:... and Simon Winstone Simon Winstone Simon Winstone is a British author and editor, known for his work on Doctor Who and on the BBC soap opera EastEnders.Winstone worked for Virgin Books, overseeing their Missing Adventures Doctor Who series and briefly being in charge of the New Adventures after the series had ceased being a Doctor... |
December 1998 |
| 18 | The Mary-Sue Extrusion The Mary-Sue Extrusion The Mary-Sue Extrusion is an original novel by Dave Stone featuring the fictional archaeologist Bernice Summerfield. The New Adventures were a spin-off from the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.... |
Dave Stone Dave Stone -Biography:Stone has written many spin off novels based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who and Judge Dredd.Stone also contributed a number of comic series to 2000AD and the Judge Dredd Megazine, focusing on the Dreddverse... |
February 1999 |
| 19 | Dead Romance Dead Romance Dead Romance is an original novel by Lawrence Miles, originally published as part of the Virgin New Adventures series. The New Adventures were a spin-off from the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who... |
Lawrence Miles Lawrence Miles Lawrence Miles is a science fiction author known for his work on original Doctor Who novels and the subsequent spin-off Faction Paradox... |
March 1999 |
| 20 | Tears of the Oracle Tears of the Oracle Tears of the Oracle is an original novel by Justin Richards featuring the fictional archaeologist Bernice Summerfield. The New Adventures were a spin-off from the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.-Synopsis:... |
Justin Richards Justin Richards Justin Richards is a British writer. He has written science fiction and fantasy novels, including series set in Victorian or early-20th-century London, and also adventure stories set in the present day... |
June 1999 |
| 21 | Return To The Fractured Planet Return to the Fractured Planet Return to the Fractured Planet is an original novel by Dave Stone featuring the fictional archaeologist Bernice Summerfield. The New Adventures were a spin-off from the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.... |
Dave Stone Dave Stone -Biography:Stone has written many spin off novels based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who and Judge Dredd.Stone also contributed a number of comic series to 2000AD and the Judge Dredd Megazine, focusing on the Dreddverse... |
August 1999 |
| 22 | The Joy Device The Joy Device The Joy Device is an original novel by Justin Richards featuring the fictional archaeologist Bernice Summerfield. The New Adventures were a spin-off from the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.... |
Justin Richards Justin Richards Justin Richards is a British writer. He has written science fiction and fantasy novels, including series set in Victorian or early-20th-century London, and also adventure stories set in the present day... |
October 1999 |
| 23 | Twilight of the Gods Twilight of the Gods (Bernice Summerfield) Twilight of the Gods is a novel by Mark Clapham and Jon de Burgh Miller from the Virgin New Adventures with the fictional archaeologist Bernice Summerfield as its main character. The New Adventures were based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who... |
Mark Clapham Mark Clapham Mark Clapham is a British author, best known for writing fiction and reference books for television series, in particular Doctor Who in his book : Who's Next.... and Jon de Burgh Miller Jon de Burgh Miller Jon de Burgh Miller is an author most associated with his work on a variety of spin-offs from the BBC Television series Doctor Who. He is also co-owner of and regular reviewer on the Shiny Shelf website.-Work:... |
December 1999 |
The adventures of Bernice Summerfield continued in a series of novels and short story anthologies published by Big Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and audio plays based, primarily, on cult British science fiction properties...
from 2000.
Recurring elements
The New Adventures significantly expanded the Doctor Who universeFictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
. The character of the Doctor was recast as Time's Champion, which was sometimes interpreted figuratively and sometimes literally — Time, Death and Pain are occasionally seen as personified beings (possibly Eternals
Enlightenment (Doctor Who)
Enlightenment is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was originally broadcast in four twice-weekly parts from March 1 to March 9, 1983...
), who were worshipped as gods in Ancient Gallifrey. The Doctor was also shown to have a link to the Other
Other (Doctor Who)
The Other is a fictional character in the expanded universe of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. A legendary figure in Time Lord history, the Other does not appear in the television series itself, but is mentioned several times in the spin-off media based on the...
, a figure from the time of Rassilon
Rassilon
Rassilon is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. In the backstory of the programme, he was the founder of Time Lord society on the planet Gallifrey...
and Omega
Omega (Doctor Who)
Omega is a fictional character from the long-running British science fiction television series, Doctor Who. In the context of the series, Omega is known as one of the founding fathers of the Time Lords of the planet Gallifrey, and is a revered figure in Time Lord history together with the equally...
; the nature of this link was most explicitly shown in Lungbarrow.
Many new parts of the TARDIS were seen in the New Adventures, including a tertiary console room made of stone. The Doctor was also seen to have a house in Kent which he used as a base of operations at different points in the 20th and 21st centuries; this "House on Allen Road" first appeared in Cat's Cradle: Warhead
Cat's Cradle: Warhead
Cat's Cradle: Warhead is an original novel written by Andrew Cartmel and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor and Ace...
. Also appearing in Warhead and its sequels, Warlock
Warlock (Doctor Who)
Warlock is an original novel written by Andrew Cartmel and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Bernice. The book is the middle novel in the "War trilogy", following on from Cat's Cradle: Warhead and concluding in...
and Warchild
Warchild (Doctor Who)
Warchild is an original novel written by Andrew Cartmel and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Bernice, Chris, and Roz. This novel marks the conclusion of the "War trilogy" begun in Cat's Cradle: Warhead and Warlock, both...
(all by Andrew Cartmel
Andrew Cartmel
Andrew Cartmel is a British science fiction writer and journalist, and former script editor of Doctor Who. He has also worked as a script editor on other television series, as a magazine editor, a film studies lecturer and as a novelist.-Biography:...
) are the ecological activist Justine and psychic Vincent Wheaton.
Alien races created for the New Adventures include the Chelonians (who first appear in The Highest Science
The Highest Science
The Highest Science is an original novel written by Gareth Roberts and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor and Bernice and the first appearance of the recurring monsters, the Chelonians...
) and the Pakhars (who first appear in Legacy
Legacy (Doctor Who)
Legacy is an original novel written by Gary Russell and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Ace, Bernice, the Ice Warriors and Alpha Centauri and a return for the Doctor to Peladon. A prelude to the novel, also penned by...
). Another group of adversaries who appear in several New and Missing Adventures are the Great Old Ones, derived from H. P. Lovecraft
H. P. Lovecraft
Howard Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
's Cthulhu Mythos
Cthulhu Mythos
The Cthulhu Mythos is a shared fictional universe, based on the work of American horror writer H. P. Lovecraft.The term was first coined by August Derleth, a contemporary correspondent of Lovecraft, who used the name of the creature Cthulhu - a central figure in Lovecraft literature and the focus...
. In the New Adventures, these beings are survivors of the universe before this one, who therefore exist in accordance with a different set of physical laws. A being calling itself Azathoth in All-Consuming Fire
All-Consuming Fire
All-Consuming Fire is an original novel written by Andy Lane and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The novel is a crossover with Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional detective Sherlock Holmes featuring the characters of both Holmes and Doctor Watson, and also...
turns out to be an impostor, but the novel identifies several other Doctor Who monsters with Lovecraftian entities: the Great Intelligence
Yeti (Doctor Who)
The Yeti of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, although resembling the cryptozoological creatures also called the Yeti, are in actuality alien robots. Their external appearance, that of a huge hairy biped, disguises a small spherical mechanism that provides its motive power...
is Yog-Sothoth
Yog-Sothoth
Yog-Sothoth is a cosmic entity of the fictional Cthulhu Mythos and the Dream Cycle of H. P. Lovecraft. Yog-Sothoth's name was first mentioned in his novella The Case of Charles Dexter Ward...
, the Animus is Lloigor
Zhar (Great Old One)
Zhar is a fictional deity in the Cthulhu Mythos. The being first appeared in the short story "The Lair of the Star-Spawn" by August Derleth and Mark Schorer.-Zhar in the mythos:...
, Fenric is Hastur the Unspeakable
Hastur
Hastur is a fictional entity of the Cthulhu Mythos. Hastur first appeared in Ambrose Bierce's short story "Haïta the Shepherd" as a benign god of shepherds. Robert W...
, and an Old One encountered in White Darkness
White Darkness
White Darkness is an original novel written by David A. McIntee and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Bernice...
is Cthulhu
Cthulhu
Cthulhu is a fictional character that first appeared in the short story "The Call of Cthulhu", published in the pulp magazine Weird Tales in 1928. The character was created by writer H. P...
.
The early New Adventures were explicitly linked in story arc
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
s, indicated in the books' titles. Later novels in the series were often, but not always, linked in looser story arcs, which were noted in publicity materials but not in the titles.
Timewyrm
- During a visit to Ancient MesopotamiaMesopotamiaMesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
, the Doctor accidentally grants a cybernetically enhanced alien queen the ability to travel freely in time, thus creating the TimewyrmTimewyrmThe Timewyrm is the name of a recurring villain from the Virgin New Adventures spin-off novels based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who. The character featured in a four-novel story arc: Timewyrm: Genesys, Timewyrm: Exodus, Timewyrm: Apocalypse and Timewyrm: Revelation.The...
. The Doctor and Ace pursue the Timewyrm through time and space, from a Nazi-occupied Britain to the far future. Eventually, after a battle within his own mind, the Doctor is able to trap the Timewyrm in the body of a mindless baby, forcing it to relinquish its power and memories but giving it a new chance at life
Cat's Cradle
- The TARDISTARDISThe TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
is damaged by a three-way collision with an alien parasite and time explorers from ancient GallifreyGallifreyGallifrey is a fictional planet in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who and is the homeworld of the Doctor and the Time Lords...
. While the TARDIS attempts to repair itself, the Doctor and Ace fight the sinister Butler Corporation in the early 21st century. The final repairs to the TARDIS's link to the Eye of HarmonyEye of HarmonyThe Eye of Harmony is an artificial black hole created by the Time Lords to provide energy for their home world of Gallifrey and their time travel technology in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.-First appearances:...
require organic material, which the Doctor eventually acquires after a visit to Wales and Tír na n-ÓgTír na nÓgTír na nÓg is the most popular of the Otherworlds in Irish mythology. It is perhaps best known from the story of Oisín, one of the few mortals who lived there, who was said to have been brought there by Niamh of the Golden Hair. It was where the Tuatha Dé Danann settled when they left Ireland's...
, a planet inhabited by beings modelled after figures from Celtic mythologyCeltic mythologyCeltic mythology is the mythology of Celtic polytheism, apparently the religion of the Iron Age Celts. Like other Iron Age Europeans, the early Celts maintained a polytheistic mythology and religious structure...
and English folkloreEnglish folkloreEnglish folklore is the folk tradition which has developed in England over a number of centuries. Some stories can be traced back to their roots, while the origin of others is uncertain or disputed...
. However, unbeknownst to the Doctor, the organic material is tainted with a demonic intelligence, which infects the TARDIS.
Future History Cycle
- On the planet Heaven, Ace falls in love with a Traveller named Jan. However, when Heaven is threatened by the deadly fungal Hoothi, the Doctor manipulates Jan into sacrificing himself to destroy the Hoothi. Furious, Ace leaves the Doctor's company, and he is joined by archaeologist Bernice SummerfieldBernice SummerfieldBernice Surprise Summerfield is a fictional character created by author Paul Cornell as a new companion of the Seventh Doctor in Virgin Publishing's range of original full-length Doctor Who novels, the New Adventures...
. Benny and the Doctor travel through the history of Earth and its colonies from the 22nd through 26th centuries, having adventures alongside Kadiatu Lethbridge-StewartKadiatu Lethbridge-StewartKadiatu Lethbridge-Stewart is a fictional character from the Virgin New Adventures range of spin-offs based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who. She is a descendant of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart....
and William BlakeWilliam BlakeWilliam Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age...
. Both the TARDIS and the Doctor begin behaving more and more erratic as a result of the TARDIS's infection. As part of his plan to remove the infection, the Doctor brings Ace back on board the TARDIS, but she has spent three years fighting DalekDalekThe Daleks are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Within the series, Daleks are cyborgs from the planet Skaro, created by the scientist Davros during the final years of a thousand-year war against the Thals...
s in Earth's Spacefleet, and has been somewhat hardened by the experience. Ace rejoins the Doctor, and turns the tables on him by manipulating him into a mission on the planet Lucifer.
- The Doctor continues to stage manage events like a chess master playing on multiple boards. At one point he even deposits Benny and Ace in 1909 and the distant future, respectively, to defeat an alien invasion on their own, while he uses the TARDIS's "Jade Pagoda" and defeats a CybermanCybermanThe Cybermen are a fictional race of cyborgs who are amongst the most persistent enemies of the Doctor in the British science fiction television series, Doctor Who. Cybermen were originally a wholly organic species of humanoids originating on Earth's twin planet Mondas that began to implant more...
plot in 2006.
Alternate History Cycle
- The TARDIS lands in a tar pit in an Earth ruled by the SiluriansSilurian (Doctor Who)The Silurians are a fictional race of reptile-like humanoids in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The species first appeared in Doctor Who in the 1970 serial Doctor Who and the Silurians...
. This is an alternate universeParallel universe (fiction)A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
in which the Third DoctorThird DoctorThe Third Doctor is the third incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by actor Jon Pertwee....
died in a Silurian prison and was not able to prevent the Silurian plagueDoctor Who and the SiluriansDoctor Who and the Silurians is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in seven weekly parts from January 31 to March 14, 1970. The story is the first appearance of a recurring family of Earth-dwelling reptiles...
from devastating the human race. The Doctor recognizes that this universe is draining energy from the real one, and creates a Time RamThe Time MonsterThe Time Monster is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from 20 May to 24 June 1972.- Synopsis :...
with his counterpart's TARDIS and his own, to destroy the altered reality; his own TARDIS is apparently destroyed, and he leaves in his counterpart's. The Doctor realises that someone has been altering the past, including the Doctor's own timeline. An alteration of the Doctor's encounter with the MatrixMatrix (Doctor Who)The Matrix, in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who, is a massive computer system on the planet Gallifrey that acts as the repository of the combined knowledge of the Time Lords....
allows an ancient Gallifreyan evil to be resurrected; the psychic force of a dead Aztec priest-king survives for much longer than it should; and the Land of Fiction survives the Doctor's previous visitThe Mind RobberThe Mind Robber is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in five weekly parts from September 14 to October 12, 1968...
, with a new Writer (a young man named Jason) who traps the Doctor in a poorly constructed fictional world. Eventually the changes are revealed as the work of the Meddling MonkMeddling MonkThe Meddling Monk, or simply The Monk, was a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Played by the British comic actor Peter Butterworth, the character appeared in two stories: as an adversary of the First Doctor.Other than the...
here named "Mortimus" and using a captured ChronovoreThe Time MonsterThe Time Monster is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from 20 May to 24 June 1972.- Synopsis :...
to alter the timeline. He frees the VardansThe Invasion of TimeThe Invasion of Time is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from 4 February to 11 March 1978...
from the time loop the Doctor had imprisoned them in, but the Doctor and UNITUnited Nations Intelligence TaskforceUNIT is a fictional military organisation from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures...
are able to defeat an attempted Vardan invasion of Earth in 1976. Ace pretends to join the Monk and frees the Chronovore, who restores (most) of the altered realities to their status quo ante. Her encounter with the Monk also helps Ace to forgive the Doctor for his past manipulations.
- After a visit to Peladon, Benny briefly leaves the Doctor and Ace to join an Ice WarriorIce WarriorThe Ice Warriors are a fictional extraterrestrial race of reptilian-like humanoids in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The race originated on Mars, and first appeared in the 1967 serial The Ice Warriors where they encountered the Second Doctor and his...
archaeological team on Phaester Osiris. She rejoins them in time for the trio to become involved in a complex scheme by Irving BraxiatelIrving BraxiatelIrving Braxiatel or Cardinal Braxiatel is a fictional character from the Virgin New Adventures—spin-off novels based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who. He subsequently became a regular character in novels and audio dramas in the Bernice Summerfield universe...
to defeat a civilization of theatre-obsessed conquerors who had been threatening the Braxiatel Collection. In 1887, the trio join forces with Sherlock HolmesSherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
and Dr. Watson and encounter the Giant Rat of Sumatra before eventually traveling to Bombay and the planet Ry'lehR'lyehR'lyeh is a fictional lost city that first appeared in the H. P. Lovecraft short story "The Call of Cthulhu", first published in Weird Tales in 1928. According to Lovecraft's short story, R'lyeh is a sunken city in the South Pacific and the prison of the malevolent entity called Cthulhu.R'lyeh is...
to foil an alien impersonating the Great Old One AzathothAzathothAzathoth is a deity in the Cthulhu Mythos and Dream Cycle stories of H. P. Lovecraft and other authors. Its epithets include Nuclear Chaos, the Daemon Sultan and the Blind Idiot God.-Inspiration:...
.
- After spending several months running a speakeasy in 1920s Chicago, the Doctor returns to E-Space to face a renewed Vampire threat, and is reunited with RomanaRomanaRomana, short for Romanadvoratrelundar, is a fictional character in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
, who returns with him to GallifreyGallifreyGallifrey is a fictional planet in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who and is the homeworld of the Doctor and the Time Lords...
. At an Air Force base in 1957 New Mexico, the Doctor, Benny and Ace encounter the MasterMaster (Doctor Who)The Master is a recurring character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He is a renegade Time Lord and the archenemy of the Doctor....
, who has used nanotechnologyNanotechnologyNanotechnology is the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with developing materials, devices, or other structures possessing at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometres...
provided by a race known as the Tzun to restore and regenerate his body. Later, the three travelers meet one of the oldest beings in the universe, a "grey man" who tries to weaken the good-and-evil dualism which his people had instilled in the universe's structure.
- On Earth in the 21st century, the Doctor, Benny and Ace investigate a new drug called "warlock" which has the power to enable the user to transfer his or her mind to another place or body; they discover that drug is actually an alien gestalt intelligence, and help it to leave the Earth. A series of rifts in time and space (created by a crude time machine used by Kadiatu Lethbridge-Stewart) sends Ace to Ancient Egypt, Benny to France in 1798, and the Doctor to the Paris CommuneParis CommuneThe Paris Commune was a government that briefly ruled Paris from March 18 to May 28, 1871. It existed before the split between anarchists and Marxists had taken place, and it is hailed by both groups as the first assumption of power by the working class during the Industrial Revolution...
of 1871; the three are eventually reunited, but Ace decides to stay behind in Paris, keeping one of Kadiatu's time hoppers. She takes the title of Time's Vigilante.
- After Ace's departure, Benny has a series of painful losses. First, her friend Darius Cheynor (a 24th century officer first encountered in The Dimension Riders) survives an encounter with powerful Sensopaths from the end of time, only to be killed in a conflict with the cybernetic Phractons. Shortly thereafter, Bernice falls in love with the 13th century Knight TemplarKnights TemplarThe Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
Guy de Carnac, who apparently dies defending a CatharCatharCatharism was a name given to a Christian religious sect with dualistic and gnostic elements that appeared in the Languedoc region of France and other parts of Europe in the 11th century and flourished in the 12th and 13th centuries...
village in the Albigensian CrusadeAlbigensian CrusadeThe Albigensian Crusade or Cathar Crusade was a 20-year military campaign initiated by the Catholic Church to eliminate Catharism in Languedoc...
. Unable to understand Benny's grief on a human level, the Doctor purchases a device which alters his biodata, transforming him into a human named Dr. John Smith. Smith lives as a history teacher at an English public school, and falls in love with a fellow teacher named Joan. However, when alien Aubertides, hoping to acquire Time Lord abilities, attack the school, Smith sacrifices himself and becomes the Doctor once more; as the Time Lord, he is unable to love Joan in the way the human John Smith did. Joan gives the Doctor her cat Wolsey.
- Investigating a mysterious warning about Earth in the 30th century, the Doctor and Benny meet Adjudicators Roz ForresterRoz ForresterRoslyn Sarah Inyathi Forrester, usually just known as Roz Forrester, is a fictional character from the Virgin New Adventures range of spin-offs based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who....
and Chris CwejChris CwejChristopher Rodonanté Cwej, usually just known as Chris Cwej, is a fictional character from the Virgin New Adventures range of spin-offs based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who...
. The four discover extensive corruption in the Earth Empire, and a trail which leads them to the Doctor's old enemy Tobias VaughnThe Invasion (Doctor Who)The Invasion is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in eight weekly parts from 2 November to 21 December 1968...
, who had survived his betrayal by the Cybermen and worked for centuries behind the scenes to ensure that Earth was victorious over alien foes. Vaughn is a driving force behind the Earth Empire, but is defeated by the Doctor. Roz and Chris cannot return to the corrupt Adjudicator force, and join the Doctor and Benny in the TARDIS.
- The four travellers have several adventures in quick succession, from a journey to the strange pocket dimension known as the System, to an encounter with Chelonians on a distant planet. They also stop the abduction of children from 1919 Earth to fight in an unending war on the planet Q'ell.
- The Land of Fiction and its new Writer, Jason, trouble the Doctor again, this time creating a fictional "Dr. Who" whose two-dimensional morality contrasts with the complex manipulations of Time's Champion. In this adventure, the Doctor is temporarily reunited with both Ace and his former companion MelMelanie BushMel, also sometimes referred to as Melanie, is a fictional character in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. A computer programmer from the 20th Century who is a companion of the Sixth and Seventh Doctors, she was a regular in the programme from 1986 to 1987...
, who is dismayed at the changes the Doctor has undergone since she knew him. The Land of Fiction's energy had escaped into the real world as a side effect of Kadiatu Lethbridge-Stewart's time travel, so the Doctor finds Kadiatu and takes her to the Dyson SphereDyson sphereA Dyson sphere is a hypothetical megastructure originally described by Freeman Dyson. Such a "sphere" would be a system of orbiting solar power satellites meant to completely encompass a star and capture most or all of its energy output...
inhabited by the culture known as the People, who are so highly advanced that they have a non-aggression treaty with the Time Lords. While the Doctor, Roz and Chris investigate a possible murder, Benny helps Kadiatu overcome the programming which had turned her into a killing machine.
- Following this, the crews of both the TARDIS and the solar yachtSolar sailSolar sails are a form of spacecraft propulsion using the radiation pressure of light from a star or laser to push enormous ultra-thin mirrors to high speeds....
Tiger Moth become involved in the ongoing SontaranSontaranThe Sontarans are a fictional extraterrestrial race of humanoids from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and also seen in spin-off series The Sarah Jane Adventures. They were created by writer Robert Holmes.-Culture:...
/RutanRutan HostRutans are a fictional extraterrestrial race from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. They have been at war with the Sontaran Empire for more than 50,000 years, and this war dominates both cultures to the exclusion of all else...
conflict In 1941, Benny spends several months incognito in Nazi-occupied GuernseyGuernseyGuernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
, investigating a German weapon which has the potential to change the course of the Second World War — a weapon inspired by a passing remark made by the Doctor to a German scientist in 1936
Psi-Powers Cycle
- The TARDIS travellers next have several adventures involving humans with psychic abilitiesParapsychologyThe term parapsychology was coined in or around 1889 by philosopher Max Dessoir, and originates from para meaning "alongside", and psychology. The term was adopted by J.B. Rhine in the 1930s as a replacement for the term psychical research...
. Many of these involve a shadowy organization known as the Brotherhood. The first psi-powers encounter is a final encounter with Vincent Wheaton, who has lost his powers but is manipulating his psychic son Ricky. Next, the time travellers investigate an outbreak of psychic powers on the planet Yemaya 4 in the 23rd century, which turns out to be carrying the mind of a sentient computer. The travellers have several other adventures before their next encounter with the Brotherhood.
- In the distant Dagellan Cluster, while the Doctor attempts to mediate an interplanetary war between three stellar empires, a war which Roz and Chris become caught up in, Benny meets and falls in love with a displaced human drifter and con-artist named Jason Kane. The two decide to get married. The Doctor arranges a gala wedding in the English village of Cheldon Boniface, in the early 21st century, home of Ishtar Hutchings, the former Timewyrm. He invites and provides transportation for guests from points throughout time and space, including Ace, Kadiatu, Irving Braxiatel and Sherlock Holmes and Watson. The wedding is interrupted by the Master, who had stolen a Gallifreyan relic to build himself a new body, and had created a ForteanCharles FortCharles Hoy Fort was an American writer and researcher into anomalous phenomena. Today, the terms Fortean and Forteana are used to characterize various such phenomena. Fort's books sold well and are still in print today.-Biography:Charles Hoy Fort was born in 1874 in Albany, New York, of Dutch...
flicker to distract the Time Lords with improbable coincidences; however, his plan had backfired when the flicker caused the Doctor to coincidentally arrive to arrange Benny's wedding. The Master's backup plans are defeated with the help of Ishtar; the temporal energy she releases also rejuvenates the aging Brigadier Lethbridge-StewartBrigadier Lethbridge-StewartBrigadier Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, generally referred to simply as the Brigadier, is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, played by Nicholas Courtney...
. The Fortean flicker also returns the Doctor's original TARDIS from the alternate reality where it had been seemingly destroyed. The Doctor gives Benny and Jason two time rings as wedding presents.
- On MarsMars (Doctor Who)Mars, the fourth planet in our solar system, has been featured in the Doctor Who fictional universe on a number of occasions. In the various Doctor Who serials which feature the Ice Warriors, mention is made that Mars is their homeworld....
shortly before the Dalek invasion of EarthThe Dalek Invasion of EarthThe Dalek Invasion of Earth is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which originally aired in six weekly parts from November 21 to December 26, 1964....
, the Doctor, Roz and Chris discover a plan by a rogue Ice Warrior faction to assemble an ancient OsirianPyramids of MarsPyramids of Mars is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 25 October to 15 November 1975.-Synopsis:...
weapon to wreak revenge on the human colonists who have driven them off their planet. Returning to his investigations of human psi-powers, the Doctor travels to New York State in 1799, where he battles Cacophany, the Carnival Queen, representative of the irrationality banished from the universe by the earliest Time Lords.
- Benny then contacts the Doctor, asking for his help in discovering what happened to her father Isaac Summerfield, a Spacefleet Admiral who disappeared during a crucial battle with the Daleks. The Doctor and Bernice discover that Isaac's ship was caught in a time rift and ended up on Earth in the twentieth century. They find Isaac in an English village in 1983, running an underground railroad for stranded aliens. While Chris and Roz become closer, the Doctor and Benny deal with a plot to change human history.
- The Doctor recovers the trail of the mysterious Brotherhood in 1880s Paris, where several secret societies are using psychic powers to their own advantage. Investigating an unusually deadly shipment of cocaine in a London council estate in 1987, the Doctor, Roz and Chris discover that an ancient Gallifreyan weapon called an N-Form has been activated, in part by the distorted psychic bond between twins separated at birth. In the 2980s, while human nobles (including Roz's sister Leabie Forrester) fight for control of the Earth Empire, the Brotherhood (which has become a powerful player in galactic politics) hopes to use another Gallifreyan artefact, the Nexus, to induce psychic powers in all human beings. While the Doctor and Chris focus on the threat posed by the Brotherhood, Roz joins her sister in her bid to reform the corrupt Empire. Although the Doctor is able to defeat the Brotherhood utterly, he is unable to save Roz from dying in battle. Leabie becomes Empress, and at Roz's funeral the Doctor suffers a heart attack.
- While recovering from Roz's death in 1958 London, the Doctor and Chris encounter Moriah, an alien king who has been creating artificial life-forms in an effort to bring back his dead wife, and the Doctor's former companion PeriPeri BrownPeri Brown, full name Perpugilliam Brown, is a fictional character played by Nicola Bryant in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who....
, who has been trapped in a loveless marriage to King YrcanosMindwarpMindwarp is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 4 October to 25 October 1986. It is part of the larger narrative known as The Trial of a Time Lord, encompassing the whole of the 23rd season...
since she and the Doctor parted. In 2003, when Benny and Jason join two archaeological teams searching for Noah's ArkNoah's ArkNoah's Ark is a vessel appearing in the Book of Genesis and the Quran . These narratives describe the construction of the ark by Noah at God's command to save himself, his family, and the world's animals from the worldwide deluge of the Great Flood.In the narrative of the ark, God sees the...
, a ruthless Iranian soldier accidentally causes a deadly biological agent to be released in the Earth's atmosphere, killing hundreds of millions, including Liz ShawLiz Shaw (Doctor Who)Dr. Elizabeth "Liz" Shaw is a fictional character played by Caroline John in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who and its spin-offs...
. Benny and Jason agree to divorce.
- In 16th-century Japan, the Doctor meets Victorian time-traveller Penelope Gate (whom later BBC novels suggest may be his mother) and comes to terms with his recent losses and impending regeneration (of which he is aware). Chris also begins to heal and discover his own form of heroism. Finally, the Doctor returns to his family home on Gallifrey, where long-buried secrets are revealed. Chris decides to remain on Gallifrey and Romana, now Lady President, sends the Doctor to SkaroSkaroSkaro is a fictional planet from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who created by the writer Terry Nation as the home planet of the Daleks and, at times, the centre of the Dalek Empire....
to retrieve the Master's remains. This leads into the events of the television movieDoctor Who (1996)Doctor Who is a television movie based on the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Developed as a co-production amongst Universal Television, BBC Television, BBC Worldwide, and the American network FOX, the 1996 television film premiered on 12 May 1996 on CITV in Edmonton,...
.
- The Eighth DoctorEighth DoctorThe Eighth Doctor is the eighth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by Paul McGann...
meets Benny at the house on Allen Road in 1997, and the two of them (alongside the Brigadier) defeat an Ice Warrior invasion. At the story's end, the Doctor takes Benny to her new job in the 26th century, a position at St. Oscar's University on the planet Dellah.
External links
- The Cloister Library - commentaries on selected Doctor Who original novels.
- The TARDIS Librarys listing of New Adventures