Doctor Who: Terminal of Despair

Eleventh Doctor Adventures #12

by Steve Lyons

In Terminal of Despair, the TARDIS crew is quarantined in Terminal 4000, where the hideous Desponds have destroyed the hopes of all awaiting passengers. Can the Doctor and his friends help them without succumbing to despair themselves?

Originally published Sightseeing in Space

Genres: Doctor Who, Science Fiction

160 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2011

About the author

Steve Lyons is a science fiction writer, best known for writing television tie-ins of Doctor Who for BBC Books, and previously, Virgin. The earliest of these was Conundrum in 1994, and his most recent was 2005's The Stealers of Dreams. He has also written material for Star Trek tie-ins, as well as original work.

Reviews

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd push this to 3.5 stars -- the premise is fantastic, the Doctor and Amy are well-characterized, and there are a number of twists to keep it interesting. But Rory is more early coward than post-marriage centurion, and the overall story feels a bit too tame for its own good. It's begging for a darker, sharper, funnier satirical take. Steve Lyons does a competent job, but I believe other authors (such as Paul Magrs) would have have a field day with this story...it just needs more bite.

[Stefan Zondag · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice setup, but the "monsters" are quite easily evaded and the negative impact their attacks have are temporary, making me not fear for anyone at all but the Doctor (since he's the only one on who the effects might actually truly affect the outcome of the story). Nice little cute story though, characterization is great in general, but it seems Rory acts more cowardly than I'd expect him to.

[John Peel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Doctor and his friends get stranded in a spaceport terminal under quarantine. It's under attack by little monsters that feed on hope - and without hope, how can they escape? A neat idea, and amusingly handled. A very easy, fun read.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published as one half of a 2-in-1 book, this is an Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) story featuring Amy and Rory.
The TARDIS arrives in the terminal of a spaceport, wherein the Doctor, Amy and Rory find people who have been trapped by a quarantine for five months. Investigating further, they discover that the lockdown was caused by the Desponds, dog-like creatures which feed on hope, leaving their victims drained of it.

These short YA Puffin books tend to be low on stakes, complexity and engaging characters, but I have to say that here Lyons bucks the trend.
There is something so spot-on about having this particular incarnation of the Doctor faced with an enemy whose nature means that the very hope he inspires in people is what could make them a target. This is also particularly poignant when the Eleventh is accompanied by Amy, whose whole being is infused with the sure hope that the Doctor will always come back for her and save her. The scene where the Doctor himself begins to lose hope was genuinely emotional.

The author also does a surprisingly good job of creating an engaging cast of supporting characters. We don't get to know any of them terribly well, but the handful who do feature prominently feel like three-dimensional people reacting to the trials of having been trapped for months with few resources and creatures that suck the hope out of you. Some are still trying to cling to hope despite the risks, some have given in to their fears and some have collapsed into their worst selves.
It hits much harder post-COVID lockdowns too.

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[Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of a mixed bag, but more good than bad. It's a premise that almost feels wasted on a children's books. Though the book does brush with some dark themes, it doesn't fully explore them, and the monster of the week are too easily bested on a per-chapter basis to be truly threatening.

This time, all three of the main trio are extremely well written - a rarity with these tie-in novels. They also all get a lot to do within these 150-ish pages. Rory especially gets some interesting tangents.

There is one particular triumphant moment in the story that almost pushed the book to four stars. In fact, the middle of the book is very much the peak. After that, the story starts to overstay its welcome.

Overall, a very enjoyable read. I would very much like to see these creatures revisited in the future. There's a lot of potential with them, and I think other writers would be able to find more ways to utilise them.

[Garry Elric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hello, yes. Tis I.

I don’t know why I thought this was going to be about trains. No one says ‘train terminal’. It’s always ‘airport terminal’.

The concept of being trapped in said airport terminal is terrifying. Being trapped in a liminal space is the concept of a lot of horror (at least, recently, with the introduction of the Backrooms), but this was executed very well. Having other people there adds to the chaos and fear, not to mention the hope-eating puppies.


I loved seeing a hopeless Doctor. Seeing the Doctor in some form of distress or emotional outburst is always a good time for me. A part of me really wanted to comfort him, and seeing Amy’s efforts sort of cheered me up. Frankly, next time I’m feeling hopeless, Amy Pond will be in my head telling me that there’s hope.

[Joe Pranaitis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Steve Lyons brings us an eleventh doctor adventure that has several twists and turns. The TARDIS lands in a terminal that has been locked down and the passengers are asking for help because they've been trapped by the computer. The reason why the computer locked down the terminal is because of a creature known as a Despond has gotten loose and has been eating the hope that the passengers and crews of the locked down ships for the last five months. But the TARDIS landing their hope for freedom has arrived and the doctor dose what he dose best and saves the day. This is a great short read and one that I highly recommend for all Doctor Who fans.

[Samael Kovacs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes I come across a novel and wonder why it wasn't made into an actual episode of the show, cause it's way better then 30% of the episodes 11 had.