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Past Doctor Adventures #51
Doctor Who: Palace of the Red Sun
Glavis Judd: Protector of the galaxy or interstellar tyrant? Unscrupulous reporter Dexel Dynes doesn’t care. He’s only after a sensational story -- the more violent the better.
Meanwhile, the TARDIS has landed Peri and the Doctor on a strangely isolated little world, whose immaculate gardens basking under a timeless sun seem the very model of tranquillity. Of course, it’s too good to be true.
With the threat of invasion looming, the Doctor and Peri set out to confront the lofty Lords of Esselven. The Doctor must pass safely through the vast gardens of the royal estates while evading the clutches of their fanatical gardeners. Peri has escaped from all that, only to face the dangers of the dark and mysterious wild woods, which hold their own ancient secrets.
It is a race to save the people of Esselven from the clutches of Glavis Judd. But who amongst the garden world’s strange inhabitants can they trust, when nobody is quite what they seem? As time runs out, will Peri and the Doctor discover who really rules inside the Palace of the Red Sun?
Meanwhile, the TARDIS has landed Peri and the Doctor on a strangely isolated little world, whose immaculate gardens basking under a timeless sun seem the very model of tranquillity. Of course, it’s too good to be true.
With the threat of invasion looming, the Doctor and Peri set out to confront the lofty Lords of Esselven. The Doctor must pass safely through the vast gardens of the royal estates while evading the clutches of their fanatical gardeners. Peri has escaped from all that, only to face the dangers of the dark and mysterious wild woods, which hold their own ancient secrets.
It is a race to save the people of Esselven from the clutches of Glavis Judd. But who amongst the garden world’s strange inhabitants can they trust, when nobody is quite what they seem? As time runs out, will Peri and the Doctor discover who really rules inside the Palace of the Red Sun?
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
3 people are currently reading
201 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Bulis
19 books21 followersChristopher Bulis is a writer best known for his work on various Doctor Who spin-offs. He is one of the most prolific authors to write for the various ranges of spin-offs from the BBC Television series Doctor Who, with twelve novels to his name, and between 1993 and 2000 he had at least one Doctor Who novel published every year.
Bulis' first published work was the New Adventure Shadowmind, published in 1993 by Virgin Publishing. This was the only novel Bulis wrote featuring the Seventh Doctor, and his next five books were all published under Virgin's Missing Adventures range: State of Change (1994), The Sorcerer's Apprentice (1995), The Eye of the Giant (1996), Twilight of the Gods (1996), and A Device of Death (1997).
When Virgin lost their licence to publish novels based on Doctor Who, Bulis repeated this pattern writing novels for the BBC - with one novel written for the current incumbent Doctor as part of BBC Books' Eighth Doctor Adventures range, and then all of his other novels published as part of the Past Doctor Adventures range. Bulis' novels for the BBC were The Ultimate Treasure (1997), Vanderdeken's Children (1998), City at World's End (1999), Imperial Moon (2000) and Palace of the Red Sun (2002).
Bulis also wrote the novel Tempest as part of Virgin's Bernice Summerfield range of novels, and also a short story for Big Finish Productions' Short Trips series.
Bulis' first published work was the New Adventure Shadowmind, published in 1993 by Virgin Publishing. This was the only novel Bulis wrote featuring the Seventh Doctor, and his next five books were all published under Virgin's Missing Adventures range: State of Change (1994), The Sorcerer's Apprentice (1995), The Eye of the Giant (1996), Twilight of the Gods (1996), and A Device of Death (1997).
When Virgin lost their licence to publish novels based on Doctor Who, Bulis repeated this pattern writing novels for the BBC - with one novel written for the current incumbent Doctor as part of BBC Books' Eighth Doctor Adventures range, and then all of his other novels published as part of the Past Doctor Adventures range. Bulis' novels for the BBC were The Ultimate Treasure (1997), Vanderdeken's Children (1998), City at World's End (1999), Imperial Moon (2000) and Palace of the Red Sun (2002).
Bulis also wrote the novel Tempest as part of Virgin's Bernice Summerfield range of novels, and also a short story for Big Finish Productions' Short Trips series.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 3, 2024
These two are maybe my favorite TARDIS team but wow I hate how much these books threatened Peri with sexual violence, though this is far from the worst example of it. A lot of other negative aspects of the era are ignored in novels like this, why not that as well?
In any case, a fun romp on a small, beautiful garden planet, despite its rather poor understanding of gravitys relationship with time.
In any case, a fun romp on a small, beautiful garden planet, despite its rather poor understanding of gravitys relationship with time.
May 3, 2024
Peri Brown is a Doctor Who companion who has always drawn the short straw in terms of her stories. Her entire arc on television should be about wanting something more from life but then producer John Nathan-Turner and script editor Eric Saward decided the direction of the show needed to be a darker one and Peri as a character would be one for the dads. The character was often dressed in a sexually revealing way, directors especially male directors would shoot episodes to emphasize this, and the characterization would suffer. With the Wilderness Years there is a chance to largely attempt to correct this, but that isn’t always the case. Christopher Bulis as an author wrote multiple novels featuring Peri across both Doctor Who past doctor ranges: State of Change was his first for the Missing Adventures range and that saw a return of Peri transforming into a bird a la Vengeance on Varos while The Ultimate Treasure for the Past Doctor Adventures under BBC Books but Palace of the Red Sun is perhaps the weakest in terms of what it puts Peri through. This is a book that largely starts well for Peri, having her examine why she stays with the Doctor and how her antagonistic relationship with him is something that she is actually getting some good from.
The opening chapters of the novel actually have the Doctor and Peri on a tranquil vacation which Bulis clearly demonstrates an ability for fun banter before the novel then shifts into the plot. The plot of Palace of the Red Sun is what you would come to expect from a Christopher Bulis novel, there is a subjugated class on a planet where one half is in light and one half is in dark, the Doctor and Peri are separated and have to find the dictator and overthrow him. The underclass are basically savage humans saddled with Peri for much of the novel and this is where the just plain uncomfortable elements of the novel really come into play. This is a book where once again Peri’s plot is just there so she is sexualized, Bulis believing that to temper that is to continually have Peri quip and try to resist, but this is a book which builds to a point where Peri is going to be married off by integrating with a tribe of natives.
The Doctor’s plot is inciting an uprising amongst the service robots of the palace’s large and well kept gardens. This could be interesting if there was really anything to say about the different structures of an empire and expansion, the empire is essentially one palace encompassing half the planet, but Bulis doesn’t make much of it. The closest the novel gets is an attempt at debate on the nature of life and the ability for robots to overcome their programming and gain their own sense of life, however the characterization of the robots is incredibly one note. Bulis doesn’t really make enough distinction even between the three classes of robots in the novel and by characterizing the Sixth Doctor as blustering he is the one that largely takes over. Palace of the Red Sun is also a novel that largely suffers from having very little plot to sustain itself, there is a reason this review started with a discussion of Peri because she’s the character that gets the most devotion and time, even if that is spent poorly instead of examining who Peri is as a character. The villain is essentially a stock character and one of the characters from The Ultimate Treasure makes a reappearance here, taking up his own plotline that honestly feels more akin to something Dave Stone would write on an off-day than anything Bulis had done.
Overall, Palace of the Red Sun is a novel with the glint of potential had this been with a more skilled novelist. Christopher Bulis excels when sticking to traditional Doctor Who and even then he can be incredibly hit or miss when it comes to that. This is a book that just cannot sustain its standard Past Doctor Adventures page count full of characters I do not care about and a plot that had already been done better before in prose and on television. 3/10.
The opening chapters of the novel actually have the Doctor and Peri on a tranquil vacation which Bulis clearly demonstrates an ability for fun banter before the novel then shifts into the plot. The plot of Palace of the Red Sun is what you would come to expect from a Christopher Bulis novel, there is a subjugated class on a planet where one half is in light and one half is in dark, the Doctor and Peri are separated and have to find the dictator and overthrow him. The underclass are basically savage humans saddled with Peri for much of the novel and this is where the just plain uncomfortable elements of the novel really come into play. This is a book where once again Peri’s plot is just there so she is sexualized, Bulis believing that to temper that is to continually have Peri quip and try to resist, but this is a book which builds to a point where Peri is going to be married off by integrating with a tribe of natives.
The Doctor’s plot is inciting an uprising amongst the service robots of the palace’s large and well kept gardens. This could be interesting if there was really anything to say about the different structures of an empire and expansion, the empire is essentially one palace encompassing half the planet, but Bulis doesn’t make much of it. The closest the novel gets is an attempt at debate on the nature of life and the ability for robots to overcome their programming and gain their own sense of life, however the characterization of the robots is incredibly one note. Bulis doesn’t really make enough distinction even between the three classes of robots in the novel and by characterizing the Sixth Doctor as blustering he is the one that largely takes over. Palace of the Red Sun is also a novel that largely suffers from having very little plot to sustain itself, there is a reason this review started with a discussion of Peri because she’s the character that gets the most devotion and time, even if that is spent poorly instead of examining who Peri is as a character. The villain is essentially a stock character and one of the characters from The Ultimate Treasure makes a reappearance here, taking up his own plotline that honestly feels more akin to something Dave Stone would write on an off-day than anything Bulis had done.
Overall, Palace of the Red Sun is a novel with the glint of potential had this been with a more skilled novelist. Christopher Bulis excels when sticking to traditional Doctor Who and even then he can be incredibly hit or miss when it comes to that. This is a book that just cannot sustain its standard Past Doctor Adventures page count full of characters I do not care about and a plot that had already been done better before in prose and on television. 3/10.
March 25, 2020
"Palace of the Red Sun" delivers what one normally gets from a Christopher Bulis novel. It is entertaining, has an intriguing puzzle at the heart of it, but lacks depth. So, what the reader gets is a rather stock Doctor Who situation. A fascistic bad guy, Glavis Judd, is going around with a heavily armed fleet of spaceships "liberating" worlds from their governments and replacing them with his "efficient" methods. Judd's latest conquest is Esselven, a quasi-medieval kingdom in space. Judd, however, gets a nasty surprise when the royal family escapes, taking with them the "key" to unlocking a strongbox that contains all the means for running Esselven. The "key" in this case is the DNA code of the royal family. Fast forward a year and the TARDIS arrives on a mysterious garden world run by single-minded robots and operating in a split society - scruffy scavengers barely surviving off stolen food and the Lords, who live a life of a rather cardboard and artificial medieval existence. This place, it turns out, is called Esselven, yet is not the Esselven Judd invaded and no one seems to have heard of Judd or even know that there is a universe beyond their sky. Bulis is very careful to keep the mystery just out of reach until about the last 30 pages. The story runs in typical Bulis fashion. He splits the Doctor and companion fairly early in the story and keeps the apart for most of the story. Bulis is also one of the better writers for Peri, making her perky, smart, and ready to take on a challenge. Also, the reader gets the return of low-brow reporter Dexel Dynes from Bulis' earlier novel "The Ultimate Treasure." The plot moves along briskly, and as long as the reader does not ask too much of the story, the novel makes pleasant reading.
December 31, 2021
Christopher Bulis will never be accused of being the most original writer, but I believe this is easily the best "Doctor Who" novel in his prolific catalogue. The characters are well drawn, and the medieval sword-and-sorcery world he creates is an environment he has used once before to hit a story out of the park ("The Sorcerer's Apprentice"). The plot strands come together in surprising & tragic circumstances, the action is deftly written, and the 6th Doctor & Peri are spot on...especially Peri, who actually sounds like an American. Bulis even includes a robot sidekick that immediately won my heart. I'm ending 2021 with this very satisfying read.
September 11, 2025
I would give it a medicore 3/5. I guessed the first twist and sort of guessed the second twist. But, that kind of made about 1/3 of the book superfluous. Not only did these characters and story not really matter in the end, they didn't-or barely- interacting with the Doctor & Peri. Perhaps this was Bulis' sneering at Saward's guest character setup in season 22.
I quite liked the fairytale aspect of the story, but the sci-fi bit seemed a bit generic to be honest.
In terms of guest characters, had Bulis been listening to the Holy Terror while writing?
The resolution to Judd's quest seemed a bit Hand of Fear.
I loved the scenes with Doctor and the Robot.
I quite liked the fairytale aspect of the story, but the sci-fi bit seemed a bit generic to be honest.
In terms of guest characters, had Bulis been listening to the Holy Terror while writing?
The resolution to Judd's quest seemed a bit Hand of Fear.
I loved the scenes with Doctor and the Robot.
January 2, 2025
https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/palace-of-the-red-sun-by-christopher-bulis/
The Doctor and Peri land on a garden planet where not all is as it seems; most of the apparent humans are holograms, an interplanetary dictator is on his way to take over, the robots are revolting, there’s a comedy journalist recording everything and a hidden princess. Entertaining enough, but not at the top of my list.
The Doctor and Peri land on a garden planet where not all is as it seems; most of the apparent humans are holograms, an interplanetary dictator is on his way to take over, the robots are revolting, there’s a comedy journalist recording everything and a hidden princess. Entertaining enough, but not at the top of my list.
December 26, 2020
Good book, with several different plots occurring in the novel, classic sixth doctor and Peri episode.
June 24, 2016
This book started very s...l...o...w...l...y. The Doctor (the 6th Doctor, played on the series by Colin Baker) and Peri land on a planet that seems to be an idyllic garden with a red sun. However, there are no people around. And for at least fifty pages... nothing happens, because there are no people around.
Eventually the Doctor and Peri get separated and the TARDIS disappears from where the Doctor left it. Again, very typical and not that interesting.
So I put this book down for a LONG time... like months. I just picked it up again and finished reading it in a couple of days. Overall, despite the slow start it was an OK read. Bulis really needs to improve his delivery style.
Anyway, when I picked up the book, the Doctor meets Green-8, a sentient gardening robot. Unlike most of the "thinking robots" in Doctor Who such as Daleks and Cybermen or indeed most thinking robots in science fiction in general (such as the Terminator movies) Green-8 is benevolent, curious, and even somewhat obsessed with philosophical questions such as "Who am I?" and "How did I come to be?" or even "Who made me?" and "Do I have to follow the Lords orders?" The Doctor convinces Green-8 to help him find his missing companion Peri.
Peri, meanwhile, has been taken hostage by the Red gardening robots and is being used as slave gardening labor alongside a group of other captured people called scavengers. Peri befriends a young scavenger boy named Kel.
Suddenly a large fireball appears in the sky, a huge wind and sand storm hits the land and considerable damage is done to the gardens. Peri uses this as the perfect opportunity to escape with Kel.
Meanwhile, the Doctor has just convinced Green-8 to help him find Peri, when the same fireball, storm, and shockwave hit his section of the planetoid. Green-8 reports the damage to the Lords in the Palace and orders his fellow Green Robots to clean-up and take care of the damage. This delays the Doctor and Green-8 from going anywhere. The Doctor also recognizes the firestorm as bombardment from space...and realizes he must warn the lords in the palace, even if it delays his search for Peri.
Meanwhile, a princess named Oralissa is beginning to have doubts -- questioning things no one else around her questions, such as the mechanical servants that take care of the palace and grounds. She's also less than happy to be forced into a marriage to one of two unsuitable suitors.
Peri and Kel encounter a "ghost girl nanny" then return to Kel's home in the woods. Once there they soon run into a tabloid space reporter who's covering the attack of a megalomanic dictator named Glavis Judd. Peri, Kel, Kel's want-to-be bride, and another scavenger all head to the palace, accompanied by the reporter's automatic camera drones.
Arriving at the palace, they meet the Doctor and the mystery begins to unravel... which I'm not going to spoil here. I will say that I had at least part of the mystery figured out before Bulis got around to explaining it. I also didn't appreciate Bulis' pushing the ideals of anarchy and anti-authority and anti-law and order every chance he got; especially given the epilogue is the exact opposite of his preaching.
Not the best Doctor Who book I've read in the BBC Books Past Doctor series, and overwhelmingly slow at times, but over all -- not the worst book in the series either. The mystery elements were fairly well handled.
Eventually the Doctor and Peri get separated and the TARDIS disappears from where the Doctor left it. Again, very typical and not that interesting.
So I put this book down for a LONG time... like months. I just picked it up again and finished reading it in a couple of days. Overall, despite the slow start it was an OK read. Bulis really needs to improve his delivery style.
Anyway, when I picked up the book, the Doctor meets Green-8, a sentient gardening robot. Unlike most of the "thinking robots" in Doctor Who such as Daleks and Cybermen or indeed most thinking robots in science fiction in general (such as the Terminator movies) Green-8 is benevolent, curious, and even somewhat obsessed with philosophical questions such as "Who am I?" and "How did I come to be?" or even "Who made me?" and "Do I have to follow the Lords orders?" The Doctor convinces Green-8 to help him find his missing companion Peri.
Peri, meanwhile, has been taken hostage by the Red gardening robots and is being used as slave gardening labor alongside a group of other captured people called scavengers. Peri befriends a young scavenger boy named Kel.
Suddenly a large fireball appears in the sky, a huge wind and sand storm hits the land and considerable damage is done to the gardens. Peri uses this as the perfect opportunity to escape with Kel.
Meanwhile, the Doctor has just convinced Green-8 to help him find Peri, when the same fireball, storm, and shockwave hit his section of the planetoid. Green-8 reports the damage to the Lords in the Palace and orders his fellow Green Robots to clean-up and take care of the damage. This delays the Doctor and Green-8 from going anywhere. The Doctor also recognizes the firestorm as bombardment from space...and realizes he must warn the lords in the palace, even if it delays his search for Peri.
Meanwhile, a princess named Oralissa is beginning to have doubts -- questioning things no one else around her questions, such as the mechanical servants that take care of the palace and grounds. She's also less than happy to be forced into a marriage to one of two unsuitable suitors.
Peri and Kel encounter a "ghost girl nanny" then return to Kel's home in the woods. Once there they soon run into a tabloid space reporter who's covering the attack of a megalomanic dictator named Glavis Judd. Peri, Kel, Kel's want-to-be bride, and another scavenger all head to the palace, accompanied by the reporter's automatic camera drones.
Arriving at the palace, they meet the Doctor and the mystery begins to unravel... which I'm not going to spoil here. I will say that I had at least part of the mystery figured out before Bulis got around to explaining it. I also didn't appreciate Bulis' pushing the ideals of anarchy and anti-authority and anti-law and order every chance he got; especially given the epilogue is the exact opposite of his preaching.
Not the best Doctor Who book I've read in the BBC Books Past Doctor series, and overwhelmingly slow at times, but over all -- not the worst book in the series either. The mystery elements were fairly well handled.
October 4, 2015
I didn't go in expecting much from this Sixth Doctor novel, but it was actually pretty good. An interesting setting and slate of original characters (particularly Glavis Judd), and a solidly characterized Doctor and Peri. There are some good mysteries and twists, too. My only quibble was with the ending, which seemed slightly too harsh (but maybe I'm just a softie). (B+)
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews