Customer Reviews

Doctor Who Short Trips: The Solar System

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

 

 

I've read several of these Short Trips books- and this one is the weakest to date. Despite the pull of the Daleks, the stories here are, well, bland. Too much of the book's space is wasted with an audio script for the CD "Return of tbe Daleks." It's an OK Audio- not Big Finish's best work, but not their worst.

That's not the point here- the point is that a good sixth of this book is the script of a released audio. Waste of time and really lazy editing. Even ignoring this fault, all these stories live in the miniseries "Dalek Empire", which are Doctor-less audios...

The short trips range is really good. Too bad this one is a real stinker.

Actually, that's going too far. It's not truly terrible. It's boring. Which is a far worse crime.

I admit it: I am a Dalek nut. I own all Dr. Who Dalek DVD's, many audio CD's with Dalek stories, as well as quite a few of the books (including all novelisations of WHO series, and the scripts of the first two Dalek Empire series). So for me, this truly is essential reading. I realise this book is probably less interesting for those not completely Dalek mad, and even less so for casual Who fans. However, for anyone who also loves these monstrous pepperpots, this really is a book to own. Most of the stories are quite interesting, while the book also includes the complete script of one of the Big Finish Audios - Return of the Daleks. I liked the characters of Kahlendorf and Suz in the Dalek Empire audio series, so their inclusion in this volume was very welcome. What I particularly liked is that for certain all the Daleks concerned will not be the new plastic big toy Daleks currently present in the TV series. One can imagine any kind of Dalek you like (from the classic series mostly, but the copper-bronze version presented in the first few series of new Who also fit in nicely) but for certain, it won't be those! Also nice is that more than one doctor is present in the book. A lovely addition to my already quite substantial pile of Dalek books.

I have read several of the Short Trips collection, and this has been the sole disappointment of the lot. The major drawbacks are that much of the story does not deature the Doctor, and the parts that do are very heavy on the Seventh Doctor. I have found the appeal of the Short Trips series to be that you always get a sampling of all of the Doctors, and breaking away from that format was a mistake.

Another reviewer also commented on the fact that a good sixth of the book is taken up by the script for the audio play, and I echo those sentiments. The inclusion of the script (especially as the concluding chapter) I found to be anti-climactic.

On the whole, I regret having bought this book and regret even more that I spent time reading it. I wish I had made a different selection.

As a 'new' fan to the Doctor and his nemisis the Daleks this book has been a fun read for me. I don't know a lot about the History of the Doctor. For the most part I'm only familiar with 9 and 10 and a bit of 4 which I've read and watched on Netflix. However, since I've started watching with the 9th Doctor I have found myself drawn to the Daleks. They look silly, they're basicly pepper shakers with a toilet plunger and a mixer for arms. I know I should scoff and say...how stupid...But the Daleks are by far my favorite villians in the Whoverse. So when I saw this book, edited by the voice of the Daleks himself I decided to give it a go and I'm glad I did!

I've not heard the Dalek Empire CDs and find that it's not necessary when reading the short stories in this collection. The Daleks rule the universe and everyone struggles to survive their tyranny and I'm loving every minute of it. I'm learning a bit more about the Daleks as well as some of the Doctors that I'm not familiar with.

Granted if you're a long time fan of the Doctor this book might not be as delightful for you, but if you're a fairly new fan looking to expand your knowledge through an interestingly woven tale then this book is well worth the read.

This is a short story collection a bit different than the other, done in a unique way. The stories are done in a timeline setting with each doctor staring through out. It is a fine read for those interested in the classic doctors.

Book received on time and in excellent condition.

Would order from Wonder Book and Video, again.

I love the Daleks. One of the many reasons I love the return of Doctor Who in 2005 was the return of the Daleks. The return of the Cybermen was kind of OK, but they seem lame when compared to the old Cybermen. But the new Daleks were great.

But the problem is, that without a true enemy, like the Doctor, the Daleks just don't hold up as well. Many of the stories, while starring the Doctor, still feel bland. Some feel dusty, like you are reading about them a few million years later, in some old, aged, history book. Also, without knowledge of the events that happened in the audio stories you will feel a tad left out of what is happening. Like it or not, prior knowledge may not be necessary but it is helpful.

It is like an alien landing on the planet Earth just before Christmas. It may understand that a holiday is about to happen but without the background information about reindeer, the North Pole, and those elves it is going to feel lost. Get this if you are a fan of the Daleks and like to collect all things Dalek, or if you are a fan of the audio stories, or if you are just a huge fan of the Doctor and like to collect all things dealing with Doctor Who.