Psi-Ence Fiction (Doctor Who) [Mass Market Paperback]

Chris Boucher (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2001 | Series: Doctor Who (BBC Paperback)

Feynman College receives a grant for parapsychology research to be done by devious Barry Hitchens. During a routine test, he identifies five students who have genuine gifts. The students hold a seance at the site of a murder and one of the girls dies under mysterious circumstances. The Doctor arrives to attend a lecture on time travel, and is mistaken for Hitchens and finds himself drawn into the eerie events at the college. (Available in October.)

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: BBC Pubns (September 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0563538147
• ISBN-13: 978-0563538141
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,260,913 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Paraspsychology and Who, December 27, 2002

By 

Michael J. Williams (Bend, OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Psi-Ence Fiction (Doctor Who) (Mass Market Paperback)

Seances, Ouija boards, demons, graveyards, haunted woods, sensory-deprivation tanks, telepathy, smart-alecky college students, well-meaning professors, confused coppers, a savage companion, a loopier-than-usual Doctor and bottled water.

How it all comes together is a fun ride, but the end is rushed and just a bit dissapointing. The Leela passages were very enjoyable, as was the Doctor's interaction with the cops.

All in all, a fun read, with no nutritional value whatsoever.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Out of the Tardis...and into the frying pan., August 8, 2002

By 

G. Van Der Bent "Gerb" (Katwijk, The Netherlands) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Psi-Ence Fiction (Doctor Who) (Mass Market Paperback)

Although Peter Davison (believe it or not) is my personal favorite DOCTOR WHO (this because of childhood nostalgia I won't go into any further- red) I also am a big fan of Tom Baker's fourth doctor. It's been said he's the ultimate Doctor Who and tv story highlights like GENESIS OF THE DALEKS, PLANET OF EVIL and REVENGE OF THE CYBERMAN are proof of that.

So, it was an immense delight for me finding out that PSI-ENCE FICTION featured Baker's fourth doctor and his pre-Xena like female warrior sidekick Leela.
The book is about our favorite characters winding up in modern day England on the campus of a university, were a quirky professor has started all kinds of experiments involving a group of students and their so called 'psychic' powers.
I won't spoil the plot but it involves murder and a device that may be able to destroy the universe (talking about painting yourself a broad canvas, but since it's DOCTOR WHO, I wouldn't expect otherwise). I also loved the pop culture references to THE X-FILES, The MATRIX and, yes...XENA, WARRIOR PRINCES.

This is an enjoyable romp, not to heavy on characterisation and almost pulpy in parts. It passes the time and I myself really got a kick out of the murder mystery subplot. Boucher even has one of the main characters saying: 'I'm a sucker for a locked room mystery' at one point.
Well, so am I. And the solution is something that comes as totally unsuspected.

As you might have guessed I'm really into WHO books (I even try to hunt down one of Virgin's WHO adventures once in a while). PSI-ENCE FICTION passes the grade for a 'WHO-geek' like me. I just don't know if it's worth reading for somebody else though.

I'd give it a little more than three stars, it's just not good enough to receive four. You'll have to read anything by Mark Gatiss, or maybe David McIntee if you want that good a WHO story.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Build up to Nothing...!!!, November 11, 2002

By 

Daniel Firli (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Psi-Ence Fiction (Doctor Who) (Mass Market Paperback)

The TARDIS lands the Doctor and Leela in the middle of a forest due to a time distortion affect. In the search to uncover what is going on, they must deal with murder, dangerous university experiments regarding ESP, annoying students and dodgy water.

From the outset you can tell this isn't going to be one of the greatest WHO novels around as it introduces us to a bunch of 5 university students who has a love/hate comedy routine that, at the beginning was quite fun, but when it continues on until the end of the novel with every scene including them, becomes very annoying and monotonous.

Character development in practically nil except for the two main characters of the Doctor and Leela. The Doctor is acting a bit (not much though) more quirky than usual (due to the effects of the time distortion thingy) and doesn't really do anything proactive for the first 2/3's of the novel. Leela is the most interesting character in the novel, as in the other Boucher books, you get to see what is going on in the warrior's mind and her ways of thinking and trying to break free of her 'primitive' reasoning's. Something the tv series would find hard to do. (Unless they had her talking to herself which would look stupid).

The book did have potential with it's 'hauntings' and 'other realms' aspects, which were kind of creepy but s essentially let down by the discovery of who/what is responsible at the end. The ending is also a huge let down - the whole story builds up to it's height and is then over in just 2 quick short, mildly confusing pages. (Maybe he was late for his deadline or something?)

I would recommend this as a no brainer, no stress read, but be prepared to be disappointed.