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World Game Author: Terrance Dicks Review World Game begins within the confines of the End of the TV serial The War Games, which is Patrick Troughtons last story. More specifically, it alters the on-screen documentation of events to include this and many other stories between the convistion and sentencing of the Doctor by the Time Lords. Recent Doctor Who novels have largely been written to be stand-alone pieces of work, but the decision here was taken that World Game would reference many other works, both from the TV adventures and from the expanded universe including one of his own books: Players, a novel I have not read. Also included here is not only references to other work, but some dialogue and situations appear to me to have been lifted from other adventures. These include the Timescoop and Raston Warrior robot from the Five Doctors. Terrance Dicks association with Doctor Who goes back to 1968, and I have read, watched and listened to much of his work on Doctor Who. When I am looking for a new novel to buy, if I spot one written by Dicks, I always consider it as I like Dicks style of writing. In this book, Dicks once again goes back to Gallifrey and uses much of the continuity generated since The War Games, rather than that which had appeared at the time of broadcast. The Celestial Intervention Agency is used as a plot line to get the Doctor to perform the tasks set out in this book, and there are no recognised companions as the events depicted here occur after the companions at the time had been returned to their customary time and place in The War Games. The Doctors companion in World Game is another Time Lord, or rather a Time Lady in the form of Serena, an aristocratic Time Lady keen to climb the eschilons of Gallifreyan society. The story itself runs along a similar theme to that of The War Games, a story incidentally that Dicks co-wrote, in that a higher power is influencing Earth war history to their own ends. Instead of transporting the combatants to another place to fight their battles however, the aggressors here are playing a game to amuse themselves by taking a war and trying to win it for the side they have chosen. The wars in question here is the Napoleonic wars, and the aggressors are trying to make Napoleon win by influencing him, and assassinating the major players on the other side, Wellington and Nelson. What then follows is a battle between the Doctor, aided by Serena, and the opposition, headed by the mysterious Countess. As far as the book goes, it is a fairly pleasant romp through Europe, particularly Paris. The parts I enjoyed more were generally when the Doctor was moving around Paris, as I have recently had a holiday there and it was good to reminisce. The dialogue from the only familiar character, The Doctor, doesn't really evoke in me a typicality of what Troughton would necessarily have said. I always say that a Doctor Who book can be judged on the dialogue of the familiar characters, and Dicks just doesn't quite achieve it here for me. The plot is very well thought out however, even providing a lead in to The Two DOctors at the end, and the characters are well developed and fit well with the story. Having said that, the whole theme of the book sounds to me rather like Terrance Dicks is just trying to provide explanation and continuity between his and others work, both from the TV adventures and the expanded universe. In this respect, Dicks largely succeeds, but I would probably rather read a book that was a completely stand-alone adventure rather than one that relies upon continutiy to provide the context. Overall, World Game seems to me to be a book that tries too hard to be a linking force between many adventures in the Doctor Who universe. The story itself is pleasant enough and it's read fairly easily, but it's not a story I would say left me with a really positive vibe. So, it's pleasant enough, but there are plenty of other books I would recommend before this one. Rating:  |