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Doctor Who: Missing Adventures #5
Doctor Who: State of Change
‘In less than 25 years the Romans have invented electricity generation, airships, radio and who knows what else. Is that reasonable?’
Ancient Egypt, 41 BC. The Doctor and Peri watch as Cleopatra’s pleasure barge glides up the Nile in preparation for her fateful meeting with Mark Antony. And an alien presence observes the TARDIS, waits for it to dematerialize, then pounces.
When the time ship lands, the Doctor and Peri find themselves in ancient Rome, in the tomb of Cleopatra. But something is very wrong. The tomb walls depict steam-driven galleys and other disturbing anachronisms. The Roman Empire is preparing for a devastating war - using weapons from the future capable of destroying the entire world.
Ancient Egypt, 41 BC. The Doctor and Peri watch as Cleopatra’s pleasure barge glides up the Nile in preparation for her fateful meeting with Mark Antony. And an alien presence observes the TARDIS, waits for it to dematerialize, then pounces.
When the time ship lands, the Doctor and Peri find themselves in ancient Rome, in the tomb of Cleopatra. But something is very wrong. The tomb walls depict steam-driven galleys and other disturbing anachronisms. The Roman Empire is preparing for a devastating war - using weapons from the future capable of destroying the entire world.
272 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1994
3 people are currently reading
185 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 - 25 of 25 reviews
May 20, 2021
I struggle with this one a bit, but I did rather enjoy this book, I like the concept and ideas in it, It was struggling as moments just go on and on which I understand that it is for world building which is rather nice, mostly I like something about ancient Rome.
August 10, 2016
The phrase ‘timey-wimey’ hadn’t been coined when ‘State of Change’ was written, which is a shame as this tale of ancient Rome having its own steam-punk moment (steam-centurion?) would have fitted it perfectly. The Sixth Doctor and Peri find themselves in a version of history where Antony and Cleopatra defeated Octavius at the Battle of Actium, and their heirs are now locked in their own tense triumvirate. The stakes are raised by the fact that this is already a world with rifles, steamships, zeppelins and the atomic bomb. It’s a world changing fast, and almost to fit in, it isn’t long before Peri has transformed into a giant bird and The Sixth Doctor has started to regenerate backwards.
It’s always fun to read Sixth Doctor novels and see how they try to fix the problems of The Doctor himself. Once again this is a story in which his coat is dispensed with as soon as possible. But I did think that when an early chapter ended with him turning back to his Fifth incarnation, that that might be taking things a little too far. Fortunately, it’s only temporary.
Bulis has far too many characters in play for even half of them to become rounded, some of them just remain names and sketchy personalities right until the end. There are also parts of the narrative which definitely lag. Still, there’s enough mad science and mad moments and all round fun madness to make it an enjoyable read, even if it doesn’t have quite enough originality of its own to erase my childhood memory of that ‘Star Trek’ episode where the Romans had TV cameras and other technological wonders .
In summary, even if it’s flawed, it is hard to dislike a Doctor Who story where the Sixth Doctor taps into the Third Doctor for sword-fighting at a gladiator training camp and then distresses his opponents by yelling “Hah!” at them every time he lunges.
It’s always fun to read Sixth Doctor novels and see how they try to fix the problems of The Doctor himself. Once again this is a story in which his coat is dispensed with as soon as possible. But I did think that when an early chapter ended with him turning back to his Fifth incarnation, that that might be taking things a little too far. Fortunately, it’s only temporary.
Bulis has far too many characters in play for even half of them to become rounded, some of them just remain names and sketchy personalities right until the end. There are also parts of the narrative which definitely lag. Still, there’s enough mad science and mad moments and all round fun madness to make it an enjoyable read, even if it doesn’t have quite enough originality of its own to erase my childhood memory of that ‘Star Trek’ episode where the Romans had TV cameras and other technological wonders .
In summary, even if it’s flawed, it is hard to dislike a Doctor Who story where the Sixth Doctor taps into the Third Doctor for sword-fighting at a gladiator training camp and then distresses his opponents by yelling “Hah!” at them every time he lunges.
October 29, 2018
After taking Peri to snap photographs of Cleopatra's barge as it sails down the Nile, the Doctor and his companion set course for their next destination: Rome in the 2nd century AD. Upon landing, however, they find that they've journeyed forward only a few decades and that they have arrived in a Rome with electric lighting and dirigibles floating in the sky. With the Doctor's TARDIS inexplicably cut off from the Eye of Harmony the two scramble to restore the ship's power and unravel the mystery the steam-powered Rome — one which will lead them to one of the Doctor's most dangerous enemies.
With over a dozen novels to his credit, Christopher Bulis ranks as among the most prolific contributors to the various series of Doctor Who novels in the 1990s and 2000s. Reading this book, it's easy to see why. His novel is a brisk work that nicely conveys the larger world in which Bulis sets it. Best of all is his portrayal of the sixth Doctor, which conveys all of the best parts of the character without any of the flaws which made his tenure on the show so controversial. While the plot itself has plenty of formulaic elements, the novel itself is an enjoyable read that will provide many fans of the franchise with a pleasant way to pass the time.
With over a dozen novels to his credit, Christopher Bulis ranks as among the most prolific contributors to the various series of Doctor Who novels in the 1990s and 2000s. Reading this book, it's easy to see why. His novel is a brisk work that nicely conveys the larger world in which Bulis sets it. Best of all is his portrayal of the sixth Doctor, which conveys all of the best parts of the character without any of the flaws which made his tenure on the show so controversial. While the plot itself has plenty of formulaic elements, the novel itself is an enjoyable read that will provide many fans of the franchise with a pleasant way to pass the time.
October 1, 2019
I really enjoyed this one. Actually, couldn't put it down (or go to sleep) until I finished it.
State of Change feels like a bit like something that grew from a Discworld/Doctor Who crossover, and I say that as someone that welcomed that idea. But that is just the general shape, there are enough differences in the Roman-but-steampunk setting (with its properly weird sciency explanation for what happened and how) for it to be a proper place on its own, and the author is very skilled at introducing characters relations, politics and setting at a good pace, so that the alternate history parts and the very unhistorical parts don't actually clash, but complement each other.
But I liked the weirdness in this story. The romanpunkness of it, the humorous parts, Ptolemy's lovercraftian tale, Peri's mutation and its effects, the Doctor's snide comments. And it's well crafted, properly researched, tightly written. I can't wait to read Christofer Bullis' next one.
And lastly, because I have to say it: it's a 6th Doctor adventure! And he is portrayed in a good light! It's always such a joy to read 6 written as a complex character.
State of Change feels like a bit like something that grew from a Discworld/Doctor Who crossover, and I say that as someone that welcomed that idea. But that is just the general shape, there are enough differences in the Roman-but-steampunk setting (with its properly weird sciency explanation for what happened and how) for it to be a proper place on its own, and the author is very skilled at introducing characters relations, politics and setting at a good pace, so that the alternate history parts and the very unhistorical parts don't actually clash, but complement each other.
But I liked the weirdness in this story. The romanpunkness of it, the humorous parts, Ptolemy's lovercraftian tale, Peri's mutation and its effects, the Doctor's snide comments. And it's well crafted, properly researched, tightly written. I can't wait to read Christofer Bullis' next one.
And lastly, because I have to say it: it's a 6th Doctor adventure! And he is portrayed in a good light! It's always such a joy to read 6 written as a complex character.
July 23, 2024
Look, I'm not reading these books for Hugo-award winning sci-fi. I just want some reasonably entertaining stories with characters for which I am very nostalgic, and this absolutely delivered. (Based on some of the NAs and MAs I've read, this is not a given.)
It maybe started a little slow, and there were passages that definitely felt like my man was writing some "let's undress Peri" fan fiction, but once we got past all that, it was pretty entertaining. The story moved very well; the characters and setting were solid. The twists were unexpected, and not in a way that took me out of the story. I've always been very fond of Six, who got some of the worst scripts from the old run, so I enjoyed seeing him and Peri have a cohesive adventure.
This would be a three star regular book, and is a four-star Doctor Who book.
It maybe started a little slow, and there were passages that definitely felt like my man was writing some "let's undress Peri" fan fiction, but once we got past all that, it was pretty entertaining. The story moved very well; the characters and setting were solid. The twists were unexpected, and not in a way that took me out of the story. I've always been very fond of Six, who got some of the worst scripts from the old run, so I enjoyed seeing him and Peri have a cohesive adventure.
This would be a three star regular book, and is a four-star Doctor Who book.
May 24, 2025
A thoroughly enjoyable Who story in which a clearly recognisable Sixie and Peri arrive in a strangely steampunk Rome, and Peri transforms into a bird. What is going on? Well, an awful lot, it transpires, especially some clever political shenanigans largely orchestrated by a surprisingly independent Peri, although her clothes fall off a lot too. A Classic Who baddy turns up near the end, but too late to have much impact on the plot.
January 2, 2015
From little acorns, mighty oaks grow. And when this was first published, it did seem like a little acorn – the first new ‘official’ Sixth Doctor story since Colin Baker had been sacked from the role, with little else to set it apart from its stablemates. Future books would take the opportunity to smooth down some of the Sixth Doctor’s rough edges and make him far more likeable – a process Big Finish would continue with great success. It may not have seemed obvious at the time, but in a workmanlike and unshowy way, that’s what Bulis does here – within a plot that seems like an alternate history story but is actually far more original and clever than that.
Everything that felt like a failing in 1994 is, 20 years on, a real strength. The presence of a returning villain may have seemed a bit self-indulgent at the time, and a heart-sinking precursor of the way the Missing Adventures range was likely to go, but as things turned out, said returning villain has continued to be used remarkably sparingly in spin-off media and Virgin publishing always showed remarkable restraint in which characters from the TV series they chose to bring back. Also, said villain’s motivations actually work very well within the confines of the plot.
Stories set in an alternative dimension don’t always work as it’s not always easy for writers to convince their audience that things could have diverged quite so sharply after one event. Bulis gets around that by not making this an alternative history story per se – although I won’t give away how he does that. I was – despite my own expectations – convinced by the likely effects of Anthony and Cleopatra winning the Battle of Actium. A cursory glance at ancient history shows that other triumvirates of the era were riddled with instability, and even brothers and sisters felt no compunction in wanting to assassinate each other. Imagine what such people would have done with advanced technology. The only surprise is that they haven’t done it already by the time the plot begins.
I was also pleased by Bulis’ handling of the Doctor-companion dynamic here. It would have been a shame to replicate the antagonistic on-screen relationship between the Sixth Doctor and Peri, and to make Peri the simpering victim she was all-too-often portrayed as. There’s no sign of that here – Bulis shows the real, often unspoken, respect the pair have for each other, and their trust in each others’ abilities. Despite the mutations inflicted on her in the TV story ‘Vengeance on Varos’ coming to fruition here, and her necessary confinement to the other end of a video link for a fair proportion of the book, Peri has rarely been on such proactive form. She uses her situation to great advantage, and the result is a refreshing subversion of expectations. It does mean I couldn’t quite ‘hear’ Nicola Bryant saying the lines Bulis gives her, but the same is true for my ability to ‘hear’ Colin Baker as the Doctor – surprising, given that his speech patterns are usually easier for most writers to capture than those of his fellows. But at least Bulis got the chance to rectify that – as time went on he’d manage to write full-length novels featuring all the first eight Doctors and (mostly) get their mannerisms off pat. He’d return to this Doctor-companion combination with his final book for the range, ‘Palace of the Red Sun’, and succeed admirably. So it’s not a criticism by any means.
So, yes, this little acorn bore fruit, even if it may not have seemed so at the time. But then that’s the point of the metaphor, isn’t it? An oak tree takes a long time to develop. And, like the oak tree, 20 years is a reasonable length of time to return to the place the acorn was planted and see how the tree is getting on. I’m glad I did, because, like me, you may be surprised at how worthy of another look ‘State of Change’ is.
Everything that felt like a failing in 1994 is, 20 years on, a real strength. The presence of a returning villain may have seemed a bit self-indulgent at the time, and a heart-sinking precursor of the way the Missing Adventures range was likely to go, but as things turned out, said returning villain has continued to be used remarkably sparingly in spin-off media and Virgin publishing always showed remarkable restraint in which characters from the TV series they chose to bring back. Also, said villain’s motivations actually work very well within the confines of the plot.
Stories set in an alternative dimension don’t always work as it’s not always easy for writers to convince their audience that things could have diverged quite so sharply after one event. Bulis gets around that by not making this an alternative history story per se – although I won’t give away how he does that. I was – despite my own expectations – convinced by the likely effects of Anthony and Cleopatra winning the Battle of Actium. A cursory glance at ancient history shows that other triumvirates of the era were riddled with instability, and even brothers and sisters felt no compunction in wanting to assassinate each other. Imagine what such people would have done with advanced technology. The only surprise is that they haven’t done it already by the time the plot begins.
I was also pleased by Bulis’ handling of the Doctor-companion dynamic here. It would have been a shame to replicate the antagonistic on-screen relationship between the Sixth Doctor and Peri, and to make Peri the simpering victim she was all-too-often portrayed as. There’s no sign of that here – Bulis shows the real, often unspoken, respect the pair have for each other, and their trust in each others’ abilities. Despite the mutations inflicted on her in the TV story ‘Vengeance on Varos’ coming to fruition here, and her necessary confinement to the other end of a video link for a fair proportion of the book, Peri has rarely been on such proactive form. She uses her situation to great advantage, and the result is a refreshing subversion of expectations. It does mean I couldn’t quite ‘hear’ Nicola Bryant saying the lines Bulis gives her, but the same is true for my ability to ‘hear’ Colin Baker as the Doctor – surprising, given that his speech patterns are usually easier for most writers to capture than those of his fellows. But at least Bulis got the chance to rectify that – as time went on he’d manage to write full-length novels featuring all the first eight Doctors and (mostly) get their mannerisms off pat. He’d return to this Doctor-companion combination with his final book for the range, ‘Palace of the Red Sun’, and succeed admirably. So it’s not a criticism by any means.
So, yes, this little acorn bore fruit, even if it may not have seemed so at the time. But then that’s the point of the metaphor, isn’t it? An oak tree takes a long time to develop. And, like the oak tree, 20 years is a reasonable length of time to return to the place the acorn was planted and see how the tree is getting on. I’m glad I did, because, like me, you may be surprised at how worthy of another look ‘State of Change’ is.
March 13, 2020
One of the earlier novels by Christopher Bulis, "State of Change" demonstrates what he does well and what he often fails to do. This is an alternate history sort of story, though the explanation for it is different from the standard explanation. It allows Bulis to create a kind of steampunk ancient Rome in which the children of Cleopatra rule as a triumvirate. The Roman setting allows for much political intrigue and back-stabbing (literally). Fortunately, Bulis does not play up the decadence theme too hard. Bulis' approach from the Doctor's perspective is really to limit this to a simple problem for the Doctor - getting the TARDIS functioning again. All the complications from the Doctor's perspective principally devolve from that primary problem. As with many of the early Virgin novels, there are a few too many elements thrown in for the fans. For instance, Peri spends most of the novel as a bird superwoman, having regressed to the point in her history when she was almost turned into a bird-woman on Varos. This allows Bulis to retrofit a stronger and more confident Peri of the kind that fans were calling for. Kudos to Bulis for sticking to this plotline no matter how absurd it is. Another is the choice of cause for all this, which involves the return of an oldish villain. There was really no need to make this person the cause, which is fully apparent in that the person has very little actual presence in the story. It really could have been anyone. Bulis keeps the plot running apace, making this a swift read. One real problem is that it has an "all chaos breaks loose" ending with multiple factions battling each other - guns, swords, soldiers, gladiators (and gladiatrixes), biplanes, dirigibles, animals, and common folk all going at each other. In summary: "State of Change" is a brisk and entertaining read with a few too many fan-winks and a somewhat chaotic climax.
April 1, 2025
November 2020
Okay, full disclaimer, the Sixth Doctor and Peri are two of my favourite Doctor Who characters and it's very likely that I could enjoy anything featuring them, so I may be biased.
But! This is still a good book, they're both in character, it's got an interesting premise, and there was even a twist that genuinely surprised me.
March 2025
While I think there's part of me that prefers Dave Stone's willingness to really try and tackle the Sixth Doctor and Peri's relationship at its most fraught, in terms of VMAs featuring the two of them, I still get a lot from this one, which has an interesting alternate-history setting and flies along at a good pace. The transformation theme is a natural choice for the Sixth Doctor's era, which features it so prominently, and whilst often on TV this appeared in the form of body horror and the destruction of identity (including the fallout from the Fifth Doctor's regeneration) I appreciate that Bulis has brought more positive shades to it; if this is an attempt to make the era and its characters more 'palatable', then of course it makes sense to take one of its central themes, and an event that occurred in one of its darkest episodes, and have Peri try to reclaim that for her own positive self-image, reasserting an agency that her television appearances often denied her and a positive outlook the show during this era frequently lacked.
Okay, full disclaimer, the Sixth Doctor and Peri are two of my favourite Doctor Who characters and it's very likely that I could enjoy anything featuring them, so I may be biased.
But! This is still a good book, they're both in character, it's got an interesting premise, and there was even a twist that genuinely surprised me.
March 2025
While I think there's part of me that prefers Dave Stone's willingness to really try and tackle the Sixth Doctor and Peri's relationship at its most fraught, in terms of VMAs featuring the two of them, I still get a lot from this one, which has an interesting alternate-history setting and flies along at a good pace. The transformation theme is a natural choice for the Sixth Doctor's era, which features it so prominently, and whilst often on TV this appeared in the form of body horror and the destruction of identity (including the fallout from the Fifth Doctor's regeneration) I appreciate that Bulis has brought more positive shades to it; if this is an attempt to make the era and its characters more 'palatable', then of course it makes sense to take one of its central themes, and an event that occurred in one of its darkest episodes, and have Peri try to reclaim that for her own positive self-image, reasserting an agency that her television appearances often denied her and a positive outlook the show during this era frequently lacked.
February 26, 2021
I've read several Doctor Who books and this is probably my second favorite, right after Prisoner of the Daleks. The premise sounds gimmicky, ancient Rome with steampunk technology, but the book actually manages to justify it pretty well. I don't want to get into spoilers, but everything in this book comes together perfectly. I really don't want to ruin the fun, just read this book if you love Doctor Who and you can find this book. No reprints so it may be a challenge.
September 6, 2019
I didn't guess the villain! I'd say that's pretty successful. I thought the Sixth Doctor's voice was well captured and he fit in Roman setting.
August 10, 2021
This was my first time reading a Sixth Doctor novel, and I really, REALLY had a good time with it. Six's personality was still readily recognizable, but toned down to a rather likable level. Peri was definitely still Peri, but as the story went on, her more annoying traits were shaved down as well. It's a fascinating story that Bulis has dropped them into- the Doctor and Peri visited Cleopatra's procession, then fast forward 25 years and visit her tomb, only to discover that the people have discovered flight, engines, weapons, and bomb development. They set out to find out why, and become embroiled in tomb robberies, gladiator fights, and Egyptian politics. Not only that, Peri is growing her feathers back from when they were on Varos, and the Doctor is regenerating backwards. There's a lot going on here, especially when you toss in a villain who we've seen interact with Doctor 6 before (no spoilers!) and time running out for this world he's discovered.
There's a few reasons why I didn't rate this as highly as I could have. One, there's a LOT of politics. Alexander plotting. Selene interacting with her lackeys. Ptolemy making plans. It slows the book down a bit. Two, Peri does most of the heavy lifting in the story (sometimes quite literally!) she's the one who sets plans into motion and does a lot of saving. The Doctor does quite a bit too, but it's Peri who really stands out as the hero here. Third, you really would have to watch the arc Vengeance on Varos to understand all the references and truly get why Peri is turned into a bird. This didn't slow me down, as I had seen it, but if I hadn't, I would have stopped reading and completed watching the episodes before continuing.
These smaller things aside, I'd highly recommend this novel if you like Colin's Doctor, or, even if you don't. This book might just change your mind about how you feel about him. I had a great time, and I'm looking forward to my next 6th Doctor read!
There's a few reasons why I didn't rate this as highly as I could have. One, there's a LOT of politics. Alexander plotting. Selene interacting with her lackeys. Ptolemy making plans. It slows the book down a bit. Two, Peri does most of the heavy lifting in the story (sometimes quite literally!) she's the one who sets plans into motion and does a lot of saving. The Doctor does quite a bit too, but it's Peri who really stands out as the hero here. Third, you really would have to watch the arc Vengeance on Varos to understand all the references and truly get why Peri is turned into a bird. This didn't slow me down, as I had seen it, but if I hadn't, I would have stopped reading and completed watching the episodes before continuing.
These smaller things aside, I'd highly recommend this novel if you like Colin's Doctor, or, even if you don't. This book might just change your mind about how you feel about him. I had a great time, and I'm looking forward to my next 6th Doctor read!
May 1, 2023
Had an great time reading this. Bulis captures the dynamic between the Sixth Doctor and Peri wonderfully, and even has it be a little kinder and mellow between the two, bridging the gap between Season Twenty-Two and Season Twenty-Three. I really appreciate how much time is given to the mystery of where the Doctor and Peri actually are, and what's happened to cause it, with some key revelations coming at perfect times to keep the plot entertaining. There's a couple too many side characters, with quite unfamiliar sounding names (to me at least), to the point where it became a little confusing at times, but the important ones are reinforced enough like Ptolemy Caesar and Themos.
I love the way Bulis writes action. The fight scene with the Doctor in the amphitheater stands out to me in particular - its consistently eloquent, whilst still maintaining the conciseness and fluidity needed for action.
As I'm about to start reading the Virgin New Adventures for the first time, Christopher Bulis is a name I'm glad will pop up on at least one of the books.
I love the way Bulis writes action. The fight scene with the Doctor in the amphitheater stands out to me in particular - its consistently eloquent, whilst still maintaining the conciseness and fluidity needed for action.
As I'm about to start reading the Virgin New Adventures for the first time, Christopher Bulis is a name I'm glad will pop up on at least one of the books.
August 27, 2024
I don't think that this is the worst VMA, but I found it the most tedious.
First off, The Doctor, Peri and the returning villain are barely involved until the end, and all are meant to be acting out of character most of the time. The Doctor I was particularly annoyed about as Bulis isn't bad at writing the Sixth Doctor, but kept having him degenerate into prior forms, either due to the unstable nature of the world or just to complete a task.
Secondly, Bulis clearly spent a lot of time researching his alternative history, because he put ALL of it on the page. Large parts of it are just discussing the historical points of divergence after the battle of Actium. Some may enjoy all this detail, I was bored.
Thirdly, all the contrivances to create and resolve this story I found ridiculous. Of course Doctor Who is not one requiring a huge amount of logic or realism but most of the time he might as well have said "the wizard waved his magic wand and poof!"
I am clearly in a minority as I see others consider this one of the better books of the range. But not one for me.
First off, The Doctor, Peri and the returning villain are barely involved until the end, and all are meant to be acting out of character most of the time. The Doctor I was particularly annoyed about as Bulis isn't bad at writing the Sixth Doctor, but kept having him degenerate into prior forms, either due to the unstable nature of the world or just to complete a task.
Secondly, Bulis clearly spent a lot of time researching his alternative history, because he put ALL of it on the page. Large parts of it are just discussing the historical points of divergence after the battle of Actium. Some may enjoy all this detail, I was bored.
Thirdly, all the contrivances to create and resolve this story I found ridiculous. Of course Doctor Who is not one requiring a huge amount of logic or realism but most of the time he might as well have said "the wizard waved his magic wand and poof!"
I am clearly in a minority as I see others consider this one of the better books of the range. But not one for me.
October 26, 2021
An original adventure for the Sixth Doctor and his companion Peri, published in 1994.
As with many of the Doctor Who novels published around this time, it's VERY over-written. Entire chapters go by with not very much happening, and it's about 218 pages before something interesting happens. For no apparent reason other than to give fans a little thrill, Peri transforms back into her bird form as seen in 1985's Vengeance on Varos, and there's a piece of revisionism to that adventure that's actually so badly judged and will make you laugh out loud.
A certain TV villain appears on the aforementioned page 218, and things REALLY begin to pick up from there. It may have elevated my rating up a star, but a thrilling finale doesn't exactly make up for the dreary stuff that went before it. A bit of a disappointing book, sadly.
As with many of the Doctor Who novels published around this time, it's VERY over-written. Entire chapters go by with not very much happening, and it's about 218 pages before something interesting happens. For no apparent reason other than to give fans a little thrill, Peri transforms back into her bird form as seen in 1985's Vengeance on Varos, and there's a piece of revisionism to that adventure that's actually so badly judged and will make you laugh out loud.
A certain TV villain appears on the aforementioned page 218, and things REALLY begin to pick up from there. It may have elevated my rating up a star, but a thrilling finale doesn't exactly make up for the dreary stuff that went before it. A bit of a disappointing book, sadly.
January 14, 2025
Look, I'm sorry, but if you're trying to redress the balance and correct the errors of the televised Sixth Doctor era, crowbarring in a scene where Peri ends up naked, flustered, and soaking wet in the TARDIS console room is not the way to go about it. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/202...
October 3, 2017
A generally fun Sixth Doctor tale in an interesting setting - an Ancient Rome rapidly developing 20th-century technology. A lot of neat ideas - particularly the mysteries behind the world itself - and entertaining secondary characters. The only plot element I had issues with was Peri's condition, as the explanation ultimately seemed contrived. (Also, did we really need that embarrassing retcon from "Vengeance on Varos"?) Overall, though, this novel is never boring. (B+)
November 15, 2015
State of Change is an original novel in Virgin Publishing's Missing Doctors series of paperback novels, featuring the Sixth Doctor as played on the BBC television series, Doctor Who by Colin Baker and Peri. The novel begins with The Doctor and Peri in ancient Egypt with Peri hidden and taking photos of Cleopatra as she preforms a dress rehearsal for meeting the Romans. The Doctor hurries Peri back to the TARDIS and admonishes her for her habit of taking photographs that she can't show anyone, plus the danger of her camera falling into the wrong hands. The Doctor then puts the TARDIS in flight and Peri heads off to the swimming pool to relax.
The TARDIS is then involved in a collision in the Time Vortex which causes it to get stuck.
When it gets unstuck and crash lands, Peri and the Doctor are in Rome but it's a Rome with steam ships, air ships (zeppelins), telegraphs, wireless (radio), and even a nuclear bomb. And the uneasy triumvirate of Cleopatra and her brothers Ptolemy and Alexander. The crash has also left the Doctor and Peri in an unstable situation: Peri begins to turn into a bird, as she did in the televised episode, "Vengeance on Varos", and the Doctor begins to regenerate backwards - briefly going back to his Fifth Incarnation before re-stabilizing as the Sixth Doctor. The Doctor develops a device to allow him to roam freely and not regenerate backwards, where Peri embraces her new bird-form, even more than the Doctor recommends. While the TARDIS recharges the Doctor and Peri get involved in events.
This story might sound grim - but it's a rip-roaring action-adventure story set in an "alternative" Rome. The last third of the book wraps up some anomalies from earlier - explaining exactly where the Doctor and Peri are, a known Doctor Who villain briefly appears, and the situation is resolved quickly and basically happily. I enjoyed the story immensely, and even found it amusing (you've heard of steam punk - well imagine steam punk with Romans). It's simply a wonderful Doctor Who story. I also liked seeing Peri grow up a bit, become comfortable in her own skin, take initiative, and even kick a little butt. Highly Recommended.
The TARDIS is then involved in a collision in the Time Vortex which causes it to get stuck.
When it gets unstuck and crash lands, Peri and the Doctor are in Rome but it's a Rome with steam ships, air ships (zeppelins), telegraphs, wireless (radio), and even a nuclear bomb. And the uneasy triumvirate of Cleopatra and her brothers Ptolemy and Alexander. The crash has also left the Doctor and Peri in an unstable situation: Peri begins to turn into a bird, as she did in the televised episode, "Vengeance on Varos", and the Doctor begins to regenerate backwards - briefly going back to his Fifth Incarnation before re-stabilizing as the Sixth Doctor. The Doctor develops a device to allow him to roam freely and not regenerate backwards, where Peri embraces her new bird-form, even more than the Doctor recommends. While the TARDIS recharges the Doctor and Peri get involved in events.
This story might sound grim - but it's a rip-roaring action-adventure story set in an "alternative" Rome. The last third of the book wraps up some anomalies from earlier - explaining exactly where the Doctor and Peri are, a known Doctor Who villain briefly appears, and the situation is resolved quickly and basically happily. I enjoyed the story immensely, and even found it amusing (you've heard of steam punk - well imagine steam punk with Romans). It's simply a wonderful Doctor Who story. I also liked seeing Peri grow up a bit, become comfortable in her own skin, take initiative, and even kick a little butt. Highly Recommended.
April 22, 2018
Peri is one of my favourite companions from the TV episodes, so I thought I'd choose one of her novels to kick off with. This one is from the Virgin Missing Adventures collection and sees her and the 6th Doctor, Colin Baker, land in an alternate version of ancient Rome. Anyone that's seen the TV episode Vengeance on Varos will recognise Peri's impromptu change of appearance, and much is made of it here. She becomes a much more confident person and begins to revel in her transformation.
For someone who hasn't read too many Doctor Who novels, you can imagine my surprise when early on we're treated to a scene with Peri taking a dip in the pool as naked as a newborn babe. It's at this point that the Tardis encountering an unexpected energy force is thrown around and so we see Peri sluiced headlong and still naked through the corridors of the Tardis and into the Control Room where the Doctor eventually covers her modesty with his coat.
A good start to a novel by any standards.
For someone who hasn't read too many Doctor Who novels, you can imagine my surprise when early on we're treated to a scene with Peri taking a dip in the pool as naked as a newborn babe. It's at this point that the Tardis encountering an unexpected energy force is thrown around and so we see Peri sluiced headlong and still naked through the corridors of the Tardis and into the Control Room where the Doctor eventually covers her modesty with his coat.
A good start to a novel by any standards.
December 17, 2012
There were never enough stories featuring the sixth Doctor and Peri, in my humble opinion, so the chance of reading one of their "missing adventures" is something I couldn't pass up. I enjoyed most of STATE OF CHANGE and really give kudos to Christopher Bulis for his expert research in ancient Rome. The apparent "Roman world" that the Doctor and Peri find themselves transported to is very realistic, and the mortal peril they encounter is well presented. My one complaint is that I never felt that the Doctor and Peri were that important in the scheme of things... There are many, many characters--all of them interesting in their own right--but I longed for more pages featuring interactions with Peri and the brightly dressed Doctor alone. Still, on the whole, a very well written novel that is sure to please fans of the classic series.
August 8, 2016
An odd book, as all the scenes with the Doctor and Peri are really well written and give a nice feel for their personalities and relationship, yet at the same time the story is almost paper thin and the heroes have little to do with it.
The Doctor and Peri spend three fourths of the book in the same place doing almost nothing that has any impact on the plot.
It isn't until the grand finale that it feels like they do much to fix things. The big reveal is very cool and I didn't guess who the mystery bad guy was, so that earns it some points.
So, it had a weak plot, but was fun to read. Go figure.
The Doctor and Peri spend three fourths of the book in the same place doing almost nothing that has any impact on the plot.
It isn't until the grand finale that it feels like they do much to fix things. The big reveal is very cool and I didn't guess who the mystery bad guy was, so that earns it some points.
So, it had a weak plot, but was fun to read. Go figure.
August 6, 2011
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1780253...
I can recommend this Sixth Doctor novel to my Whovian classicist friends: it is set in a world where Antony and Cleopatra discovered alien technology and won the Battle of Actium, and a generation later, their twins and Cleopatra's son by Julius Cæsar together are ruling the known world as an uneasy triumvirate. Of course, all is not as it seems, but Bulis has produced quite a good story with some quite subtle underlying themes of change and transformation, and in particular gives Peri a rather better story than she usually gets. The characterisation of the Sixth Doctor is a bit off-kilter, but actually in rather a good way. Good fun.
I can recommend this Sixth Doctor novel to my Whovian classicist friends: it is set in a world where Antony and Cleopatra discovered alien technology and won the Battle of Actium, and a generation later, their twins and Cleopatra's son by Julius Cæsar together are ruling the known world as an uneasy triumvirate. Of course, all is not as it seems, but Bulis has produced quite a good story with some quite subtle underlying themes of change and transformation, and in particular gives Peri a rather better story than she usually gets. The characterisation of the Sixth Doctor is a bit off-kilter, but actually in rather a good way. Good fun.
February 5, 2011
The most under-rated of Christopher Bulis' Doctor Who novels. It has a fascinating twist on the parallel universe concept, plays with an enjoyably-twisted version of the Roman Empire, and handles the 6th Doctor & Peri with great confidence. The Rani's appearance in the book is a touch disposable...but the amoral Time Lady is only a side-show to the more fascinating conundrum at the heart of the story. It definitely deserves more love than it gets from fandom...
July 21, 2014
I loved this story start to finish. I love the sixth Doctor with Peri. I love the Rani, and a paradox story to boot!!! Well that's just Christmas also love how it takes place after she meets the seventh....brilliant!!!
February 24, 2010
Enjoyable. Hints of Vengeance on Varos.
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