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Doctor Who: Virgin New Adventures #45
Doctor Who: Shakedown: The Monster Collection Edition (Doctor Who
For thousands of years the Sontarans and the Rutans have fought a brutal war across the galaxy. Now the Sontarans have a secret plan to destroy the Rutan race - a secret plan the Doctor is racing against time to uncover.
Only one Rutan spy knows the Sontarans' plan. As he is chased through the galaxy in a desperate bid for his life, he reaches the planet Sentarion - where Professor Bernice Summerfield's research into the history of the Sontaran-Rutan war is turning into an explosive reality.
An adventure featuring the Seventh Doctor, as played by Sylvester McCoy
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 31, 1995
4 people are currently reading
349 people want to read
About the author
Terrance Dicks
326 books220 followersTerrance 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
June 10, 2018
An entertaining combination of a classic Who writer, Sontarans and some interesting new insectoid aliens. All played out across three worlds and in various space ships and stations. A good slice of Who, much better than much of the recently televised Who.
June 20, 2016
5 stars? Ridiculous. Is this really as good as "1984" or "Lord of the Rings"? Of course not.
BUT - is it a cracking piece of Dicksian Who - pulp thrills and spills full of devious monsters and their evil plots, foiled by plucky heroes, who find their heroism in the most unlikely places - all coordinated by the Machiavellian form of the Seventh Doctor? It sure is.
Dicks doesn't muck about - the Strunck and White rule about avoiding unnecessary words is followed to the letter; this writing is lean as and the pacing is furious. Each chapter is a lesson in episode building, each one hangs off the edge of a cliff and Dicks keeps multiple characters and locations all in fine, thrilling order.
This is not Iain M Banks-style alien design - our bug-eyed monsters are more simple but, like I say, Dicks is sleek, refined pulp so our aliens do what they're supposed to do.
The native Who creatures (Rutans and Sontarans) come off particularly well - Sontarans have been reduced to comedy sidekicks in Nu-Who but Dicks makes this bunch far more calculating and ruthless, not just brainless thugs. The Rutans are a chilling, well-though-out collective mind-entity and perhaps come off even better - well, Uncle Terrance created them so he has every right to give them a sparkling outing.
A ripping yarn - yes, it does deserve 5 stars.
BUT - is it a cracking piece of Dicksian Who - pulp thrills and spills full of devious monsters and their evil plots, foiled by plucky heroes, who find their heroism in the most unlikely places - all coordinated by the Machiavellian form of the Seventh Doctor? It sure is.
Dicks doesn't muck about - the Strunck and White rule about avoiding unnecessary words is followed to the letter; this writing is lean as and the pacing is furious. Each chapter is a lesson in episode building, each one hangs off the edge of a cliff and Dicks keeps multiple characters and locations all in fine, thrilling order.
This is not Iain M Banks-style alien design - our bug-eyed monsters are more simple but, like I say, Dicks is sleek, refined pulp so our aliens do what they're supposed to do.
The native Who creatures (Rutans and Sontarans) come off particularly well - Sontarans have been reduced to comedy sidekicks in Nu-Who but Dicks makes this bunch far more calculating and ruthless, not just brainless thugs. The Rutans are a chilling, well-though-out collective mind-entity and perhaps come off even better - well, Uncle Terrance created them so he has every right to give them a sparkling outing.
A ripping yarn - yes, it does deserve 5 stars.
April 22, 2021
Nach den Daleks und den Cyberman ging es für mich nun zu den Sontaranern. Diese waren für mich bisher eher unbekannt, da sie auch in der Serie bisher nicht so oft vorkamen. Gut, das liegt aber wahrscheinlich auch daran, das ich noch bei Staffel 9 hänge. Doch mein Interesse war geweckt, immerhin handelte es sich hier um eine sehr kampfeslustige Rasse, welche aber auch wirklich sehr speziell aussah. Und sie nun einmal in voller Action zu erleben, wollte ich mir dann doch nicht entgehen lassen.
Um so überraschte war ich, wohin mich die Story führte. Denn egal, ob von den Sontaraner oder vom Doktor, ich las erstaunlich wenig von ihnen. Dies hing aber auch damit zusammen das die gesamte Handlung auf dem Krieg zwischen den Sontaranern und den Rutanern aufbaute. Hier ging es wirklich um das große Ganze und das führte mich eben auch an Orte, die nur ein kleiner Teil der Geschichte waren. Doch war dies schlecht? Iwo, denn es war ein wirklich unglaublicher Ausflug, der für Doctor Who-Fans völlig neue Einblicke bereithalten dürfte.
Wie schon erwähnt gab es in diesem Buch eben nicht nur die Sontaraner, Rutaner und den Doctor, sondern auch viele Gehilfen. Erstaunlich war hier, dass sie regelrecht zu Hauptcharakteren wurde, da sie große Abschnitte mit ihren Erkundungen ausfüllten. Auch dies war nicht schlecht, auch wenn ich mir zwischendurch ein wenig mehr Doktor gewünscht hätte. Trotzdem war es für mich schön, die Begleiter des 7.Doktors kennenzulernen, da ich erst ab dem 8. in die Serie einstieg. Egal ob Kurt oder Bernice, ich fand hier wirklich tolle Charaktere, die wirklich viel Witz mitbrachten.
Trotz allem war dies bisher der komplexeste Band, da hier wirklich viele Details und Szenarien zusammenliefen. Man sprang förmlich von einem Ort zum Anderen, was für mich als Geringkenner, teils wirklich anstrengend war. Ich rate daher Lesern, die wie ich nur wenig Wissen über Doctor Who haben, stets ein internetfähiges Gerät in der Nähe zu haben, um sich die fehlenden Informationen zu besorgen. Ohne dies wäre ich nämlich reichlich aufgeschmissen zu werden.
Spaß hatte ich aber trotzdem zu genüge, denn der Band bot nicht nur viele Orte und Charaktere, sondern auch die unterschiedlichsten Momente, in denen man nie wusste, was gleich passieren würde. Oder anders herum, gab es Szenen, in denen man wirklich nichts Interessantes erwartete und plötzlich etwas geschah. Für mich ein absolutes Highlight, denn so schaffte man neben den spannenden Momenten, auch hochgefährliche oder unfassbar lustige Szenarien. Egal ob Fan oder nicht, dieses Buch machte wirklich einfach nur Spaß.
Dieses Buch war von vorne bis hinten, nicht nur unglaublich spannend, sondern sorgte mit vielen überraschenden Wendungen auch dafür, dass man es nicht weglegen wollte. Für Nichtkenner des 7.Doktors dürften viele Charaktere zwar unbekannt sein, aber mit ein wenig Intersuche, dürfte man schnell die passenden Infos finden. Hat man die, kann es richtig losgehen, denn hier wartete einen nicht nur der Krieg von Sontaranern und Rutaner, sondern noch so einiges mehr.
Um so überraschte war ich, wohin mich die Story führte. Denn egal, ob von den Sontaraner oder vom Doktor, ich las erstaunlich wenig von ihnen. Dies hing aber auch damit zusammen das die gesamte Handlung auf dem Krieg zwischen den Sontaranern und den Rutanern aufbaute. Hier ging es wirklich um das große Ganze und das führte mich eben auch an Orte, die nur ein kleiner Teil der Geschichte waren. Doch war dies schlecht? Iwo, denn es war ein wirklich unglaublicher Ausflug, der für Doctor Who-Fans völlig neue Einblicke bereithalten dürfte.
Wie schon erwähnt gab es in diesem Buch eben nicht nur die Sontaraner, Rutaner und den Doctor, sondern auch viele Gehilfen. Erstaunlich war hier, dass sie regelrecht zu Hauptcharakteren wurde, da sie große Abschnitte mit ihren Erkundungen ausfüllten. Auch dies war nicht schlecht, auch wenn ich mir zwischendurch ein wenig mehr Doktor gewünscht hätte. Trotzdem war es für mich schön, die Begleiter des 7.Doktors kennenzulernen, da ich erst ab dem 8. in die Serie einstieg. Egal ob Kurt oder Bernice, ich fand hier wirklich tolle Charaktere, die wirklich viel Witz mitbrachten.
Trotz allem war dies bisher der komplexeste Band, da hier wirklich viele Details und Szenarien zusammenliefen. Man sprang förmlich von einem Ort zum Anderen, was für mich als Geringkenner, teils wirklich anstrengend war. Ich rate daher Lesern, die wie ich nur wenig Wissen über Doctor Who haben, stets ein internetfähiges Gerät in der Nähe zu haben, um sich die fehlenden Informationen zu besorgen. Ohne dies wäre ich nämlich reichlich aufgeschmissen zu werden.
Spaß hatte ich aber trotzdem zu genüge, denn der Band bot nicht nur viele Orte und Charaktere, sondern auch die unterschiedlichsten Momente, in denen man nie wusste, was gleich passieren würde. Oder anders herum, gab es Szenen, in denen man wirklich nichts Interessantes erwartete und plötzlich etwas geschah. Für mich ein absolutes Highlight, denn so schaffte man neben den spannenden Momenten, auch hochgefährliche oder unfassbar lustige Szenarien. Egal ob Fan oder nicht, dieses Buch machte wirklich einfach nur Spaß.
Dieses Buch war von vorne bis hinten, nicht nur unglaublich spannend, sondern sorgte mit vielen überraschenden Wendungen auch dafür, dass man es nicht weglegen wollte. Für Nichtkenner des 7.Doktors dürften viele Charaktere zwar unbekannt sein, aber mit ein wenig Intersuche, dürfte man schnell die passenden Infos finden. Hat man die, kann es richtig losgehen, denn hier wartete einen nicht nur der Krieg von Sontaranern und Rutaner, sondern noch so einiges mehr.
May 26, 2014
This was one of my favourite novels in the New Adventures range and I think the reason for this you don't just get the novelization of the video of the same name, that due to licensing didn't actually feature the Doctor, but you also get a prelude and an epilogue as well. So it makes for a rewarding reading experience. I've also got a soft spot for anything written by Terrance Dicks. Very enjoyable.
July 27, 2020
I've never watched the original fanfilm, and it's always been something that I've just kind of felt indifferent too, but after reading this book I'm now feeling pretty encouraged to give it a watch at some point.
It's good fun right from the start - the Doctor's delegated Benny, Chris + Roz their own tasks, and between these different strands of the story things race along at a really great pace. The Sontarans get the chance to be genuinely pretty ruthless and intimidating, and (holy feck!) we actually get just a little bit of Sontarans vs Rutans!
I'm usually a little 'ugh' about Who novels spending too long away from the actual main characters, but there's a really good balance between the TARDIS crew and the Characters of the Week, so no complaints from me on that count.
It's not a story that tries to reinvent the wheel, but it's nice to get a dip back into the kind of stories that would work well on TV and doesn't take itself too seriously like some of the other NAs have a habit of doing.
It's good fun right from the start - the Doctor's delegated Benny, Chris + Roz their own tasks, and between these different strands of the story things race along at a really great pace. The Sontarans get the chance to be genuinely pretty ruthless and intimidating, and (holy feck!) we actually get just a little bit of Sontarans vs Rutans!
I'm usually a little 'ugh' about Who novels spending too long away from the actual main characters, but there's a really good balance between the TARDIS crew and the Characters of the Week, so no complaints from me on that count.
It's not a story that tries to reinvent the wheel, but it's nice to get a dip back into the kind of stories that would work well on TV and doesn't take itself too seriously like some of the other NAs have a habit of doing.
April 23, 2011
I've never seen the fan video on which the middle third of this book is based...but as a separate story woven into a proper Doctor Who tale, it's not half bad. Straightfoward space opera, with a bit of a sidelined Doctor...but everyone else gets a nice bit of characterization, and the Sontarans are handled well.
March 20, 2025
It's time for a break from NA books. The cream isn't rising to the top for me right now. Huge chunks of this story felt like a drag to me.
May 25, 2015
This was another of the 50p Doctor who books I found at the local Oxfam last year. I was quite impressed. I'm used to reading Terrance Dicks' Target novelisations and this one was like an actual book! The added first and third section read like a proper science fiction novel. This was the first one I'd read that had Roz and Chris in and they seemed very nice and competent companions. Likewise it was good to see Benny being the academic archeologist. It was interesting to see the Rutans and the Sontarans interact, though also it made it obvious which of the two species had been much more developed on the show! Not a bad novelisation at all.
September 21, 2024
As a Doctor Who fan I've always wanted to see The Sontaran and Rutan War in some way or other depicted on screen and surprisingly it still hasn't happened in the show. But in 1994 Terrence Dicks wrote a one-off spinoff depicting an event of this war where a Rutan stows away on a space yacht and kills the passengers off one by one, as the Sontarans attempt to find and destroy it, trust the man, the myth and the legend himself to give something we had always wanted. When it came to novelizing this story, it became an expansion of the initial screenplay, including The Doctor, his companions, and a story far grander in scale. So let's see if this works for me, shall we?
The Sontarans are near to discovering a Rutan secret that could win them the war once and for all and The Doctor must do everything in his power to ensure the conflict continues. Roz and Chris have been sent to hunt down a Rutan in Megacity, and Bernice Summerfield has been sent to research the conflict at a University on a planet full of insects. Tensions are high and as the space yacht is getting ready to depart, nothing will be the same for Lisa Derrane and her crew aboard Tiger Moth.
Terrance Dicks has written an epic 233 paged novel that is fast-paced, action-packed, terrifying and at times hilarious. It's a book with so much on its plate from its different settings, the first and third acts being a grand space opera and the second being a base-under siege with a similar vibe to Horror of Fang Rock. It is an expansion of the 1994 Dreamwatch production that is glorious in so many ways, the characters are terrific here, The Doctor is calculative while also being a clumsy old rogue which at this point in the range is a nice breath of fresh air, and his companions all get something to do.
I love how the Sontaran and Rutan conflict was handled here, Terrance Dicks did a brilliant job giving us a sense of how large and impactful this war is and just how deadly both sides are.
Overall: It's a brilliant novel that's one of the series' very best. 10/10
The Sontarans are near to discovering a Rutan secret that could win them the war once and for all and The Doctor must do everything in his power to ensure the conflict continues. Roz and Chris have been sent to hunt down a Rutan in Megacity, and Bernice Summerfield has been sent to research the conflict at a University on a planet full of insects. Tensions are high and as the space yacht is getting ready to depart, nothing will be the same for Lisa Derrane and her crew aboard Tiger Moth.
Terrance Dicks has written an epic 233 paged novel that is fast-paced, action-packed, terrifying and at times hilarious. It's a book with so much on its plate from its different settings, the first and third acts being a grand space opera and the second being a base-under siege with a similar vibe to Horror of Fang Rock. It is an expansion of the 1994 Dreamwatch production that is glorious in so many ways, the characters are terrific here, The Doctor is calculative while also being a clumsy old rogue which at this point in the range is a nice breath of fresh air, and his companions all get something to do.
I love how the Sontaran and Rutan conflict was handled here, Terrance Dicks did a brilliant job giving us a sense of how large and impactful this war is and just how deadly both sides are.
Overall: It's a brilliant novel that's one of the series' very best. 10/10
August 20, 2022
A crisply-written adaptation of Shakedown - a fan produced Doctor Who spinoff originally scripted by the author - featuring the Sontarans and their long time enemies the Rutans.
Terrance Dicks' work is always worth reading. His knowledge of the show and the mechanics of a good Doctor Who story were second to none. His books rarely disappoint.
Presented with the challenge of how to feature the Doctor and companions in a tale that originally featured neither, Dicks smartly bookends the original story, sandwiching Shakedown with a prequel that establishes its background and a sequel that resolves it's outcomes.
The Time Lord and his three New Adventures assistants split up: the Doctor, Roz and Chris pursue a Rutan spy in a story that establishes a back story for Shakedown, while Bernice visits an academic planet that will be the stage for the final revelation of the book and discovers that the planet's history is inextricably entwined with that of the Rutan homeworld.
The book draws on themes from other Doctor Who stories including The Daemons and The Underworld, exploring the impact of advance alien civilisations on other less developed worlds while also developing both the lore of the Sontarans and, more importantly, Dicks' own creation - the Rutans.
It's an economically written book but doesn't skimp on plot or the critical information required to drive the story forward. If I have any criticism it is that some of the more adult themes of sex and overt violence seem to jar with the flow of his usual style. The showdown ending is a little rushed with a climactic confrontation resolved almost off-screen, as was often the case in the original television show.
A decent, attention grabbing read from a classic author.
Terrance Dicks' work is always worth reading. His knowledge of the show and the mechanics of a good Doctor Who story were second to none. His books rarely disappoint.
Presented with the challenge of how to feature the Doctor and companions in a tale that originally featured neither, Dicks smartly bookends the original story, sandwiching Shakedown with a prequel that establishes its background and a sequel that resolves it's outcomes.
The Time Lord and his three New Adventures assistants split up: the Doctor, Roz and Chris pursue a Rutan spy in a story that establishes a back story for Shakedown, while Bernice visits an academic planet that will be the stage for the final revelation of the book and discovers that the planet's history is inextricably entwined with that of the Rutan homeworld.
The book draws on themes from other Doctor Who stories including The Daemons and The Underworld, exploring the impact of advance alien civilisations on other less developed worlds while also developing both the lore of the Sontarans and, more importantly, Dicks' own creation - the Rutans.
It's an economically written book but doesn't skimp on plot or the critical information required to drive the story forward. If I have any criticism it is that some of the more adult themes of sex and overt violence seem to jar with the flow of his usual style. The showdown ending is a little rushed with a climactic confrontation resolved almost off-screen, as was often the case in the original television show.
A decent, attention grabbing read from a classic author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2019
A Doctor Who adventure (mostly) without the Doctor that actually works and that is almost as interesting as its background story, Shakedown brings into the foreground the ages-old war between Sontarans and Rutans in all its relentless brutality and is a fitting choice for the Monsterse Collection range of novels. Originally a script for a video made by fans who had acquired to use the Sontarans (but not the Doctor), Dicks was later asked to novelize it and include the Doctor in the mix. A prologue and an epilogue (far longer than the "core" Doctor-less adventure) aptly create a believable framework for the "core" story and give the Doctor's companions (and a few secondary characters) the chance to shine on their own. Choosing the 7th Doctor as the mastermind behind the scenes was quite clever, as a less mischiveous and dark incarnation of the Doctor wouldn't really have fit the bill. Overall, a very entertaining and effective novelization that manages to capture the spirit of the McCoy era.
August 14, 2021
Ein Abenteuer des siebten Doctor - auch für Leser geeignet, die wie ich erst beim neunten eingestiegen sind. ;)
Sicherlich macht es mehr Spaß, wenn man mit dem siebten Doctor und seinen Begleitern bereits etwas verbinden kann, die Geschichte funktioniert jedoch auch so. Tatsächlich spielt der Doctor selbst gar keine zentrale Rolle, sondern wir bewegen uns mit verschiedenen Protagonisten an verschiedenen Schauplätzen. Am Ende läuft dann alles zusammen und die zahlreichen, teils schrägen Entwicklungen ergeben Sinn.
Die verschiedenen Planeten und ihre Bewohner sind anschaulich beschrieben, wobei die Protagonisten sich angemessen abheben. Erzähltempo und Spannungsbogen funktionieren gut und ich hatte nie den Eindruck, dass mir Informationen fehlen.
Gute "Popcorn-Unterhaltung", für mich allerdings ohne nachhaltigen Eindruck.
Sicherlich macht es mehr Spaß, wenn man mit dem siebten Doctor und seinen Begleitern bereits etwas verbinden kann, die Geschichte funktioniert jedoch auch so. Tatsächlich spielt der Doctor selbst gar keine zentrale Rolle, sondern wir bewegen uns mit verschiedenen Protagonisten an verschiedenen Schauplätzen. Am Ende läuft dann alles zusammen und die zahlreichen, teils schrägen Entwicklungen ergeben Sinn.
Die verschiedenen Planeten und ihre Bewohner sind anschaulich beschrieben, wobei die Protagonisten sich angemessen abheben. Erzähltempo und Spannungsbogen funktionieren gut und ich hatte nie den Eindruck, dass mir Informationen fehlen.
Gute "Popcorn-Unterhaltung", für mich allerdings ohne nachhaltigen Eindruck.
November 17, 2021
Fun, light reading with vicious streaks.
This is my first Terrence Dicks book and it revolves around one of my childhood Dr Who enemy races - the potato heads. I recall John Pertwee, giant grubs, and potato headed warriors before being whisked off to boarding school and not seeing another episode for years. So this was another nostalgia trip for me.
Taking place in three or four major locations with groups of well-known DW characters, the story rips along in pacy pulp fashion with bust ups, corrupt cops, shady bars, inscrutable aliens, archaeologists, investigators, smugglers, a funny little man in a crumpled suit, ferocious mercenaries and soldiers, and a paper-thin plot. Great fun. Recommended as a simple straightforward read. It is true to what it sets out to be - not perfect, not deep, not high, just a rip-roaring adventure in space (but not so much time!)
This is my first Terrence Dicks book and it revolves around one of my childhood Dr Who enemy races - the potato heads. I recall John Pertwee, giant grubs, and potato headed warriors before being whisked off to boarding school and not seeing another episode for years. So this was another nostalgia trip for me.
Taking place in three or four major locations with groups of well-known DW characters, the story rips along in pacy pulp fashion with bust ups, corrupt cops, shady bars, inscrutable aliens, archaeologists, investigators, smugglers, a funny little man in a crumpled suit, ferocious mercenaries and soldiers, and a paper-thin plot. Great fun. Recommended as a simple straightforward read. It is true to what it sets out to be - not perfect, not deep, not high, just a rip-roaring adventure in space (but not so much time!)
December 31, 2021
Most enjoyable. Terrance Dicks has a very light writing style which parallels well with the early Doctor Who Scripts. (some of the NA's can get a little convoluted in their storyline and, although enjoyable the pace can be a lot slower) In novel form he can expand his story into areas which may not be acceptable in the Doctor Who format and explore the characters in more detail. His extensive knowledge of the Whoniverse allows him to both respect the genre and drop in little references to the lore.
This I Like....
He flushed out the story of the Rutans from a little known alien in "The Horror of Fang Rock" and also expanded the background and the attitude of the Sontaran race.
Well done.
He will be sadly missed.
RIP. Terrance Dicks.
This I Like....
He flushed out the story of the Rutans from a little known alien in "The Horror of Fang Rock" and also expanded the background and the attitude of the Sontaran race.
Well done.
He will be sadly missed.
RIP. Terrance Dicks.
March 6, 2022
I wouldn't so much call this a novel , it feels more like three short stories fixed-up into a novel with The Doctor as a minor through line character. The first part is a pretty good detective story, of Roz and Chris tracking down a shape-shifting killer in Megacity. The second is a workmanlike adaptation of the straight to video release. And the third is a middling story of Benny exploring the mystery of Sentarion. Unfortunately, it is the less of the sum of its parts, not bad just forgettable.
April 21, 2025
I love the format of this one, and I love Terrance Dicks as a writer. Everything here just works. The homevideo "Shakedown" is novelised appropriately, with a fitting prequel featuring the Doctor added to act as the prologue chapters. The sequel chapters are... Okay. I do think they fail the homevideo characters quite a bit, and it goes back on the ending in a really unnecessary way, but still, overall, I think Dicks delivered a really nice blend of his own original fiction mixed with the novelisation of a spin-off production.
November 14, 2021
3.5/5
At the end of the day I don't think I have any strong feelings on this one, other than 'it was pretty good'. I guess because it was written around a film to turn it into a New Adventure, it ends up feeling oddly disconnected from the chronology of what's been happening in the previous two books. Those have had so much emotional drama for the TARDIS crew, whereas this is pretty much just a run around with the Sontarans and Rutans, albeit a reasonably engaging one.
At the end of the day I don't think I have any strong feelings on this one, other than 'it was pretty good'. I guess because it was written around a film to turn it into a New Adventure, it ends up feeling oddly disconnected from the chronology of what's been happening in the previous two books. Those have had so much emotional drama for the TARDIS crew, whereas this is pretty much just a run around with the Sontarans and Rutans, albeit a reasonably engaging one.
March 1, 2022
Per quanto questo libro si nato in maniera problematica, come rivisitazione di una novelisation altamente ampliata, lo ho trovato fantastico!
Inizialmente devo dire che é difficile inquadrare tutti i personaggi visto che son davvero molti però si rivelano tutti ben caratterizzati.
Terrance Dicks si rivela come sempre una certezza nel mondo di Doctor Who.
Libro consigliato a tutti gli amanti del Settimo Dottore, di Bernice Summerfield, dei Sontaran o del periodo uscuro degli anni '90!
Inizialmente devo dire che é difficile inquadrare tutti i personaggi visto che son davvero molti però si rivelano tutti ben caratterizzati.
Terrance Dicks si rivela come sempre una certezza nel mondo di Doctor Who.
Libro consigliato a tutti gli amanti del Settimo Dottore, di Bernice Summerfield, dei Sontaran o del periodo uscuro degli anni '90!
July 15, 2025
Enjoyable enough, but Dicks' fancy footwork can't disguise the fact this is a novelisation of a straight-to-video story which didn't feature the Doctor, with new material squidged onto the beginning and end to get the Doctor involved again. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/202...
November 30, 2025
The origin of the novel is the independent video of the same name. And like that video, the first 1/2 of the novel which retells it is compelling knock 'em off one by one murder mystery, like "Horror Of Fang Rock." The second 1/2 of the book is clearly added to make it novel-length, and as such is pure padding.
November 12, 2024
Terrance Dicks writes a fully independent second act for adaptation as an unofficial Doctor Who fan film, which is then couched in a framing story that IS canon to the rest of the New Adventures. It reads as unnaturally as it sounds.
December 20, 2025
This novel has an unusual genesis. It's divided into three parts, parts one and three feature the 7th doctor and his companions, benny, Chris and roz who travelled with him in the virgin books new adventures range in which this book made its first appearance. Part two is based on an independent video (which is desperately wanted on DVD by who fans) called shakedown: return of the sontarans. It was a none doctor story written by Terrance featuring the sontarans. The cast was made up of actors from doctor who and Blake's 7. Terrance adapted the video as part two of this novel and added the doctor and his companions in a linking storyline to make a seamless novel. This is one of my favourite seventh doctor books. If you haven't read the virgin series then yes it may be a little confusing as to who the companions are but it still works in isolation. A great read from uncle Terrance.
July 29, 2019
Can you really have a Doctor Who story that is not about Doctor Who? Yes! In fact, this story is certainly better for having so little focus on the Doctor.
September 2, 2020
An enjoyable space opera (and my first introduction to Virgin New Adventure territory), which sports some great locations, characters, and action!
July 22, 2021
I always seem to enjoy Terrance Dicks writing
August 10, 2017
An interesting way to build around the film released in the early 90's called 'Shakedown: The Return of the Sontrans', also written by Terrance Dicks. Dicks expanded the story for Virgin's "New Adventures" series. This novel sets the movie part right in the center, and then bookends the story with a set up and conclusion which includes the Seventh Doctor, Roz, Chris, and Bernice Summerfield. I had started the "New Adventures" from the first book, and am about 5 stories into the range, but I wanted to skip ahead and read this because I presently will be revisiting the film. I felt that I didn't need to know much about the peripheral characters, and this book fills in the gap quite nicely. A new reader to the series could pick this one up and get to know the characters well enough. It also shows of the talent and knowledge of Dicks' writing of Doctor Who. I quite enjoyed this story and would recommend it to any fan of DW.
October 29, 2023
While “Shakedown” might not be a great book, or even a great Doctor Who book, it is a great example of ‘literary alchemy’.
It showcases the power of the re-write in the hands of a skilled author. Here, the master classic Doctor Who author, Terrance Dicks, shows the skill involved in turning the lead of his dull, low budget, off-brand, direct-to-video story - that doesn’t even feature the Doctor - into, if not exactly gold… at least something more enjoyable.
The main plot of the book involves the solar sailing vessel ‘Tiger Moth’ and its crew of generic humans getting caught in the crossfire of an ongoing alien conflict. On one side is the ruthless, potato-headed Sontarans. They're a warrior race suspiciously like the Klingons from that other sci-if juggernaut. They’re fighting an ancient war against the shapeshifting Rutans, that blobby creature featured in the classic 4th Doctor episode “Horror at Fang Rock”.
The Doctor and his plucky companion Bernice Summerfield cameo in a just a few chapters in the main narrative. Most of the Doctor’s involvement in the plot is a clumsily shoved-in affair, and aside from being the ostensible title character, is really rather unnecessary. The cover of the paperback shows Sylvester McCoy’s 7th Doctor, but otherwise it's hard to tell, as he’s presented so broadly. As if to highlight this generality, he’s sometimes referred to as the 3rd Doctor’s regular cover identity, John Smith. Bernice’s role is even more superfluous. She spends most of the book conveniently placed worlds away in a library run by insect-people. Her name-checking of ornithopters from Frank Herbert’s Dune feels like her most important contribution.
What can I say, they can't all be works of genius. If this book's several black and white, glossy photographs stuck in the middle (featuring a variety of bit players from the Dr. Who and Blake's 7 TV shows, and some really wobbly-looking spaceship sets) are any indication of the quality of the original source material, I think I’ll take a big pass on digging out a VHS recorder to watch this cheaply made, cash-grab production.
#WhoReview / 6 of 13 / 12 months. 13 Doctors. One 60th Anniversary
It showcases the power of the re-write in the hands of a skilled author. Here, the master classic Doctor Who author, Terrance Dicks, shows the skill involved in turning the lead of his dull, low budget, off-brand, direct-to-video story - that doesn’t even feature the Doctor - into, if not exactly gold… at least something more enjoyable.
The main plot of the book involves the solar sailing vessel ‘Tiger Moth’ and its crew of generic humans getting caught in the crossfire of an ongoing alien conflict. On one side is the ruthless, potato-headed Sontarans. They're a warrior race suspiciously like the Klingons from that other sci-if juggernaut. They’re fighting an ancient war against the shapeshifting Rutans, that blobby creature featured in the classic 4th Doctor episode “Horror at Fang Rock”.
The Doctor and his plucky companion Bernice Summerfield cameo in a just a few chapters in the main narrative. Most of the Doctor’s involvement in the plot is a clumsily shoved-in affair, and aside from being the ostensible title character, is really rather unnecessary. The cover of the paperback shows Sylvester McCoy’s 7th Doctor, but otherwise it's hard to tell, as he’s presented so broadly. As if to highlight this generality, he’s sometimes referred to as the 3rd Doctor’s regular cover identity, John Smith. Bernice’s role is even more superfluous. She spends most of the book conveniently placed worlds away in a library run by insect-people. Her name-checking of ornithopters from Frank Herbert’s Dune feels like her most important contribution.
What can I say, they can't all be works of genius. If this book's several black and white, glossy photographs stuck in the middle (featuring a variety of bit players from the Dr. Who and Blake's 7 TV shows, and some really wobbly-looking spaceship sets) are any indication of the quality of the original source material, I think I’ll take a big pass on digging out a VHS recorder to watch this cheaply made, cash-grab production.
#WhoReview / 6 of 13 / 12 months. 13 Doctors. One 60th Anniversary
September 1, 2013
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/2156176.html[return][return]This New Adventure is an expanded novelisation of a 55-minute video made in 1994 and starring Jan Chappell (Cally from Blake's 7) as the captain of a space yacht whose crew includes Carole Ann Ford (Susan, the Doctor's granddaughter), Sophie Aldred (Ace), Brian Croucher (the second Travis from Blake's 7) and Michael Wisher (the original Davros) as well as a guy who can't act. The setting of the video is HMS Belfast which actually does rather a good job of conveying the cramped quarters of a small spaceship; the Sontarans and Rutans are (apparently for licensing reasons) a bit different to what we saw on the screen in Old Who, but well enough realised for a low-budget production; the worst bit about it is the guy who can't act trying to be Sophie Aldred's lover, and the second worst is the somewhat stereotypical roles given to her and Ford, but these are survivable flaws.[return][return]The novel compresses this to 60 pages in the second half of a 270-page book, apparently a partial sequel to David A. McIntee's Lords of the Storm which I read and enjoyed three years ago but now cannot remember much about. As usual, when Dicks lets himself run with an idea, he is a competent and solid writer, giving Benny some time alone in a murderous cult-ruled university, while the Doctor (with Roz and Chris, who get a bit marginalised) gets to grips with the Sontarans/Rutans problem with Jan Chappell and Brian Croucher's characters. It's a bit of a change of pace from the last two very colourful volumes in the New Adventures series, but it also ties the post-1989 Seventh Doctor a bit more firmly into the overall continuity.
July 1, 2008
I love the idea of the Sontarion/Rutan war and always felt Doctor Who dropped the ball by not using it more in stories.
Here it is a big deal and can be done as a big space opera of a story.
The Doctor and his companions are scattered across the galaxy, because both the Sontarions and Rutans are after ... something. Our heroes are scrambling to find what that 'something' is, why it's so important and is it a good thing that it can shift the balance of the war.
The middle part of this book is an adaption of a one episode spin off from Doctor WHo, produced when the TV show was in limbo. I've never been able to track down the show, so it was nice to read the adaption ( both show and book were written by Terrance Dicks, which I thought was nice)
Shakedown is also a sort of sequel to the fifth Doctor book, 'Lords of the Storm', but you don't need to read one to enjoy the other. They do have some overlap but both stand on their own.
Here it is a big deal and can be done as a big space opera of a story.
The Doctor and his companions are scattered across the galaxy, because both the Sontarions and Rutans are after ... something. Our heroes are scrambling to find what that 'something' is, why it's so important and is it a good thing that it can shift the balance of the war.
The middle part of this book is an adaption of a one episode spin off from Doctor WHo, produced when the TV show was in limbo. I've never been able to track down the show, so it was nice to read the adaption ( both show and book were written by Terrance Dicks, which I thought was nice)
Shakedown is also a sort of sequel to the fifth Doctor book, 'Lords of the Storm', but you don't need to read one to enjoy the other. They do have some overlap but both stand on their own.
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