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Doctor Who Target Books (Numerical Order) #137
Doctor Who: Dragonfire
When the Doctor and Mel arrive in the Space Trading Colony, Iceworld, the Doctor can feel that there is mischief afoot. And he and Mel don’t have to wait long before they discover the culprit, for there in the Refreshment Bar they meet up with that old intergalactic rogue, Sabalon Glitz.
Glitz is hot on the trail of hidden treasure and the Doctor, keen to do some scientific research, decides to join him. Down in the Ice Passages they go – through the Ice Garden, past the Singing Trees, beyond the Lake of Oblivion – in search of the Dragon’s Treasure.
But the Doctor and his companions don’t know the true worth of this mythical hoard. Only Kane, the most feared man in Iceworld, knows the secret of the Dragonfire...
Glitz is hot on the trail of hidden treasure and the Doctor, keen to do some scientific research, decides to join him. Down in the Ice Passages they go – through the Ice Garden, past the Singing Trees, beyond the Lake of Oblivion – in search of the Dragon’s Treasure.
But the Doctor and his companions don’t know the true worth of this mythical hoard. Only Kane, the most feared man in Iceworld, knows the secret of the Dragonfire...
144 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1989
213 people want to read
About the author
Ian Briggs
10 books5 followersIan Briggs wrote the Doctor Who stories Dragonfire and The Curse of Fenric as well as their novelisations. He also created the character of the Seventh Doctor's companion Ace, who first appeared in Dragonfire.
He was approached by Peter Darvill-Evans at Virgin to complete the Timewyrm New Adventures sequence but so far, unlike his colleagues Marc Platt, Ben Aaronovitch, and (script editor) Andrew Cartmel, Briggs has not produced any original Doctor Who novels.
In 1990, Briggs wrote a script for Season 5 of Casualty (Street Life). This particular season was script edited by Andrew Cartmel and also saw contributions from Ben Aaronovitch, Rona Munro and Stephen Wyatt. The same year he also contributed to The Bill.
Briggs continues to work as an actor.
He was approached by Peter Darvill-Evans at Virgin to complete the Timewyrm New Adventures sequence but so far, unlike his colleagues Marc Platt, Ben Aaronovitch, and (script editor) Andrew Cartmel, Briggs has not produced any original Doctor Who novels.
In 1990, Briggs wrote a script for Season 5 of Casualty (Street Life). This particular season was script edited by Andrew Cartmel and also saw contributions from Ben Aaronovitch, Rona Munro and Stephen Wyatt. The same year he also contributed to The Bill.
Briggs continues to work as an actor.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 3, 2007
How the Eighth Doctor meets Ace! I love her so, so much--and so will you, once you read this thrilling adventure!
July 8, 2020
Better than I expected, a lot more detail than I remember from the TV episodes, a really fun quick read.
January 31, 2021
The concluding story of Season 24 was probably, in retrospect, the best of the four, mostly because it is the least silly or camp. It still has significant flaws. The story, such as it is, involves The Doctor taking Mel to Iceworld, a trading center for different types from across the Twelve Galaxies. There, they meet Sabalom Glitz again, who has gotten into some trouble with the boss of Iceworld, the mysterious cold, hard Kane. It turns out that Kane has ambitions that run far beyond just managing an unusual space mall, and has tricked Glitz into getting Kane what he wants to spread terror across the galaxy. There are other wrinkles in the plot that one need not go into here. The main additional consideration is the meeting of the soon to be new companion - Ace. The story is far more complicated than the meager space of three episodes or 120 pages could provide. Too much background is left out; thus, the plot holes. Just as a for instance, what in the Twelve Galaxies is a criminal mastermind who has waited around for three thousand years doing running a space mall? How did he get to be in charge of a space mall? Why, if he wanted to leave, did he not just hop on the nearest freighter with his cold storage equipment? If the dragon is Kane's jailer, how come it is locked up in the lower levels, and why has it taken Kane three thousand years to come up with even the one half-baked plan he uses in this story to get to it? On and on it goes. Ian Briggs, writer of both screenplay and novel, has introduced some structuring touches so the story does not totally fly apart. The best of these is the use of three females at different stages of life - Belasz, Ace, and Stellar - and the way Kane manipulates their imaginative lives. In writing the novel, Briggs has added many novelistic touches using narrative description to give flesh out minor characters. It is a pleasant and quick read as long as one does not think too hard about it.
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April 8, 2009http://nhw.livejournal.com/1077520.html#cutid7[return][return]Briggs is able to overcome a number of the problems of the story as televised - in particular, the dodgy special effects and patching some of the more peculiar plot holes - to produce the best of the four novels from this season. There are even hints of various characters getting it on with each other - Tat Wood points to Glitz and Ace, but I would add that the Mel/Ace relationship in the book is very affectionate. (An easy pass for the Bechdel test here.)
May 14, 2025
'Dragonfire' marks Doctor Who’s attempt to pivot from pantomime theatrics to more traditional sci-fi. On screen, its ambitious ideas pushed against the limits of an end-of-season BBC budget and studio-bound production. In print, Ian Briggs has free rein to expand his scope beyond the twelve galaxies - though not without some turbulence.
It very much feels like a first novel, overpacked with ideas and good intentions. As such, the tone bounces all over the place. Much of the 'Aliens'-inspired action works well with lavish descriptions of the ice caves, explosions and such. The dialogue, however, often feels cliched and strained. On occasion, the Doctor reads more like Colin Baker than Sylvester McCoy in his formality, and various attempts at verbal comedy fall flat and add little - especially running gags repurposed from films like 'Airplane!' and 'The Naked Gun'.
That said, there are plenty of intriguing ideas at play. Kane’s backstory is compelling, and his controlling powerplay with Belazs hints at an underlying sexual dynamic. The dragon - referred to as "the creature" - is also far better realised in the gloom than it could ever be on screen. The return of Glitz is a welcome addition too, complete with problematic boorish chauvinism, which is effectively questioned and parodied.
There's also an attempt to write around the much-derided "cliffhanger" stunt, though the logic of the whole sequence still makes no more sense in print.
Most significantly, new companion Ace makes her entrance in a rough prototype form. She's full of tantrums, bouncing enthusiasm and tongue-wagging sass. But it's all slightly childish and irritating. The intention is to present a relatable, youthful character, but it often feels more like a middle-aged writer assuming what teenagers are like rather than truly understanding them.
Mel, on the other hand, is badly neglected and fades into the background as Ace takes centre stage. A parting scene repurposed from Sylvester McCoy's screen test makes it into the book, adding some last-minute emotional closure. But it all feels like an afterthought, much as it did on screen.
Perhaps Briggs' manuscript could have used a tighter edit. Typos mistakenly refer to Ace as “Alice,” and “space” is so over referenced it starts to feel like a running joke (we get it: it's set in space!). Certain sections suffer from excessive repetition, and one key event hammers home “squeezing” multiple times without variation, giving the prose an amateurish, one-note quality.
Despite its flaws, Dragonfire remains a fun, pulpy read about a space dragon and space criminal, running a space supermarket as part of a grand revenge plot in space. Not quite a supernova, with some characterisation and gimmicks that leave you cold, Briggs was clearly just warming up with this first effort. A somewhat pivotal tale, with even better things on the horizon.
3 / 5 space stars.
It very much feels like a first novel, overpacked with ideas and good intentions. As such, the tone bounces all over the place. Much of the 'Aliens'-inspired action works well with lavish descriptions of the ice caves, explosions and such. The dialogue, however, often feels cliched and strained. On occasion, the Doctor reads more like Colin Baker than Sylvester McCoy in his formality, and various attempts at verbal comedy fall flat and add little - especially running gags repurposed from films like 'Airplane!' and 'The Naked Gun'.
That said, there are plenty of intriguing ideas at play. Kane’s backstory is compelling, and his controlling powerplay with Belazs hints at an underlying sexual dynamic. The dragon - referred to as "the creature" - is also far better realised in the gloom than it could ever be on screen. The return of Glitz is a welcome addition too, complete with problematic boorish chauvinism, which is effectively questioned and parodied.
There's also an attempt to write around the much-derided "cliffhanger" stunt, though the logic of the whole sequence still makes no more sense in print.
Most significantly, new companion Ace makes her entrance in a rough prototype form. She's full of tantrums, bouncing enthusiasm and tongue-wagging sass. But it's all slightly childish and irritating. The intention is to present a relatable, youthful character, but it often feels more like a middle-aged writer assuming what teenagers are like rather than truly understanding them.
Mel, on the other hand, is badly neglected and fades into the background as Ace takes centre stage. A parting scene repurposed from Sylvester McCoy's screen test makes it into the book, adding some last-minute emotional closure. But it all feels like an afterthought, much as it did on screen.
Perhaps Briggs' manuscript could have used a tighter edit. Typos mistakenly refer to Ace as “Alice,” and “space” is so over referenced it starts to feel like a running joke (we get it: it's set in space!). Certain sections suffer from excessive repetition, and one key event hammers home “squeezing” multiple times without variation, giving the prose an amateurish, one-note quality.
Despite its flaws, Dragonfire remains a fun, pulpy read about a space dragon and space criminal, running a space supermarket as part of a grand revenge plot in space. Not quite a supernova, with some characterisation and gimmicks that leave you cold, Briggs was clearly just warming up with this first effort. A somewhat pivotal tale, with even better things on the horizon.
3 / 5 space stars.
March 28, 2021
Doctor Who – Dragonfire, by Ian Briggs. Target, 1989. Number 137 in the Doctor Who Library. 144 pages, paperback. ISBN 0-426-20322-4. Original script by Ian Briggs. BBC 1987.
This adventure features the 7th Doctor and Mel.
SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.
SUMMARY:
The Doctor and Mel meet their old roguish friend Sabalom Glitz on Iceworld, a Space Trading Colony on the frozen side of the planet Svartos. Glitz has sold his crew to the mysterious Kane, who seems to run Iceworld. Kane gives Glitz a map to the Dragon's Treasure, a map that has a tracking device on it. The Dragon piques the Doctor's scientific curiosity and soon he and Mel are caught up in the treasure hunt, along with a new friend named Ace. Their adventure takes them through the icy passages beneath Iceworld, on the run from the zombified former members of Glitz's crew.
The treasure turns out to be hidden in the head of the biomechanoid Dragon. It's the power unit of Kane's spaceship. Kane has the zombies chase everyone on Iceworld onto departing spaceships and then destroys the ships as an example of what's to come. He's waited in exile on Svartos for 3,000 years to exact his revenge upon his people on his homeworld.Proamon.
Only, as the Doctor tells him, Proamon was destroyed in a supernova 2,000 years ago. Kane's star charts are out of date but a quick update shows him that the Doctor is telling the truth. Kane raises the shield on the viewport of his ship and lets the sun melt him down. In the end, Mel leaves with Glitz while the Doctor promises to take Ace home via the scenic route.
REVIEW:
Dragonfire is one of the only seventh Doctor adventures I actually like, though I still question the appropriateness of the face melting scene for the intended audience. It's a good adventure and the storytelling works. The plot holds together and characters stay in character. It's a mystery that features a dragon, a treasure hunt, and something akin to an ice vampire. Mel's reason for leaving isn't any better or worse than that of some other companions. At least she didn't fall in love and marry Glitz.
I do have a problem with was how easy it was for the girls to get left behind because parts of the adventure were too dangerous for girls. I know it's in the dialogue and possibly in character for Glitz. That also made it easy to split up the team and add some dramatic tension. I can't help but think that there should have been a better way to write that.
Overall, Dragonfire is a good adventure, if a bit slow at times. Brigg's novelization takes the time to add characterization to some unimportant characters which, I think, added to the slow feeling of the book. He does add some comedy to an otherwise fairly dark story. And, like with some mysteries, everything wraps up right at the end.
This adventure features the 7th Doctor and Mel.
SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.
SUMMARY:
The Doctor and Mel meet their old roguish friend Sabalom Glitz on Iceworld, a Space Trading Colony on the frozen side of the planet Svartos. Glitz has sold his crew to the mysterious Kane, who seems to run Iceworld. Kane gives Glitz a map to the Dragon's Treasure, a map that has a tracking device on it. The Dragon piques the Doctor's scientific curiosity and soon he and Mel are caught up in the treasure hunt, along with a new friend named Ace. Their adventure takes them through the icy passages beneath Iceworld, on the run from the zombified former members of Glitz's crew.
The treasure turns out to be hidden in the head of the biomechanoid Dragon. It's the power unit of Kane's spaceship. Kane has the zombies chase everyone on Iceworld onto departing spaceships and then destroys the ships as an example of what's to come. He's waited in exile on Svartos for 3,000 years to exact his revenge upon his people on his homeworld.Proamon.
Only, as the Doctor tells him, Proamon was destroyed in a supernova 2,000 years ago. Kane's star charts are out of date but a quick update shows him that the Doctor is telling the truth. Kane raises the shield on the viewport of his ship and lets the sun melt him down. In the end, Mel leaves with Glitz while the Doctor promises to take Ace home via the scenic route.
REVIEW:
Dragonfire is one of the only seventh Doctor adventures I actually like, though I still question the appropriateness of the face melting scene for the intended audience. It's a good adventure and the storytelling works. The plot holds together and characters stay in character. It's a mystery that features a dragon, a treasure hunt, and something akin to an ice vampire. Mel's reason for leaving isn't any better or worse than that of some other companions. At least she didn't fall in love and marry Glitz.
I do have a problem with was how easy it was for the girls to get left behind because parts of the adventure were too dangerous for girls. I know it's in the dialogue and possibly in character for Glitz. That also made it easy to split up the team and add some dramatic tension. I can't help but think that there should have been a better way to write that.
Overall, Dragonfire is a good adventure, if a bit slow at times. Brigg's novelization takes the time to add characterization to some unimportant characters which, I think, added to the slow feeling of the book. He does add some comedy to an otherwise fairly dark story. And, like with some mysteries, everything wraps up right at the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 1, 2020
Cor.
For a mid-to-late eighties Doctor Who story, Dragonfire was always a bit poetical - a fairytale treasure hunt with dragons, rogues, lost girls, and a Winter King. Woven through all that were some lovely philosophical elements and angles, with characters named after significant thought-leaders, and one utterly priceless scene where the Doctor and a guard get stuck in to the eternal verities mid-escape. Even one of its final scenes, the leaving of preppy computer programmer Mel, is contained in one of the show's more elegant dialectics on the nature of time, connection and experience. Beautiful stuff.
On screen, it's strongly bolstered by some belting performances, from Sylvester McCoy as the Doctor, Bonnie Langford as Mel, then incoming new girl Sophie Aldred as Ace, Tony Selby as my favourite sociopath (take that, Sherlock!), Sabalom Glitz, Patricia bleedin' Quinn as Belazs, Tony 'Oh that guy!' Osoba as Krakauer, and possibly above all Edward 'him off Juliet Bravo' Peel as chief baddie, Kane.
Seriously, given it has a visual style as matt as Timelash, the cast works wonders with it and makes you invest. However, as with quite a bit of Who in the eighties, there's a scene or two here and there that lets the whole thing down - and in Dragonfire, there's one semi-literal cliff-hanger in particular that makes no sense whatsoever.
Rejoice then! It makes sense in the novelization, to the point where if you'd never SEEN the scene, you wouldn't even think anything of it here.
In addition to all the philosophy, there are great heaping handfuls of either intentional, 'how far can I push it?' double entendre in the writing here or accidental - and possibly revealing(!) overspill from the brain of Briggs.
What isn't made too explicit is the original idea that Glitz had taken Ace's virginity at some point before we join them (presumably explaining her especial, personal loathing for the bilgebag), though a single line tells us 'Glitz knew the way to the Sprog's room,' in perhaps a hint of the backstory that was apparently intended.
Bonnie Langford on reading duties for the audiobook is pretty gung-ho about characterizations, though her pronunciation of Belazs, pronounced on-screen as Bell-arsh, as Bay-Lash here, grates if you've seen the original.
Nevertheless, Dragonfire strikes the right balance overall, providing effective nostalgia, tidying up what was unfortunate about the original and allowing what worked very well on-screen to shine through, with a little extra context and depth. Oh and you'll probably cry for the exploits of a little toy bear.
I did, but then I'm soppy like that.
For a mid-to-late eighties Doctor Who story, Dragonfire was always a bit poetical - a fairytale treasure hunt with dragons, rogues, lost girls, and a Winter King. Woven through all that were some lovely philosophical elements and angles, with characters named after significant thought-leaders, and one utterly priceless scene where the Doctor and a guard get stuck in to the eternal verities mid-escape. Even one of its final scenes, the leaving of preppy computer programmer Mel, is contained in one of the show's more elegant dialectics on the nature of time, connection and experience. Beautiful stuff.
On screen, it's strongly bolstered by some belting performances, from Sylvester McCoy as the Doctor, Bonnie Langford as Mel, then incoming new girl Sophie Aldred as Ace, Tony Selby as my favourite sociopath (take that, Sherlock!), Sabalom Glitz, Patricia bleedin' Quinn as Belazs, Tony 'Oh that guy!' Osoba as Krakauer, and possibly above all Edward 'him off Juliet Bravo' Peel as chief baddie, Kane.
Seriously, given it has a visual style as matt as Timelash, the cast works wonders with it and makes you invest. However, as with quite a bit of Who in the eighties, there's a scene or two here and there that lets the whole thing down - and in Dragonfire, there's one semi-literal cliff-hanger in particular that makes no sense whatsoever.
Rejoice then! It makes sense in the novelization, to the point where if you'd never SEEN the scene, you wouldn't even think anything of it here.
In addition to all the philosophy, there are great heaping handfuls of either intentional, 'how far can I push it?' double entendre in the writing here or accidental - and possibly revealing(!) overspill from the brain of Briggs.
What isn't made too explicit is the original idea that Glitz had taken Ace's virginity at some point before we join them (presumably explaining her especial, personal loathing for the bilgebag), though a single line tells us 'Glitz knew the way to the Sprog's room,' in perhaps a hint of the backstory that was apparently intended.
Bonnie Langford on reading duties for the audiobook is pretty gung-ho about characterizations, though her pronunciation of Belazs, pronounced on-screen as Bell-arsh, as Bay-Lash here, grates if you've seen the original.
Nevertheless, Dragonfire strikes the right balance overall, providing effective nostalgia, tidying up what was unfortunate about the original and allowing what worked very well on-screen to shine through, with a little extra context and depth. Oh and you'll probably cry for the exploits of a little toy bear.
I did, but then I'm soppy like that.
August 12, 2019
It's an OK read this. It doesn't add a lot to the television version, except - oddly - by giving us the thoughts of Stellar, the annoying child. There's no attempt either to explain how a prison designed to hold a single prisoner becomes a frozen produce supermarket. I mean was it meant to be part of Kane's rehabilitation programme? Nor is there any explanation as to why it took Kane 3,000 years to get around to trying to free himself. It just ploddingly tells the story we've already seen on television.
This is the story that introduces us to Ace and sees the departure of Mel, ut again we don't really learn much new about either character. It's all a little perfunctory I'm afraid, but it is still nice to be reminded of the beginning of a new Doctor Who era. After all, without Ace - who is at her most defensive and sulky in this story - we'd have no Rose.
This isn't a bad book, it is just a bang on average novelisation of the TV story, which is a wee bit disappointing.
This is the story that introduces us to Ace and sees the departure of Mel, ut again we don't really learn much new about either character. It's all a little perfunctory I'm afraid, but it is still nice to be reminded of the beginning of a new Doctor Who era. After all, without Ace - who is at her most defensive and sulky in this story - we'd have no Rose.
This isn't a bad book, it is just a bang on average novelisation of the TV story, which is a wee bit disappointing.
July 18, 2021
Between a 3 and a 4 for me. Outside of some sexism on Glitz's part, is an entertaining story, and a good farewell for Mel and introduction for Ace. The scenes between Mel and Ace are quite good here, differing personalities but both quite proactive and adventurous in different ways.
We see Glitz again, who is an interesting character, who seems to have a bit of growth here which is good, just a shame about his misogyny.
Some other interesting one off characters, who are well fleshed out here, helping making the tale more emotional with higher stakes as well. The main villain though seemed a bit one dimensional, and detracted a bit from the story.
The setting is interesting, allowing for some quite different and tense moments, with some interesting side plots (like with Stellar) that intersected with the main plot.
What is a bit of a drawback for me is the Seventh Doctor - in many ways is in good form here, and typical for his first season, but some of his dialogue, given the events of the very next story, come across as just hypocritical instead, so instead just annoyed me :)
Outside of that annoyance though, is a good read.
We see Glitz again, who is an interesting character, who seems to have a bit of growth here which is good, just a shame about his misogyny.
Some other interesting one off characters, who are well fleshed out here, helping making the tale more emotional with higher stakes as well. The main villain though seemed a bit one dimensional, and detracted a bit from the story.
The setting is interesting, allowing for some quite different and tense moments, with some interesting side plots (like with Stellar) that intersected with the main plot.
What is a bit of a drawback for me is the Seventh Doctor - in many ways is in good form here, and typical for his first season, but some of his dialogue, given the events of the very next story, come across as just hypocritical instead, so instead just annoyed me :)
Outside of that annoyance though, is a good read.
November 11, 2023
Doctor Who : Dragonfire (1989) by Ian Briggs is the novelisation of the fourth and final serial of season twenty four.
The Doctor and Mel land on a Iceworld, a space station on the far side of Svartos. There the criminal Kane who lives at 200 C below zero is engaging in his nefarious plans. They meet Ace, a waitress at a cafe where Sabalom Glitz is also eating. In the Iceworld there is a legend of a mysterious dragon somewhere on the lower levels.
Dragonfire is a reasonable story, it’s notable for Mel’s departure and Ace’s arrival as a companion. It’s one for the completionists.
The Doctor and Mel land on a Iceworld, a space station on the far side of Svartos. There the criminal Kane who lives at 200 C below zero is engaging in his nefarious plans. They meet Ace, a waitress at a cafe where Sabalom Glitz is also eating. In the Iceworld there is a legend of a mysterious dragon somewhere on the lower levels.
Dragonfire is a reasonable story, it’s notable for Mel’s departure and Ace’s arrival as a companion. It’s one for the completionists.
January 9, 2024
"They couldn't understand how blowing up the art room was a creative act."
7th Doctor, Mel and Ace
This is the story, we get to finally meet Ace and you see the departure of Mel. Mel suddenly leaving, deciding she doesn't wan to travel with The Doctor any more but with Glitz. I have never seen as making since. I think that this is the only reason this is a liked book/episode for Mel leaving and Ace appearing to make a perfect duo with the seventh Doctor. Not much was added from the tv episode to this novel
7th Doctor, Mel and Ace
This is the story, we get to finally meet Ace and you see the departure of Mel. Mel suddenly leaving, deciding she doesn't wan to travel with The Doctor any more but with Glitz. I have never seen as making since. I think that this is the only reason this is a liked book/episode for Mel leaving and Ace appearing to make a perfect duo with the seventh Doctor. Not much was added from the tv episode to this novel
July 4, 2018
I'd probably award this novelization 3.5 stars if I could; I'm still not convinced that Ian Briggs knows if he has written a drama or a comedy, and the resulting hybrid is very strange. That said, I'm willing to live with its four-star rating as it is so clearly superior to its original television incarnation. More depth, more explanations, and numerous enhancements...I just wish they were all pulling in a unified direction.
October 17, 2024
De avonturen van kleutertje Stella en haar teddybeer (en de pluimige mama) tussen die van de doctor en zijn compagnons in, dat is wat doctor who avonturen anders maakt dan andere avonturen. Met dit audioboek als gezelschap ging het naaien van de mantel iets vlotter. Of kom, het ging nog steeds met een slakkentempo vooruit, maar dankzij de doctor voelde dat niet zo frustrerend.
December 22, 2025
Briggs wears his influences on his sleeve here: Alien, Aliens, cyberpunk, Barbarella, Oz… but his story is pretty solid and, despite being a little perfunctory in places, he does a good job of fleshing out the weak points of his script so that it makes more sense in the retelling.
June 6, 2020
Very nice adaptation of an underrated Who story, with a few extra little flourishes here and there. Solid entry in the Target series.
May 26, 2021
Great story. Much prefer Ace with the Doctor than Mel
May 27, 2021
Very basic transfer of the story from the screen to the book. Felt quite pedestrian and made it a bit obvious that nothing much actually happens in this story.
September 26, 2023
Novelizations of classic Who episodes are so much better than the episodes. No need to special effect budgets here!
Story was quite good explaining Mel's departure and Ace's arrival to the Tardis.
Story was quite good explaining Mel's departure and Ace's arrival to the Tardis.
March 10, 2021
pdf
Some elements of the televised version work better when not actually visible (cliffhanger!) and while the plot is serviceable it's not believable for anyone with a science base... Introduces Ace, says farewell to Mel - who for some reason goes off with Glitz (not my favourite returning character).
Some elements of the televised version work better when not actually visible (cliffhanger!) and while the plot is serviceable it's not believable for anyone with a science base... Introduces Ace, says farewell to Mel - who for some reason goes off with Glitz (not my favourite returning character).
January 7, 2026
The Doctor and Mel arrive in the space trading colony known as Iceworld in search of adventure. There they discover the intergalactic rogue Sabalom Glitz, a dodgy stolen treasure map, and tales of a dragon's horde hidden deep in the ice caverns below. Oh, and a precocious teenager with a fondness for explosives named Ace. The only thing standing in their way is a banished ice vampire by the name of Kane who just so happens to also desire the treasure. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll have a face melting good time.
My continuing journey with Target Books' novelizations of "Doctor Who" stories continues with "Dragonfire" by Ian Briggs. I'd heard good things about this one (namely the author expanding some sections that were cut from the screenplay he wrote) and it's a television story I find to be fairly decent, but ultimately this one was as by-the-numbers and run of the mill as you can get with the old Target collection. Competently written, but extremely workmanlike throughout most of the pages.
The story is sort-of "The Maltese Falcon" in a bunch of caves beneath a shopping mall in space. It's also the late 80's in the midst of Thatcherism when this was written, so I'm sure there's supposed to be some standard angst over the 'evils of capitalism' or some such doggerel worked into the background of Iceworld, but it never truly feels like a fully baked idea. For the most part, "Dragonfire" is standard Doctor Who running through corridors kind of stuff. There is quite a... not necessarily a plot hole, but a staggering logic gap when it concerns the villain Kane and his ongoing exile on Iceworld. He apparently has great power even in his banishment, yet chooses to become what is essentially the hermetical landlord of the trading post for what seems hundreds of years. And of all the probable competent types to land in Iceworld over the many years, Kane chooses the halfwit Sabalom Glitz to try and use as a patsy to get the coveted dragon's treasure for him. There's some strange plotting and character decisions going on here, as if the story was rushed out the door to meet a deadline.
"Dragonfire" is also notable for being the introduction of Ace, played by Sophie Aldred in the television series. The Seventh Doctor and Ace are one of my favorite pairings on-screen, so I have no complaints about the character appearing here for the first time. Her introduction is obviously an allusion to "The Wizard of Oz" with how she is a seemingly normal girl whisked away from her bedroom to a strange new world. Many stories and one hell of a character arc later, we discover the reason for the time storm that brings Ace to Iceworld in the first place and how her meeting with the Doctor was fated to happen. But that turn of events is thanks to then-script editor Andrew Cartmel. It's telling that the best part of this particular novel is the Doctor's farewell scene with Mel, which was dialogue originally written by Andrew Cartmel and not Ian Briggs. Its elegance stands out noticeably amid the standard dogsbody prose:
I will concede that the expanded areas of the story by Ian Briggs are at least somewhat interesting. The notorious cliffhanger at the end of part one where the Doctor is hanging by his umbrella from the edge of an ice chasm now at least makes a modicum of sense. And there's some brief but powerful character development for a couple of redshirts in Kane's crew. You'll also never feel so sad about a child losing a teddy bear as you will in this novel.
One original idea by Ian Briggs that was dropped from the television adaption because of sensitivity issues is the idea that Ace and Glitz had a relationship of some description before the Doctor and Mel arrive. I'm guessing it was axed because Ace is supposed to be a teenager and Glitz is a hairy forty-something dude. There's just a hint of the idea still in this novelization though, as Glitz "knows the way to Ace's room". Scandalous!
Ultimately, "Dragonfire" is not a terrible read, but it's certainly one for the top-tier superfans of Who only.
My continuing journey with Target Books' novelizations of "Doctor Who" stories continues with "Dragonfire" by Ian Briggs. I'd heard good things about this one (namely the author expanding some sections that were cut from the screenplay he wrote) and it's a television story I find to be fairly decent, but ultimately this one was as by-the-numbers and run of the mill as you can get with the old Target collection. Competently written, but extremely workmanlike throughout most of the pages.
The story is sort-of "The Maltese Falcon" in a bunch of caves beneath a shopping mall in space. It's also the late 80's in the midst of Thatcherism when this was written, so I'm sure there's supposed to be some standard angst over the 'evils of capitalism' or some such doggerel worked into the background of Iceworld, but it never truly feels like a fully baked idea. For the most part, "Dragonfire" is standard Doctor Who running through corridors kind of stuff. There is quite a... not necessarily a plot hole, but a staggering logic gap when it concerns the villain Kane and his ongoing exile on Iceworld. He apparently has great power even in his banishment, yet chooses to become what is essentially the hermetical landlord of the trading post for what seems hundreds of years. And of all the probable competent types to land in Iceworld over the many years, Kane chooses the halfwit Sabalom Glitz to try and use as a patsy to get the coveted dragon's treasure for him. There's some strange plotting and character decisions going on here, as if the story was rushed out the door to meet a deadline.
"Dragonfire" is also notable for being the introduction of Ace, played by Sophie Aldred in the television series. The Seventh Doctor and Ace are one of my favorite pairings on-screen, so I have no complaints about the character appearing here for the first time. Her introduction is obviously an allusion to "The Wizard of Oz" with how she is a seemingly normal girl whisked away from her bedroom to a strange new world. Many stories and one hell of a character arc later, we discover the reason for the time storm that brings Ace to Iceworld in the first place and how her meeting with the Doctor was fated to happen. But that turn of events is thanks to then-script editor Andrew Cartmel. It's telling that the best part of this particular novel is the Doctor's farewell scene with Mel, which was dialogue originally written by Andrew Cartmel and not Ian Briggs. Its elegance stands out noticeably amid the standard dogsbody prose:
"That's right, yes, you're going. Been gone for ages. Already gone, still here, just arrived, haven't even met you yet. It all depends on who you are and how you look at it. Strange business, time."
I will concede that the expanded areas of the story by Ian Briggs are at least somewhat interesting. The notorious cliffhanger at the end of part one where the Doctor is hanging by his umbrella from the edge of an ice chasm now at least makes a modicum of sense. And there's some brief but powerful character development for a couple of redshirts in Kane's crew. You'll also never feel so sad about a child losing a teddy bear as you will in this novel.
One original idea by Ian Briggs that was dropped from the television adaption because of sensitivity issues is the idea that Ace and Glitz had a relationship of some description before the Doctor and Mel arrive. I'm guessing it was axed because Ace is supposed to be a teenager and Glitz is a hairy forty-something dude. There's just a hint of the idea still in this novelization though, as Glitz "knows the way to Ace's room". Scandalous!
Ultimately, "Dragonfire" is not a terrible read, but it's certainly one for the top-tier superfans of Who only.
February 9, 2009
The first meeting of the seventh Doctor and Ace is also one of the best of the Seventh Doctor's adventures.
Stopping on Iceworld, the Doctor and Mel, meet ACe, bump into an old friend and get involved in a treasure hunt.
Along the way, they discover there's a monster and that the guy in charge of Iceworld is up to no good.
The book builds up the feel that Iceworld is a big place and makes Kane a menacing bad guy. The way Mel leaves was a bit weak, but there is a nice exchange between her and the Doctor that was better than most of the over dramatic 'lonely boy' scenes we keep getting on the new Tv show.
Ace is a lot of fun, and Glitz, the good natured con man is a great character that should have come back in more stories.
Nice sci-fi adventure.
Stopping on Iceworld, the Doctor and Mel, meet ACe, bump into an old friend and get involved in a treasure hunt.
Along the way, they discover there's a monster and that the guy in charge of Iceworld is up to no good.
The book builds up the feel that Iceworld is a big place and makes Kane a menacing bad guy. The way Mel leaves was a bit weak, but there is a nice exchange between her and the Doctor that was better than most of the over dramatic 'lonely boy' scenes we keep getting on the new Tv show.
Ace is a lot of fun, and Glitz, the good natured con man is a great character that should have come back in more stories.
Nice sci-fi adventure.
June 7, 2013
The storyline seemed more scattered than normal and the resolution was very quick and neat at the very end. New companion introduced is obnoxious.
December 31, 2015
Re-read in 2015.
January 6, 2020
Review on www.audible.com For fellow Whovians to enjoy.
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