Doctor Who: Made of Steel

Doctor Who: Quick Reads #2

by Terrance Dicks

Since its return to the screen in 2005, masterminded by Russell T Davies, "Doctor Who" has become a genuine phenomenon picking up countless awards, attracting huge audiences and selling lots and lots of books - over half a million so far. This latest adventure sees the Doctor pitted against one of his most famous adversaries - the deadly Cybermen. It is the first book to feature the Doctor's new companion Martha Jones and is sure to be snapped up by all fans of the show.

Genres: Doctor Who, Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Time Travel, Ebooks, Adventure

99 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

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

[Jim C · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quick read that is based on the television series. It features The Tenth Doctor and Martha as his companion. The Doctor and Martha return back to Martha's home to find out that there have been a string of robberies. There is a small group of Cybermen that are behind these robberies. Obviously, they are up to no good.

This was a nice read from this universe. Like I said it is a quick read and with it being a quick read there really isn't much depth. I did think the author did an excellent job with the portrayal of The Tenth Doctor. I had no problem picturing David Tennant. Martha wasn't a standout but I believe this book was written early in her television role. The author probably didn't have much to go on. I had no problem with the Cybermen as the antagonists. As for the story and the finale it was nothing amazing. It worked for this universe but not a standout. That being said I wasn't expecting it to be. This book met my expectations.

I enjoy the Quickreads series from this universe. They are not the most amazing literature but they don't claim to be. They are a quick adventure with beloved characters that we do not get to spend time with anymore. This book fulfilled these expectations. For what it claims to be it is definitely worth the time to read.

[Thibault Busschots · Rating 3 out of 5]

A computer store and a government lab are attacked in the middle of the night by metallic people. Turns out the doctor didn’t manage to eliminate all the cybermen last time they tried to invade earth. And they have a desperate plan to restore their power. To make their plan work, they need the doctor. But the doctor’s just been arrested. The cybermen settle with taking Martha instead, hoping to bring the doctor to them.


This is a bit of a weird quick read as it seems to be written as the start of a proper full length Doctor Who novel. When the story feels ready to shift gears, everything just quickly starts to get resolved. Still like it though. It’s well written. The characterizations are on point. The plot is engaging and the end of the story makes sense. It’s a pretty good, fast and fun little side adventure for the tenth doctor and Martha.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun, fast read that features the tenth Doctor and his companion Martha Jones opposing a small band of Cybermen in Martha's home- town & time. Dicks wrote a lot of the early Doctor Who books based on episodes of the show, but this one is an original story. He did a good job of portraying new characters in this fast-paced single-sitting story.

[Nicola Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely little short read and a quick travel and adventure with the 10th Doctor and Martha Jones. It was a great little carry on of the story of the Cybermen, now banished to the void with no hope of return. Just when the world thought it was free of Cybermen, a few stragglers left from old human conversions were left behind to try and initiate a new invasion...!

Read it in one sitting as it is true to its name, being a ‘Quick Read’ and was true to the show, characters and held all the excitement you’d find in the TV series. Always love rejoining the old doctors and their companions of the time, and stories with the Cybermen are always good. This short book was no exception!

[Brooklyn Tayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars because I wish it was longer? Though that might defeat the purpose of it being a "quick read" but I loved this! I thought Terrance's writing was beautifully canon to the DW world and that Ten, Martha and the Cybermen were written perfectly :)

[Anna Kļaviņa · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5

This is the first book that features Martha Jones

[Emilija · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like the shortness of the story really impacted on the plot, which was rather slow. It would have read much better if it had been a longer novel as some things in this needed to be looked into rather than skimmed over. Overall, the plot didn't really deliver.

[Sinéad Mannion · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up for my 10 year old nephew while I was visiting the Dr. Who Experience in Cardiff. It’s a small 100 pages book ideal for his summer reading. Of course being a major Dr. Who fan myself I picked it up and couldn’t put it down. I love the Dr. Who series but I had never read any of the accompanying books.
This novella stars the 10th doctor (David Tennant) and his companion Martha. From the beginning the story was fast paced and definitely had all the hallmarks of a Russell T. Davis Dr. Who episode. The Doctor is his usual fast talking, mumbling self. This book also answered alot of unanswered questions for me – the main one being – how Martha (well a Torchwood employee played by Freema Agyeman) was killed at the end of season 2 of the new shows. Then we meet her again as Martha in season 3. This was nicely mentioned by Martha as her cousin who looks like her. A feeble excuse I know but at least it was addressed. I also felt for the Doctor when he mentioned not being able to open the void – the void where Rose remains forever. An episode which still makes me cry every time I watch it.
As for the plot for this novella, left behind cybermen plot to make the Doctor open the void so they can be reunited with the other cyberman. The usual events play out – The army need the Doctor, they treat him badly, cocky army personnel nearly ruin it all and the Doctor saves the day.
An excellent read I highly recommend it. Now I must go and rewatch The Doctor and Martha season.
5 stars.

[Sad Sunday (Books? Me?!? NEVER!!!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I saw this book in my local library I was like:



And then I was like:



Then my face was like:



Really, this was probably the only book in Lithuania about Doctor Who. (I checked - we also have Doctor Who: The Invasion of Time). It's an easy and quick read (~ 2 hours). I think it's a great read to every fan. Even if you finished watching the series, the book will remind you the great feeling Doctor Who makes you feel. The style of the book is laconic, simple. It's an enjoyable read.

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is really pretty good for what it is. It's a quick, easy read, and evokes some nostalgic memories of reading Dicks's novelizations when I was younger. Dicks writes a pretty good Tenth Doctor, though I was less happy with his characterization of Martha - at one point, he has her flummoxed by the term "teleportation device", but any companion savvy enough to reference the grandfather paradox on her first trip to the past has got to have enough sci-fi familiarity to know what a teleportation device is.

I am amused that Dicks makes reference to an untelevised adventure in which the Doctor and Martha visited Vesuvius. Someone out there really ought to write some fanfic which has the 7th Doctor and Mel, 10th Doctor and Martha, and 10th Doctor and Donna all racing around Pompeii and just missing each other.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Doctor and Martha find themselves returning to Earth so Martha can visit the hospital and check in on her old co-workers. Things are well enough until the Cybermen start showing up stealing high teach equipment. With all the Cybermen believed to have been sucked back into the Void (from the TV series), the Doctor must figure out what the Cybermen are up to and how to stop them. The military gets involved and there are references to Torchwood that tie into the story.

This was a very quick read and a good Doctor Who story. Both the Doctor and Martha are well written and the story moves along quickly. My only concern with this book was that the Cybermen do not seem as cold and distance as I have come to expect them. A few times they almost seemed to show emotion. Even so, I enjoyed the book overall and would suggest it to any Doctor Who fan needing a quick Who - Tennant fix.

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another in the quick reads series.

Noticeable for Dicks writing for the then current Doctor, it's a fun read.

[ValeryVal · Rating 2 out of 5]

¿Es posible contar una historia de Doctor Who en tal solo 67 hojas? ¡Quick Reads ha dicho allons-y! La iniciativa consiste en libros cortos para incentivar la lectura y en esta ocasión nos llevan de la mano el Décimo Doctor, Martha y… ¡los Cybermen!

“Espera, espera”, os oigo decir, “¿no se supone que todos los Cybermen fueron atrapados al cerrar el universo paralelo después del capítulo Doomsday?”. ¡Vaya, qué pregunta más acertada para contextualizar el libro por mí! Pues para saber la respuesta tendréis que leer el libro. O preguntarme por Twitter, porque tampoco es que esta aventura sea la mejor de la saga de libros cortos.

Soy consciente de que estoy pecando al poner una nota tan baja al autor, Terrance Dicks, quién es una eminencia en el universo de Doctor Who; pero es que no me ha convencido.

La caracterización deja mucho que desear: el Décimo Doctor está bien, pero Martha carece de personalidad y cae en el estereotipo de “dama en apuros”. El resto de personajes secundarios tampoco son muy consistentes.

En cuanto a la historia… No ha funcionado, bajo mi punto de vista. Empieza muy bien, se va armando poco a poco una aventura interesante; y, de repente, se acaba. Es como si el autor hubiese empezado a escribir una novela y a medio camino le dijesen que no podía pasarse de las 60 hojas. “Ah, pues nada, el Doctor lo soluciona todo y fin”, Terrance Dicks pensó (probablemente, no lo sé, no puedo leer mentes).

El libro está oficialmente solo escrito en inglés, pero si lo prefieres en español, los increíbles chicos de Audiowho lo tienen traducido junto a otros libros cortos. Y si lo prefieres en formato visual, en mi canal de YouTube (www.YouTube.com/valeryval) estoy preparando un vídeo sobre este y otros libros de Doctor Who.

[Kieran McAndrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Battle of Canary Wharf should have marooned all the Cybermen in a parallel universe, keeping the Earth safe, so when metallic men appear once more in London, the Conspiracy theorists go crazy and the Doctor is called in by the Army to help them resolve this new crisis.

Dicks' "Made of Steel" is mature in its approach to Martha and the Doctor's loss in the battle and the adventure rattles along with a nice feel of the television series.

[Beverly K · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't that impressed. The way it was written, it would have been more suitable for a novel, not a novella. There was a slow build up and no real sense of a climax. It all kind of fell apart at the end instead of a suitable conclusion. On the plus side, it was short and the characters seemed in character, which is always good.

[Thomas A Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

an action-packed adventure that involves a battle with the cybermen. Read in less than an hour. These quick-read adventures are great for both kids and adults who want more WHO in their lives.

[Ella (book.monkey) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really feel like the Doctors personality showed through in this book a lot more than before. as in while I was reading it sounded in my head like David Tennant was reading his lines. also a quite interesting story line. I love the cybermen

[Elena · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5 stars.

The book was ok, but the lack of pages affected the story. It's a Quick Read, so the story is supposed to be short, but while this worked more or less well in the other Quick Reads, it didn't work that well in Made of Steel.

If Martha and the Doctor had been together for the whole story, the detective work might have worked out better. However, the fact that they're not together for about half the story, the subplots that don't add much to the story and the long introduction (long compared to the rest of the book) didn't leave enough pages to develop the main plot.

The positive point is that the Doctor seems to be in character if you've watched the show and can imagine his voice. This wasn't the case with Martha though. She is smarter in the show. She wouldn't have survived that year alone if she had behaved in the way that she does in this story.

It's entertaining and ok for fans of the show and this companion, but if you just want to read a short Doctor Who book, I would recommend any of the other Quick Reads.

[Mikael Kuoppala · Rating 3 out of 5]

Terrance Dicks is one of the oldest and most prolific Doctor Who writers and authors of all time. He has been involved with the series from the start, so it’s nice to see him offer stories for the latest incarnations of the Doctor. “Made of Steel” is a pretty standard Who story where the Cybermen threaten to assimilate the world with only the Doctor and Martha in their way.

Dicks writes in a confident manner, but his storytelling is rather dry. The characters don’t really come alive, even though there are no obvious faults in the characterization. Somehow it seems as if the novel has been written with experience rather than with a need to say something. There is no drive in the prose.

”Made of Steel” is a paragon of mediocrity, but a stylish and relatively faultless one at that.

[Elentarien · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh The adventure starts out ok, but I found it never really delivered. It was started and finished without really GOING anywhere. Martha seemed fairly flat and shallow (she never was the greatest of companions, but this made her seem worse) and while the Doctor was. . .well, mostly in character, he never really got a chance to shine either.

All in all, the story seemed more like a short story one might find in a magazine, than a full blown novel.

Not *bad*, but definitely not one of my favourites.

[Tbirdplanstoread · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fascinating tale of Doctor Who and Martha against the remnants of the Cybermen that were destroyed at Torchwood Tower when the Doctor opened the Void and sucked them all in. It even went as far as to mention that Martha's cousin had worked at Torchwood at the time, which, if you've seen the episode, it actually is Freeman that plays that part and becomes a Cyberman during the episode. Very interesting. As far as the book goes, it's another tale in the long history that is the Whoniverse and it's nice to still be able to picture David Tennant as the Doctor :)

[Nathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Martha Jones and the Cybermen! What was I thinking? It is no wonder I didn't like this book, considering the fact that I do not like Martha or the Cybermen at all. Ugh-I'm glad that experience is over!

[William Vaudin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Quick Reads made for children who are only “just” getting into reading, so naturally, the story to this one isn’t going to be anything great or thought provoking. I only really read it because I was going on Holiday and I wanted something light to read, so this did the job just fine. I didn’t know what to expect and to honest, I “did” expect a bit more than what I got but on its own and for what it was meant to be, I like it just fine.

This was written by Classic Series veteran “Terrance Dicks” who is kind of to Doctor Who what Rassilon was to the Time Lords. He has defined so much of the show and even wrote half of the target novelisations. So, he’s some pretty hot shit in the Doctor Who community, and with him being “way” past his prime, it should only make sense that he would do smaller projects like this. One thing I read is that he apparently “hated” the Cybermen, which is why the Cybermen never showed up during his ten years as script editor during the Pertwee era. And when he had to include them in the Five Doctors, he created the Raston Warrior Robot just to make them look bad. So, it was surprising to see him write an all new Cyberman story for this range of books, but then again, they’re not much of a credible threat in “this” one ether.

One thing I didn’t expect was for this book to be so continuity heavy. The main plot revolves around the ending of the Series 2 Finale “Doomsday” with the Cybermen being sucked into the Void. It also asks a question that I never thought to ask, “if the Void only sucked in the ones who had gone through it, then what happened to the Cybermen who were converted in our world and didn’t go through the Void”? So here, the Cybermen who were created at Torchwood Tower in Doomsday have set up shop in the abandoned Millennium Dome and set about trying to free their brethren from the Void. It only makes me wonder what happened to Yvonne Hartman when she broke free of Cyber control? She never went through the Void so she wouldn’t have been sucked in like the others, so what happened to here? I would have liked to have seen her show up in some way, maybe as the only good Cyberman or something.

This one opens up with a bunch of tech stores being robbed by the Cybermen which makes you think that the tech industry is going to be the central focuse. But this plot point doesn’t really come back into the plot and I kind of felt we missed out on seeing something really fun like “the Doctor and Martha have to infiltrate Apple in order to find the Cybermen” or something. Also, this book addresses something that the Runaway Bride sort of neglected, being that the Companion was around during the invasion in Doomsday. In this one, not only does Marther know who the Cybermen are already, but it distinctly talks about where she knows them from so that the audience aren’t confused which felt quite refreshing after some time. It also brings up the whole “Martha’s actress being in Doomsday before she became the companion” thing by bringing up how that person was Martha’s cousin and the Doctor recollecting on how he had to kill her. I don’t know if “this” is where that idea was first introduced but it was interesting to see.

This one also features the return of the Royal Hope Hospital from Smith and Jones which I never would have thought to do. We don’t get to see meny of the characters from that story, but it was nice to see it again as a call back and we see what it’s been like since Martha was away. Also, we finally get to see Martha meet the Cybermen and it’s exactly what you’d think it would be. The characterisation in this is spot on all rounds and considering that Terrance Dicks never worked on the new series, he gets the characters like the 10th Doctor and Martha Jones just right. You can hear David Tennent and Freema Agyeman’s voices clear in your head when you read it, and it brought be back to watching the show in 2007. The new characters were as you would expect them to be and there is a lot of faff with them pretending to arrest the Doctor when they could have just asked him to help them. There was also a bit where the Doctor gets really angry about a soldier elbowing him in the ribs which I thought was going to come back in some way like that soldier turns out to be a partially converted Cyber Spy or something, but it never comes back, and it just seems as if the Doctor is really sensitive to being touched.

This one was definitely nothing special and it wasn’t trying to be. The story is very by the numbers and doesn’t impact the over all Doctor Who Universe in any way but that’s not nessoseraliy as bad thing. But I did expect a bit more than what I got, and I feel it could have do more with its premise. Again, I would have liked to have seen some commentary about the tech industry as kids would be familiar with it, being obsessed with mobile phones and all, so I think that would enjoy reading about it and would relate to seeing the Cybermen use them to take over people’s minds or something. It did have some ideas that I would have liked to have been explored more but as is, I think it was an OK read. If you’re in a weird position like I was and you don’t want to have to drag through something for too long, then this will get you through just fine.

[Natalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Way too short, but pretty fun indeed!

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

"虚無"に封じ込めたはずのサイバーマンが再び地球に。サイバーマンの狙いはドクター。マーサと地球にもどったドクターにサイバーマンが襲いかかる。

サイバーマンとダーレクを封じるためにドクターがあのとき支払った犠牲は大きく、ローズ喪失の傷口に塩を塗り込むような事件。短いけど、ドクターが切ない一品。

[ArwendeLuhtiene · Rating 4 out of 5]

+1 Enjoyable plot, and it read as a DW episode
++1 The Tenth Doctor's characterization
++1 Martha didn't technically have a lot to do, but her attitude and response to danger situations were on point. She tries to find solutions to the problem at hand, thinks actively about a way to escape when captured and keeps a cool head at all times (instead of following the traditional (sexist) trope of the 'damsel in distress'). She also gets to be snarky at the Cybermen while being their prisoner and I love it xD
+1 Female bonding and Bechdel test passed: Martha bonds with a friend at her hospital and also talks (more indirectly) to the Army Captain Sharon Sanderson.
+1 A female captain (Sharon Sanderson), second in command, in the Army, described as smart and efficient. She also knows that she must be ambitious in order to go up in the Army, which is still 'a man's world'.
+1 Moral integrity content: The Doctor's anti-gun and anti-violence ethics make an appearance ('guns aren't brave, you know'), and he critisizes the Army and their methods. In a very enjoyable scene he pulls an officer's nose because he elbowed him in the ribs while being taken into custody and asks for tea and ham sandwiches as compensation xD

--1 The (still very much existing) double standard in which all women are invariably described as either 'pretty' or 'attractive', with the additional 'young' and/or 'slim': Martha, medical students at her hospital, Captain Sanderson, a girl studying her thesis at a coffee shop - their appearance is always important, even if we don't know much else about some of them them. Meanwhile, there's no mention of the males' attractiveness, even when they're seen as 'interesting' by girls in coffe shops (the Doctor) or when they're 'tall and young' (an Army man). Some of them are actually described as unattractive and/or old, like the Army Major and Colonel, respectively, and they still have 100% validity. Women's validity still depends largely on how attractive they are, it seems - even if they're 'equally bright' and efficient like Captain Sanderson or active and courageous like Martha.

-1 Even though the Doctor critisizes the Army's weapons and pro-violence methods, he does help kill a Cyberman with one of the Army's advanced weapons (although he hesitated initially and thought about the issue), and then tricks the remaining Cybermen so that they're killed by a T-Rex coming through a space-time portal. They were forcing his hand, and as usual, the Doctor didn't use indirect-violence methods until there was no other choice, but still, he could have thrown them into a space-time portal and closed it without killing them, maybe? He mentions the fact that 'they're no longer human' as a kind of justification for these methods, which can be ethically problematic as well.

[Lee Cushing · Rating 5 out of 5]

I decided to pick up this book because BBC Books rarely publishes a Cyberman story. Therefore, was grateful for this addition to the lineup, even if it is a Read book. I was also pleased learn that Terrance Dicks returned to writing Doctor Who stories, as he is a prominent figure in the series and wrote the brilliant 20th Anniversary story "The Five Doctors."

This book deals with the aftermath of the 2006 story "Doomsday." Only a small group of Cybermen remain, trying to regain power by stealing technology from Earth's military forces. It is the job of the 10th Doctor and Martha to stop them.

Firstly, the good points. Devoted fans of Doctor Who will know from the TV series that Martha never met the Cybermen. Therefore, it is nice to see how she interacts with them in this book. It is also interesting to see how people reacted to her disappearance from the Royal Hope Hospital, leaving her friends questioning where she had gone. Terrance Dicks has also introduced a couple of characters with whom the Doctor interacts. The military has two characters who, although explored in depth, help keep the pace and story going.

Now, to the bad points. I picked this up because of the inclusion of the Cybermen in the BBC Books range. it is great to see them here, they are largely kept in the background. As a result, I felt no sense urgency or danger from them. The Cybermen are also portrayed asengers who scrimp and scrape Earth's technology. While this is an essential plot point and key to the story, it makes them appear weaker, and it is difficult to believe that they were all over the Earth upgrading humanity only a few stories ago.

In conclusion, this book isn't brilliant, but it isn't bad either. The story remains balanced, with both good and bad points. Seeing more of Martha's friends and how they react is good.

[Andy Hickman · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Made of Steel” by Terrance Dicks
****
Tenth Doctor and Martha in a fast read.

“'... I'm even thinking of fixing the chameleon circuit. … The only trouble is, when the circuit was working, I could never find the thing again. I mean, if you can't remember what the TARDIS has changed into ...'” (p23)

“'He will return,' said the Cyberleader. 'We are attacking this planet. He has an emotional attachment to this planet. That is his weakness. He will hear of the attacks and return.'” (p34)

'Where did you learn all this?' [asked Captain Sarandon] The Doctor waved at the computer on the desk. 'On the Internet, like everybody else. …'
'That information is classified,' said Sheila Sarandon angrily.
'Is it? Well, it's also on every conspiracy site on the Web. ...'” (p74)

“The box hummed with power and a giant steel shape sat up inside like a corpse waking from the dead. Or like Frankenstein's monster coming to life in an old horror movie.” (p91)

[John Loyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the last encounter with the Cybermen they attacked from the void. The Doctor was able to suck them back into the void and then sealed it forever. A handful that weren't contaminated by the void were spared. Now they are using alien technology and stealing more. The [tenth] Doctor and Martha come back from an adventure to be pulled into this situation with the Cybermen.

Novella length, lived up to its billing as a quick read. I was trying to David Tennant's voice in my head for the Doctor's wise cracks and remember the dynamic between the Doctor and Martha. It's been a while since I watched any of his episodes so I was only partially successful, but it did bring back some memories. 4.3 stars.

[Daniele Roccati · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made of Steel è la prima pubblicazione di Terrance Dicks riguardante la serie moderna e devo proprio ammettere che non ha perso colpi. Storia entusiasmante che avrei visto perfetta per un episodio, anche se naturalmente più corto del normale. La storia di per sé meriterebbe 5 stelle, a mio avviso però i Cyberman, probabilmente per deformazione professionali, sono stati scritti molto più in stile con la serie classica piuttosto che con quello della serie moderna. Detto ciò, lettura obbligatoria per qualsiasi fan di Doctor Who.