Wetworld
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BBC Books Wetworld |
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| Author | Mark Michalowski |  |
| ISBN | 1 846 07271 9 | |
| Published | 2007 |
| Synopsis: When the TARDIS makes a disastrous landing in the swamps of the planet Sunday, the Doctor has no choice but to abandon Martha and try to find help. But the tranquility of Sunday's swamps is deceptive, and even the TARDIS can't protect Martha forever. |
Mud, mud, glorious mud by John G. Wood 14/4/10
For me, the first hurdle any TV tie-in novel has to jump is "getting the voices right". It comes before characterisation, plot, style, originality, or consistency with the source material. I listen to the voices in my head as I'm reading (no, not those sort of voices). If I can't picture - for example - David Tennant speaking the Tenth Doctor's lines then the mood is lost. Paul Magrs' dialogue killed Sick Building for me; I only managed to finish it by imagining Peter Davison in the Doctor's role. Try it; the fit is much better.
Wetworld, on the other hand, jumps this hurdle easily. Mark Michalowski's Doctor is spot on, both in choice of words and timing, the best representation from any of the Tenth Doctor books I've read. His Martha is a little more generic, but still fits well; her speech was less distinctive on TV too, and Freema Agyeman wouldn't have any trouble with these lines. No other recurring characters appear, but the "guest cast" all have consistent voices.
The other stand-out feature for me was the structure. As I passed the halfway mark, I suddenly realised that it mapped nicely onto a two-part TV story. The opening credits fit perfectly after chapter one, with the Doctor looking forlornly into the swamp where the TARDIS has sunk (no spoiler - it's on the front cover). The end of the first episode comes at the beginning of chapter 10; with a little judicious editing you can have one of those double cliffhangers where there is an emotional and a physical threat, ala Silence in the Library. Having this structure isn't really important to the book - it would have to be cut down a lot to fit into 90 minutes - but it was a fun addition which again helped it feel like "TV Who".
The plot has elements of "base under siege", but adding in a mystery about the local wildlife (and some nice twists) keeps it fresh. The monster of the week is quite impressive and the action rolls along at a good speed. Along the way, we get some nice glimpses of the local society's quirks, which were strong enough to give that "not in Kansas anymore" feeling without seeming unrealistically alien. There are a few references to other Who stories, but not too many, and the unimportant aspects of the landscape/flora/fauna are painted in broad brushstrokes; enough to create an impression without wasting words. Of the guest cast, it is Candy and Ty who are the most developed and we are given some insight into their personalities and motivations. Everyone else is sketchy, but appropriately so; this isn't a story about characters and greater depth would just have got in the way.
The one exception is Pallister, who felt a bit too much of a cardboard cutout, a stock "ambitious politician". Adding a bit more depth would have been good; as it is, he feels lazily written. Apart from this one slight misjudgment, the level of detail is just right. It made realise that what the author leaves out is just as important as what he includes.
All in all, this was an enjoyable tale well told, and highly recommended. 9.5/10