6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Very disappointing, August 23, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Last Man Running (Doctor Who Series) (Paperback)
Although this book is written by one of the best people who have written for the TV series, the actual 'plot' is so thin it could be mistaken for a sheet of tracing paper.
It is full of one-dimensional characters who are totally unsympathetic. Even Leela, who the author created, is a little flat. If you want to go for a fourth Doctor and Leela book, I would suggest 'Eye of Heaven' by Jim Mortimore, as this book is far better than 'Last Man Running'.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Last man should have waited before running, December 5, 2000
This review is from: Last Man Running (Doctor Who Series) (Paperback)
Funny thing about Chris Boucher - he wrote 'The Face of Evil', set in a jungle, then 'Robots of Death', a science fiction story with robots. His two novels, which follow on directly are 'Last Man Running', set in a jungle, and 'Corpse Marker', a science fiction story with robots.
There is a real resemblance between this book and Leela's first appearance - there are strange and vicious creatures in the jungle, but the real threat is from lost technology.
The book's best point is the characterisation of Leela - as the creator of this character, Mr. Boucher shows a real mastery of how to portray her. It would have been better if the story had been different from the earlier story, it would have been more worthwhile.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Lost plot running, September 16, 2003
This review is from: Last Man Running (Doctor Who Series) (Paperback)
For some reason, none of the 4th Doctor Virgin MAs had Leela in them. Now we're in the second 4th Doctor BBC MA, and it is the second time we're treated to her appearance.
The book was written for her, really. On many occasions Leela's instinctive "primitive" instincts are the salvation of both her and the Doctor, in addition to the many others the duo encounter on a strange planet they become stranded on.
The whole planet is the perfect place for Leela to show off her skills. Even the alien technology that makes the planet so mysterious and dangerous was made so that only Leela, and not the Doctor, could understand and master it. At one point in the book, there's a big, scary monster that threatens to eat some people. Leela killed that big, scary monster and a few others too.
In fact I would go so far as to say that the main purpose of the book is the exploration of Leela, since in the book everything, including the planet, the Doctor, the alien technology, the soldiers, the TARDIS, and the monsters all work together so she can show off her skills in survival, tracking, conflict resolution, leadership, working with alien technology, hunting, and of course fighting. The exploration of Leela turns at times to adoration. But this is really toward the end of the book.
Regrettably, the book ends in a strange way, even though there is a good buildup of suspense. Toward the middle of the book a sideplot is hatched, which does not really have a lot to do with the last plot running. Furthermore the main plot is split too evenly by the physical middle of the book, into a first half where a mystery is being solved and a second half where a danger is being escaped.
In summary, Last Man Running is a fun book because it gives wide berth to Leela's character and the topics explored as a result give refreshing insights into a number of down-to-earth topics. However, the ability of the alien technology to create anything at all is stretched beyond its elasticity, resulting in a bland toss of action and little enjoyment for the reader.
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