The Last Dodo
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BBC Books The Last Dodo |
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| Author | Jacqueline Rayner |  |
| ISBN | 1 846 07224 3 | |
| Published | 2007 |
| Synopsis: The Doctor and Martha go in search of a real life dodo to note in the I-Spyder book the Doctor gave her, and are transported by the TARDIS to the mysterious Museum of the Last Ones. There, in the Earth section, they discover every extinct creature up to the present day, all still alive and in suspended animation. |
A Review by John Seavey 20/1/08
I hate to admit it, but Jacqueline Rayner has me thoroughly charmed as an author. I admit that the people who complain about her plotting frequently have a point, and I know that some people don't like her style, but to me, it's like having that friend who can always make you laugh telling you a Doctor Who story. Regardless of the actual story, I'm always laughing by the end. So I can forgive her pretty much anything...
Except, sad to say, that I happen to fall rather firmly on the side of those people who "think they're doing good", as Rayner puts it during the one paragraph that's not unequivocally negative about zoos. I think that a well-run zoo is the best friend an animal can have, the best friend a species can have, indeed the best friend an ecosystem can have, and find it extremely disappointing that Rayner puts the Doctor firmly on the side of "Zoos are just jails for animals." This attitude is a bit of a pet peeve of mine, and I'm highly underwhelmed at the way Rayner wrote it into the mouth of my favorite fictional character.
Other than that, though, fun book.
A Review by Joe Ford 24/2/08
I find Jacqueline Rayner to be one of the most underrated Doctor Who authors. There are others (Trevor Baxendale, Simon Messingham) but for consistency in her work, entertainment, spot-on characterisation and loopy twists, you can't find much finer than Jac Rayner. The only real disappointment I can think of is Winner Takes All and with that novel she was adapting to the new hardback formula. The Glass Prison. Wolfsbane. EarthWorld. Doctor Who and the Pirates. All excellent.
Now we can add The Last Dodo to that list. The cover and title are not the most inspiring but are easily forgettable once you have picked the book up and started to read. It is a book with a rock-solid linear plot and some intelligent things to say about extinction and the moral implications of the letting creatures die out. That might make this sound preachy but, honestly, this is the most fun I have had with the NSAs since Only Human (although The Resurrection Casket was great fun too!). Rayner has adjusted to this format beautifully; she has written a book that reads like a dream, children should have no problem with racing through its pages but it also feels geared at the adult market with some marvellous witty dialogue, wacky concepts and intelligent themes.
Of the three books released in this batch, I would recommend that you read The Last Dodo first simply for the superb treatment of Martha Jones. I must say, I fell in love with the character in Smith and Jones but she still remains something of a mystery. Worry not with Jac Rayner on hand who has an uncanny knack of writing for certain companions as though she created them. Benny, Anji, Harry, Rose... they come alive within the pages, bursting with humour and warmth. Martha has loads to do in The Last Dodo and, proving her worth 100%, she gets to confront the villains and do much of the investigating on her own. She is written as passionate and intelligent, but still young and enthusiastic. There are a great number of sections written in the first person, much like Anji's entries in EarthWorld and Rayner's learning curve is very clear. Anji's passages had a rambling and sidetracked feel about them and whilst Martha does go off on a tangent at times (often in the middle of a crisis she realises something new and brilliant about her new lifestyle!), the naturalism in the writing is far more believable. Can you imagine if this book had been written in the Sam Jones era? Despite the fact it would be shite, it would also feature a number of hideous moral lectures from Ms Jones. The difference between Sam and Martha is that Martha is likable, she isn't smug or preachy, she cares but doesn't try and make everybody feel the same way. I think she's ace and if the standard of writing can continue to this level, hopefully she will have a long life in print.
Throughout the book there are I Spyder excerpts. Basically the Doctor gives Martha a book that gives you points if you spot certain animals in the universe. I know, doesn't it sound childish and gimmicky? However, it really works with the book's themes. It helps to drive home the point that these animals are actually dying for good, plus it gives the book an interesting visual style. Not only that, there is a priceless gag on the last page and a summary of the Time Lords (or namely the Doctor) that made me roar with laughter.
The book uses a surprisingly large number of locations that keep the book moving at a good pace and I was so enjoying myself I read this through to the end in about five hours. It helps that Rayner, whilst wanting to remind you of the seriousness of the issue (with scenes that include a rhinoceros with one of his horns cut off and Martha failing to save one creature's life despite attempts) writes with such energy and enthusiasm and packs her book full of great jokes. I adored the idea that Martha's pet Dodo is coined Dorethea and the Doctor's line that "she won't have used the name of her pet as the password!" Additionally, the first-person narration is delightful; head to pages 163-168 to find out how wacky and chucklesome it can be.
It reminded me slightly of The Stone Rose in that for the first 150 pages it coasts along with a reasonably sensible storyline and then all of a sudden it goes insane. Read on though folks, because you will delighted with scenes such as Martha riding a Dodo through a supermarket in a trolley being chase by sabre-toothed tiger. Trust me, it's brilliant.
The Doctor gets to show his teeth more often than not and when he is name-checked as the last of the Time Lords my blood ran cold. Suddenly an important character element of the series was being used in a dramatic way and theme of extinction and preserving specimens takes on a whole new level. The Doctor's admission in his head, recalling his time exiled on Earth and comparing it to being trapped in a zoo, is quietly haunting. The Time Lords are all dead and he still cannot forgive them.
The climax of the book is all energy and quick-fire dialogue, which feels just like an episode of the series. Frankly, the twist as to who is behind the scheme to destroy the Earth feels like a cheat, as though Rayner had not thought through her story properly. Once a final exhibit is allowed to tell his story in the prolonged, heartfelt coda, suddenly the motives evolve from shallow to profound. The idea of the last human is a chilling prospect. Like The Stone Rose, the answers that unravel have a slight melancholic edge, which makes the book a bit more believable.
I'm really plugging this book aren't I? If I'm honest, the investigations into the disappearances felt like it was wrapped up a bit quickly (and easily), but thanks to later developments it does kind of make sense. And there is the occasional joke that flies so wide of the mark it has landed in Australia.
The Last Dodo succeeds as an intelligent novel designed to make people think and to entertain them at the same time. Jacqueline Rayner need not unplug her laptop yet as she clearly has much more to offer. Whilst this book offers tickle-at-the-ribs fun and twists, it was for its excellent treatment of Martha that it deserves top marks.