Doctor Who: Wetworld

Doctor Who: New Series Adventures #18

by Mark Michalowski

When the TARDIS makes a disastrous landing in the swamps of the planet Sunday, the Doctor has no choice but to abandon Martha and try to find help. But the tranquillity of Sunday's swamps is deceptive, and even the TARDIS can't protect Martha forever.

The human pioneers of Sunday have their own dangers to face: homeless and alone, they're only just starting to realise that Sunday's wildlife isn't as harmless as it first seems. Why are the native otters behaving so strangely, and what is the creature in the swamps that is so interested in the humans, and the new arrivals?

The Doctor and Martha must fight to ensure that human intelligence doesn't become the greatest danger of all.

Featuring the Tenth Doctor and Martha as played by David Tennant and Freema Agyeman in the hit Doctor Who series from BBC Television.

Genres: Doctor Who, Science Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Fantasy, Time Travel, Adventure

244 pages, Hardcover

First published September 6, 2007

About the author

Mark Michalowski (born 1963 in Chesterfield) is the editor of Shout!, "Yorkshire's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender paper", as well as being an author best known for his work writing spin-offs based on the BBC Television series Doctor Who. He currently lives and works in Leeds.

Reviews

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arriving in the swamps of the planet Sunday, the Doctor has no choice but to abandon Martha and try to find help.
What appears to be a tranquil environment holds a deep secret, the local Otter inhabitants appear to be behaving strangely.

It’s a really fun Tenth Doctor and Martha story.
I always feel that the best tie in novels keeps the real essence of the television series but tales a story that would be impossible to realise on a visual budget.

Wetworld is a perfect example, the dialogue between the characters and the swampy location is wonderfully brought to life.
Who’d have thought that a group of otters would have been so sinister!

[Nemo ☠️ (pagesandprozac) · Rating 5 out of 5]

i can't get enough of these lovecraftian doctor who stories!!! (and YES, if it has tentacles, comes from outer space and has weird brain powers i consider it lovecraftian don't @ me)

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A typical Doctor Who story. I felt it was nothing special. But, as a long-time Doctor Who fan, I enjoyed it.

[Jim C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating is 3.5 stars.

This is a book based on the television series and this book features the Tenth Doctor with Martha as his companion. The Doctor and Martha visit a planet that humans have just begun to colonize. Little do they know that on this planet exist a menace that is going to give these humans a hard time.

First off I have to say that the portrayal of the two main characters were excellent. I had no probem whatsoever imagining David Tennant and Freema Agyeman in their respective roles. It was the minor things that made this portrayal realistic like the Tenth Doctor fiddling with his glasses or Martha trying to learn more about the Tardis. As for the story I did think the beginning was a little lacking as Martha was relegated to the sidelines. This book is set up as a mystery as we follow the characters and their discovery of what is actually happening. When the mystery is revealed is when this book took off. I loved what the menace was and why it had to be stopped as it works within this universe. This is what convinced me to raise my rating the half star.

I know the character Martha gets a lot of hate from fans but I have always enjoyed her character. This book provided me with one more adventure of a character that I believe whose time was too short on the television show. For that alone I was excited to read this book and it ended up being a rather enjoyable adventure.

[Jon Huff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well my Doctor Who reading binge continues!

I kept passing this up because I was judging a book by it's cover. Every time I looked at the water-logged TARDIS, I just couldn't get excited. Plus I felt the back blurb was perhaps a BIT too generic. It made it sound like Martha would be trapped in the TARDIS the whole time, which I didn't find very exciting... little did I know! Covers? Books? Judging? Shouldn't.

First of all, the characterization. I have to say I thought the Mark Michalowski got it right, right down to some of the things I don't like! The Doctor seemed suitably doctorish and I could "hear" David Tennant saying the lines very easily. That's nice. I hate reading a DW book and running across an off line. The little David Tennant in my head just goes "Oh, now hold on - really? I don't think The Doctor would say that. Re-write! Re-write!" and it can throw the whole flow of the book off. Perhaps I'm revealing too much?

In any case, I didn't run into that here at all. Martha was pretty spot-on... but I'll admit I get annoyed when Martha acts all jealous. I thought it fit the character, but part of me just wants to smack her when she key getting jealous of Ty. But as one poster pointed out at least Martha HAD characterization, which doesn't always happen in the novels beyond a very shallow "voice" match.

As for the plot itself - VERY effective. I actually found myself liking the citizens of Sunday and found their plight interesting. It's funny, because there are so many things that can go wrong with colony worlds and a lot of the more mainstream scifi never really touches on that. It's all attacking aliens and mysterious diseases. Sure, the story does the former eventually, but the initial devastation by flooding seems very real, as does the use of "dirty" tech.

The otters were great! I really liked the way they were portrayed so as to not be too cutesy, and the ending twist was actually very fun. The Slimey itself (which will always remind me of Dragon Warrior, though my friend and I used to call them "Smileys" because were 10 and thought that was funny) was VERY creepy. Actually, I'm kind of surprised with the level of gore in the book, especially towards the end with the decaying puppet-man. Oh, and "ichor" is an A+ word. Really. I want to start using it in everyday speech. Thankfully I don't run into the need for such a word often.

I liked that the sonic was taken out of commission after being used sensibly at first. It served it's purpose, and then was disposed of when the going needed to get tough. I also enjoyed the way the threat was disarmed through a combination of the Doctor's know-how and by a guest character. Candy was a fun character, and she only saved the day because she disobeyed the Doctor's commands! I think that needs to happen from time to time.

The book itself felt pretty substantial. I took me a bit more than the 1 1/2-2 hours these books usually take to zoom through. That was nice - a bit more bang for your buck.

Well, I have gone on! But this was definitely in the "good" category.

[Kimberley doruyter · Rating 4 out of 5]

i don't think i like otters as much as before.

[Dale Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Doctor had promised Martha a trip to Tiffany's!!! And, she, of course, immediately thought of small blue boxes...brilliant sparkling diamonds...and BREAKFAST!!! But, as was the way of life with in the TARDIS, breakfast and little blue boxes were NOT in her foreseeable future. Now, alien otters...water logged clothes... multi tentacled aquatic creatures... oh, and did I mention WATER.

Another fun and exciting story of the 9th Doctor and Martha Jones by author Mark Michalowski. The author has done a good job here as the story has the feel and flavor of the TV series capturing Tennant's eccentricities and Freema Agyeman brilliance as Martha. Hopefully, he will have the opportunity to write more in the future.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Source: I own this book.
Cost: Unknown

Title: Wetworld
Series: Doctor Who New Adventures #18
Author: Mark Michalowski
Overall Rating: 3 stars

When the TARDIS lands in the middle of a swamp on the planet Sunday, the Doctor is forced to abandon Martha while he figures out what to do. But the scenic area isn't all that it seems.

But with Doctor Who is anything ever as it seems?

This one was a great addition in the series, it wasn't a favourite but it was good. The plot was great and it had so much potential. It has a nice flow and it's easy to read. I recommend these books if you're a fan of Doctor Who.

[Becket · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh Doctor Who novels. You're so fluffy and addictive. I am going to finish the Tenth Doctor adventures, and then I'm going to stop. Do you hear me, internets? I'M GOING TO STOP. Please intervene if you catch me moving on to Eleven.

[Limikkin]

Quite a good book, but does not even get close to the brilliance of the show!

[Dylan Reay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay, a little dull but the alien species is actually kind of horrifying, especially considering it's a bit of a parasite. So defos give a read if you like movies like LIFE.

[Emilija · Rating 3 out of 5]

2020 52 Book Challenge - 38) Set In The Future

I love the otters. If the book could have just been about humans making nice with the otters, I would have been so happy, five stars for the otters.

Alas, the plot of this book was a little boring. Doctor Who meets tentacle monster. I wasn't a great fan of it at all. And the B plot of the evil leader, I just didn't care at all.

Three stars for the talking otters though.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

After months of saying "I'll read it later," I finally finished this book. As usual, it's a quick read. The plot is simple but not forgettable. I like Ten and Martha's dynamic so it's a shame that this book doesn't explore much of it. But while that's a minus, this book contains otters so I guess that balances it out. I guess at least 3.5 stars is a given since this book has nothing I want to argue against. I'm rounding it up to 4 stars because I'm feeling generous. It's been a while since I've read a doctor who novel. And also, it has otters in it.

[Rianna *Hermione* B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cool. Adorable otters. crazy demented alien creature.
Very sweet overall.

Martha and the Doctor end up on a very wet planet and find out what's going on. Nasty creature that takes over brains. Creates kind of zombies. Great adventure and life-threatening times of course.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it but there were pages that the audio book was missing which was a disappointment.

[Halley Hopson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️

I really enjoyed the world and the talking otters. The actual mystery was mildly engaging.

[Goodreeds User · Rating 4 out of 5]

A real romp - dark and funny and fast-paced, with plenty of twists and cool ideas!

[Emily Wrayburn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fine but it was very difficult to take talking otters seriously.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt Tennant shine through this one more than some of the others. An enjoyable tale.

[Writerlibrarian · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one is the best of the Martha books I've read so far along with Sting of the Zygons. Martha sounds like herself not some cut/paste/replace Rose. I liked the setting, colony world. I liked the secondary characters that weren't paper dolls this time. The writer succeeded in making care about Candy, Ty and Orlo and you can forget the cute factor in a good Doctor Who story. This time the real heroes of the story are the otters. Really. Smart, clever and sooo cute. So kudos to this one. Hope the author gets to write another one.

[Alesia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Beeb would never fund the budget for this adventure!

[Sally · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could have done with a better proof-reader, otherwise okay. The final few paragraphs are the best, though.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good Who adventure. Felt like an old fashioned Who tale.

[Jean · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugg jealous Martha bullshit.

[Jared Castiglione · Rating 3 out of 5]

Doctor Who in one form or another has been around for my entire life. I used to watch it as a kid on “Channel 13” (PBS) and since the revival in 2005, I’ve been keeping up with the series. It’s great science fiction with a high production value. And Murray Gold’s music added so much to the atmosphere, making so many episodes truly epic!
This book steals characters from the third series, with David Tenant as The Doctor and his companion, Martha Jones, as played by Freema Agyeman.
Unfortunately, Wetworld doesn’t stack up to the Russel T. Davies era of Doctor Who. I give this book a solid 3 stars because it does entertain and the story is fun, though not original.
In true Doctor Who formula, the Doctor and his companion are planning to go somewhere and this entire novel is what happens when they end up someplace else.

There’s a good bit of other science fiction, fantasy, and adventure stories borrowed and mixed into “Wetworld.” For example, during the strongest parts of the book, the plot could have been right from Bradbury’s “The Martian Chronicles.” Psychologically piercing; with a bleakness of what a future can mean for some seeking life elsewhere.
Contrast that some with of the enemy’s dialogue that seems heavily borrowed from Star Trek’s The Borg and their ideas of assimilation, and a drive towards efficiency and perfection.

The story unfolds across several points of view flopping back and forth between present and having just happened; a story format I actually like, as it gives the reader a real sense of what’s going on without just listening to an omniscient narrator.

Overall, this is a typical Doctor Who adventure that would have fit perfectly in the television format of the Doctors from the late 70s to the late 80s: four to six episodes, each 22 minutes long and each leaving the viewer with a cliffhanger that seems impossible only for it to be undone seconds after the next episode begins. The wit and manic energy of the 10th Doctor betrays that though, making this a unique storyline in the world of Who. Not great, just unique.

I did appreciate the nod to the Fourth Doctor.

[Alice · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/5 stars but it’s seriously doesn’t deserve this much.

The story was cute and good up until the last 50 pages than it want so suddenly downhill I had a whiplash. But it wasn’t the main problem, the characters were.

Let’s start with Ten. When Martha was out of the picture which mercifully happened a lot, he was fine. He had his voice from the show. However, when Martha was around he behaved around her how he would have with Rose and that was frankly disgusting to read. The show was all about how the Doctor loved Rose and wasn’t over her and he didn’t, in any way, returned or encouraged Martha’s feelings. Implying that he was in love with Martha was a travesty. I hate it when anyone insinuates that the Doctor should have returned Martha feelings because for some reason she deserved it and Rose didn’t. I have to wonder at this point if these books ever had an editor or a proof reader.

Then let’s move over to Martha. She had two mood in this book which was useless and jealous. Which of course only apply to when she wasn’t unconscious (for around 110 pages or so out of 244). This novel honestly would have been better without her as every scene she was in were a chore to get through.

Regarding the characters the novel’s saving grace were the side characters. They were well written, all of them had a role and were fairly likeable.

Ultimately I would only recommend it to diehard Tenth Doctor fans who can tolerate a lot of rubbish for another story with him, or to those who doesn’t care about the character work and love otters.

[Karen Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Doctor Who novel that moves along quickly, placing the 10th Doctor and Martha Jones on an unexpected (no surprise!) trip to a planet named Sunday where the human colonists are struggling to survive after a meteor shower causes a tidal wave that decimated their colony. The shower also brought an unwelcome guest to their world, a creature that threatens their survival. With the TARDIS underwater, the Doctor and Martha must use their ingenuity to prevent the wiping out of the colony. The supporting cast of the colonists is well fleshed out, with a veterinarian named Ty and an impetuous teenager nicknamed Candy leading the way. There is also a huge colony of otter-like creatures that seem to be increasing exponentially in intelligence that play a key role in the story. The tale is well thought out and several scenes are described in detail as to leave goosebumps. Recommended for Whovians.

[Kevin Burke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read a few of these BBC DW Books and some of them have been really good. Sadly, this isn't one of them.

There are many problems with it. The main antagonists just don't feel like a mayor threat. A tentacle monster and brain washed space otters? Gimme a break!

Martha spends post of the novel side lined. Either trapped in the TARDIS or trapped in the otters nest or confined to a hospital bed. And when is does finally get back into the action she is reduced to making the Doctor cups of tea, getting jealous over the Doctor's friendship with a much older woman and generally being kept in the dark by the Doctor about all of his plans like he doesn't trust her.

As for the Doctor. The author completely fails to capture the voice of the 10th Doctor. He comes across as rude, snide and grumpy at times which is not in keeping with the 10th Doctor's personality at all. In fact, he comes across more like the 12th Doctor (even though this story was published 10 years before his debut)

[Alys · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was alright. It was a lot of fun but not as good or Doctor Who ish as some of them. I liked the references to Classic Who with the doctor impersonating an adjudicator and mentions of Krynoids etc. The characters seemed to be having fun which I liked even if it was overdone at times. I didn't really understand the writing because it seemed to have Americanisms in it like "gotten" and "you better go" along with certain American phrases and exclamations but the author is definitely British and it didn't seem to be that the character was American because it was throughout. I quite liked Martha in this one I have to say.

[Itami · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a waste of time... There is nothing new about this story, nothing interesting, just the same old same old. Human settlers on a new earthlike planet? Check. A mysterious alien threat? Check. Tentacles, brainwashing, and an atomic bomb? Cheeeeck. The story could as well be written by an algorithm taking the most overused tropes in the history of Doctor Who and throwing them together. Maybe that´s actually what happened because Martha and Ten also feel so out of character they might as well be called "Random Companion A" and "Random Doctor B".
In short: This book has nothing to offer – except speaking otters.