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Doctor Who: Icons #4
Doctor Who: One Night Only
Sarah Jane doesn't know who she is any more.
She's applied for a job as a secretary at a run-of-the-mill office, with just one other co-worker.
He’s nice enough. A little strange, a little charming, clearly an innovator. For a snappy dresser, though (Sarah loves the scarf) he’s strangely quiet.
That’s because, of course, he’s the Doctor. Working with UNIT to try to restore Sarah’s memories, he’s found himself battling an alien group harvesting the minds of unsuspecting victims.
But he’s already on the back foot, and as the alien hive mind draws in its followers, he’s very much in need of a friend.
Enter legendary musician Fela Kuti. Another innovator – just as challenging, and just as charming. He might just be the one the save the human race.
She's applied for a job as a secretary at a run-of-the-mill office, with just one other co-worker.
He’s nice enough. A little strange, a little charming, clearly an innovator. For a snappy dresser, though (Sarah loves the scarf) he’s strangely quiet.
That’s because, of course, he’s the Doctor. Working with UNIT to try to restore Sarah’s memories, he’s found himself battling an alien group harvesting the minds of unsuspecting victims.
But he’s already on the back foot, and as the alien hive mind draws in its followers, he’s very much in need of a friend.
Enter legendary musician Fela Kuti. Another innovator – just as challenging, and just as charming. He might just be the one the save the human race.
- GenresDoctor Who
160 pages, Paperback
First published August 21, 2025
9 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Tade Thompson
69 books1,241 followersTade Thompson is a British born Yoruba psychiatrist who is best known for his science fiction novels.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 28, 2025
Miss Smith is a secretary to an eccentric gentleman who pays well, allows her to keep odd hours and only seems to need her to write letters to 'The Times'. But something has stolen her mind and Fela Kuti's music might be the only thing that can save her.
Thompson's 'One Night Only' is an excellent story, full to bursting with the charming energy of Tom Baker's Doctor. Kuti is an important character, who feels integral to the resolution and the opening is strange and intriguing enough to pull readers in.
Thompson's 'One Night Only' is an excellent story, full to bursting with the charming energy of Tom Baker's Doctor. Kuti is an important character, who feels integral to the resolution and the opening is strange and intriguing enough to pull readers in.
October 6, 2025
I appreciate what this story is trying to do, but I find there are too many obstacles in the way: (1) Sarah seems far too shrill a character here, especially this far into her relationship with the Doctor...if anything there is too much 5th-Doctor-companion Tegan in her attitude; (2) the Doctor himself seems to be the wrong Doctor...the more eccentric and whimsical Time Lord of the Graham-Williams-era as opposed to the intense Doctor of the Phillip-Hinchcliffe era; (3) the use of Fela Kuti seems incidental to the story -- he could easily be removed without harming the plot, so what was the point of his addition; (4) Harry seems to swing between non-entity and cliche, yet the Brigadier seems to be the only one true to character. This is easily one of the most frustrating Whoniverse books I've read in some time.
November 10, 2025
Now, I can see what Tade Thompson was trying to do here, and I can clearly see he put a lot of passion into this work, so I have respect for him from a literary standpoint because he is evidently a good author.
However, looking at this book through a Doctor Who lens, it feels like a mishmash of shallow concepts that don't work well together. The 'Anthophillae' aliens feel scraped from the very bottom of the creativity barrel, Fela Kuti's role in the story feels very generic and forced, and the book's whole premise of Sarah Jane losing her memories is literally ditched by the second chapter.
The characterization is all off as well. Half of the characters feel one dimensional while the other half don't feel anything like their on-screen selves. The book's original character, Doreen, feels more like a gender-swapped self insert than a proper UNIT soldier, and even Fela Kuti is used more to provide irrelevant context than to actually do anything useful in the story.
It's slightly disappointing since this was the first Icons book to feature a classic Doctor, and it was also delayed several months, so I had high hopes and anticipation for it, which I don't think were worth it in hindsight.
Why Puffin has chosen to keep this weak range of novellas going but to cancel their superior Crossovers range, I have no idea.
It's a shame because, as I said, there's clearly a lot of love from Thompson put into this, but I think there are just too many contradictory plot points going against its enjoyment factor.
However, looking at this book through a Doctor Who lens, it feels like a mishmash of shallow concepts that don't work well together. The 'Anthophillae' aliens feel scraped from the very bottom of the creativity barrel, Fela Kuti's role in the story feels very generic and forced, and the book's whole premise of Sarah Jane losing her memories is literally ditched by the second chapter.
The characterization is all off as well. Half of the characters feel one dimensional while the other half don't feel anything like their on-screen selves. The book's original character, Doreen, feels more like a gender-swapped self insert than a proper UNIT soldier, and even Fela Kuti is used more to provide irrelevant context than to actually do anything useful in the story.
It's slightly disappointing since this was the first Icons book to feature a classic Doctor, and it was also delayed several months, so I had high hopes and anticipation for it, which I don't think were worth it in hindsight.
Why Puffin has chosen to keep this weak range of novellas going but to cancel their superior Crossovers range, I have no idea.
It's a shame because, as I said, there's clearly a lot of love from Thompson put into this, but I think there are just too many contradictory plot points going against its enjoyment factor.
August 23, 2025
This is mainly a fun 4th Doctor and Sarah story, with the guest star occasionally popping in. I don't know who Fela Kuti is and he doesn't come off as especially likeable, but did provide an interesting viewpoint for this kind of story.
The whole thing feels quite timely and author Tade Thompson has a nice attention to detail with some wit about it all. I thought characterisations were pretty good, but it does feel a bit rushed and muddled at the end.
The whole thing feels quite timely and author Tade Thompson has a nice attention to detail with some wit about it all. I thought characterisations were pretty good, but it does feel a bit rushed and muddled at the end.
September 1, 2025
Really enjoyed this story as it has the rarely seen but quite valid grumpy and more remote 4th Doctor the one more keen to explore tab. Play with unit or always act childish. Creepy and could fit that early phase very well
September 22, 2025
An interesting adventure of the Fourth Doctor with and African musician. It was good to meet again with Sarah Jane Smith and the Brigadier. My only small criticism is that the story would be exactly the same without the "guest artist".
October 16, 2025
Kinda feels like this didn't use the guest of the story to the fullest.
October 18, 2025
Good quick read, nice to see a proper classic era story!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews