What do you think?
Rate this book
Eighth Doctor Adventures #12
Doctor Who: Seeing I
He has no idea why Samantha Jones ran away from him.
Sam is homeless on the streets of the colony world of Ha'olam, trying to face what's just happened between her and the Doctor. He's searching for her, and for answers. While she struggles to survive in a strange city centuries from home, the Doctor comes across evidence of alien involvement in the local mega-corporation, INC - and is soon confined to a prison that becomes a hell of his own making.
Where did INC's mysterious eye implants really come from? What is the company searching for in the deserts? What is hiding in the shadows? Watching their progress?
Faced with these mysteries, separated by half a world, Sam and the Doctor each face a battle - Sam trying to rebuild her life, the Doctor to stay sane. And if they do find each other again, what will be left of either of them?
Sam is homeless on the streets of the colony world of Ha'olam, trying to face what's just happened between her and the Doctor. He's searching for her, and for answers. While she struggles to survive in a strange city centuries from home, the Doctor comes across evidence of alien involvement in the local mega-corporation, INC - and is soon confined to a prison that becomes a hell of his own making.
Where did INC's mysterious eye implants really come from? What is the company searching for in the deserts? What is hiding in the shadows? Watching their progress?
Faced with these mysteries, separated by half a world, Sam and the Doctor each face a battle - Sam trying to rebuild her life, the Doctor to stay sane. And if they do find each other again, what will be left of either of them?
288 pages, Paperback
First published June 8, 1998
8 people are currently reading
431 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Blum
31 books23 followersJonathan Blum is the author of several Doctor Who novels and Big Finish audios. He currently lives in Australia with his wife Kate Orman.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
April 16, 2019
Seeing I continues the 'Sam is missing arc' that spreads over 4 novels in the Eighth Doctor Adventures.
The story starts with her looking for work and trying to settle down, whilst in the other chapters we follow The Doctor's attempts to find her.
I'd taken a bit of a break from reading the EDA's, some of the previous titles had become a bit of a chore. But this satisfying story conclusion has rejuvenated my enjoyment of the range.
Both Sam and The Doctor's characters were well developed here, I got a really sense of McGann's voice whilst reading this installment.
I'm fully on board the TARDIS with this series again!
The story starts with her looking for work and trying to settle down, whilst in the other chapters we follow The Doctor's attempts to find her.
I'd taken a bit of a break from reading the EDA's, some of the previous titles had become a bit of a chore. But this satisfying story conclusion has rejuvenated my enjoyment of the range.
Both Sam and The Doctor's characters were well developed here, I got a really sense of McGann's voice whilst reading this installment.
I'm fully on board the TARDIS with this series again!
August 7, 2017
My feelings about this book are, approximately, "OMG OMG OMG OMG!!"
Yes, it's because of what happens to the Doctor and Sam, and their emotional development (which is wonderfully written, there's a reason people tell you this is the best book in the series, they are completely correct), but lezbehonest, there are also three other reasons I completely lost it over this one:
* JEWS IN SPACE. The planet's called Ha'Olam, and I liked that when it was name-dropped in Dreamstone Moon. But lo, Sam's roommate is Shoshana! Sam joins up with an activist group called Tikkun Olam!! Everyone uses Yiddish slang!!! One of the chapter titles is the godawful pun "Oy Gestalt"!!!!
* SAM DATES A WOMAN. Although the woman's name is Chris and you only know she's a woman if you, like me, noticed that in her only other cameo she was using a power drill and thought "ooh, I bet she's hot" and are thus equipped to make the purposely obscure connection much later in the book when there's a one-sentence flashback about Sam and Chris dating for years before Chris ran off with someone else. ...And it's bookended by Sam's relationships with two men, which are major parts of the story and last for whole chapters each.... So honestly, I have very mixed feelings about all of this, and I'm really sad that extremely coded references like Chris and "Free the Kinsey Three" are the only things Blum thought he could sneak into the novel, but I'm also completely jazzed that Sam is confirmed as bi. Such is queer life!
* The Doctor as a computer programmer is just an absolute fucking delight.
Yes, it's because of what happens to the Doctor and Sam, and their emotional development (which is wonderfully written, there's a reason people tell you this is the best book in the series, they are completely correct), but lezbehonest, there are also three other reasons I completely lost it over this one:
* JEWS IN SPACE. The planet's called Ha'Olam, and I liked that when it was name-dropped in Dreamstone Moon. But lo, Sam's roommate is Shoshana! Sam joins up with an activist group called Tikkun Olam!! Everyone uses Yiddish slang!!! One of the chapter titles is the godawful pun "Oy Gestalt"!!!!
* SAM DATES A WOMAN. Although the woman's name is Chris and you only know she's a woman if you, like me, noticed that in her only other cameo she was using a power drill and thought "ooh, I bet she's hot" and are thus equipped to make the purposely obscure connection much later in the book when there's a one-sentence flashback about Sam and Chris dating for years before Chris ran off with someone else. ...And it's bookended by Sam's relationships with two men, which are major parts of the story and last for whole chapters each.... So honestly, I have very mixed feelings about all of this, and I'm really sad that extremely coded references like Chris and "Free the Kinsey Three" are the only things Blum thought he could sneak into the novel, but I'm also completely jazzed that Sam is confirmed as bi. Such is queer life!
* The Doctor as a computer programmer is just an absolute fucking delight.
July 22, 2012
The best of the eighth Doctor novels so far.
Although I was at first tempted to continue skimming through Sam's story, I quickly was captivated by it. Sam grows up in this one (finally). I think I actually find her tolerable now.
The Doctor's character journey was both thrilling and terrifying.
A future re-read for me.
If you love the Doctor, read it.
Although I was at first tempted to continue skimming through Sam's story, I quickly was captivated by it. Sam grows up in this one (finally). I think I actually find her tolerable now.
The Doctor's character journey was both thrilling and terrifying.
A future re-read for me.
If you love the Doctor, read it.
June 24, 2024
I've read books with good beginnings and books with good endings, but rarely do you read a book with a really fantastic middle. So Seeing I (like eye, and no, you don't want to know how long it took me to figure out this wasn't actually called Seeing One) surprises in many delightful ways.
At the beginning, Sam -- separated from the Doctor -- comes to a planet as a refugee. The planet has, wonderfully, clearly been settled by a mixture of Jewish and Muslim colonists from Earth, who are living there peacefully together...except there's an evil corporation threatening to ruin everything (typical), so Sam gets involved with a social justice organization called Tikkun Olam (<3).
The Doctor gets thrown in jail.
His attempts to escape, and utter failure to do so, break him down in an astounding and beautifully characterized way. This is whump to be sure -- everyone looked at Eight and was clearly like, oh, I'm going to whump the shit out of this guy -- but it's intelligently done whump that really says something about the character. Later episodes of the show would totally fail at this same concept, but here, Blum and Orman nail it, and for a section about failure and despair, it's oddly exhilarating to read.
Then there's some nonsense about an alien invasion, the end.
But goodness, what a middle.
Edit: This one gets bumped to a five too. It made me fall in love with Eight, at/because of him being at his most pathetic. That should not be underestimated.
At the beginning, Sam -- separated from the Doctor -- comes to a planet as a refugee. The planet has, wonderfully, clearly been settled by a mixture of Jewish and Muslim colonists from Earth, who are living there peacefully together...except there's an evil corporation threatening to ruin everything (typical), so Sam gets involved with a social justice organization called Tikkun Olam (<3).
The Doctor gets thrown in jail.
His attempts to escape, and utter failure to do so, break him down in an astounding and beautifully characterized way. This is whump to be sure -- everyone looked at Eight and was clearly like, oh, I'm going to whump the shit out of this guy -- but it's intelligently done whump that really says something about the character. Later episodes of the show would totally fail at this same concept, but here, Blum and Orman nail it, and for a section about failure and despair, it's oddly exhilarating to read.
Then there's some nonsense about an alien invasion, the end.
But goodness, what a middle.
Edit: This one gets bumped to a five too. It made me fall in love with Eight, at/because of him being at his most pathetic. That should not be underestimated.
November 4, 2019
Something all too rare so far: a good 8th Doctor Adventure. (By my count, the third.) That's in large part because 12 books on, we finally discover who Sam is, thanks to some really great character writing that both delves into her character and that gives her the agency to turn that characterization into action. (We get some nice characterization of the Doctor too, but Sam is clearly the star of this piece, and for once she's actually interesting enough to carry the show.)
The first two thirds of the book are all about these characters, then the last third is about alien monsters, the I. Though they're vaguely interesting in concept, their part of the book is the weaker element (from an otherwise strong story).
The first two thirds of the book are all about these characters, then the last third is about alien monsters, the I. Though they're vaguely interesting in concept, their part of the book is the weaker element (from an otherwise strong story).
January 17, 2020
The Eighth Doctor Adventures are an odd set to look at from the perspective of someone who came to them years after the range finished. (In)famous for its story arcs, set striving to stand alone from book to book, trying to carve out their own identity in the wake of the Virgin books. Something made all the harder by having a lead character who had appeared only once on-screen and for only 2/3 of the 1996 TV Movie. And yet, when the range soared, it soared. Seeing I, a dozen books into the EDAs, is one particular example of it at the top of their game.
Coming at the end of a multi-book cycle, one might have expected Seeing I to be a maze of continuity. To the credit of both the novel and its authors Jonathan Blum and Kate Orman, it is anything but a continuity maze. The references within it to the other three volumes in what's become known as the Sam Is Missing arc are rare with those that do appear giving enough detail for those readers who missed three novels to get the gist of events. It's something which helps "future proof" the whole book, especially for an era when the EDAs are a thing of the past, and acquiring a full collection is an expensive proposition.
Enough about that, let's talk about the book because this thing packs a punch.
Reading this with two more decades of Doctor Who following in its wake, I was surprised by how much it felt like Modern TV Who. The structure of it, from the in medias res opening to the late reveal of just what lies behind the technology at the heart of INC's power, brings to mind many of the two-parters we've had since 2005. But perhaps nowhere more so that in its treatment of the Eighth Doctor and Sam Jones. For both of them Seeing I sees the passage of three years, albeit in very different ways.
For the Eighth Doctor, those three years are chiefly a hell of sorts. His determination to find Sam runs him afoul of the local mega-corporation INC which, in turn, throws him into prison. That might sound like typical Who fare, especially of the Pertwee variety, but what happens if the Doctor can't get out? That question dominates much of the novel, allowing for some fascinating exploration of just who this Doctor is, what lengths he's willing to go, and where his breaking point lies.
Indeed, it's hard not to think of the Doctor in Seeing I without also thinking of Patrick McGoohan's Number Six, the titular character of The Prisoner. Both are men trapped in a prison that seems benign but which is capable of anticipating their moves, leaving them trying to escape again and again while facing a figure (Dr. Akalu here) who is trying to get inside their heads the entire time. That the Doctor also has a doppelganger of sorts who appears offers up further shades of The Prisoner and its episode The Schoizd Man, even if Blum and Orman take the idea in quite a different direction. Then again, given that a decade or so later Blum would co-author a novel based on that series, perhaps that shouldn't be too much of a surprise.
It also helps that Blum and Orman capture the Eighth Doctor as a character as well. Coming to the EDAs after listening to quite a bit of Paul McGann at Big Finish, it's been a struggle at times to recognize the Eighth Doctor on the page. Not here, though, with the dialogue, in particular, capturing the many facets of McGann's performance in the role. Or, rather, pre-figuring it since he was two years away from reprising the role for Big Finish. In fact, if I could nominate an EDA for an audio adaptation, Seeing I would now be one of my top picks.
Let's not forget the companion in all this. Samantha Jones is a character I've struggled with in my reading of the EDAs, left feeling she ranged between a cipher and cardboard at times. Seeing I is one of the exceptions to that rule, offering some much needed fleshing out for the character as she's not only separated from the Doctor but also stranded on a different planet hundreds of years in her own future.
Admittedly, it isn't the first time literary had done this, something which the novel owns up to at one point. On the other hand, Sam isn't the New Adventures Ace, something which Blum and Orman play to their advantage. We watch Sam grow as she goes from a homeless refugee to an office worker to an activist throughout 2/3 of the novel. The relationships she has along the way too show her development, the emotional maturity that comes with falling in and out of romantic feelings with someone, and how that effects that schoolgirl crush she's been harboring for the Doctor all this time. It's something that feels very real, or as much as being someone in your late teens and early twenties on a planet in the future can, at any rate. The result is that, for the first time since I read Alien Bodies, Sam feels like a real character and not a name in the dictated companion role.
Going back to the feeling of New Who, the pre-echoes of the resolution of Martha's storyline in Last of the Time Lords are present here as well with Sam affecting the Doctor's rescue, having spent her time away from him not only trying to survive but also dealing with her unrequited feelings for the Doctor. It's how that last detail gets resolved that most separate Seeing I from Last of the Time Lords, but in a way that feels immensely more satisfying than what the TV show would do nine years later.
Perhaps, in the end, Seeing I isn't just one of the best books to come out of the EDAs. Maybe, just maybe, it's also one of the more accessible and one that holds up better than it has any right to after more than twenty years. Given that it's one of the few novels from the Wilderness Era that's now (legally) available readily, that isn't at all a bad thing. Because whether you read them back in the day or have come to Who more recently, you're in for a treat.
Coming at the end of a multi-book cycle, one might have expected Seeing I to be a maze of continuity. To the credit of both the novel and its authors Jonathan Blum and Kate Orman, it is anything but a continuity maze. The references within it to the other three volumes in what's become known as the Sam Is Missing arc are rare with those that do appear giving enough detail for those readers who missed three novels to get the gist of events. It's something which helps "future proof" the whole book, especially for an era when the EDAs are a thing of the past, and acquiring a full collection is an expensive proposition.
Enough about that, let's talk about the book because this thing packs a punch.
Reading this with two more decades of Doctor Who following in its wake, I was surprised by how much it felt like Modern TV Who. The structure of it, from the in medias res opening to the late reveal of just what lies behind the technology at the heart of INC's power, brings to mind many of the two-parters we've had since 2005. But perhaps nowhere more so that in its treatment of the Eighth Doctor and Sam Jones. For both of them Seeing I sees the passage of three years, albeit in very different ways.
For the Eighth Doctor, those three years are chiefly a hell of sorts. His determination to find Sam runs him afoul of the local mega-corporation INC which, in turn, throws him into prison. That might sound like typical Who fare, especially of the Pertwee variety, but what happens if the Doctor can't get out? That question dominates much of the novel, allowing for some fascinating exploration of just who this Doctor is, what lengths he's willing to go, and where his breaking point lies.
Indeed, it's hard not to think of the Doctor in Seeing I without also thinking of Patrick McGoohan's Number Six, the titular character of The Prisoner. Both are men trapped in a prison that seems benign but which is capable of anticipating their moves, leaving them trying to escape again and again while facing a figure (Dr. Akalu here) who is trying to get inside their heads the entire time. That the Doctor also has a doppelganger of sorts who appears offers up further shades of The Prisoner and its episode The Schoizd Man, even if Blum and Orman take the idea in quite a different direction. Then again, given that a decade or so later Blum would co-author a novel based on that series, perhaps that shouldn't be too much of a surprise.
It also helps that Blum and Orman capture the Eighth Doctor as a character as well. Coming to the EDAs after listening to quite a bit of Paul McGann at Big Finish, it's been a struggle at times to recognize the Eighth Doctor on the page. Not here, though, with the dialogue, in particular, capturing the many facets of McGann's performance in the role. Or, rather, pre-figuring it since he was two years away from reprising the role for Big Finish. In fact, if I could nominate an EDA for an audio adaptation, Seeing I would now be one of my top picks.
Let's not forget the companion in all this. Samantha Jones is a character I've struggled with in my reading of the EDAs, left feeling she ranged between a cipher and cardboard at times. Seeing I is one of the exceptions to that rule, offering some much needed fleshing out for the character as she's not only separated from the Doctor but also stranded on a different planet hundreds of years in her own future.
Admittedly, it isn't the first time literary had done this, something which the novel owns up to at one point. On the other hand, Sam isn't the New Adventures Ace, something which Blum and Orman play to their advantage. We watch Sam grow as she goes from a homeless refugee to an office worker to an activist throughout 2/3 of the novel. The relationships she has along the way too show her development, the emotional maturity that comes with falling in and out of romantic feelings with someone, and how that effects that schoolgirl crush she's been harboring for the Doctor all this time. It's something that feels very real, or as much as being someone in your late teens and early twenties on a planet in the future can, at any rate. The result is that, for the first time since I read Alien Bodies, Sam feels like a real character and not a name in the dictated companion role.
Going back to the feeling of New Who, the pre-echoes of the resolution of Martha's storyline in Last of the Time Lords are present here as well with Sam affecting the Doctor's rescue, having spent her time away from him not only trying to survive but also dealing with her unrequited feelings for the Doctor. It's how that last detail gets resolved that most separate Seeing I from Last of the Time Lords, but in a way that feels immensely more satisfying than what the TV show would do nine years later.
Perhaps, in the end, Seeing I isn't just one of the best books to come out of the EDAs. Maybe, just maybe, it's also one of the more accessible and one that holds up better than it has any right to after more than twenty years. Given that it's one of the few novels from the Wilderness Era that's now (legally) available readily, that isn't at all a bad thing. Because whether you read them back in the day or have come to Who more recently, you're in for a treat.
December 19, 2021
I don't think it's a stretch to say that out of the 12 eighth doctor books i have read, this is the worst one. Alien Bodies may have been confusing, Longest day may have been depressing and sad, but Seeing I is depressing AND confusing. It's like a buy one get one free. Only instead of getting two boxes of cereal, you get rotten oranges that smell when you finally peel them.
The first glaring problem with this book is that it focuses WAY too much on Sam and her weird friends going through life and doing life things on a generic planet. I honestly don't care about her makeshift housing she made out in the desert. I don't CARE about who she's "Snogging" as the book would put it. If i wanted that, i'd read a romance novel where on the cover Fabio is kissing a middle aged housewife.
For a series called "Doctor Who" the doctor does a whole lotta nothing for about 150 pages. He does stuff in the beginning, and then he's in prison for 100+ pages not being able to get out for three years. This made me both laugh and question life as I read this. Really? The doctor. the guy who's beaten the Daleks dozens of times, the devastator of cyberman, champion of the ice warriors, gets stuck in a prison for THREE YEARS by a random ass company? Not the master, not a rival time lord, a random ass company. I really don't have words for that. It would have made MUCH more sense to have put him in a coma in a way he COULDN'T try to escape.
I feel like the people who wrote this novel don't understand how the doctor works and the fact that they said he was in a prison for THREE YEARS without being able to escape is insulting to every doctor who fan.
As this was written by two authors, and having read Vampire Science, I feel like there was a swap. Like one author wrote Vampire and the other helped, and then in this book, the second took the lead with the first helping. The tone and actions of the doctor were so contrary to normal, i hardly believe it's the same guy.
A lot of people give this book a good score because it's "A good character study of Sam" and it's "her development book". which honestly is crap. A GOOD author would be able to weave in character development without pulling the main character out the story and literally locking him away out of commission. As it is, her "Development" was negligible. She still has a crush on the doctor, she's still a crazy level environmentalist, and she's still traveling around with the doctor. The only "development" she has had was that the number next to the age on her ID went from 17 to 21. As one of the last lines of the book is Sam basically saying "i've grown up" proves how she hasn't. anyone who with a straight face says that "They're grown up now" is not grown up.
This time leap was done for a single purpose. To age up Sam slightly so that if the authors decided they ever wanted sam and the doctor to "snog" it wouldn't be creepy. and there's much better ways to age up a character then putting the doctor on ice for 3 years.
Sam's friends are annoying and forgettable. In fact, they're so forgettable that she only says goodbye to really one of them. They seem to not like the doctor, they question everything Sam wants to do, and about 2/3 of the way through the book, they kind of just disappear, never to be seen again. Good riddance actually. There's actually a character who's a terrible person for the whole climax of the story and yet she survives and Sam forgives her. and i was like "um. no. no. i don't WANT you to forgive her. I actually WANTED her to die." and if your message is wanting the audience to want her to forgive her, you did a terrible job.
I wracked my brain trying to think of things i liked about this book and I could only think of 2 things. I like the doctor trying to hack into the system in the beginning scenes, and i like the one part where the doctor gives Sam the teddy bear he'd been holding into for 3 years. that scene kind of touched my heart a little. After thinking for like 10 minutes, that's about really the only things i can say i liked about it. There was nothing else i enjoyed about this book.
The doctor NEVER seemed to be in control at all which is ENTIRELY out of character. Nearly every time (except in certain situations) i think "ah, well the doc has some trick up his sleeve" NOPE! not in this case. he didn't have ANY tricks and was useless for a large portion of it leaving it up to Sam to have to do nearly everything. I don't attribute this the doctor being bad, i just attribute this one off to poor writing.
The actual villains themselves are lame. they're not interesting, they're not scary, they're just kind of...there. the ending was more than a little confusing both grammatically and in practice. when you call your villain "I" that makes things a little confusing to read. Also their plan and their defeat left me with MANY questions. the first 200 pages, while not good at least made sense. pages 210-260 were a gloopy jumbled incoherent mess filled with nonsense and boredom.
All in all, i wish to give this book a 1.5 so badly, but i STILL can't give books 1/2 stars, and throughout this entire review, i still hadn't decided on giving it a 1 or a 2.
I don't like giving 1's. i really don't. if you look through my history, i rarely give them. to me, a bad book is a 2. A 2 is like, the book had SOME redeeming features, but it was bad, or a 2 is, i can see why OTHER people would like it but i just didn't. To me, a 1 is there are NO redeeming features. like the book was just terrible, no one should read it for any reason and it should burn in a fire.
When it all boils down to it when i can describe the entire plot as
"The doctor and sam spend 3 years apart and they reunite. the end."
and NOTHING else is missed. like literally if you didn't read this book and you JUST read that sentence and you missing NOTHING else, it just...it makes me realize it's not a 2. Imperial moon, for all its faults, still had a story. things HAPPENED. it wasn't 280 pages of NOTHING. I don't want to do this, but maybe, if people looking at reviews see this 1 and read my review and it stops ONE person from reading this book and wasting the $40 it costs now as it's OOP and harder to find, then it'll be worth it. I'm sorry i have to do this. i really am.
1.5 out of 5, rounded down to a 1.
The first glaring problem with this book is that it focuses WAY too much on Sam and her weird friends going through life and doing life things on a generic planet. I honestly don't care about her makeshift housing she made out in the desert. I don't CARE about who she's "Snogging" as the book would put it. If i wanted that, i'd read a romance novel where on the cover Fabio is kissing a middle aged housewife.
For a series called "Doctor Who" the doctor does a whole lotta nothing for about 150 pages. He does stuff in the beginning, and then he's in prison for 100+ pages not being able to get out for three years. This made me both laugh and question life as I read this. Really? The doctor. the guy who's beaten the Daleks dozens of times, the devastator of cyberman, champion of the ice warriors, gets stuck in a prison for THREE YEARS by a random ass company? Not the master, not a rival time lord, a random ass company. I really don't have words for that. It would have made MUCH more sense to have put him in a coma in a way he COULDN'T try to escape.
I feel like the people who wrote this novel don't understand how the doctor works and the fact that they said he was in a prison for THREE YEARS without being able to escape is insulting to every doctor who fan.
As this was written by two authors, and having read Vampire Science, I feel like there was a swap. Like one author wrote Vampire and the other helped, and then in this book, the second took the lead with the first helping. The tone and actions of the doctor were so contrary to normal, i hardly believe it's the same guy.
A lot of people give this book a good score because it's "A good character study of Sam" and it's "her development book". which honestly is crap. A GOOD author would be able to weave in character development without pulling the main character out the story and literally locking him away out of commission. As it is, her "Development" was negligible. She still has a crush on the doctor, she's still a crazy level environmentalist, and she's still traveling around with the doctor. The only "development" she has had was that the number next to the age on her ID went from 17 to 21. As one of the last lines of the book is Sam basically saying "i've grown up" proves how she hasn't. anyone who with a straight face says that "They're grown up now" is not grown up.
This time leap was done for a single purpose. To age up Sam slightly so that if the authors decided they ever wanted sam and the doctor to "snog" it wouldn't be creepy. and there's much better ways to age up a character then putting the doctor on ice for 3 years.
Sam's friends are annoying and forgettable. In fact, they're so forgettable that she only says goodbye to really one of them. They seem to not like the doctor, they question everything Sam wants to do, and about 2/3 of the way through the book, they kind of just disappear, never to be seen again. Good riddance actually. There's actually a character who's a terrible person for the whole climax of the story and yet she survives and Sam forgives her. and i was like "um. no. no. i don't WANT you to forgive her. I actually WANTED her to die." and if your message is wanting the audience to want her to forgive her, you did a terrible job.
I wracked my brain trying to think of things i liked about this book and I could only think of 2 things. I like the doctor trying to hack into the system in the beginning scenes, and i like the one part where the doctor gives Sam the teddy bear he'd been holding into for 3 years. that scene kind of touched my heart a little. After thinking for like 10 minutes, that's about really the only things i can say i liked about it. There was nothing else i enjoyed about this book.
The doctor NEVER seemed to be in control at all which is ENTIRELY out of character. Nearly every time (except in certain situations) i think "ah, well the doc has some trick up his sleeve" NOPE! not in this case. he didn't have ANY tricks and was useless for a large portion of it leaving it up to Sam to have to do nearly everything. I don't attribute this the doctor being bad, i just attribute this one off to poor writing.
The actual villains themselves are lame. they're not interesting, they're not scary, they're just kind of...there. the ending was more than a little confusing both grammatically and in practice. when you call your villain "I" that makes things a little confusing to read. Also their plan and their defeat left me with MANY questions. the first 200 pages, while not good at least made sense. pages 210-260 were a gloopy jumbled incoherent mess filled with nonsense and boredom.
All in all, i wish to give this book a 1.5 so badly, but i STILL can't give books 1/2 stars, and throughout this entire review, i still hadn't decided on giving it a 1 or a 2.
I don't like giving 1's. i really don't. if you look through my history, i rarely give them. to me, a bad book is a 2. A 2 is like, the book had SOME redeeming features, but it was bad, or a 2 is, i can see why OTHER people would like it but i just didn't. To me, a 1 is there are NO redeeming features. like the book was just terrible, no one should read it for any reason and it should burn in a fire.
When it all boils down to it when i can describe the entire plot as
"The doctor and sam spend 3 years apart and they reunite. the end."
and NOTHING else is missed. like literally if you didn't read this book and you JUST read that sentence and you missing NOTHING else, it just...it makes me realize it's not a 2. Imperial moon, for all its faults, still had a story. things HAPPENED. it wasn't 280 pages of NOTHING. I don't want to do this, but maybe, if people looking at reviews see this 1 and read my review and it stops ONE person from reading this book and wasting the $40 it costs now as it's OOP and harder to find, then it'll be worth it. I'm sorry i have to do this. i really am.
1.5 out of 5, rounded down to a 1.
December 1, 2008
The BBC Books imprint of the Doctor who Books focuses on longer books, a bit more adult than the Tv adaptations, and like any series of books, some are better than others.
The especially interesting thing about this book is the psychological stress on the Doctor in this situation. The Doctor usually wins and wins quickly--here he is imprisoned and really struggling to keep his mental "balance". I won't spoil it further with details. It is one of the best Dr. Who Novel's I have read and I've read a lot.
One particularly gripping scene is the Doctor's reaction after a failed escape attempt. Another prisoner , who joined in the Doctor's escape plan is killed, and the Doctor has a hard time dealing with it.
The especially interesting thing about this book is the psychological stress on the Doctor in this situation. The Doctor usually wins and wins quickly--here he is imprisoned and really struggling to keep his mental "balance". I won't spoil it further with details. It is one of the best Dr. Who Novel's I have read and I've read a lot.
One particularly gripping scene is the Doctor's reaction after a failed escape attempt. Another prisoner , who joined in the Doctor's escape plan is killed, and the Doctor has a hard time dealing with it.
February 27, 2011
One of the most intense books of the early 8th Doctor canon...and one that completely and totally deconstructs the Doctor by stripping him of everything he is, everything he can do, and everything he THINKS he can anticipate. One of Kate Orman's (and Jon Blum's) greatest contributions to the Doctor Who canon.
December 17, 2021
There are times where I don't mind being contrary to the popular opinion. I'll wave my flag proudly and die on that hill. Other times, like this, it just makes me very sad to realize that I did not have the same experience as the majority, and I truly wish I did. Seeing I is more of a character study than a true EDA Who novel, in that it mostly revolves around Sam and her growing up, and the Doctor in a prison he cannot break free from.
The first 180 pages involves Sam in a homeless shelter, then a corporate job, then an enclave Habit for Humanity type situation, all while chronicling her every move, every love interest, and every lesson learned. The Doctor lands on Ho 'alam (the planet Sam is on) discovers her location, and then gets arrested for hacking into the INC company system. He is then imprisoned for 3 years. He attempts escape over 100 times and fails each time, becoming more demoralized and depressed each time he fails. This part of the novel was so painful that there were times that I seriously considered putting the book down and walking away. I didn't give a single fig about Sam or her emotional journey. Sam isn't my favorite companion to start with, and having almost an entire book focused on her felt off-putting and pointless. The parts that cut back to The Doctor weren't much better. Watching the Doctor fail over and over again and start to break was depressing beyond words. This whole section made me consider my decision to read the rest of the EDAs.
The last 80 or so pages were better, but only slightly. Sam ends up saving the Doctor no less than three times, making him feel like a bumbling idiot. The ultimate resolution and reasoning behind INC was fine, but forgettable.
However, the other reason for the low score is Sam's constant lusting after the Doctor. There was literally a line about him making her "thighs sizzle". One of Sam's ex-boyfriends made a comment to crap or get off the pot. Seriously, Sam. Enough is enough, already. I see the Doctor as aromantic and asexual, so this whole character subplot bugs the heck out of me. (I didn't like it when they did it with Rose and Tennant, and I was barely ok when they did it with River and Smith.) I guess I can see why some people like it, but I honestly prefer the type of relationship that the Doctor has with Charley, or Donna, or Leela, or Nyssa. Best friends, with mutual respect and it's completely platonic.
All that to say, this absolutely was NOT my cup of tea, at all, and it truly altered how I see McGann's Doctor. I really, truly hope that these get better in the future.
The first 180 pages involves Sam in a homeless shelter, then a corporate job, then an enclave Habit for Humanity type situation, all while chronicling her every move, every love interest, and every lesson learned. The Doctor lands on Ho 'alam (the planet Sam is on) discovers her location, and then gets arrested for hacking into the INC company system. He is then imprisoned for 3 years. He attempts escape over 100 times and fails each time, becoming more demoralized and depressed each time he fails. This part of the novel was so painful that there were times that I seriously considered putting the book down and walking away. I didn't give a single fig about Sam or her emotional journey. Sam isn't my favorite companion to start with, and having almost an entire book focused on her felt off-putting and pointless. The parts that cut back to The Doctor weren't much better. Watching the Doctor fail over and over again and start to break was depressing beyond words. This whole section made me consider my decision to read the rest of the EDAs.
The last 80 or so pages were better, but only slightly. Sam ends up saving the Doctor no less than three times, making him feel like a bumbling idiot. The ultimate resolution and reasoning behind INC was fine, but forgettable.
However, the other reason for the low score is Sam's constant lusting after the Doctor. There was literally a line about him making her "thighs sizzle". One of Sam's ex-boyfriends made a comment to crap or get off the pot. Seriously, Sam. Enough is enough, already. I see the Doctor as aromantic and asexual, so this whole character subplot bugs the heck out of me. (I didn't like it when they did it with Rose and Tennant, and I was barely ok when they did it with River and Smith.) I guess I can see why some people like it, but I honestly prefer the type of relationship that the Doctor has with Charley, or Donna, or Leela, or Nyssa. Best friends, with mutual respect and it's completely platonic.
All that to say, this absolutely was NOT my cup of tea, at all, and it truly altered how I see McGann's Doctor. I really, truly hope that these get better in the future.
August 11, 2020
Now, this is a novel I have heard nothing but good things about! However admittedly as much as the cover suits the story I do think it's a case of don't judge a book by its cover, because as much as I heard good things on this story I wasn't exactly attracted to it because of its cover but the synopsis sounded really good and I can trust Kate Orman and Jonathan Blum to write a banger of a story!
And that what it is, a banger of a story! A story that deals with huge character development for Sam as we see her ascend into adult life and a Doctor slowly going mentally unstable as he begins to realize that a prison he is in, is one that he can't escape from! This was a very well-realized story with some disturbing themes with eyes, a prison which not only makes The Doctor feel paranoid but also makes the reader paranoid with tension. There were also some incredible 3-dimensional characters in this which really help drive this story along. The story is a slow burner but it is a very intelligent one at that! The first 2 acts of this are all about character development for Sam and The Doctor being locked in prison after trying to find his friend. The third act which is probably the weakest with it being an alien invasion is still an incredible way to conclude this story!
Overall this is a huge changing point for the 8th Doctor books whilst also concluding the finding Sam arc, I would highly recommend this if you like a delightful but intelligent read! 10/10
And that what it is, a banger of a story! A story that deals with huge character development for Sam as we see her ascend into adult life and a Doctor slowly going mentally unstable as he begins to realize that a prison he is in, is one that he can't escape from! This was a very well-realized story with some disturbing themes with eyes, a prison which not only makes The Doctor feel paranoid but also makes the reader paranoid with tension. There were also some incredible 3-dimensional characters in this which really help drive this story along. The story is a slow burner but it is a very intelligent one at that! The first 2 acts of this are all about character development for Sam and The Doctor being locked in prison after trying to find his friend. The third act which is probably the weakest with it being an alien invasion is still an incredible way to conclude this story!
Overall this is a huge changing point for the 8th Doctor books whilst also concluding the finding Sam arc, I would highly recommend this if you like a delightful but intelligent read! 10/10
November 26, 2021
You're usually in good hands with Kate Orman and Jonathan Blum writing Doctor Who, and Seeing I is no exception. With its strong cyberpunk vibe, I feel like it partners with Orman's 6th Doctor novel, Blue Box, like wine to its cheese. But though the world-building is good, this is all about allowing unloved companion Sam to grow up over a longer-than-usual timeline, and making her the hero of a book. It's achieved extremely well, though if you're not a fan of NuWho's obsession with making companions fall for the Doctor, there are a few irritating pages waiting for you. Even beyond that, it often feels like Russell T Davies read THIS book while planning out the show's return. Meanwhile, the Doctor faces a threat that's quite beyond the norm, and his multi-year ordeal is beautifully anchored in his particular psychology. The book keeps going back and forth between the two, and neither part outshines the other. And, well, I love the authors' style, flair and humor, so even if the climax needs to slow the heck down, I can't quite complain. Better days for Sam? Or will it take a while for Seeing I to have its effect on later writers?
March 3, 2020
As always Kate Orman can really write a Doctor Who Story and this novel is just such a rollercoaster.
May 18, 2017
Absolutely wrenching. My top favourite Doctor Who novel so far. Another novel where Sam and Eight spend most of their time apart, but this time I was drawn into both their plots so deeply that it almost didn't matter--though I was so relieved at the final rescue.
A+, heartbreaking, beautiful book.
A+, heartbreaking, beautiful book.
August 11, 2009
I'd say that it's a little late in the series to suddenly decide 'Oh, dear shouldn't we develop the characters a bit'. Anybody not satisfied with the cardboard cut-out angst-girl and the puppy-dog-Doctor who likes repeating people's names machine gun fashion, has probably already given up on the series. I've been tempted many times myself but I still cling to the dictum: 'Things can only get better.'
The Doctor is still searching for Sam. His chunk of the novel is rather good. The Doctor v. bureaucracy is as interesting a battle as he's had in the pages of this series. Sam's chunk on the other hand is excruciatingly bad, reaching new heights of contrived, angst-ridden stereotype. Let's just hope that the pain was worth it and the character actually becomes readable in the long run.
The Doctor is still searching for Sam. His chunk of the novel is rather good. The Doctor v. bureaucracy is as interesting a battle as he's had in the pages of this series. Sam's chunk on the other hand is excruciatingly bad, reaching new heights of contrived, angst-ridden stereotype. Let's just hope that the pain was worth it and the character actually becomes readable in the long run.
December 18, 2010
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1564274.html
I thought this was a rather good Eighth Doctor novel, with the Doctor and Sam finally reuniting after three years in which Sam becomes an environmental activist and basically grows up, while the Doctor is held in a very creepy and nasty prison. I was one of many Old Who fans who took a while to get used to the romance element between the companions and the Doctor in New Who, but here is an example of it being worked rather well into the narrative.
I thought this was a rather good Eighth Doctor novel, with the Doctor and Sam finally reuniting after three years in which Sam becomes an environmental activist and basically grows up, while the Doctor is held in a very creepy and nasty prison. I was one of many Old Who fans who took a while to get used to the romance element between the companions and the Doctor in New Who, but here is an example of it being worked rather well into the narrative.
September 27, 2021
Grande balzo di qualità per questo libro, in cui i coniugi Blum e Orman portano a conclusione l'arco narrativo della “Sam dispersa”.
Riprendendo dal finale di Dreamstone Moon, Sam, turbata dalle sue azioni e dai suoi sentimenti per il Dottore, ha preso la sciocca decisione di allontanarsi da lui e cercare di rifarsi una vita su un altro pianeta. Impresa che si rivelerà tutt'altro che semplice, senza avere alcun talento né conoscenza di quel secolo, senza identità, né lavoro, né soldi. Nel frattempo il Dottore segue le sue tracce e cerca di ottenere informazioni sulla sua posizione, prima scontrandosi con un'impenetrabile burocrazia, poi avvalendosi di metodi illeciti.
A partire da queste basi apparentemente ordinarie, diventa sempre più evidente che il mondo di Ha'olam ha un lato oscuro e che la INC, con il suo monopolio totale, è molto più inquietante di come sembra.
La narrazione copre sia per il Dottore sia per Sam un periodo di tempo di ben oltre tre anni, periodo che andrà a sconvolgere le vite di entrambi. Per lei significa costruirsi una vita partendo da zero, mettendo in evidenza quanto sia un'impresa immane. Inizialmente spaesata e priva di qualunque speranza, con il reale pericolo di finire come quei poveri senzatetto con cui si ritrova a vivere, si trova un lavoro sufficiente a permetterle di sopravvivere ma al costo di schiacciarle completamente l'anima, per poi scoprire finalmente la propria vocazione, aiutare il prossimo ed elevarsi oltre a questo fino a diventare lei stessa la forza trainante per cambiare il mondo in cui vive, in una gloriosa espressione della sua crescita.
Inoltre, le sue esperienze sentimentali più o meno riuscite e il modo in cui supera le rotture danno tutta un'altra prospettiva a quella che era una cotta adolescenziale e che ora può affrontare con maggiore maturità.
In senso opposto, quella che per il Dottore era semplice routine si trasforma in una delle sfide più grandi che abbia mai affrontato. Rinchiuso in una prigione relativamente confortevole ma senza alcuna possibilità di fuga nonostante gli innumerevoli tentativi, il suo spirito viene progressivamente schiacciato fino a chiudersi in sé stesso.
Non è una sorpresa quindi, se posso permettermi uno spoiler, che il suo salvataggio sia dovuto proprio a Sam, in una mossa che va in un colpo solo a riscattare il suo personaggio, da altri autori bistrattato e confinato a quello di generica companion insulsa.
Ma non finisce qui, perché oltre a ciò che si può vedere a prima vista, si nascondono altri misteri che verranno affrontati nella parte finale del romanzo, in capitoli molto più carichi di azione ma che non si dimenticano di esplorare le ripercussioni che quella separazione ha portato ai due protagonisti.
È quindi un libro molto impostato sui personaggi, ma con un'ottima trama. Gli autori riescono non solo a dare carattere a Sam, ma anche a catturare la voce dell'Ottavo Dottore in un periodo in cui, avendo soltanto il film come riferimento, non era cosa facile.
Vengono inoltre inseriti piccoli accenni ad un arco narrativo su Sam, semi che aveva piantato Lawrence Miles in Alien Bodies e che daranno i loro frutti, se ho ben capito, nel prossimo libro di Orman e Blum, Unnatural History. Prima di arrivarci, tuttavia, mi riservo di leggere un altro paio di libri nel mezzo.
Certo è che Seeing I è il miglior libro delle EDA finora, ed ha alzato l'asticella per i prossimi.
Riprendendo dal finale di Dreamstone Moon, Sam, turbata dalle sue azioni e dai suoi sentimenti per il Dottore, ha preso la sciocca decisione di allontanarsi da lui e cercare di rifarsi una vita su un altro pianeta. Impresa che si rivelerà tutt'altro che semplice, senza avere alcun talento né conoscenza di quel secolo, senza identità, né lavoro, né soldi. Nel frattempo il Dottore segue le sue tracce e cerca di ottenere informazioni sulla sua posizione, prima scontrandosi con un'impenetrabile burocrazia, poi avvalendosi di metodi illeciti.
A partire da queste basi apparentemente ordinarie, diventa sempre più evidente che il mondo di Ha'olam ha un lato oscuro e che la INC, con il suo monopolio totale, è molto più inquietante di come sembra.
La narrazione copre sia per il Dottore sia per Sam un periodo di tempo di ben oltre tre anni, periodo che andrà a sconvolgere le vite di entrambi. Per lei significa costruirsi una vita partendo da zero, mettendo in evidenza quanto sia un'impresa immane. Inizialmente spaesata e priva di qualunque speranza, con il reale pericolo di finire come quei poveri senzatetto con cui si ritrova a vivere, si trova un lavoro sufficiente a permetterle di sopravvivere ma al costo di schiacciarle completamente l'anima, per poi scoprire finalmente la propria vocazione, aiutare il prossimo ed elevarsi oltre a questo fino a diventare lei stessa la forza trainante per cambiare il mondo in cui vive, in una gloriosa espressione della sua crescita.
Inoltre, le sue esperienze sentimentali più o meno riuscite e il modo in cui supera le rotture danno tutta un'altra prospettiva a quella che era una cotta adolescenziale e che ora può affrontare con maggiore maturità.
In senso opposto, quella che per il Dottore era semplice routine si trasforma in una delle sfide più grandi che abbia mai affrontato. Rinchiuso in una prigione relativamente confortevole ma senza alcuna possibilità di fuga nonostante gli innumerevoli tentativi, il suo spirito viene progressivamente schiacciato fino a chiudersi in sé stesso.
Non è una sorpresa quindi, se posso permettermi uno spoiler, che il suo salvataggio sia dovuto proprio a Sam, in una mossa che va in un colpo solo a riscattare il suo personaggio, da altri autori bistrattato e confinato a quello di generica companion insulsa.
Ma non finisce qui, perché oltre a ciò che si può vedere a prima vista, si nascondono altri misteri che verranno affrontati nella parte finale del romanzo, in capitoli molto più carichi di azione ma che non si dimenticano di esplorare le ripercussioni che quella separazione ha portato ai due protagonisti.
È quindi un libro molto impostato sui personaggi, ma con un'ottima trama. Gli autori riescono non solo a dare carattere a Sam, ma anche a catturare la voce dell'Ottavo Dottore in un periodo in cui, avendo soltanto il film come riferimento, non era cosa facile.
Vengono inoltre inseriti piccoli accenni ad un arco narrativo su Sam, semi che aveva piantato Lawrence Miles in Alien Bodies e che daranno i loro frutti, se ho ben capito, nel prossimo libro di Orman e Blum, Unnatural History. Prima di arrivarci, tuttavia, mi riservo di leggere un altro paio di libri nel mezzo.
Certo è che Seeing I è il miglior libro delle EDA finora, ed ha alzato l'asticella per i prossimi.
March 10, 2020
Seeing I has a very strong finish, in that once I had about 150 pages left it was hard to put down. But it does take some time to get there. Hence the 3 stars.
The Doctor and Sam are still separated and on the same planet. Sam is once again fighting for eco-rights. The Doctor this time is imprisoned. The problem is that the first half of this book the reader feels like they’re serving a prison sentence themself, serving time to get to the good parts. It feels like this would have been a 7 or more parter if it was an actual televised story; and not the 22 min eps of the early series but rather those 42 min eps of the Baker and McCoy years. A fun first episode of set up and then 4 episodes of same-y until a final 2 episodes of tense enjoyable adventure.
And honestly the endgame, when it gets going, is a lot of fun and full of interesting story. The true enemy when you get there is very cool and it’s fun to think what some late 90’s TV F/X folks would cook up. The Doctor is so very Doctor-ish and we’ll characterized by Orman and Blum, who do really have some great Eighth Doctor stories. The problem I think is that Sam is in danger of being very one track. There’s more to her than just the green warrior vibe, sadly whenever she’s alone this is all the authors let her do.
If you are a Doctor Who completist then yes by all means read this book. Casual fans can avoid it, but I also feel the climax of this book makes it worth it.
The Doctor and Sam are still separated and on the same planet. Sam is once again fighting for eco-rights. The Doctor this time is imprisoned. The problem is that the first half of this book the reader feels like they’re serving a prison sentence themself, serving time to get to the good parts. It feels like this would have been a 7 or more parter if it was an actual televised story; and not the 22 min eps of the early series but rather those 42 min eps of the Baker and McCoy years. A fun first episode of set up and then 4 episodes of same-y until a final 2 episodes of tense enjoyable adventure.
And honestly the endgame, when it gets going, is a lot of fun and full of interesting story. The true enemy when you get there is very cool and it’s fun to think what some late 90’s TV F/X folks would cook up. The Doctor is so very Doctor-ish and we’ll characterized by Orman and Blum, who do really have some great Eighth Doctor stories. The problem I think is that Sam is in danger of being very one track. There’s more to her than just the green warrior vibe, sadly whenever she’s alone this is all the authors let her do.
If you are a Doctor Who completist then yes by all means read this book. Casual fans can avoid it, but I also feel the climax of this book makes it worth it.
February 23, 2024
the character work in this book was a lot more thoughtful and in depth than what I've come to expect from this series. Orman and Blum's last book in the series was fun but not very complex; Seeing I, on the other hand, holds a really timely punch of critique. the depiction of this for-profit company running immigration systems and the legal system and prisons and litigating against its own workers on seemingly arbitrary principles, just on the assumption that everything, including labour and life, is an investment. it's a super anticapitalist and scarily predictive book. it's genuinely odd reading this book the month the first computer chip got implanted into a human brain, and knowing that the exaggerated corporate evil of INC is literally musk's (and other corporate personalities') attitude as a CEO.
Orman and Blum do sometimes tread into fanfiction territory just in tone and certain things like the use of the cat and some specifics of 8's characterisation. it dampens the strength of this book a little, but not nearly enough to make a big difference. it's still without a doubt one of the stronger titles in the series so far, in everything, from plot to allegory to characterisation to quality of writing.
Orman and Blum do sometimes tread into fanfiction territory just in tone and certain things like the use of the cat and some specifics of 8's characterisation. it dampens the strength of this book a little, but not nearly enough to make a big difference. it's still without a doubt one of the stronger titles in the series so far, in everything, from plot to allegory to characterisation to quality of writing.
December 21, 2022
You're usually in good hands with Kate Orman and Jonathan Blum writing Doctor Who, and Seeing I is no exception. With its strong cyberpunk vibe, I feel like it partners with Orman's 6th Doctor novel, Blue Box, like wine to its cheese. But though the world-building is good, this is all about allowing unloved companion Sam to grow up over a longer-than-usual timeline, and making her the hero of a book. It's achieved extremely well, though if you're not a fan of NuWho's obsession with making companions fall for the Doctor, there are a few irritating pages waiting for you. Even beyond that, it often feels like Russell T Davies read THIS book while planning out the show's return. Meanwhile, the Doctor faces a threat that's quite beyond the norm, and his multi-year ordeal is beautifully anchored in his particular psychology. The book keeps going back and forth between the two, and neither part outshines the other. And, well, I love the authors' style, flair and humor, so even if the climax needs to slow the heck down, I can't quite complain. Better days for Sam? Or will it take a while for Seeing I to have its effect on later writers?
April 15, 2021
Definitely at the higher end of the 8DA's. Wheras Longest Day fell into the tedious realm of macho sci fi where people called Grukk drink Narco milk and wave guns about, this is more high concept. The separation of the Doctor and Sam comes to it's end, and both of them get a rich character journey with good payoffs. There is a wonderful sense of time passing that is simply missing too much from contemporary episodes.
The plot centres around population enhancement via eye implants that turn out to have an agenda of their own. If the reveal at the end feels slightly old hat (but not as cliched as it could have been) the colony is well drawn, and the invasive quality of such technology is disturbingly written. Till it wanders back to the Faction Paradox arc the range is still lacking slightly in consistent direction, but it's on a high here.
The plot centres around population enhancement via eye implants that turn out to have an agenda of their own. If the reveal at the end feels slightly old hat (but not as cliched as it could have been) the colony is well drawn, and the invasive quality of such technology is disturbingly written. Till it wanders back to the Faction Paradox arc the range is still lacking slightly in consistent direction, but it's on a high here.
October 9, 2021
Seeing I is one of those Doctor Who books that gets a lot of hype and praise and when I read the synopsis of this story I could certainly see why.
This was such a fantastic EDA and even though it’s part of an arc, I actually read this stand alone and I still managed to really enjoy it without having read the whole arc.
The best thing about this book for me was seeing the Doctor in prison and seeing how he makes many attempts to break free and fails. It was really fascinating to see how much of an effect a prison can have on someone like him.
I don’t want to mention too much here as it would be best if you could go out and enjoy the book for yourself. It’s honestly incredible and definitely one of my favourite WHO books in recent years!
This was such a fantastic EDA and even though it’s part of an arc, I actually read this stand alone and I still managed to really enjoy it without having read the whole arc.
The best thing about this book for me was seeing the Doctor in prison and seeing how he makes many attempts to break free and fails. It was really fascinating to see how much of an effect a prison can have on someone like him.
I don’t want to mention too much here as it would be best if you could go out and enjoy the book for yourself. It’s honestly incredible and definitely one of my favourite WHO books in recent years!
June 12, 2024
Seeing I is the book where all the build-up of Genocide, Longest Day, and Dreamstone Moon pay off, and by god is it a good one. Kate Orman and Jonathan Blum know how to write.
I enjoyed Sam's characterisation and growth, it finally feels like someone has figured out who she's supposed to be and how to write her. I also enjoyed the Doctor's plot, which spent most of the book being separate to Sam's and also involved him mostly having a terrible time. More than anything, it felt like the authors had a great time writing this
.
I enjoyed Sam's characterisation and growth, it finally feels like someone has figured out who she's supposed to be and how to write her. I also enjoyed the Doctor's plot, which spent most of the book being separate to Sam's and also involved him mostly having a terrible time. More than anything, it felt like the authors had a great time writing this
.
Any sufficiently advanced technology is compatible with magic
September 15, 2024
damn okay nothing like some psychosexual tension to make your accidental exile on a different planet more interesting. this was really good though jon blum kate orman number one sam jones understanders. also the doctor carrying around a teddy bear for his three year prison stay is so funny he's so pathetic lol ALSO. ANSWERS AS TO THECLOTHES the tardis has a fancy washing machine that fixes your clothes. & he went to go get his tv movie outfit made up in actual fabroc instead of a stolen fancy dress costume AFTER TWELVE BOOKS he so pathetic i love him <3
July 19, 2024
Samantha Jones is given a lot of room to grow in this atypical Doctor Who story that puts character development over plot. You get a better sense of who this companion is than we’ve had in the books so far, and a few glimpses into what makes this particular Doctor tick as well. Blum and Orman write as thoughtfully as ever. Just give them the keys to the kingdom already.
September 20, 2025
loved getting to see the Doctor and Sam take on their own separate challenges in this one. Sam is on her own in a strange city and has to do what she has to survive while staying true to herself, while the Doctor is put in the one prison. he just cannot break out of. It’s good to see Sam grow in the few years she spends there. It's a really good story, well written.
October 13, 2025
what a breath of fresh air thank god! Orman and Blum can cook!!!!! Loved the developing dynamic for 8 and Sam, loved the body horror, loved the cat through line paying off. So many cute little creative moments in this
September 6, 2017
The way Jonathan Blum and Kate Orman write the Eighth Doctor and Sam is truly my favourite among all the EDA so far ♥
February 19, 2018
This Arc, where Sam is stuck on this planet for YEARS, is my fave of the 8th doctor adventures so far. Finally, a series that isn't afraid to write consequences into their stories.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews