Customer Reviews

Doctor Who: Apollo 23 (Doctor Who (BBC Hardcover))

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First the good news: this story is much more complex, sweeping, and ambitious than the back-cover synopsis would lead you to believe. It thrusts the Doctor and Amy into a contemporary conspiracy that seems remarkably realistic, minus the rococo science, of course. It uses the characters fairly, in the way we've gotten used to. And it's rollicking, high-speed science fiction fun.

When the Doctor and Amy stop by a mall for lunch, they don't expect to find a NASA astronaut stumbling around the food court. Since he's tracking very real moon dust around, they decide to investigate. But they don't expect to find a massive base on the far side of the moon. They even less expect to find scientists experimenting on prisoners. And who gains from these bizarre psychological treatments?

Justin Richards manages to seamlessly integrate impossible technology, globe-spanning secrets, and a creepy invasion of Earth by the most disgusting aliens since the Sontarans. He captures the smart, rapid banter between the Doctor and Amy that has become a hallmark of the series. And while a few secrets and surprises are eye-rollingly obvious, none of them stand in the way of readers' enjoyment.

Now the bad news: not much original happens in this story. Hypercritical readers will spot how much is stolen from stories we already know. I spotted elements cribbed from DW TV episodes, and not just recent ones: though I saw many David Tennant stories, some reached as far back as Tom Baker and Peter Davison. And not just DW, either. I saw Star Trek, Farscape, and even crumbs from Joss Whedon's leftovers.

You have to decide how much this matters to you. I managed to enjoy this novel just fine, but to do so, I had to suspend a little judgment. Jaded DW hipsters may resent this blatant recycling. But if you can just sit back, not demand more than the book is prepared to give, and treasure it as it is, this is a fun weekend read.

i havent red it yet but i need to know what book is best of all. if you can help. list[touched by an angel,aplo 23,forgoten amy,or nuculer time] if you can tell me please help.

This was my first book with the new Doctor, but it is as good as any of the previous ones. In fact the only thing I thought was wrong with this book is the size. They increased the size from the older books, but they look better on the shelf...just harder to fit in my pockets.

This was my first Doctor Who read. I found it to be rather mediocre. I'll list some pros and cons.

Pros:

-The plot is more complex than the summary leads on to be. I found myself more intrigued by the foundation of the plot rather than the actual "goings ons". The story flowed nice and never lagged.
-The prose, despite being a young adult book, was not dumbed down.
-There was plenty of action and mini cliffhangers.

Cons:

-The Doctor, I found, was a bit out of character at times. He repeatedly calls Amy "pretty" and while some may argue that it's no big deal, I'm a stickler. The one thing I always liked about the Doctor was that he didn't dwell too much on the appearance of his rather beautiful (Amy) companions. It's sort of bittersweet. Anyway, there were other instances during his dialogue where I just couldn't imagine him saying things and he almost became more 10 like over time.
-The writer has obviously never been to Texas. Texas is not a sandy desert. It would have only taken him minutes to research this and made his story geographically accurate.
-The depiction of the aliens was SO CLICHE. I found myself rolling my eyes. I'll leave it at that.

Finished it in about a day. I wouldn't call it a "page turner" but it was still mildly entertaining. There were times when I was amused enough to keep reading on my own accord but mostly, I kept reading to just see if things would get better. And then before I knew it, I was done.

When the Doctor and Amy stop at a mall for some food, they are surprised to find a very real astronaut covered in very real moon dust. There is more of course, as a woman's body appears on the moon, dressed as though she was out for an afternoon stroll in the park. Plus there are the mysterious prisoners on the moon base that shouldn't exist yet.

When Amy and the Tardis get trapped on the moon base and the Doctor gets stuck on Earth, Amy is surrounded by very real danger. Can the Doctor get to the moon in time to save her or is it too late for his latest companion?

The book is action-packed and exciting, the science interesting and futuristic as always, but it is how well Richards captures the voice of the Doctor that really struck me in this novelization of the show. Having read a number of the books now, none have managed to get the Eleventh Doctor on paper as well. He felt real and developed here like he has not in any other.

If you love the show, this is a great book to read to fill the time until the show returns (because let's be honest, no matter how good the books are, there is nothing like watching Matt Smith and Karen Gillan running around on screen).

The book is defiantly a page turner, but it's quite obvious someone who has never been to Texas wrote it. The book mainly takes place between a US Army base in Texas and the moon. The base is described as a desert such as one might find is Arizona. There are really no deserts like that in Texas. Just really dry farmland. Then later on the author states the base is near Houston. Houston is in a forest area of Texas called "The Piney Woods". It was pretty comical, but other than that the book is pretty good. If you like Doctor Who it's a good purchase.

This being the first of the Eleventh's written adventures, it is pretty good. The plot is great and the characters a fantastic. It may feel a little confusing or slow at some points, but in the end you'll feel like you spent your money right. If you like Matt Smith's Doctor, especially his relationship with Amy pre-Rory, you'll love this book.

Of the first three `Doctor Who' novels to feature the eleventh Doctor, `Apollo 23' is, for me, the most disappointing. This is somewhat surprising given the body of work that its author, Justin Richards, has behind him.

Things start off promisingly enough with an astronaut suddenly materializing in a shopping mall. We soon discover that moments before he appeared, he was on the moon. A woman and her dog are going about their business when they are suddenly transported to the moon. A man walking in a park asphyxiates, his body littered with moon dust.

With something of a nod to second Doctor story, The Seeds of Death, a teleportation system operating from a moon base has been set up. Clearly, the system is malfunctioning, but I have to report that, regrettably, it's not the Ice Warriors who are responsible. No, the alien invaders here are not that interesting.

This novel is well written and the Doctor and Amy's characters are in keeping with their television personas. But the story is quite dull and, at times, predictable. I'm always loath to describe scientific elements in a story as dodgy - I'm no scientist, so what do I know? However, I do think that some of the story's resolutions connected with its mind control aspect were a little too convenient.

If you haven't read any `Doctor Who' novels before, I would not advise you to start with this one. The other two eleventh Doctor novels currently available at the time of writing this review, The Forgotten Army and Night Of The Humans, carry more humor and excitement. Also highly enjoyable are tenth doctor stories The Stone Rose and Beautiful Chaos. `Apollo 23' is, I think, one for the completists.

The only other reviewer (at this time) for this book said, "I do think that some of the story's resolutions connected with its mind control aspect were a little too convenient."

I have to agree strenuously with that sentiment, though I (like the preceding reviewer) cannot comment further without engaging in spoilers. HOWEVER, I would like to say that I enjoyed this tale both for its characterizations and the surprising uses of technology and other fringe scientific ideas. I have occasionally been harsh on this author as some of his books have proven tedious (especially in resolution) or mundane. In this case I very much enjoyed the book and look forward to lending it out.

If you want an 11th Doctor recommendation, read "Night of the Humans." I'm still working on The Glamour Chase.

It is a great doctor who book with juicy details so i think it is worth the 8 bucks. If there is a low rating don't read it..... Skip it! You should only read good reviews of this book because it is a great book for doctor who fans. My whole family loves doctor who! I think Matt Smith is the best and this book is all about Matt Smith and Amy. If you don't know Matt Smith is the doctor and in this book the Tardis and the Doctor and Amy are in it......even when amy and the doctor say wonchoo and the sonic screwdriver that comes with the book is great................................................................................................................................DOCTOR WHO? i say and you say Doctor Moo!

GREAT BOOK!!!!!