Doctor Who: Catastrophea

Past Doctor Adventures #11

by Terrance Dicks

'Look at the way they just call themselves the People,' said Jo. 'They're too humble to give themselves a name!' 'Or too arrogant to think they need one,' said the Doctor.

The planet's real name is Kastopheria, but generally it's been rechristened Catastrophea - it's a catastrophe waiting to happen. Supposedly civilised races are exploiting the world, squabbling over its wealth and resources, while the indigenous population - golden-skinned giants - seem not to care what their own fate might be. The Doctor and Jo soon become embroiled in a plan to keep peace between different parties vying for control over the planet.

But what is the strange glowing crystal lying hidden in impenetrable jungle? How will the arrival of the proud, warlike Draconians affect the fragile peace? In his quest to find the truth behind the secret history of the People, the Doctor risks unleashing a force more terrible than the galaxy has known for aeons...

Genres: Doctor Who, Science Fiction, Fiction, Time Travel, Doctors

248 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Terrance Dicks was an English author, screenwriter, script editor, and producer best known for his extensive contributions to Doctor Who. Serving as the show's script editor from 1968 to 1974, he helped shape many core elements of the series, including the concept of regeneration, the development of the Time Lords, and the naming of the Doctor’s home planet, Gallifrey. His tenure coincided with major thematic expansions, and he worked closely with producer Barry Letts to bring a socially aware tone to the show. Dicks later wrote several Doctor Who serials, including Robot, Horror of Fang Rock, and The Five Doctors, the 20th-anniversary special.
In parallel with his television work, Dicks became one of the most prolific writers of Doctor Who novelisations for Target Books, authoring over 60 titles and serving as the de facto editor of the range. These adaptations introduced a generation of young readers to the franchise. Beyond Doctor Who, he also wrote original novels, including children’s horror and adventure series such as The Baker Street Irregulars, Star Quest, and The Adventures of Goliath.
Dicks also worked on other television programmes including The Avengers, Moonbase 3, and various BBC literary adaptations. His later work included audio dramas and novels tied to Doctor Who. Widely respected for his clarity, imagination, and dedication to storytelling, he remained a central figure in Doctor Who fandom until his death in 2019, leaving behind a vast legacy in television and children's literature.

Reviews

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was sadden to hear of Dicks death and felt like I should read one of his novels in honour of him.
Dicks was a massive part of Doctor Who both as a script editor and writer for show show, many of his stories are fans favourites.
But it’s he’s prose that was just as important, novelising over 60 Target novels during the 70’s and 80’s.
For many that was the only way to experience older stories, whilst he was instrumental in introducing the joy of reading to many young children.

With so many books to choice from having written for 9 of the Doctor, I’d decided to plumb for a story set around the time that he was script editor for the show.

He’s written better novels but what instantly jumps out from this Past Doctor Adventure was how seamlessly it fitted into Season 10.
At times it felt like I was reading a novelisation of a missing story!

The Doctor and Jo arrive on Kastopheria and are trying to keep the peace as many races are trying to exploit the wealth and resources from the local inhabitants.
Being set just before Jo’s departure in The Green Death it was a celebration of the best of this TARDIS teams time together, with plenty of references to the Third Doctor’s era.

Simple and effective, thanks for all the stories Uncle Terrance.

[James Barnard · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's really surprising, in hindsight, that it took seven years for prolific novelist Terrance Dicks to write a Doctor Who book set within the 'era' he script-edited. Contemporary opinion was that 'Catastrophea' lived up to its name and wasn't worth the paper it was printed on.

Those people were wrong.

This may not be the best that BBC books had to offer, but, in terms of capturing the era in which it was supposed to be set, it's one of the most effective. Yes, that should be a given, with Dicks' credentials, yet it's something Barry Letts never quite managed, and which Chris Boucher took several tries to perfect. As is often the case with Terrance Dicks' work - it isn't as easy as he makes it look.

With its tale of conflict between rival factions, invasion by troublemaking aliens, small-minded bureaucrats and lawmakers, threatening landscape and heavy-handed moral message, this would have fitted seamlessly into Season Ten of the TV series. I could hear Jon Pertwee and Katy Manning saying the lines given to them, and picture the other characters vividly. It doesn't leave the strongest impression, but I found it a very hard book to put down.

Books like this really do have their place, and I surprised myself by being pleased to have given it another go.

I doubt many people will agree with me on this, but 'Catastrophea' is, in its way, a real delight.

[Mary JL · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book features the Thrid Doctor and Jo Grant (not Sam!). A typical Third Doctor adventure--action, escapes and so on. The Doctor gets caught up in conflict between the colonial masters and their native servants.

It does feature the Draconians (from the Tv episode Frontier in Space). If you like the Third Doctor, Jon Pertwee, this is for you. Terrance Dicks has created a novel that captures the feeling of Dr. Who in the Pertwee era.

I found it fast paced and fun. NOthing profound--no intense angst or revalations about the Time Lords==just a nice competent adventure.

Had to share this though. From page 4 The Doctor: "...We'll just have a quick look around and see what the trouble is. If there's nothing I can do, if it's none of my business, we'll simply leave and go home".

To which the reply: "When did you ever find any trouble that wasn't your business?" grumbled Jo.

Jo's reply, imho, could sure apply to ANY of the Doctors!!

[Gareth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Doctor Who takes on colonialism in this highly readable, somewhat muddled affair from Who favourite Terrance Dicks. The Doctor’s determination not to get involved whittles away as everyone around him makes their own assumptions about his reason for being there.

Quite what the book is saying about the subjugated natives and the occupying military is at times unclear, and the author’s fondness for obvious references and tropes lets it down at times, but this is still quite fun.

2.5

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Really felt like an old episode. Hard to go wrong with Terrence Dicks.

[Hidekisohma · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the first time in a long while i can actually say that i enjoyed a third doctor novel. Previous to this one i had only enjoyed was "The Last Gaderene" and "Verdigris" "Amorality Tale" "Rags" and "Speed of flight" ranged from meh, to BAD. Thankfully this one was not only a fast read, but easy to read, and actually enjoyable.

Short version, 3 and Jo go to a jungle planet where the native population is being treated like slaves by colonists. However, the slaves don't really seem to mind as they have no reactions or emotions. The doc then gets mistaken by a revolutionary leader by this gang of freedom fighters. Doc basically realizes this would not be an easy fix and the entire thing is sitting on a powder keg, not to mention that there's an army of Draconians waiting to land fight the colonists for the planet.

One thing i adore about Terrance's writing style (i've ready 8 doctors and timewyrm: exodus before this) is that Terrance does NOT do the annoying side character thing. He focuses on the doctor and his companion without going off on 30 page tangents on side characters no one cares about. Focusing on the main character shouldn't even be a thing i have to SAY, but sadly this is usually the case in Doc who novels that 9/10 times, in these old novels, 60% of the book isn't about the doc. I'm very happy to report this one 95% of the time focuses on either Jo or the doctor (yeah there's like 1-2 pages here and there from another POV, but 95% is doc or jo)

The doc and Jo are very on character point, which isn't surprising considering Terrance dicks wrote a lot for the actual show.

This was a VERY fast read as i essentially read 90% of it in one day, which i NEVER manage to do with Doc who books. normally a doc who takes me 3-7 days since i can't force myself to read it all at once. But Terrance is easy reading, especially for a "past doctor adventure".

There was SOME violence in this one, but it really doesn't show up until the very end. i'd say you don't really get into the ACTUAL violent stuff until about 40 pages to the end. even then it's no Trevor baxendale or Christopher Bulis.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the ending of this one too.

So for the first time in YEARS i can finally say i once again enjoyed a third doctor book. All in all, good job Terry.

4 out of 5.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Past Doctor Adventure featuring Jon Pertwee's Third Doctor and his companion Jo Grant.
The Doctor and Jo find themselves out of their depth when they arrive on Kastopheria, a planet beset by troubles including native unrest, violent political radicals, drug smugglers, ruthless business owners and looming war with the Draconian Empire. Although the Doctor decides that there are too many problems for him to be able to help, the planet's various factions are all bent on drawing him into their intrigues.

This book was a big disappointment for me. Most of the Third Doctor novels I've read have all focused on his UNIT adventures and I was looking forward to one, written by one of the main creative minds behind that era of Who, that sees him return to his universe-roving adventures in the TARDIS. However, what Dicks delivers is an almost entirely formulaic 70s-style Who story, with pompous authority figures, blundering soldiers, misguided rebels and a repetetive capture-escape-capture format.
It's like a tick-list of all the most boring Who tropes of the classic era, not least the unnecessary drawing-out of plotlines past the point where they feel fresh or interesting.

The one element of the book which does make it stand out a little is how Dicks tackles the clearly allegorical subject of the native People, enslaved by colonial humans. Not only does he address the obvious wrongs of brutal profiteering slave owners, but also the more complex matter of a sympathetic colonial administration attempting to adopt the role of guiding parent for the poor primitives. That and the misguided dissident groups show that even well-intentioned intervention is still not the same as simple freedom.
Also, these issues give us the book's best moment when Jo, seeing a slave owner abusing his driver, dives in an attacks the cruel bully, with the Doctor rushing to catch up. I don't think I've ever loved Jo Grant as much as I did in that scene (unless you count Katy Manning's famous nude photoshoot).

* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.com/ *

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jon Pertwee is my favorite Doctor so I like to try and get my hands on any of the books he's in and after the disaster that was Fear of the Dark by Trevor Baxendale I grabbed this used book off of Amazon as fast as possible and being written by Terrance Dicks meant I was in for a real treat. I was definitely not disappointed. As I've said in other Dr Who book reviews, it's important to me that the Doctor and his companions are characterized in these books properly. I need to be able to hear and feel them doing and saying the things in the book and within the first couple of pages of this book it was like watching some of my favorite episodes of the 3rd Doctor with Jo Grant. I really enjoyed this story. I felt it was written well and had a nice pace to it. I enjoyed many of the other characters such as Avery, Walton and Charteris. I was happy to have the Draconian's as part of the plot and found great amusement in the "mistaken identity" bit with El Llama. And of course you can't have a good Pertwee and Jo Grant story without them ending up in a jail cell once or twice. The book really did feel like one of the great tv episodes and for me, that's enough to recommend it to any fans of classic Doctor Who

[Mark Bartlett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of Terrance Dicks style is to borrow from history or current events but not get too deep into the implications, and this book fits that remit pretty well. He's telegraphing his premise with the eponymous planet's nickname as a pun on "catastrophe", cooking up an intractable colonialist conflict between multiple alien races and humans and then plunking the Third Doctor into it. Somewhat surprisingly, once the Doctor realizes all the competing motivations at play he wants to bail on the whole thing, saying it can't be fixed, but of course he gets swept up in it anyway and ultimately brokers a solution that satisfies basically no one, so there's some realism to it. The first half has multiple capture/escape loops that feel like your typical 6-parter, it picks up when the Doctor heads off into the jungle to meet the natives on their home turf. Most of the supporting characters are interesting and some of the plot advancements are contrived, but it moves along and is generally enjoyable, and at least gives some food for thought about whether indigenous people are doomed to be subjugated sooner or later.

[Jason Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another PDA that doesn’t get good press, this isn’t an outstanding book but it’s serviceable. Its theme of human colonisation picks up on one of the ironies that the Pertwee and later eras gives us : that we humans might have stopped enslaving each other but we conquer and enslave other species. There is an interesting subtext about pacifism and hippy culture here - The Daleks and The Dominators did similar but nicely done here.

We get to see the Draconians again and the build up to their peace treaty with humanity. We don’t explore their culture as Big Finish later would but nice to see them.

Otherwise, though, the characters are fairly stock. Jo is nearly raped by an official at one point . Terrance Dic’s stories, novelisations etc are legendary but coupled with his later treatment of Peri in warmonger, a few readers were starting to worry about where his mind was going in his old age. Still, books with several factions to follow can get lost in their own crowds but Dicks guides us through clearly.

[Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the Memories of Terrance Dicks may Rest in Peace. I will say what's good about Terrance's writings is that they are simple and easy to follow and this book is one of them. It's kinda like Doctor Who and the Silurians but in space when the Doctor and Jo land on Kastastrophea and trying to Keep the Peace of other races.

This is actually my first ever Third doctor Novel I had read and more credit to Terrance Dicks, I have read "Players" which is my first Sixth Doctor Novel.

Thank you Terrance for everything you have done and brought Doctor Who to how it was.

[Juan Sanmiguel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Doctor (Third) and Jo land on the Planet Kastrophea. A colony planet where something strange is happening to the native inhabitants. They seem to be going berserk. At the same time different human factions try to determine the fate of the planet. At the same time the Draconians try to instigate an incident with Earth. An interesting and complicated tale. It felt like a type of story Barry Letts and Terrance Dicks would have like to produce. There are no easy answers in this one. At best there are practical ones.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the exception of some Virgin-isms (was this designed for that range originally) it feels just like you are watching a 3rd Doctor adventure, complete with endless escapes and captures, colonial satires, blustering bureaucrats overly idealistic rebels and studio sets of jungles (or so I imagine it being). If you told me this was a script for a follow-on to Planet of the Daleks that was dropped, I wouldn't have been surprised. Enjoyable stuff without feeling dumbed down.

[KP · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd probably give this more like 3.5 stars. It was just ok? There wasn't much excitement. But it is Terrance Dicks so the prose is good and the world is clear and I was hooked and managed to read it in two days, but the story was just meh? Lots of characters I didn't really care about and just a kind of predictable story? I'm not sad I read it but it just was a book?

[Paul Charles Radio Show · Rating 3 out of 5]

7/10

Dicks introduces darker themes into a standard storyline.

Doctor and Jo are well-written.

I felt that the comparison with the oppressed people and colonialism was perhaps a little heavy handed.

On the whole I enjoyed this book.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished in a day. An intriguing plot with action, tension and charm.

[David Layton · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Catastrophea" starts in a disappointingly routine way, but once the Doctor and Jo are on planet, the plot picks up marvelously and just races through to a generally satisfying end. Of course, pace is one of Dicks' strengths. A reader does not realize just how far along he/she has gotten until the reader looks at the page number and sees the advancement. The story itself presents the Doctor with an insoluble problem. The plot itself raises issues that are central to Dicks' concerns - colonialism, political unrest, environmentalism, and international (or interplanetary in this case) politics. We might think of this novel as a bit like what would happen if Joseph Conrad wrote for Doctor Who. Catastrophea is a planet in trouble. Basically a jungle world, humans have set up a rough colony that runs by more or less enslaving the local population, a species of humanoids that act much like elephants - large, strong, placid, pliable, but occasionally going berserk. The corporation that runs the colony has been overly exploitative, leaving a fractured system of local landlords in control. The planet is also home to the only source of a highly addictive illegal drug. The situation has attracted numerous young do-gooders who have no clue about how to organize and actually get any reforms done. Earth authorities have now sent the military and a representative to clean up the situation, but they are not having much success. And, to top it off, the colony is under blockade by a group of glory-seeking Draconians. This is just the basic situation. Add to this that the People, the natives, are not what they seem, and that a looming catastrophe to them means potential destruction of everyone, and you have a truly complicated problem any solution to which will not benefit everyone equally. There is no one person, not even the Doctor, who could make all of it turn out right. Some of the weaknesses are that the smugglers are fairly clichd, providing a handy plot complication but otherwise inessential; the running joke about Rik's bar gets tiresome; and the Draconians probably should have had a stronger presence in the plot. These problems aside, "Catastrophea" is a good read with the right amount of ethical ambiguity in the right places and a realistic outlook on political problems.

[Nicholas Whyte · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/2180988.html[return][return]Catastrophea is a fascinating engagement with colonialism. Sure, the plot is fairly obvious - the eponymous planet is at the cutting edge of a spheres-of-influence power struggle between humans and Draconians, with the drugged and oppressed natives showing worrying signs of being uppity. Under Dicks' script editorship, Old Who tried similar stories a couple of times with mixed, which is to say poor, results - Colony in Space and The Mutants being the most obvious such stories. Catastrophea, a Third Doctor/Jo novel,which is feels a bit like reparation: the human colonial adminsitrators, though well-intentioned by their own merits, are clearly Wrong; the Draconians have their own complex internal politics to deal with and are equally clearly Wrong; the native People are ready to retake power once the colonially imposed barriers have been removed, with the Doctor's assistance. There's a certain amount of clich� - and Dicks acknowledges this with an amusing riff on Casablanca in chapter five - but the book's heart is in the right pace, and at the end the invaders all leave, the planet having been restored to its rightful inhabitants, thanks to their own efforts, the Doctor's help, and a Gollum-like intervention by one of the nastier humans. A very interesting Who novel for all kinds of reasons.

[Kate Sherrod · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Third Doctor, back (sort of) in control of his (mostly) working TARDIS once again and fresh off his adventure with Miss Jo Grant on Spiridon in "Planet of the Daleks", is drawn, Jedi-style, to a planet right on the boundary between Human and Draconian spheres of influence to find a colonial world with colonial problems straight out of Rudyard Kipling or Joseph Conrad. Here's everything a good colonial plot needs: an unscrupulous private company that used to rule the roost, a reluctant government force that has had to step in because the company is oppressing the docile natives too brutally, tons of bleeding-heart do-gooders who want to meddle in the affairs of all concerned for the good of the natives (whether the natives like it or not), various mercenaries and drug smugglers, and a small but dangerous bunch of Draconians worsening all the problems from just out of reach.

That's a lot of plot elements to keep track of, but Dicks is a master of that, as he is of portraying the Third Doctor and Jo, who come to life as surely as if Jon Pertwee and Katy Manning were hamming it up for the cameras. The supporting characters are great and well-realized and there is a perfect balance of action and character scenes. A terrific read 8)

[Ian Shimwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is one of 'Uncle Terrance's best books. Terrance certainly revels in the 'Casablanca' inspirations with Rik's Place being an almost neutral bar between the smugglers, addicts, the People, and the authorities. The story is rich in characterisation. He gets the Third Doctor and Jo absolutely spot on with plenty of affection. You can't help loving Administrator Charteris and General Walton even though the latter keeps wanting to shoot the Doctor! The rebels are well-drawn too and a death of one of the main characters is very sensitively realised. I think one instantly feels for the People who will accept the most horrific of punishments with no response.
An absolute cracker of a book - and very unputdownable. Here's to Uncle Terrance!

[Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Third Doctor & Jo. Between Planet of the Daleks & The Green Death.
Oh dear. I'm surprised Dicks didn't publish this under a pseudonym. It's riddled with cliché after cliché. Rebels, establishment, the Doctor in the middle, capture, escape, capture, escape, so on. The only thing that could have saved it would have been a spot on characterization of the Doctor but all we seem to get is a bloke who scratches his neck a lot.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Doctor and Jo arrive on an Earth Colony. He is immediately mis-identified as a revolutionary and that causes a lot of problems. Meanwhile, the natives are slaves who don't fight back and sometimes go beserk. This is a fun story, the Draconian mini plot is really funny. It's typical 3rd Doctor on an alien world story and there's nothing wrong with that. You can really imagine it being a TV story during that era. A good read.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Terrance has the 3rd Doctor & Jo down pat (though it's a Jo who is far more girly than the one from season 10, which is where is book is ostensibly set). However, the plot is VERY dull, and it never excites for a second. Terrance Dicks' BBC Doctor Who novels just aren't a patch on his Virgin New Adventure output.

[Wealhtheow · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Doctor and Jo land on a planet on which the natives are ruthlessly exploited and enslaved by various alien factions, especially a pharmaceutical company. The Doctor's basic decency gets them immediately into trouble, and he is instantly ceased upon as the symbol of a revolution.

[Rich Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent Past Doctor adventure featuring Jo Grant and the Third Doctor. This one reads exactly like one of the original serials! Good characterization, well-written, and has a touch of the good humorous that makes the show so much fun.

[Simon Curtis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok. Frustratingly the Third Doctor has never taken off in fiction, bar the odd one.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book really easy to read