Doctor Who: Tragedy Day

Doctor Who: Virgin New Adventures #24

by Gareth Roberts

Tomorrow, Tragedy Day. Tomorrow, total control.

In Empire City on the planet Olleril, it’s time for the annual Tragedy Day -- when the privileged few celebrate their generosity to the masses.

But this year, something is different. Hideous creatures infest the waters around an island that doesn’t officially exist. Assassins arrive to carry out a killing that may endanger the entire universe. A being known as the Supreme One tests horrific weapons. And a secret order of monks observes the growing chaos.

Five minutes after they arrive on Olleril, the TARDIS crew know they want to leave. But Ace is imprisoned in a sinister refugee camp, and Bernice and the Doctor are in the custody of a brutal police gang. There is no way out.

Genres: Doctor Who, Science Fiction, Fiction

290 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1994

About the author

Gareth Roberts has written TV scripts for various soap operas (including Brookeside, Springhill, and Emmerdale), Randall & Hopkirk (deceased), the revival of Doctor Who, the Sarah Jane Adventures, and Wizards vs Aliens.

Also for the Doctor Who universe, he has written the interactive adventure Attack of the Graske, the mobile phone TARDISODEs accompanying the 2006 series, several Big Finish audios, and multiple novels, as well as contributed to Doctor Who Magazine.

Reviews

[James Barnard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another re-read. When coming back to these books after a period of – sometimes – two decades, I’m inevitably finding that my opinions on their quality have changed. In the case of Tragedy Day, my opinion hasn’t changed at all. And because my initial instinct was to say that this is a very good book, I’m very positive about it.

The prevailing view is that this isn’t as good as Roberts’ first book, The Highest Science. I don’t agree. It’s not as *enjoyable* a book as his first, but I think the contemporary reviewers found it hard to take the satirical intent of this one. To be fair, it isn’t always easy to see the benefit of swipes at the society you live in, especially if there’s an implicit criticism of your own favourite TV series within this TV tie-in novel!

20 years on, it’s interesting to see how relevant the book is. Substitute the population’s love of soap operas for reality TV shows, and you realise we haven’t come all that far. Can we honestly say that we don’t continue to use charitable giving as a way to salve our consciences without actually trying to change anything about the society that allows people to need such charity?

People also laughed at the reveal of the villain of the piece, presumably overlooking the fact that it was meant to be ironic. To me, bearing in mind how precocious some teenagers can be, it seems completely plausible, once one accepts the reality of another world’s culture in a sci-fi work! Yes, the villain abandons their plans following a rather tame talking-to by the Doctor, but, to be fair, after the difficult and depressing times the Doctor and his companions had been through in the preceding novels, it makes a nice change for everything to be sorted out so easily.

I continue to hope that Big Finish will pick this one up one day. Although maybe it’s just too TV-focussed to work well as an audio drama. As a novel, it stands up very well, so I hope people will follow my lead and give this one another chance.

[Euan M LLL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fifth Doctor Who Gareth Roberts book I have read, and the 4th best from him overall.

Really good enjoyable read, does some very interesting things with TV that I found quite boundary pushing for the concept of it and some good characters and villains that helped the book move along nicely.

Not his greatest, as I simply prefer others (and I do think that the world building wasn't the greatest with this book), but still a very good entry for the Virgin New Adventures at an 8/10 for me.

[Michel Siskoid Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tragedy Day is a Doctor Who New Adventure by Gareth Roberts, and it's one of his thoroughly entertaining kitchen sink novels. By that I mean it's over-stuffed with crazy ideas, characters and details. You have a secret cult trying to turn a planet into a sitcom, super-powerful monk geomancers, celebrity androids with memory implants, killer dance floors, monstrous sea elephants that excrete everything they eat immediately so they're always hungry, and assassin (both human and spider-like) after the Doctor for something he might have done back in his first incarnation. Loads of fun, with good roles for all three regulars.

[Xanxa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read.

This story covers many issues which are still relevant today, such as unpopular governments, fake news, demonisation of certain sectors of society, unfair distribution of wealth and growing discontent among the ordinary people.

[Drew Perron · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my review of The Highest Science, I talked about how he was an unserious writer who was forcing himself to be serious (in oldfan terms, frock vs. gun). In this book, his next, we can see him relaxing, stretching his wings, and getting closer to the ideal - but he's not there yet.

This book makes a strong attempt to blend social justice with a sense of the ridiculous, putting scenes where weapons testing is done on indigenous people next to "Release the Slaags!". But both sides fall down on by not quite hitting what they're aiming at. For instance, on the social justice side, the aforementioned indigenous people are a significant plot point - the way the colonizers killed and exploited them, and the way they're used and fetishized in the modern day, are a large focus of the book. Yet there's not a single member of that group in the main cast, or the secondary cast, or even as a named character other than in the prologue. You'd think representing that viewpoint would be an important part of such a story, y'know? And on the absurdity side, there's a lot of media satire - including a fairly nasty sequence where an obsessed female fan of a boy band is treated as Just Crazy, rather than as someone who's been screwed over by this society too. That said, there's as many attempts that hit as miss, like the part where the Doctor gets out of a jam by pruning a bush into the shape of the TARDIS, the part where he casually reveals a character as gay, or the big speech at the ending.

Interestingly, the actual Seventh Doctor episodes were better at this - stories like The Happiness Patrol could take a story about a state where emotions are heavily regulated by a Margaret Thatcher expy and make a giant candy monster who kills people with boiling fondant feel, well, maybe not natural, but right. This book is trying to get to the same place by blending 90s edginess with Douglas Adams-esque absurdity, and doesn't quite make it - but it's getting there, and heck, it's not bad if you're jonesing for that sort of thing.

[Kaoru · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a bit like all those episodes that Roberts wrote for Tennant and Smith. There might be bigger and smaller things about the story (and some of its execution) that doesn't entirely work, but in the end you don't really bother with dissecting these problems because the result is still far too much to mind any of it. Though... yeahwell, the ending is kind of weak and a little rushed. Nonetheless all the pages that are preceeding it are extremely entertaining.

It's also very obvious that all that Roberts wants to do is just writing material for Tom Baker and Lalla Ward. Thus meaning that the characters of the McCoy Doctor, Ace and Bernice occasionally feel... well... slightly bit *out* of character. He always gets them immediately back on track, though.

Anyway, really enjoyed this one.

[Christopher M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

An improvement on previous New Adventures in that the TARDIS team are friends again after the previous gloomy story arc, it has a manageable number of characters, and it tries to be like the McCoy 'Greatest Show/Happiness Patrol' wacky sub-Dredd satire era of the TV show rather than a clever-clever new thing. The plot is a mess of threads that eventually crash into a heap rather than weave together (what was the point of the pregnant assassin who gives birth but then gets written out along with the baby before the final act), but it's entertaining, vaguely silly fun with a recognisable 7 and Ace.

[Karen Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed this author's Doctor novels, and this one is no exception. The Seventh Doctor, Ace and Prof. Summerfield arrive on an earth-like planet, unaware that a plot is in place to take control of the population and that a pair of hired assassins are gunning for the Doctor.

The story moves along quickly, as Ace is separated from her companions and finds herself fighting to survive in the wilderness against mutated creatures bred to kill and eat. The Doctor and Bernice are in the city, both of them experiencing a sense of dread that something bad is about to happen and are determined to find out what it is.

The personalities of the Doctor, Ace and Bernice are perfectly expressed throughout the book, with the antagonists appropriately evil. However, since it is an adult-oriented Who novel, there is a fair amount of violence and sadism, so be forewarned. I do recommend it for any fan of the series.

[April Mccaffrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its not the best doctor who book out there but after the AU arc, its nice to read something a bit more light hearted and having Ace and Benny as friends again and caring about each other which is what I love!

Its a very camp- typical 1990 science fiction novel but i did enjoy it.

But this book was written in 1994 and the fact Gareth roberts highlighted pulling down racists statues and crowds protesting is very relevant right now.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite as successful as many of Roberts' other Doctor Who novels, but certainly more ambitious. It's also very much ahead of its time on the subject of cable television & the obsession with reality-show garbage.

[David Layton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gareth Roberts' second novel for Doctor Who shows all the signs of an early effort. Roberts has written much better later in his career. With this novel, it seems that he could not really decide what the novel was supposed to be. Therefore, it is two things in one and neither at the same time. Tragedy Day seems to be a satire or spoof of some kind, but much of that is undermined by Roberts' attempts to make it a traditional Doctor Who story as if broadcast on TV. The result is that most of the novel makes no sense, it has far too many things happening at once, and major parts are not related enough to each other to matter. Additionally, the writing is quite clunky at times, such as "she asked the slim, dark-haired boy at her side," as if every character must be introduced by direct physical description so the casting director would know exactly whom to cast. Descriptions lack the subtlety and grace of good writing. It would take far too long, and probably not be very interesting, for me to go on about all the mistakes, preposterous coincidences, and throwaway elements. Here are a couple: a human-arachnid hybrid assassin comes to a planet visited by virtually no one, a planet where he has never been before, and manages to secure a super-special James Bond style spy car built especially for him. The big ending in which The Doctor saves the day requires The Doctor to trick the villains in his TARDIS to go to a place with him, where he has never been and knows nothing about, so that he can use the anti-matter thingamajig in the dancefloor, about which he has never been told, to foil the baddies. It is just terribly thought out, and the satire is neither funny nor particularly pointed. The good things about Tragedy Day are mostly in how Roberts has written the characters of the TARDIS crew. The whole "they hate each other" mess that ran through the previous ten novels or so is totally gone now. The characters are actually likeable again. Their lines fit the characters, and I can hear the voices of the actors (even though it would be a few more years before Lisa Bowerman took the role of Bernice) saying the lines. I just wish these characters were in a better story.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably closer to a 3.5 but since Goodreads doesn't do half-stars I always round up. I have never read a Doctor Who book in this series. This series started after DW was cancelled back in 1989, and follows the 7th Doctor, Ace, and Bernice. I have always loved Ace and the 7th Doctor and although I have only read one short story with Bernice, I enjoy her dynamic with them as well. Tragedy Day is an interesting novel. There is A LOT going on. There are so many different plots going on and each character gets a chance at having a pov. With so much going on it can get a bit overwhelming but at the same time, I did enjoy the journey. It definitely kept my interest. Plus, the cover is just so awesome.

[The Bookseller · Rating 3 out of 5]

At the end of the previous novel, 'No Future', Paul Cornell re-established the bond between our three main characters. This was important because, for at least eight books, there had been some noticeable angst amongst the Tardis crew. While this can be useful for character conflict, it was starting to get a bit tedious and quite depressing to read.

Luckily Gareth Roberts acknowledges this, and writes a story full of funny and happy moments with the crew. However, what he seems to have done instead is put that angst within the setting and the story. There are some quite unnecessary cruel moments throughout and it is juxtaposing to read when the Doctor is escaping from minders by spraying them with a fire extinguisher.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well I liked it better than Roberts' last VNA. To be honest, I didn't have very strong feelings on it. Some of it felt confused - like the villain's sudden about turn in terms of his goals near the end, and that stuff about people queuing to their deaths (which happens AFTER the main villains have been taken down so ended up coming across as a bit pointless to me). The Monks as well, I wish had been tied a bit more into the main narrative. But I didn't hate it, and I was mostly engaged. So it did that job well.

[Arthur B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heartbreakingly mediocre; it's an entertaining read to flip through once, but the social commentary is muddled and some of the characters and pl0t points have become retrospectively quite ironic given Roberts' subsequent career path. Wastes an awful lot of time borrowing pointlessly from the Illumintus! trilogy. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/202...

[City Mist · Rating 2 out of 5]

Outside of its tacked on wraparound story that feels as if it was meant to set up a new multinovel arc that was aborted on the way to the printers, this is a bog standard Classic Who story. The Doctor and co aid in a social revolution.

[Ndrwjns · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's less well remembered than The Highest Science, to my mind this is a better book. It lacks anything quite as memorable as the chelonians but it is better structured, has better characters and is funnier than Roberts' debut.

[Arcturus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid book. Had a lot of very disconnected elements, some of which I really wished were focused more on, but at least most of them were wrapped together in the end.

[Dee Eisel · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was too good to last. The high point that was "No Future" is undercut by the very low point that is "Tragedy Day," and my head is shaking.

The good points: Ace was more along the lines of the series Ace, Benny was still funny and smart, there was a reference to One and Susan (I am beginning to think I'm a sucker for that kind of thing), and some of the underlying plot made sense.

The bad parts: everything else. Good lord, this book was a slog to get through. Crispin was completely unbelievable, Forgwyn even more so. Ace being back along the lines of the series Ace was good for me, but bad for the character... there was no way to explain how she got back there from where she's been, character-wise. The dystopian setting was straight out of the time period without anything to distinguish it. I couldn't have cared less about the Friars of Pangloss.

It's really very sad, because I can see what could have been a good book under there. Seeing an older woman who is what Ace could become might have been good for our hera, but it's never explored. Benny could have been better used, although her decision to "go exploring" is right in character. A robotic Doctor is a great idea. Robots taking over major media figures is classic, and could have been so much fun. The Vijans are touched on, then never used again. Ever. What a waste.

The rest of the book is just awful, though. Crispin's about-face is reasonless and as arbitrary as they come. The slaags are more grotesque than scary. All of the bad guys are copied from pantomime. They just needed mustaches to twirl. The organized crime boss could have been interesting but was given incredibly little to do. The way scenes are telegraphed leads me to believe that this was started as a script with stage directions and the writer wasn't good enough to make the shift.

It's really sad when you find yourself thinking "At least no one walked up and started declaiming about what Tragedy Day really is." Bleah.

[Adam James · Rating 3 out of 5]

See, if most New Adventure novels could be as remotely interesting as Gareth Roberts' Tragedy Day, then catching up on this series would be a more enjoyable experience. Is Tragedy Day a piece of masterfully written literature? Hellllll no. Is it fun? Yup. Plus, it displays Douglas Adams' obvious influence over Roberts as a science-fiction author.

With Conundrum, No Future, and Tragedy Day, I'm genuinely excited to see where the editors decided to take this series. Until I get to another Kate Orman book...then I'll probably just, you know, stop reading them.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

With the long angst of the early VNAs resolved, Roberts takes the opportunity for a bit of (very dark) comedy. It does take a little getting used to The Doctor now being more like his Season 24 persona, whilst Ace and Benny are the best of friends but it is a lot of fun. Unfortunately the Pangloss\Red Glass frame feels an unnecessary addition and not every joke lands as well as it could. But a story with a mutant arachnid assassin with a broad Yorkshire accent, a deadly dancefloor and a plan to model society on a cheesy sitcom can't help but be a good adventure.

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gareth Roberts is probably my favourite who novelist but this was clearly an early work. Normally his books are very funny whereas this one just couldn't seem to quite find its ground. The first half was a really unpleasant distopian world, genuinely creepy and disturbing then roughly half way through what was actually happening was revealed and it all became rather comedic and colourful which didn't for very well with the first half. The characterisation was really nice for Benny, Ace and the doctor (though I do wish Meredith has a bigger part) not bad but definitely not his best.

[Nicholas Whyte · Rating 2 out of 5]

http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1824273...

I read this with some interest given that we had an episode by Roberts on TV last weekend, but there's not much connection between them; this is a satire on media culture, with some particularly vicious digs at cult tv and charity fund-raising, with plot elements including an evil child genius, celebrity androids and voracious genetically engineered monsters. Points for having a gay character without making a big deal of it.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the bad: overused plot, failed satire, unbelievable characterization. On the good: some humor, remains interesting and easy to read. On the whole: a wash.

[Numa Parrott · Rating 2 out of 5]

The only tragedy day is the day this book was published.