Doctor Who: Demontage

Eighth Doctor Adventures #20

by Justin Richards

The Doctor, Sam and Fitz land on the Vega station, a pleasure center given over to gambling, shopping and the Arts. It hangs on the edge of Battrulian Space, close to the Earth colony's frontier with the Canvine, huge, wolf-like dog creatures.

The Earth colony president is arriving to attend an exhibition of the 3-D reality scans in oil paintings of Toulour Martinique. But the Doctor soon discovers there is more to the paintings than meets the eye. A dark secret is hidden behind the shallow delights of the station, and it seems that it is not only the President who is marked for death but the Doctor and his friends, too.

Genres: Doctor Who, Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Novels, Ebooks

284 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1999

About the author

Justin 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.

Reviews

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like how the story opens with The Doctor, Sam and Fitz are already on the space station Vega, it felt like they have been traveling together for awhile.

Theres lots of fun continuity references too, especially Fitz finding out that The Doctor can change appearances.

The mystery in the story is also good.
I really liked the idea of the paintings too, something that be used in the television series.

Overall an entertaining read, this felt like a traditional Who story with a great TARDIS team.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Demontage is easily the best EDA since Scarlet Empress. The fate of the universe as we know it wasn't at stake, time wasn't going to implode, and the TARDIS was accessible for the entire novel. Even though the stakes weren't ridiculously high, this was still a well-done, fun DW romp. Sam spends less time on the page in favor of new companion Fitz, who's much more likable- even though at this point he may be slower on the uptake and fumble quite a bit. He's not as cynical as Sam, and genuinely seems to constantly be having a good time; which helps with the overall feel of the story itself.
I'd be very surprised if it was revealed that Moffatt hadn't read this installment, as it reminds me so much of Day of the Doctor; Matt Smith's 50th anniversary Who special. That's okay, because that was different enough that it wasn't a total ripoff of Demontage- more of an 'inspired-by', or a 'homage' type work.
8 is hard at work here, reading people, winning at cards, discovering assassin plots, uncovering espionage and art forgery, all in the span of a few days. His diplomatic skills really shine, as does his ability to think several steps ahead of the villains, as well as read them and their intentions like a book.
The whole casino planet thing has been done several times before, but Richards keeps it light and fresh by introducing aliens like the Canvines- wookie/dog type people who love opera (weird but ok) and paintings that come alive at the whim of the curators.
I would absolutely recommend this EDA to anyone who wants to dip their toes into the Eighth Doctor world and doesn't want to start from the first novel. It's a stand-alone, it's got two decent companions, a great mystery and medium stakes.

[Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite an entertaining read, it's not a very groundbreaking book but it's like a standard Doctor Who story and a good one for Fitz first space adventure

[Hidekisohma · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this was a very interesting who book coming off of The Taint. Because first of all, it wasn't absolutely awful. Second of all, it was much more lowkey than some of the other books i've read recently.

There's no sun exploding, there's no face melting aliens, none of that. It's a relatively soft story and honestly, it wasn't bad. However, it wasn't fantastic either.

I've read a few of Justin's books (option loch, clockwise man, deviant strain, silhouette,) and one thing i can say, (Besides the fact that he loves writing books about possible war and/or Russia in some way) that i've never actively DISLIKED any of his books. He's Good at best, and eh at worst. He's not a Stephen Cole or David Mcintee who write books that make me want to papercut myself with the pages just so i don't have to read it anymore. And of course, this book was no exception.

The thing that you'll notice immediately about this one is that it's Fitz's first REAL adventure with the doctor. I say real because in the Taint it was his introduction book where he wasn't really part of the TARDIS crew. he was just some guy who was important to THAT story and could have easily left at the end of that book. This is the first time he really got to spread his arms and be his own companion, and of course, Fitz's parts were the best in the story. he's incredibly overconfident and thinks himself to be kind of a James Bond and that gets him in a lot of trouble. He's funny and sarcastic throughout and a joy to hang out with after being stuck with Sam for SEVENTEEN NOVELS. Yes, Sam was fine enough in the beginning, but after 17 books of JUST HER and the doctor, it gets a bit tiresome and i want to move on to a new companion.
Luckily Sam wasn't in this book a whole lot as the bits she WAS in was basically her just admonishing Fitz for acting like an idiot, and then getting captured. She didn't really DO a whole lot as it was obvious That Justin was trying to let Fitz shine in this one, and for that, i'm grateful.

The shortcomings in this one come from the fact that first of all, there were too many characters. I lost track after a while. there was the bear guy, the girl he liked, the president, her retainers, the 2 art scammers, the guys in charge of the security, the assassin, and a bunch of others that honestly, i just forgot who was who after a while. This seems to be a problem with a lot of who authors. like they feel that they can't write a good who story with just ~6 major characters and have to shoehorn in 15 people.

This was very much a "duh duh duhhhhh" kind of story where in the last 50 or so pages the evil people reveal their evil plan and are evil, only to be defeated (spoilers i know right? the bad guys don't win in a who novel? whhhaaaaattt?)

It did tend to drag a bit in the middle as most who books do, and i didn't really care at all about the side characters, but it was..okay.

oh right, i forgot to mention the doctor didn't i? Well..he certainly was in this book...sometimes. He was very...i guess the word would be "flighty" in this book. he didn't seem to really be worried anything and kind of drifted along in this one. there was definitely no fight here. he kind of just wafted through this one. Almost as if he realized the stakes weren't very high and was like "ah well..hopefully we can win the day here. if not....oh well."

I'm not a fan of this interpretation of the doc (what me and sis call 'post-seeing I doc') and he really needs to get that fire back in his belly. he's been a BIT better since Scarlet Empress (as he was a shambling corpse in Vanderdeken and placebo) but he really needs a good kick in the pants.

overall the book was fine. it was much more relaxing than beltempest, less convoluted than taint, and just overall a chill book (The climax was kinda leftfield violent, but eh)

all in all, it was just fine. 3.25 out of 5 rounded down to a 3.

[Morg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Demontage has so many good ideas and characters that it suffers from ambition more than anything. The first half of the novel is essentially just character introductions while Fitz, Sam, and the Doctor wait for the plot to start in the casino. Many of these introductions could have been staggered so as not to bombard the reader, or left out entirely, and some of the characters themselves could definitely afford to be merged into one. Rappare and Forster, for example, could be merged into one, and Cage/Stabilo/Slavich are so often in essentially the same roles that I feel like they and their subordinates could be cut down. The same for Gath and Blanc. I'm surprised now that I even remember their names, as so many characters are involved in the plot, and those are just the ones that I feel could be easily cut.

Yet the characters themselves are so richly imagined it's hard to fault them once you get past their tedious introduction scenes. One wonders why Richards couldn't introduce them even through the Doctor's eyes, for example, as he barely even features in the first half of the novel. Or have some of them double-role. Regardless, if you manage to reach the halfway point in the novel, then it becomes an absolute delight to follow along. Fitz in particular has some wonderful character moments, and the Doctor (once Richards deigns to utilise him) is also very fun and true-to-form. I'm a little disappointed that Sam is pushed somewhat to the side, despite various missed opportunities for her to contribute or have character moments of her own.

I rate the novel four stars only because I cannot rate halves of the novel separately. The first half would be two or three stars, and the second half five. The cast, the twists and turns, and the environment feel very immersive and you do find yourself caring about what happens in regards to all three! IF you manage to get past the first half of the novel beforehand.

[Trin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Doctor Who does Deep Space Nine, kinda sorta? We're on a space station/casino at the border of two warring species' territories. Fitz is of course the Julian, meaning that he's socially inept and obsessed with trying to be a spy, which, lucky for him, he Wrong Mans his way into. And also there's some Dorian Gray(ish) evil art.

It's very very silly, and toward the end overly complicated, but with loads of fun moments, especially for Fitz.

Eighth Doctor described as "tall" again: check!

[Finn · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first thought is that this actually quite a violent book for being a Doctor Who novel, but that didn't bother me so. I thought Doctor Who had a certain age range to maintain, and I doubt this would fit the reading list of a 12-year old.

Anywho... good story, interesting characters, and plenty of surprising twists and turns.

If you're looking for a good story featuring the 8th Doctor then I can definitely reccommend it.

[Gareth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Justin Richards brings a much-needed sense of fun to the EDAs in this art + monsters caper. The stakes are pleasingly low for once and it’s a good showcase for new companion Fitz, albeit more for his charm than any particular usefulness in a crisis. The plot is busy and ultimately a bit perfunctory, but it makes a nice diversion.

[Evie · Rating 2 out of 5]

pros: fitz pretending to be james bond, fitz sort of accidentally becoming a hit man, fitz being generally pathetic and inept, and fitz being unexpectedly caring and emotional over sam.

cons: pretty much everything else.

[Nicholas Whyte · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1770234...

Demontage is one of the many Who novels of Justin Richards, who has written more of them than anyone except Terrance Dicks. It is one of the better ones as well, takin the Eighth Doctor, Sam and Fitz to a space station which thrives on gambling with an underpinning of organised crime, but also features an art exhibition where the pictures are more than they seem; ideas which have been done elsewhere, including elsewhere in Who, but are done well here with the formula successfully assembled. One of the better EDAs, and it made an interesting paired read with Alastair Reynolds' Chasm City.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novel full of interesting, well-drawn characters, a beautifully realized 8th Doctor/Sam/Fitz combo, that positively sings from the page, and a use of paintings that actually prefigures something similar being used in "The Day of the Doctor" by over a decade. But the most pleasant aspect of this novel is its pace. There is quite a bit going on, yet it's never in a hurry; it draws you in slowly & methodically. You can't binge on this novel -- it demands that you read it a few chapters at a time, then put it down to contemplate what is happening. A serene adventure in time & space.

[Simon Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favourite Who novels, and, oh look, it's Justin Richards again! Good setting, good characters, good conceit.

[Michel Siskoid Albert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Justin Richards' novels can always be counted on to render a solid, meat and potatoes episode of Doctor Who. This holds true with Demontage, which should correctly be identifies as a comedy where the nominal bad guys are perhaps just misunderstood or will ally with the Doctor in due course, and the premise is a little silly. This was written before televised stories like Fear Her and Vincent and the Doctor, but it shares the premise of people being sucked into art. That part of the book is predictable enough, but it's not the big twist. Rather, watch out for revelations based on the wider cast's motivations as we head towards an action finale. It's also Fitz's first trip in the TARDIS and Richards does a good job with him. He's funny, still a bit of a coward but less so than in The Taint, and the idea of adding someone to the crew pans out. Now, you can split the group up and at least two of them will have someone to talk to. The Doctor's a bit too sidelined at first - he's gambling in a space casino for days on end?! - but all the better to make Sam and Fitz show their worth.

[Justin Partridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another EDA done and dusted!

This one might be my least favorite of the ones I have so far, but still pretty fun! I liked that it basically opens mid-trip already for Eight and company so we get to skip all the clunky table setting and just get right to the “episode” proper.

This is also doing my favorite thing in DW in which the Doctor and their companions get plopped in the middle of scumbummery and/or morally dubious outfits and have to keep rolling with the punches as they skirt criminality. That’s always fun and that’s all over this one.

The monster and active plot are pretty good as well. I wish they were tied tighter into the setting but it’s a neat enough idea that a Clive Barker-esque painter has this whole dark legend popping up around him and thus gooses the prices of his paintings (that kill!) and braces his popularity for the galaxy at large.

Justin Richards is always good for a fun read at least. Even if they aren’t the most substantial every time.

[Danny Welch · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a while since I last read a Doctor Who book, especially one from the EDA's range. So I decided to continue with my marathon with Demontage! The EDA's had a really bumpy beginning, but at this point of the range, I think it finally begins to hit its stride!

The Doctor, Sam, and Fitz arrive at The Vega Station. The Doctor and Fitz have challenged one another at the casino and Sam isn't very impressed. But things are about to get interesting, an art exhibition is about to open and the President of a human colony is to attend the proceedings. However, these are turbulent times, many years ago the human colony and a race of wolf-like creatures called The Canvine were at war with each other, but it's now long since over, and peace has been achieved. Except there are individuals in power who want the war to start again and will do anything to set it off. But there are more pressing issues at hand, why is there an assassin on the loose, where have the mysterious monsters come from and how are people being trapped inside paintings? The Doctor has a risky gamble to make.

Justin Richards has written a brilliant novel that is delightfully well-written. It's a fun story with a great cast of characters, creative ideas, terrific twists and turns, and a great sense of atmosphere. There's a lot to unpack with this novel, it has a lot of imaginative ideas and politics. It's arguably quite a standard Doctor Who story beneath the surface, but Justin Richards has added many layers to the narrative to make it a very engaging and complex read that will have you hooked from front to end.

Overall: Not all Doctor Who stories have to be unique or truly special to stand out, sometimes a story like this comes along and proves that a simple story with a terrific sense of imagination and a great cast of characters can be enough for a brilliant read. 9/10

[Macey · Rating 4 out of 5]

actually pretty cool yay & there were in fact demons. another win for paintings being multidimensional in doctor who & another win for fitz kriener sucking really badly. these last couple books have been astronomically better i think the writers were excited to have a pathetic white man to be mean to lol though they wounldnt have phrased it that way. it being 1999.

also another win for bisexual sam jones what are you as a woman doing describing another woman in detail & also smelling her perfume

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

気晴らしにカジノと巨大な娯楽施設を有する星を訪れたドクターとフィズとサム。カジノに興じているドクターとフィズとはうらはらにサムはそろそろ娯楽施設に飽きはじめていた。バーで知り合ったバーミリアンという女性に誘われ、有名な画家の遺作展に赴くことにする。
その頃フィズは偶然にも殺し屋と勘違いされ、殺しの依頼を受けていた。しかもターゲットとしてわたされた写真はドクター。フィズは殺しの依頼主がなぜドクターをねらうのか探ろうとする。



めずらしくタイム・ロードやギャリフレイが深刻に絡んでこない、なんちゃってミステリー風な冒険譚テイスト。ギャンブルに度重なる失踪事件。贋作騒ぎに、有名画家の謎の死。
失踪した人間が絵画の中に描かれていく謎など、面白いが、登場人物が多いのと似たような名前が多かったので、中盤から誰がどこの所属でどういう目的だったのかということがわからなくなってきてしまった。
でもまぁ、８thドクターは重たい話が多いので、たまには気楽に楽しめるドクターもよいものだと。

[B Morgans · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so much fun. Great mystery, interesting setting and a fun cast of characters. Not one of the EDAs most people swear by but I loved it. Apart from his backstory in the previous book, The Taint, its a much better introduction of the companion Fitz Kreiner

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This and other books by Justin Richards reviewed here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.com...

[Jason Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A painting that traps people hides a killer, while on a gambling station a government criminal conspiracy plays itself out. Nice concept , so so finale .

[Arrocete · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cherish a good intrigue, Fitz being pathetic and a loser we all love. He says sorry and fucks a dog man. The End.

[Numa Parrott · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was initially intrigued by the cover. That intrigue turned into resigned disappointment after the first few chapters of boring character introductions. The drama had too many characters, with too little focus on the Doctor. Poor Doctor took a back seat for most of the story. Even Sam was small and insignificant (although she didn't die or get mortally wounded for once, so I doubt she minds).
I still don't like Fitz. He has few redeeming qualities, and I am a bit incredulous every time Sam seems drawn to him or the Doctor tolerates him.
The pacing of the story was alright, but the bloodbath at the end seemed uncalled-for and I feel like the Doctor should've/could've done something about it. It's almost like the writer just said "screw this story, I'm bored. Time to kill some people," and BAM, there's your grand finale!
There were a few good bits: The Canvines were interesting aliens, the imagery was decent, and the end was satisfying--in a very childish 'just-desserts for everyone' kind of way.

If you love the Doctor but don't really care if he's the main character or not, go ahead and read it.
But you don't really need to. Continuity-wise, it doesn't change anything.

[James Barnard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably the most enjoyable EDA from its year of publication, and one of the last genuinely standalone novels before the Faction Paradox saga sent the range hurtling up its own backside. In a lot of ways, it’s an old-school Doctor Who story – almost a Base under Siege tale, but with a lot of, to coin a phrase, Artistic License on display.

Justin Richards excels at Doctor Who books. There doesn’t seem to be a sub-genre he can’t master, and 16 years from first publication, this has lost none of its flair and pizzazz. It’s a masterclass in telling a story without undue reliance on continuity or familiar settings, and I can’t help but feel that if the space opera style tales which preceded it had followed this pattern, the entire BBC Books range might be a little better remembered.

As our heroes – and for once there’s no ambiguity about the fact they are heroes – almost say, they don’t know much about art but they know what they like. I like this a lot.

[Leela42 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eighth Doctor Adventure (EDA) with Fitz and Sam. The book that set the tone for many of Fitz's misadventures. A pleasant enough read, although if you're an experienced reader there are no surprises; the circumstances are just extraordinary enough that you keep reading out of curiosity as to how it's all going to work. It is occasionally obvious that the author is making characters thick just to stretch out the time. The climax is bad; worse, it doesn't fit with the rest of the book and it doesn't add up. As usual Sam is a jerk, but fortunately she has little to do.

[Nenya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good fun scary mystery in this one. I think this was the first book where I started to like Fitz, for the times when he's trying to hard to be James Bond and failing. I like that unexpected vulnerability, and how he admires the Doctor, and how pretending to be him (from a combination of imitation-as-flattery and not wanting to back down and lose face) gets Fitz in way over his head. Looking back (it's been a while since I read this one) I wish there were more Sam, Fitz, and Eight books; they're a team I really like and it won't be long now in the series before we lose Sam.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Doctor and Fitz got to a space station casino for a competition. Sam, meanwhile is bored and visits an art exhibition. The art is incredibly weird, and there is trouble on the station. This is a light hearted read, a welcome break from the previous books. It's nice to see the Tardis crew actually setting out to have fun before the adventure starts. Fitz is funny trying to be like James Bond. A good read.

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read with an odd menace and some great scenes of Fitz trying to be a man of action and ending up in way over his head.

The Eighth Doctor books are real hit or miss, but I like the companions. they tried some different types than just the usual 'girl from earth'.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars really, a good story that I think would work better on tv strangely enough