Doctor Who: Harvest of Time: A Novel

The first new third Doctor novel released since 2005, Harvest Of Time was the second new novel featuring a past Doctor released as part of Doctor Who's fiftieth anniversary year. Written by noted UK science fiction writer Alistair Reynolds, the book had expectations built up around it as both anew third Doctor story and as a novel by Reynolds. So how does the novel fare then?Harvest Of Time certainly captures the Pertwee era and does so in large part because Reynolds certainly knows the TV characters, as evidenced by the strength of their characterizations. The third Doctor and the Master in particular are well served as both are captured perfectly, especially in their dialogue and interactions with one another. There's one scene in particular, set in the TARDIS and featuring just the two characters, that would have been wonderful to see onscreen if only to see what actors Jon Pertwee and Roger Delgado would have made of it. The other returning TV characters (Jo Grant, the Brigadier, Captain Yates and Sergeant Benton) are all put to good use as well, if a bit under-used as they're all effectively relegated to the sidelines of the story about midway or so through. Overall though, the characterizations are strong and indeed it's hard at times not to imagine that this is some unmade story from the Pertwee era simply because they're that good. As strong as the characterizations are, the book captures the feel of the era in other ways. The various settings bring to mind a number of Pertwee/UNIT stories from the Master being imprisoned in a nuclear power station to the oil rig where much of the sub-plot takes place, the latter echoing not just The Sea Devils but the later fourth Doctor story Terror Of The Zygons as well. The novel's action sequences could also have come straight out of the era, especially the battles between UNIT troops and the invading Sild. Indeed, the way the book's second half unfolds with increasing emphasis on the Doctor and the Master journeying into the far future calls to mind the way that various stories from throughout the Pertwee era were often structured. The references to earlier third Doctor stories and indeed echoes of some things that would come later in the show are all nicely done as well. As a result, Harvest Of Time feels like a part of the era and indeed nicely fits somewhere between The Daemons and The Sea Devils (and more than likely after Day Of The Daleks as well).While evoking the era well, the novel fares nicely in other aspects as well. The various secondary characters are nicely drawn out as being believable, if often doomed from shady government officials to the alien Praxilons and their leader the Red Queen. The novel also flows along nicely, though its evoking of the era does effectively leave Jo and UNIT as part of a subplot that ultimately serves little purpose and ultimately feels like little more than padding (though very god padding it must be said). The novel is also ultimately shakes off the studio feel of the period and is, of course, able to do things that the series could never dreamed of doing at the time.Despite some minor flaws, Harvest Of Time succeeds nicely as a Doctor Who novel. It perfectly captures both the characters and feel of the third Doctor era while also doing things that the series could never have done at the time. For fans of Doctor Who, and indeed the third Doctor era as a whole, the book is wholeheartedly recommended.

I'm an Alastair Reynolds fan boy. The first book I read by him was  Revelation Space  and I was hooked. I read all of the Revelation Space books, including the stories like  Diamond Dogs, Turquoise Days . I've also read Reynolds' non-Revelation space books like  Pushing Ice  and  Blue Remembered Earth .A sign of fan boydom is if you slavishly buy anything that the author writes. That would be me. When Doctor Who: Harvest of Time came out I bought the book (in the Kindle edition), although I have never seen a Doctor Who television episode or read a Doctor Who book. In fact I was completely ignorant about the Doctor Who universe. Fortunately Wikipedia was able to provide some background.Although I'm an admirer of Alistair Reynolds, I'm not a big fan of this book. Perhaps I'm just the wrong kind of fan boy. I might have liked it more if I was a Doctor Who fan. Reynolds does seem to be a Doctor Who fan and this book may have been a labor of love.The book is set in the Doctor Who universe and time, which, apparently corresponds to the late Doctor Who television show production timeline. This time appears to be in the 1980s, when personal computers were just starting to become available. Most of modern technology and Reynolds' science fiction obsessions are missing. There is no nanotechnology or even Tokamac fusion reactors. There is one brief reference to a scale-free network, which is a term that was coined in the late 1990s. Other than this, there are not references to post-cyberpunk science fiction ideas. There is, however, time travel, space ships, really nasty aliens and alien cultures.The science fiction is anachronistic. The Doctor (that's his name, so presumably people ask "Doctor Who?") has a time and space traveling device called a TARDIS which looks like a British police phone box. It's much bigger inside than outside. But the Doctor doesn't seem to have any other technology. Unlike Reynolds, who is a Phd astrophysicist, the writers of the Doctor Who series didn't think too deeply about the implications of time travel.Within the somewhat strange confines of the Doctor Who universe, the book is well written. The characters are well drawn. There's a really nasty alien threat. There's lots of time travel and lots of time paradox. Apparently the arch-nemesis of the Doctor is the Master, who plays a prominent part in this story. The Master has decided that to be evil and attempt to spread chaos and destruction as much as possible. The Master doesn't seem to have that much fun being evil, so it's not clear why he has decided that this is his life's work.I found the story mildly engaging. I was able to finish the book without any trouble, but I didn't find it a page turner. Since the story is constrained by the Doctor Who universe the fascinating ideas that appear in the Revelation Space books, like the Cryo-arithmetic Engine, are missing from this book.In retrospect I suppose that I would rather have checked this book out of the library. If you're a big fan of the Doctor Who universe you might enjoy it more than I did. If for some reason Reynolds writes another Doctor Who book (I certainly hope he will focus his considerable talent elsewhere), I would give it a pass. So far this is Reynolds' weakest book (at least for someone who is not a Doctor Who fan).

An original Doctor Who novel. Featuring the Third Doctor. Jo. The Brigadier and UNIT. It is a wholly new story which hasn't appeared before in any other medium.It's a complete and self contained book in three hundred and sixty five pages. There are thirty five chapters. Plus a prologue and an epilogue.The BBC usually markets their Doctor Who books for all ages, but this range, past rather than current Doctors, tends to be bigger and a bit more detailed. So younger readers might struggle with some of it.The story sees UNIT investigating a mysterious incident on a North sea oil rig. Meantime, strange crab like creatures are taking over humans. The Sild have arrived. A terrible menace thought lost to time. The Doctor might need the help of the Master in order to defeat them. And yet people can't remember who the latter is...This does a pretty good job at recapturing the feel of it's era of the show. And of the supporting cast as well. It also has a pretty good cast of wholly original supporting characters. A couple of whom do get some good depth and motivation and character arcs.In trying to be a story that fits the normal format - something bigger and more involved and with more scope than could be managed on tv - it does pretty much succeed at that as well. Although the story diverges paths halfway through. With the Doctor and the Master off in space and time whilst UNIT deal with things on Earth. The former half, whilst having some great scenes between the two time lords, does get a bit involved and perhaps somewhat too, to coin that phrase, timey wimey. It is all very clever though and it does all come together well in the end. But it's not a book that, in the second half, really manages to keep up the momentum of it's first.A decent attempt at a Third Doctor novel, though, and worth four stars.

This is a well written and entertaining Doctor Who story that, for the most part, ably captures the style, feel and essence of the Jon Pertwee tenure, particularly the middle years with Jo Grant. As such some of it is exactly what might be expected from a more UNIT orientated story, certainly in the first half. However, much of the early stages of the novel with oil rigs in Scotland can’t help but be more reminiscent of the last typical style UNIT story, ‘Terror of the Zygons’, and there are also a splattering of references to 2000s Who included.There is some good characterisation of Jo and a good portion of the novel is virtually from her perspective. She and Yates have a fair involvement in events to start with but their roles, and that of UNIT, become less prevalent. As the novel progresses it becomes less about UNIT and far more about the relationship between the Doctor and the Master. This seems to be an area the author is keen to explore and, although it is fun to revisit, at times perhaps the novel gets a little bogged down with it, detracting from the plot.Although the interaction between them is enjoyable it is a little more ‘friendly’ than the televised portrayals and there is less of the acerbic wit that was so much fun. The relationship between the Doctor and the Master also seems a little unbalanced in the novel, the Master often being portrayed as seemingly far more intelligent and capable than the Doctor. In many ways this is more of a story about the Master than the Doctor. It might well be the most illuminating story about the Master yet.Most of the time, especially in the earlier Earthbound sections, the author is quite clearly portraying the Roger Delgado incarnation of the Master and does a fairly good job of capturing it. However, little hints of various other incarnations begin to creep in at times. But this is fair enough considering some of the content of the story. The Doctor on the other hand doesn’t really come across very strongly as being the Third. His characterisation slips into a more generic image of the Doctor and, in the absence of UNIT personnel, it could easily be several of the other incarnations.The Sild are a promising alien menace. But despite being initially interesting they soon become little different to possessed people, duplicates or zombies. There also seems to be a bit of a ‘Star Gate’ influence to them.There are some nice ideas within the novel and good use of space and time. The twists to the story can sometimes be somewhat easy to work out though.

I was very exicted about the prospect of a Doctor Who book by Alastair Reynolds, but also a bit nervous (memories of Michael Moorcock's efforts). This book was a total triumph. Alastair Reynolds has taken his skill as a sci-fi writer, and his obvious knowledge of and love for classic Doctor Who and written a brilliant Third Doctor story. Set after the Sea Devils story, this has the Third Doctor as portrayed by Jon Pertwee teamed up against Roger Delgado's Master. Old friends, older adversaries, the shared heritage that the Doctor and the Master have always showed through in unique ways in the Third Doctor era stories. And this has been captured perfectly in this story.The Doctor and Jo investigate issues on oil rigs north of the coast of Scotland. Unknown to them, a small team from the Ministry of Defence is also doing some research of their own, utilising the skills of Prisoner M - a top security prisoner being held at the Durlston Heath complex under total lockdown. Or is he?This story utilises the brilliant classic Third Doctor, Jo, and the UNIT team with the Brigadier, Mike Yates, Benton. There are helicopter rides, aliens from time and space, Timelord history, and good old 1970 English life portrayed in the book. The aliens are suitably alien, the bad guys are suitably evil, the Master and the Doctor are perfectly portrayed, down to mannerisms and conversational patterns. The author has written a total `classic' Doctor Who story, and one that will rightfully take pride of place in the Doctor Who novelisations. (But I did feel sorry for the cows!). I heartily hope that Mr Reynolds has plans to write some more Doctor Who.Totally recommended.

How to add anything to the vast body of justified positive reaction to Harvest of Time?There is next to nothing to fault.Alastair Reynolds reminds us that Jon Pertwee's time as Doctor Who was something to celebrate, not leave out in the cold. He captures Roger Delgado's performance as the Master wistfully well, and uses the scope of the prose form to add unexpected depth. Katy Manning's Jo Grant jumps off the page too, with the addition of a little inner life of her own. He even pays wheezing, groaning homage to the Target house style."Harvest of Time" runs nose to nose with, and maybe a little ahead of, Mark Gatiss's "Last of the Gaderene". With all the right notes in the right order, it's a reminder that an untarnished English 1970s pop culture icon should be treasured to the last smear of video flare and frame of grainy location film.

ABSOLUTELY EXCELLENT! I have listened to a fair number of Who cast audio CDs, and some audio narrative such as this, and without question, even though this is the longest by far (10 CDs) and lacking any key adversaries (Dales, Cybermen, etc) somehow this story stands head and shoulders above the rest. It's based on John Pertwee's Dr Who, and you can truly imagine him speaking all the way through, and the master too, plus the rest of the cast (Jo, Brigadier). Although this one's based in the not-so-recent (1974?) so the Doc's not so familiar to the newer generation of viewers anyone who can recall him can immediately identify the role as the story is read along.I've listened to a number of unabridged stories narated, initailly wary that I may not enjoy them as much as a full-cast drama, and because this is so long (almost 12 hours) I worried that it would be padded out with boring bits but I was so wrong. This is the best written and read, and most captivating of all the Who audios I've had the grand pleasure of listening to which I do on my way to and from work (hour each way).RECOMMENDED - by me anyway.