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Past Doctor Adventures #31
Doctor Who: Grave Matter
The TARDIS materializes on an island named Dorsill, which has recently been bought by a DNA scientist named Sheldon. At first the villagers aren't suspicious when they notice a few people dying, and attribute it to natural causes. Little do they realize that they are in fact now part of Sheldon's closed experiment. The Doctor must discover what dark experiments Sheldon is carrying out on the innocent people of Dorsill.
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 2000
4 people are currently reading
288 people want to read
About the author
Justin Richards
330 books241 followersJustin Richards is a British writer. He has written many spin off novels based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, and he is Creative Director for the BBC Books range. He has also written for television, contributing to Five's soap opera Family Affairs. He is also the author of a series of crime novels for children about the Invisible Detective, and novels for older children. His Doctor Who novel The Burning was placed sixth in the Top 10 of SFX magazine's "Best SF/Fantasy novelisation or TV tie-in novel" category of 2000.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
August 9, 2019
The Sixth Doctor stories are amongst the strongest in the Past Doctor Range as this great creepy tale proves.
I was keen to revisit this one having last read it around 2006, it didn’t disappoint on a re-read!
Richards really helps create an unnerving location as The Doctor and Peri try to place where the TARDIS has taken them. As they slowly quiz the regulars in the local pub, the Time Lord and companion has no idea what year they landed on the foggy island of Dorsill.
The story is simple and effective whilst nicely capturing Colin’s incarnation, a solid mystery that highlights all the best elements of Sixie’s era.
I was keen to revisit this one having last read it around 2006, it didn’t disappoint on a re-read!
Richards really helps create an unnerving location as The Doctor and Peri try to place where the TARDIS has taken them. As they slowly quiz the regulars in the local pub, the Time Lord and companion has no idea what year they landed on the foggy island of Dorsill.
The story is simple and effective whilst nicely capturing Colin’s incarnation, a solid mystery that highlights all the best elements of Sixie’s era.
April 5, 2021
Doctor Who has always had a relationship with classic horror and science fiction literature for stories. The Hinchcliffe/Holmes producer/script editor team drew heavily on Frankenstein, Forbidden Planet, Who Goes There?, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and The Mummy throughout Season 13 and stories like Robot and State of Decay took plot elements from King Kong and Dracula respectively outside of that particular duo’s era proving how much influence horror has on Doctor Who. Interestingly of the classic horror monsters of vampires, werewolves, Frankenstein’s monsters, and zombies, zombies were absent from the television series, with vampires making multiple appearances (The Claws of Axos and The Curse of Fenric are also vampire stories, though with a science fiction and World War II twist respectively), werewolves getting their day in The Greatest Show in the Galaxy. While David A. McIntee would use zombies to great effect in his first book, White Darkness, these were the genuine zombies of the voodoo faith and overshadowed by the Lovecraftian horror of the Old Ones and violence of the period, meaning that it wouldn’t really be until the Past Doctor Adventures novel Grave Matter in 2000 for a traditional “western” zombie story.
Grave Matter is a book of two halves, the first half being a traditional Hinchcliffe/Holmes style Doctor Who horror story and the second half transitions excellently into a science fiction zombie thriller akin to the best aspects of Seasons 18 and the Pertwee era (without the military intervention). The book takes place on the secluded island of Sheldon’s Folly, a mist covered island trapped in Victorian times with no electricity and a folly at the peak of the island run by a mysterious Christopher Sheldon who spends most of his time in London. Richards’ thrust of the narrative is a misunderstanding of what time the Doctor and Peri have landed in, as the island is technologically distant the initial idea is that they’ve landed in Victorian times at a funeral. These sections of the book are excellent as the Doctor and Peri are essentially outsiders who can’t find their way into these islanders’ social circles, performing their own social faux pas as they imply that the dead were somehow terrible in their navigating of the sea. Early scenes take place in the local pub right at the end of the funeral, and that slow build helps drench the book in an atmosphere. One scene which perfectly encapsulates this is the Doctor and Peri, out in the fog, being passed by a zombie whose nature isn’t revealed right until the final third. It’s a scene which essentially builds tension where the Doctor, Peri, and the reader really don’t understand just what this person is doing out in the fog, wandering through its life. The Doctor and Peri’s dynamic are also incredibly well developed here: there is definitely slight antagonism as this is early for them, but it isn’t every hateful like in The Twin Dilemma and Attack of the Cybermen. Richards gives Peri her own moments where she can challenge and quip right back at the Doctor for an excellent point to develop why they work as a TARDIS team.
Interestingly, Grave Matter essentially unfolds as a mystery as the Doctor and Peri are simultaneously attempting to solve where exactly they are, why there are so many people dying on this island, and why the children are acting strangely and can learn somehow simultaneously. Richards just gives everything this absolutely dripping layer of horror atmosphere. Once the genre shifts and the zombies start to rise Richards employs several other twists, one of which is the only point where the book slightly falters. There is a character who goes through several identity reveals, so when you actually get to his true identity it kind of feels extraneous to requirements and it doesn’t even impact the solution to the plot. The science fiction aspects of the plot also feel incredibly clinical and similar to a pandemic thriller as the zombies are essentially the result of a science experiment gone right but also wrong. It’s eventually revealed to be mad science gone mad and the local village doctor has been manipulated and infected with the virus, his suicide marking the shift in tone with some passages which are most definitely Richards’ best prose. It’s such an emotional sequence where you feel this doctor character’s life slipping down the drain and eventually to his own death. The fear of the virus escaping permeates each page and the implication of the Doctor and Peri being infected also makes the tension build towards a conclusion.
Overall, Grave Matter is a Doctor Who book which doesn’t actually get discussed nearly enough by fans. It’s a PDA which flies under most people’s radar, which is a shame as it’s a brilliant piece of horror coming from an era which isn’t usually associated with horror. Justin Richards knocks it out of the park with one of his best books and something that everyone should track down. 9/10.
Grave Matter is a book of two halves, the first half being a traditional Hinchcliffe/Holmes style Doctor Who horror story and the second half transitions excellently into a science fiction zombie thriller akin to the best aspects of Seasons 18 and the Pertwee era (without the military intervention). The book takes place on the secluded island of Sheldon’s Folly, a mist covered island trapped in Victorian times with no electricity and a folly at the peak of the island run by a mysterious Christopher Sheldon who spends most of his time in London. Richards’ thrust of the narrative is a misunderstanding of what time the Doctor and Peri have landed in, as the island is technologically distant the initial idea is that they’ve landed in Victorian times at a funeral. These sections of the book are excellent as the Doctor and Peri are essentially outsiders who can’t find their way into these islanders’ social circles, performing their own social faux pas as they imply that the dead were somehow terrible in their navigating of the sea. Early scenes take place in the local pub right at the end of the funeral, and that slow build helps drench the book in an atmosphere. One scene which perfectly encapsulates this is the Doctor and Peri, out in the fog, being passed by a zombie whose nature isn’t revealed right until the final third. It’s a scene which essentially builds tension where the Doctor, Peri, and the reader really don’t understand just what this person is doing out in the fog, wandering through its life. The Doctor and Peri’s dynamic are also incredibly well developed here: there is definitely slight antagonism as this is early for them, but it isn’t every hateful like in The Twin Dilemma and Attack of the Cybermen. Richards gives Peri her own moments where she can challenge and quip right back at the Doctor for an excellent point to develop why they work as a TARDIS team.
Interestingly, Grave Matter essentially unfolds as a mystery as the Doctor and Peri are simultaneously attempting to solve where exactly they are, why there are so many people dying on this island, and why the children are acting strangely and can learn somehow simultaneously. Richards just gives everything this absolutely dripping layer of horror atmosphere. Once the genre shifts and the zombies start to rise Richards employs several other twists, one of which is the only point where the book slightly falters. There is a character who goes through several identity reveals, so when you actually get to his true identity it kind of feels extraneous to requirements and it doesn’t even impact the solution to the plot. The science fiction aspects of the plot also feel incredibly clinical and similar to a pandemic thriller as the zombies are essentially the result of a science experiment gone right but also wrong. It’s eventually revealed to be mad science gone mad and the local village doctor has been manipulated and infected with the virus, his suicide marking the shift in tone with some passages which are most definitely Richards’ best prose. It’s such an emotional sequence where you feel this doctor character’s life slipping down the drain and eventually to his own death. The fear of the virus escaping permeates each page and the implication of the Doctor and Peri being infected also makes the tension build towards a conclusion.
Overall, Grave Matter is a Doctor Who book which doesn’t actually get discussed nearly enough by fans. It’s a PDA which flies under most people’s radar, which is a shame as it’s a brilliant piece of horror coming from an era which isn’t usually associated with horror. Justin Richards knocks it out of the park with one of his best books and something that everyone should track down. 9/10.
December 30, 2020
A surprise from Justin Richards. Shorter, quicker, more condensed than his other Whoniverse novels, it starts off making you think you're about to have a Wicker-Man-style adventure...then pulls the rug out from beneath your feet. A creepy piece of loveliness, with an excellent characterization of the 6th Doctor & Peri.
August 6, 2020
Overall, pretty solid! I don’t think it’s my favorite Sixth Doctor PDA but it was fun.
It starts out with a WONDERFUL feint and then really leans into zombie movie tropes (isolated location, massing infected numbers, base-under-siege stuff etc) but it slows down toward the end.
I think it kinda shoots itself in the shambling foot by having such a KILLER set piece in the middle that makes the ending beats feel smaller. So much so that by the time it ends you are just mildly entertained as the best bits have already past.
I dunno. I had fun reading it for the most part. I like Richards a lot and this thing ends basically like Day of the Dead so I’m happy I got around to it.
It starts out with a WONDERFUL feint and then really leans into zombie movie tropes (isolated location, massing infected numbers, base-under-siege stuff etc) but it slows down toward the end.
I think it kinda shoots itself in the shambling foot by having such a KILLER set piece in the middle that makes the ending beats feel smaller. So much so that by the time it ends you are just mildly entertained as the best bits have already past.
I dunno. I had fun reading it for the most part. I like Richards a lot and this thing ends basically like Day of the Dead so I’m happy I got around to it.
January 24, 2020
The Doctor and Peri arrive on the Island Dorsill, not knowing what year their in. However something disturbing is happening to the residents of Dorsill an horrific experiment is taking place, an experiment that can bring back the dead...
This was a very enjoyable page turning mystery, ozzing with atmosphere and filled with unpredictable twists and turns. The Doctor and Peri are characterized fantastically and there is plenty of violence which really makes this story feel like it belongs in season 22 8.5/10
This was a very enjoyable page turning mystery, ozzing with atmosphere and filled with unpredictable twists and turns. The Doctor and Peri are characterized fantastically and there is plenty of violence which really makes this story feel like it belongs in season 22 8.5/10
March 16, 2015
The Doctor and Peri land on an island that is something out of the Victorian age. Corpses are walking, and there's some very odd things happening. A decent, gothic story for the 6th Doctor. There's strange gentlemen, hunting dogs, and a big mansion. Not much character based, but very atmospheric. A good read.
March 6, 2025
Peri, how do you just get better and better? It is beyond me. The attention to detail, the deliberate mystique surrounding the overarching narrative, and just a pleasurable read-through make up for another great piece in the PDA collection of stories. Already going into it and seeing the praise for the intriguing mystery and the rumored great cast that was featured in it made me very intrigued since Richard was writing it, and it was definitely easily noticeable how it was a truly atmospheric experience, touching on frequent tropes such as an alien hive mind infestation and the surpassing of mortality, which are already up there for one of my favorite ideas in the series, and seeing it done so well only makes it a certified classic in my books. The characterization of Peri was one of the main highlights of the book, and after spending an absurd amount of time doing most of her stories with Sixie, seeing a lot of her character in novel format really shines through the pages, especially with how she tackles the realization of death and the fear surging through the entirety of the book.
She has always been a character centered on faith in her instinctual nature and also seemingly faith in her lack thereof. The more we see her struggle through various adventures where there might not always be an obvious loophole, the more she believes in the idea of it and acts upon said notion regardless of whether it might be fruitful or not, and in this book, as psychosis takes over her, we learn how much she yearns to simply be able to be at peace. So heartbreaking to realize what eventually happens to her post-trial and the effect it echoes throughout her splintered timeline, yet this book foreshadows in some fashion the true tragedy that adventures with the Doctor can bring you, amidst the beauty of it all. Sixie takes a larger role in the story towards the conclusion, but seeing him in his most brash and lovely nature as always, striving to save the day once more through ridiculous ideas, will never cease to amaze me.
The deeper I dive into his character, the more things I find out about him that truly set him apart from every other doctor, in hindsight the most genuine of them all. Richard’s is great when it comes to a lot of things, but his ideas especially stand out, and although he might miss occasionally with the execution of them, 'Grave Matter' didn't disappoint in the slightest.
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝟖.𝟓/𝟏𝟎
She has always been a character centered on faith in her instinctual nature and also seemingly faith in her lack thereof. The more we see her struggle through various adventures where there might not always be an obvious loophole, the more she believes in the idea of it and acts upon said notion regardless of whether it might be fruitful or not, and in this book, as psychosis takes over her, we learn how much she yearns to simply be able to be at peace. So heartbreaking to realize what eventually happens to her post-trial and the effect it echoes throughout her splintered timeline, yet this book foreshadows in some fashion the true tragedy that adventures with the Doctor can bring you, amidst the beauty of it all. Sixie takes a larger role in the story towards the conclusion, but seeing him in his most brash and lovely nature as always, striving to save the day once more through ridiculous ideas, will never cease to amaze me.
The deeper I dive into his character, the more things I find out about him that truly set him apart from every other doctor, in hindsight the most genuine of them all. Richard’s is great when it comes to a lot of things, but his ideas especially stand out, and although he might miss occasionally with the execution of them, 'Grave Matter' didn't disappoint in the slightest.
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝟖.𝟓/𝟏𝟎
May 30, 2019
Justin Richards is usually willing to take a risk or two with his Doctor Who novels, to step out of formula in enough places to make it interesting. Grave Matter starts as if it were going to be something different, then falls back into formula and doesn't leave it. Doctor 6 and Peri arrive on a small island off the British coast. For the first 70 or so pages, they seem to be a pair searching for an adventure. They keep looking for something wrong only to find that it is all perfectly normal. I found this part quite amusing and hoped that the novel would retain this off-kilter method. Then, the first zombie arrives and after that the novel settles into predictability. The resolution rests on a last-minute miracle cure that defies all the laws of biochemistry, mostly because Richards has by that time written himself into a corner and this is the only way out. So, entertaining first act, but disappointing ending, that would be the summation of this novel.
August 11, 2025
Horror fans are likely to enjoy this mashup of Doctor Who’s video nasty era with the more classic mad science and monsters of the early Tom Baker years.
The Sixth Doctor and Peri are very well characterised amid the spooky goings on in the island of Dorsill, which include unusually intelligent livestock and unusually mobile corpses.
It can be quite ghoulish at times, particularly when a character is able to repeatedly commit suicide. Otherwise it’s all in good fun, but there’s an occasional sense of the story being somewhat flung together, with a slow establishment of the threat and a one-thing-after-another climax. Perhaps these are offshoots of the book being a late replacement for something else, in which case it’s pleasing that it holds together as well as it does.
The Sixth Doctor and Peri are very well characterised amid the spooky goings on in the island of Dorsill, which include unusually intelligent livestock and unusually mobile corpses.
It can be quite ghoulish at times, particularly when a character is able to repeatedly commit suicide. Otherwise it’s all in good fun, but there’s an occasional sense of the story being somewhat flung together, with a slow establishment of the threat and a one-thing-after-another climax. Perhaps these are offshoots of the book being a late replacement for something else, in which case it’s pleasing that it holds together as well as it does.
November 16, 2024
https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/grave-matter-by-justin-richards/
The Sixth Doctor and Peri land on a Scottish island where something is up, specifically the islanders are turning into mind-controlled zombies; Doctor Who meets The Wicker Man meets Night of the Living Dead. The setting is very vividly evoked, and the solution to the mystery gradually revealed; but it’s the portrayal of a small isolated community under siege from ‘orrible forces that really sits with me. A good ‘un.
The Sixth Doctor and Peri land on a Scottish island where something is up, specifically the islanders are turning into mind-controlled zombies; Doctor Who meets The Wicker Man meets Night of the Living Dead. The setting is very vividly evoked, and the solution to the mystery gradually revealed; but it’s the portrayal of a small isolated community under siege from ‘orrible forces that really sits with me. A good ‘un.
August 13, 2019
This and other Justin Richards books reviewed here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.com...
April 1, 2021
A great book even though it's the Sixth Doctor and Peri.
March 9, 2022
One of my first adventures with the 6th Doctor. Perfect start.
October 27, 2024
Really fun, zombie romp I picked out for Halloween. Took me awhile to finish because I was reading it off the Internet Archive.
October 26, 2017
Grave Matter is a classic Doctor Who book.
A very enjoyable, creepy, mysterious and atmospheric little book.
Shame it's only 250 odd pages but I suppose that's a good thing because I didn't want it to end and wanted more. That's a sign a book has really worked well.
The beginning introduces some nice atmosphere and likeable characters.
The plot is great and has got plenty of twists and turns and great character moments.
Especially one character who I will name nameless who was essentially used by the villains of the story and is infected and does break down after a while. He or she goes so far into depression the novel goes into some dark character conclusions.
Fantastic mystery, was unpredictable at times and the twists were great! It's nothing that I will call groundbreaking but I cannot deny it's a great novel and a perfect jumping on point for anyone looking to get into the Classic BBC Books.
Overall, a really good book. Some places the book shows some pacing problems and does take a little time to get really rolling but other than that. A great book!
8/10.
A very enjoyable, creepy, mysterious and atmospheric little book.
Shame it's only 250 odd pages but I suppose that's a good thing because I didn't want it to end and wanted more. That's a sign a book has really worked well.
The beginning introduces some nice atmosphere and likeable characters.
The plot is great and has got plenty of twists and turns and great character moments.
Especially one character who I will name nameless who was essentially used by the villains of the story and is infected and does break down after a while. He or she goes so far into depression the novel goes into some dark character conclusions.
Fantastic mystery, was unpredictable at times and the twists were great! It's nothing that I will call groundbreaking but I cannot deny it's a great novel and a perfect jumping on point for anyone looking to get into the Classic BBC Books.
Overall, a really good book. Some places the book shows some pacing problems and does take a little time to get really rolling but other than that. A great book!
8/10.
April 4, 2024
Crazy Idea popped in my head for the 60th anniversary of my fave tv show
A complete read through of all of the 6th doctors adventures in chronological order
This spooky tale has a nice setting and tone throughout that I really enjoyed and unlike a lot of EDA (early doctor adventures) I found the pacing pretty much prefect until the ending climax.
Justin always has been a favorite of mine, in my opinion has the strongest stories without many misses.
I think there is a few issues with the climax like I mentioned before and perhaps even a plothole but I'll be keeping out of the spoilers range from here and to be fair I could be miss remembering.
I'm very interested to go further down the rabbit hole of the 6th doctor AKA the most misunderstood doctor, and I recommend this story not only to doctor who fans
(prehaps more classic who fans)
but also fans of SI-FI and Horror.
A complete read through of all of the 6th doctors adventures in chronological order
This spooky tale has a nice setting and tone throughout that I really enjoyed and unlike a lot of EDA (early doctor adventures) I found the pacing pretty much prefect until the ending climax.
Justin always has been a favorite of mine, in my opinion has the strongest stories without many misses.
I think there is a few issues with the climax like I mentioned before and perhaps even a plothole but I'll be keeping out of the spoilers range from here and to be fair I could be miss remembering.
I'm very interested to go further down the rabbit hole of the 6th doctor AKA the most misunderstood doctor, and I recommend this story not only to doctor who fans
(prehaps more classic who fans)
but also fans of SI-FI and Horror.
June 10, 2014
Well, it is kind of hard to avoid spoilers when it is on the front cover! We see Peri, the Doctor, a graveyard with a hand reaching out of the grave.
With zombies and walking dead being so popular now, it is natural to find Doctor Who joining in!
A good solid plot--standard Doctor Who--he and Peri arrive not knowing when or where they are. Odd events begin and of course our two time travelers get involved......
The story starts slowly but quickly picks up the pace, racing to an everything-but-the kitchen-sink finish. Light, entertaining WHO fiction with the Sixth Doctor and Peri portrayed very well.
Recommended for Dr. Who fans of course, but any SF fan could enjoy this also---knowledge of the series is nnot necessary.
With zombies and walking dead being so popular now, it is natural to find Doctor Who joining in!
A good solid plot--standard Doctor Who--he and Peri arrive not knowing when or where they are. Odd events begin and of course our two time travelers get involved......
The story starts slowly but quickly picks up the pace, racing to an everything-but-the kitchen-sink finish. Light, entertaining WHO fiction with the Sixth Doctor and Peri portrayed very well.
Recommended for Dr. Who fans of course, but any SF fan could enjoy this also---knowledge of the series is nnot necessary.
May 26, 2010
I love books about the 'vintage' Doctors, and found this one really easy to apply to Matt Smith's Doctor. Light and entertaining, there was enough humour and baffling science to make this really enjoyable.
March 17, 2025
Combining some ghoulish body horror with character work that ably captures the era of the TV show it's set in, this book is a solid tie-in that is really only let down by a somewhat questionable ending.
July 31, 2008
Not bad story which is saved by some really good characterization of the Sixth Doctor and Peri.
If only they could have been written this well in the TV show.
If only they could have been written this well in the TV show.
March 8, 2010
I read this is one sitting while on holiday, didn't move a muscle. Top class.
December 31, 2013
Doctor Who meets Resident Evil. Great stuff.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews