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Only Human Author: Gareth Roberts Review Only Human marks my first foray into the world of new series books, and I have to admit to being a little apprehensive about what the results would be. The story features Christopher Ecclestons Doctor, Billie Pipers Rose and John Barrowmans Captain Jack. Only Human is an adventure where the aggressors are humans from the future, who are using dangerous time travel technology to further the ends of Chantal, who wants to recreate the human race with more superior beings who do not have the same fallabilities as you and I. The plan is to travel back in time to the point where the humans are wiping out the Neanderthals, and introduce Hy-Bractors (the superior humans) to the mix so they become the dominant species. The society that the aggressors come from is an interesting one from a socialogical perspective. Essentially, no electronic devices are possible in their time due to a war that rendered them useless for a long period. The future humans have therefore advanced their society in different ways, most notably that they have fully understood the human form, can take it apart and put it together again easily, and have eliminated most imperfections so much so that life expectancy ranges in the hundreds. They have also eliminated all real emotion with the use of drugs. They have 'popper packs' where combinations of drugs can be administered by 'dialing' a code in, thus eliminating any bad feeling. This creates a bizarre set of people, deviod of emotion, subserviant and devoted to tasks. In many ways the situation is reminiscent of the Cybermen. The book reads much like you would expect it to having watched the new TV series. The pace is fast, the language is modern and the plot is believable. The acid test for me when reading any book though is whether the dialogue from the main characters matches what I think they could say given their on-screen appearances. For example, Tom Baker wouldn't use Hartnells vernacular, it wouldn't sit right. In this respect, Gareth Roberts seems to have it spot on for me. Nothing is said that couldn't have been scripted for the TV series. My only disappointment really is that Captain Jack is relegated to being largely a bystander for the majority of the book. He is left in todays earth babysitting a Neanderthal while the Doctor and Rose travel back in time to sort the whole mess out. If you have read my new TV series reviews, you will be aware that I love Captain Jack as a character, and think he is a far better companion than Rose. I therefore like stories where Jack is more heavily involved, rather than it being Rose as the foremost companion. That said, the story is strong enough for me not to be overly concerned about this. Overall, Only Human is in my opinion one of the strongest Dr Who novels I have ever read. The vernacular of the main characters is spot on and the book moves along at a cracking pace, much akin to the new TV series itself. The book is therefore a highly recommended read for any fan of Doctor Who. Rating:  |