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The Dimension Riders

NOVEMBER 1993

As the second part of a peculiar story arc, The Dimension Riders is a surprisingly traditional story. In fact, it has a very familiar feel indeed, author Daniel Blythe recycling many elements from Douglas Adams’ Shada – the Oxbridge setting, the Time Lord in residence there, The Ancient and Worshipful Law of Gallifrey book - and twisting them ever so slightly The result is a thoroughly entertaining, albeit somewhat predictable adventure.

I enjoyed Benny’s segments of the novel most of all. As with Birthright, it’s fascinating to see the 20th century through her eyes. I also found her part of the story more compelling generally - her dealings in Oxford with Tom, Professor Rafferty, and the Time Lord renegade Epsilon Delta are a joy to read. The sexy female android, Amanda, is also a nice addition to the mix, though I do feel that her character diminishes more and more as the story progresses. Her fate is particularly unsatisfying.

Ace’s adventure in the future and

the Doctor’s slightly displaced

exploits are far less interesting,

though the Time Soldiers are a

well-conceived and executed

idea. I also like how the author

plays on the characters’ fears, most effectively with the Doctor’s curious fear of bus stations, mentioned once previously one television (“lost luggage and lost souls”) – it’s a lovely piece of characterisation.

“So it was playing with him now. Playing off his deepest fears…

Gritting his teeth, he strode out across the bus station concourse.

He tried to ignore the lost luggage that swarmed like yapping dogs around his feet…”

However, my main grievance with this novel is the Garvond – yet another faceless time monster. There’s nothing wrong with the Garvond itself, but I found it’s henchman, Epsilon Delta, to be a far more interesting antagonist, and was disappointed to find him killed off fairly early on. That said, through both Epsilon Delta and the Garvond The Dimension Riders does advance the story arc begun in the last novel quite considerably, the book’s prologue and epilogue particularly generating a lot of intrigue. Just who is meddling with

the Doctor’s life? If the Doctor himself created the Garvond threat, then who…?

On a final note, this book allowed me to answer a strange question that my girlfriend once asked me when she caught me listening to In Utero whilst leafing through a New Adventure: “do you think there’s anybody else in the world who likes Doctor Who and Nirvana?” With a chapter called Come As You Are, and a character called Cobain, I suspect that the answer might well be yes…

Copyright © E.G. Wolverson 2006

E.G. Wolverson has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

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