Doctor Who: Fear Itself (Doctor Who (BBC Paperback)) [Paperback]

Nick Wallace (Author)

Book Description

Series: Doctor Who (BBC Paperback) | Publication Date: November 8, 2005

In the 22nd Century, a few short years of interstellar contact have taught Man a hard lesson: there are powerful, unstoppable, alien forces abroad that are nightmare manifest. It's a realization that deals a body blow to Man's belief in his own superiority and leaves him with the only option he has ever had: to fight. When the Doctor and his friends are caught in the crossfire, they find suspicion and paranoia running rampant, with enemies to be seen in every shadow. The fight against alien forces is no job for an amateur, and for a Doctor only just finding his way in the universe again, one misstep could be fatal.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Random House UK (November 8, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0563486341
• ISBN-13: 978-0563486343
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #605,899 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Newcomer, February 7, 2006

By 

Stephen Traylen (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Doctor Who: Fear Itself (Doctor Who (BBC Paperback)) (Paperback)

So just as the book series ends, BBC makes a real find in newcomer Wallace. He has a crisp intelligent writing style and writes a solid and intriguing science fiction story. As a note this is the only real Eighth Doctor PDA and fits between Earthworld and Vanishing Point.Recommended.

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best Eighth Doctor adventures, September 4, 2009

By 

Celeste Chang (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Doctor Who: Fear Itself (Doctor Who (BBC Paperback)) (Paperback)

I wanted to put in a good word for this book. The 5-star rating is in context as a Doctor Who book (but if you're not a fan, why would you be buying this?). It's set in the period soon after the Doctor (still amnesiac) is reunited with Fitz and finally gets off Earth (and has just picked up Anji as a new companion.) Those two are my favorite of the DW book companions, so that's a plus. The quality of the writing is excellent, the characters (both the regulars and the "guest cast") well-drawn, and the plot is good. It's "small", in the sense that for once the universe isn't at stake, but the Doctor throws himself into things with his usual intensity. There's a bit of trickiness with the three narrative threads (4 years ago, now, and Anji's life from one point to the other), which could have been irritating but wasn't. "Four years!" you might think, "No way to fit that in without cheating!" And maybe it was a bit of a cheat, but I thought it worked.

The setting is Earth, Mars, and a space station near Jupiter, in the late 22nd century, shortly after the alien (Daleks, though not explicitly named here) occupation of Earth. Human society is just recovering, and even more paranoid than usual, which makes the Doctor's status as an "alien infiltrator" more interesting. The story begins on Mars, where Anji is attacked and left behind to recover while the Doctor's investigation takes him and Fitz (sans TARDIS) across the solar system to the Jupiter space station (under forged credentials). Cue trouble, suspicion, explosions, capture, and all the rest.

Perhaps the best aspect of this book is the portrayal of the relationship between Fitz and the Doctor. Is there even a relationship when the Doctor doesn't remember their shared past? Why does the Doctor never sit down and let Fitz tell him what he does remember? Can the Doctor still be the Doctor or is he bluffing? How did a hundred years alone in exile change him? What changes can you inflict on a person and still have them be themselves? When are they NOT themselves anymore?

"Fitz had decided long ago the Doctor's most annoying habit was turning a pleasant, everyday activity into a life-threatening crisis." And then, "If I die pretending to be an accountant, I'll never forgive myself." Yeah, I love Fitz.