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Doctor Who: Missing Adventures #29
Doctor Who: Cold Fusion
'The entire universe is at stake and I'm locked in here with another incarnation of myself, and not even one of the good ones!'
More than one TARDIS lands on a barren ice world. The fifth Doctor, Adric, Nyssa and Tegan find a once ordered society on the verge of collapse, as rebels wage a dirty war with Scientifica, the ruling elite. All that stands between order and anarchy is the massed presence of an Adjudicator peacekeeping force.
But is peace the only reason for the Adjudicator garrison? What exactly has been discovered deep below the planet's surface? Who are the mysterious Feratu? And why is telling a ghost story a criminal offence?
The fifth Doctor sides with the cause of justice and fairness as always. But, as a threat to the universe unfolds, he finds himself in conflict with his past... and his future.
This adventure takes place between the television stories Castrovalva and Four to Doomsday and between the New Adventures Return of the Living Dad and The Death of Art.
More than one TARDIS lands on a barren ice world. The fifth Doctor, Adric, Nyssa and Tegan find a once ordered society on the verge of collapse, as rebels wage a dirty war with Scientifica, the ruling elite. All that stands between order and anarchy is the massed presence of an Adjudicator peacekeeping force.
But is peace the only reason for the Adjudicator garrison? What exactly has been discovered deep below the planet's surface? Who are the mysterious Feratu? And why is telling a ghost story a criminal offence?
The fifth Doctor sides with the cause of justice and fairness as always. But, as a threat to the universe unfolds, he finds himself in conflict with his past... and his future.
This adventure takes place between the television stories Castrovalva and Four to Doomsday and between the New Adventures Return of the Living Dad and The Death of Art.
272 pages, Paperback
First published December 5, 1996
4 people are currently reading
281 people want to read
About the author
Lance Parkin
84 books96 followersLance Parkin is an author who has written professional Doctor Who fiction since the 1990s. He is one of the few authors to write for both the 1963 and 2005 version of the programme — though much of his fiction has actually been based on the 1996 iteration. Indeed, he was notably the first author to write original prose for the Eighth Doctor in The Dying Days. He was also the author chosen to deliver the nominal 35th anniversary story, The Infinity Doctors, and the final volume in the Eighth Doctor Adventures range, The Gallifrey Chronicles. More recently, he has written for the Tenth Doctor in The Eyeless.
He is further notable for his work with Big Finish Productions, where he is arguably most known for writing the Sixth Doctor adventure, Davros.
Outside of Doctor Who, he has written things like Warlords of Utopia and (with Mark Jones) Dark Matter, a guide to the author Philip Pullman.
He is further notable for his work with Big Finish Productions, where he is arguably most known for writing the Sixth Doctor adventure, Davros.
Outside of Doctor Who, he has written things like Warlords of Utopia and (with Mark Jones) Dark Matter, a guide to the author Philip Pullman.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 25, 2014
Interesting. This is one of the Doctor Who Missing Adventures from the mid-90s, and features a Fifth Doctor story crashing into a Seventh Doctor conflict. It's got a strong setup, but ends up a bit flat at the end, the resolution of the big epic conflicts ending up more cerebral than emotional. And neither of the big apocalyptic threats feels truly tense or threatening. That said, it's a worthwhile experience for any classic Doctor Who fan who is interested in the interplay of these eras.
March 26, 2021
Cold Fusion is a personal favourite of mine when it comes to Doctor Who novels. I'm fascinated by the character of Patience and all the questions I have about her and her connection to The Doctor has me reading and re-reading often.
January 17, 2011
The meeting between the secretive, machiavellian 7th Doctor and the innocent, trusting 5th Doctor is as explosive and hilarious as you would expect, thanks to Lance Parkin's firm hand.
September 12, 2020
I’ve been waiting to get to this book for a looooong time, and now I’m done I can safely say it well and truly lived up to the hype! Pairing up two of my favourite Doctors, and featuring a bunch of companions I love, there was definitely a risk of it not quite living up to my expectations, but no fear, Lance Parkin delivers big time!
With most of the page count focusing on... well, pretty much everyone besides Seven for the most part, it still has that strong vibe that I associate pretty heavily with the ‘New Adventures era’, with things feeling a bit more like the Fifth Doctor have stumbled into a New Adventures story rather than the Seventh Doctor stumbling into a Season 19 story - and that’s not at all a bad thing. So soon after Castrovalva - barely two days after - it’s very effective at capturing that shifting dynamic between the Fifth Doctor and his companions, especially with Tegan and Adric. Nyssa spends most of her time with Chris, but there’s still an opportunity to delve into her thoughts in the aftermath of Logopolis.
There’s also the inclusion of the mysterious Patience, a character who brings out a less-explored side of the Fifth Doctor with some very interesting scenes, and leaves the characters - and the reader - with some interesting questions (unless you’ve read a certain other Parkin novel I guess cough cough). It’s a pity she doesn’t share any scenes with the Seventh Doctor here.
Honestly, the only fault I can find in this is there not being like an extra page or two just wrapping up the Season 19 gang’s story, as we don’t really get the chance to let the final scenes of the story breathe. Though admittedly that’s just partly down to me loving the Season 19 TARDIS team so I’m biased.
But yeah, great all round, to be honest. I’m just sad that Season 19 is so underrepresented in prose, but at the very least they have this gem!
With most of the page count focusing on... well, pretty much everyone besides Seven for the most part, it still has that strong vibe that I associate pretty heavily with the ‘New Adventures era’, with things feeling a bit more like the Fifth Doctor have stumbled into a New Adventures story rather than the Seventh Doctor stumbling into a Season 19 story - and that’s not at all a bad thing. So soon after Castrovalva - barely two days after - it’s very effective at capturing that shifting dynamic between the Fifth Doctor and his companions, especially with Tegan and Adric. Nyssa spends most of her time with Chris, but there’s still an opportunity to delve into her thoughts in the aftermath of Logopolis.
There’s also the inclusion of the mysterious Patience, a character who brings out a less-explored side of the Fifth Doctor with some very interesting scenes, and leaves the characters - and the reader - with some interesting questions (unless you’ve read a certain other Parkin novel I guess cough cough). It’s a pity she doesn’t share any scenes with the Seventh Doctor here.
Honestly, the only fault I can find in this is there not being like an extra page or two just wrapping up the Season 19 gang’s story, as we don’t really get the chance to let the final scenes of the story breathe. Though admittedly that’s just partly down to me loving the Season 19 TARDIS team so I’m biased.
But yeah, great all round, to be honest. I’m just sad that Season 19 is so underrepresented in prose, but at the very least they have this gem!
November 30, 2022
A generally gripping technobabble extravaganza with an added layer of mysterious allusions to the Doctor's past (in particular, their secret incarnations before One) and an alien race which adds so much to the extended universe of Doctor Who at large? How could I give it a lower score? I implore everyone who's into an adventure with a bit more bite (for a multi-Doctor story that mainly concerns itself on cosmic ideas, it's surprisingly gritty and bloody) to give Cold Fusion a chance.
Full review at https://miamiandthetardis.blogspot.co...
Full review at https://miamiandthetardis.blogspot.co...
December 9, 2025
3.5 stars really. I enjoyed it up until about the last 30 pages, when it has quite a convenient ending. I don’t like how abrupt the ending is either. Shame because the start of the book and the story with the patient is great.
September 18, 2020
Loved it, and the proto-River is very interesting.
May 14, 2014
Has nothing to do with the means of producing energy
15 May 2012
Well, this I believe was one of the last Missing Adventure Books that I have read (and while I would not be adverse to reading more, it really comes down to finding them, and I suspect that, with the exception of scouring second-hand bookshops, it may be expensive, particularly if I am ordering through Amazon). Anyway, this book involves Tegan, Adric, and Nyssa (whom I vote to be the Doctor's sexiest companion, at least for the older series, though I also quite liked Jo, Liz, and Romana II) and is set between Castrovalva and Four to Doomsday, but is also includes the Seventh Doctor from one of the novels, so in a way it is one of those two Doctors adventures.
The story takes place on an ice world which is ruled by a scientific elite that keeps the rest of the planet oppressed. However the planet, being an ice planet, is also a ski resort. This adventure is set quite a ways into the future there, where it appears that humanity has colonised vast swaths of the galaxy. It is always interesting to hear the Doctor praise humanity and its resourcefulness, in the belief that humans, deep down, are a good race of people. The Doctor always mentions that Earth is his favourite place, and humans are his favourite peoples.
I do not believe that this book has anything to do with the energy producing method called Cold Fusion, but I will speak a bit about it. As from my understanding (at least from year 12 physics) that fusion as a means of generating electricity was not possible, namely because the technology to enable the construction of a magnetic containment field simply has not been developed. Fusion power involves fusing two hydrogen atoms, which results in a huge burst of energy, however the amount of energy that is required to fuse the atoms requires an atomic explosion (fusion bombs, or hydrogen bombs, are detonated through the use of a fission bomb, otherwise known colloquially as atom bombs – both are nuclear weapons). However, the concept of cold fusion is that the fusing of the hydrogen atoms can be performed without resorting to nuclear power. While the idea may be enticing, as far as I believe, it is currently impossible.
15 May 2012
Well, this I believe was one of the last Missing Adventure Books that I have read (and while I would not be adverse to reading more, it really comes down to finding them, and I suspect that, with the exception of scouring second-hand bookshops, it may be expensive, particularly if I am ordering through Amazon). Anyway, this book involves Tegan, Adric, and Nyssa (whom I vote to be the Doctor's sexiest companion, at least for the older series, though I also quite liked Jo, Liz, and Romana II) and is set between Castrovalva and Four to Doomsday, but is also includes the Seventh Doctor from one of the novels, so in a way it is one of those two Doctors adventures.
The story takes place on an ice world which is ruled by a scientific elite that keeps the rest of the planet oppressed. However the planet, being an ice planet, is also a ski resort. This adventure is set quite a ways into the future there, where it appears that humanity has colonised vast swaths of the galaxy. It is always interesting to hear the Doctor praise humanity and its resourcefulness, in the belief that humans, deep down, are a good race of people. The Doctor always mentions that Earth is his favourite place, and humans are his favourite peoples.
I do not believe that this book has anything to do with the energy producing method called Cold Fusion, but I will speak a bit about it. As from my understanding (at least from year 12 physics) that fusion as a means of generating electricity was not possible, namely because the technology to enable the construction of a magnetic containment field simply has not been developed. Fusion power involves fusing two hydrogen atoms, which results in a huge burst of energy, however the amount of energy that is required to fuse the atoms requires an atomic explosion (fusion bombs, or hydrogen bombs, are detonated through the use of a fission bomb, otherwise known colloquially as atom bombs – both are nuclear weapons). However, the concept of cold fusion is that the fusing of the hydrogen atoms can be performed without resorting to nuclear power. While the idea may be enticing, as far as I believe, it is currently impossible.
Read
April 8, 2009http://nhw.livejournal.com/1054675.html#cutid2[return][return]Here we have a novel mainly about Five, Adric, Tegan and Nyssa, but also involving Seven and (rather more so) his companions from the Virgin New Adventures, Chris Cwej and Roz Forrester. There are some very nice character moments, especially for the Doctors and the female companions, but the plot was not particularly special, and I don't think a tetrahedron of the size specified in those planetary conditions is very likely. There are some nice nods to continuity as well, as you would expect.[return][return](And apparently, "
November 16, 2025
August 2023
It's a decent book all through, but the ending of this one particularly shines in how it throws the Seventh and Fifth Doctors into contrast with each other, in my opinion.
September 2025
4.5/5
Not quite my all-time favourite (I think I'm not as keen on Doctor backstory as that would demand) but I love the setting for this one, I love the voices of the characters, I love the weird sickly resolution which suggests that .
It's a decent book all through, but the ending of this one particularly shines in how it throws the Seventh and Fifth Doctors into contrast with each other, in my opinion.
September 2025
4.5/5
Not quite my all-time favourite (I think I'm not as keen on Doctor backstory as that would demand) but I love the setting for this one, I love the voices of the characters, I love the weird sickly resolution which suggests that .
June 9, 2022
This 90s Doctor Who novel has always been a curiosity among fans but has enjoyed renewed interest in recent years as the TV series has explored a similar idea: what if the Doctor had many more lives than they remembered? But whereas Chris Chibnall chose to explore that idea in the form of a TED Talk, Lance Parkin does it in David Lynch fancy dress, providing flashes, hints and caveats that are infinitely more evocative and interesting. While other parts of the book are less successful, Cold Fusion is essential reading for anyone intrigued but disappointed by the TV show’s recent direction.
July 2, 2024
I continue to think this might be the best VNA written....even if it is a VMA
Lance Parkin is obviously an amazing writer but here he is on top form managing to balance lore, darkness and humour perfectly.
He also doesn't attempt to soften any of the characters here. All 7 regulars are shown warts and all but still creates something beautiful.
Even for non-Doctor Who fans I would say this is a book well worth reading.
Lance Parkin is obviously an amazing writer but here he is on top form managing to balance lore, darkness and humour perfectly.
He also doesn't attempt to soften any of the characters here. All 7 regulars are shown warts and all but still creates something beautiful.
Even for non-Doctor Who fans I would say this is a book well worth reading.
June 1, 2018
Reminiscence Bliss.
When I picked this book I smiled, One of the few Virgin paperbacks I didn`t buy in 1996. The atttitude,the style and general fun;shine through. A meeting between he fifth and the seventh Doctors,oh and a certain pair of ajudicators. What can iIsay top notch quality entertainment. Its a shame that Dr who has been dumbed down especially since the relaunch on the show.
When I picked this book I smiled, One of the few Virgin paperbacks I didn`t buy in 1996. The atttitude,the style and general fun;shine through. A meeting between he fifth and the seventh Doctors,oh and a certain pair of ajudicators. What can iIsay top notch quality entertainment. Its a shame that Dr who has been dumbed down especially since the relaunch on the show.
January 2, 2014
A strong Doctor Who novel, with great characterizations, funny references to the classic series, and an OK plot. A bit confusing with multiple Doctors and 5 companions, but Parkin does a surprisingly good job of capturing who each of them is.
February 24, 2010
Bit of a slog as I remember, but worth it for having two Doctors in it.
August 5, 2016
An awesome book. It’s not often two Doctor’s are used together well but |Lance Parking does it. The companions are used to great effect in the two concurrent storylines.
December 11, 2014
The Fifth Doctor meets up with the Seventh Doctor in this book set on an ice world.
March 15, 2014
Love finding all the pop-culture Easter eggs in this!
Read
March 2, 2018DNF for now. Im not in the mood to read it.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews