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Doctor Who: New Series Adventures #48
Doctor Who: Borrowed Time
'You want more time Mr Brown, of course you do. We all want more time. Let me make you an offer...'
Andrew Brown never has enough time. No time to call his sister, or to prepare for that important presentation at the bank where he works. The train's late, the lift jams. If only he'd had just a little more time. And time is the business of Mr Symington and Mr Blenkinsop. They'll lend him some - at a very reasonable rate of interest.
Detecting a problem, the Doctor, Amy and Rory go undercover at the bank. But they have to move fast to stop Symington and Blenkinsop before they cash in their investments.
A thrilling all-new adventure featuring the Doctor, Amy and Rory, as played by Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill in the spectacular hit Doctor Who series from BBC Television.
Andrew Brown never has enough time. No time to call his sister, or to prepare for that important presentation at the bank where he works. The train's late, the lift jams. If only he'd had just a little more time. And time is the business of Mr Symington and Mr Blenkinsop. They'll lend him some - at a very reasonable rate of interest.
Detecting a problem, the Doctor, Amy and Rory go undercover at the bank. But they have to move fast to stop Symington and Blenkinsop before they cash in their investments.
A thrilling all-new adventure featuring the Doctor, Amy and Rory, as played by Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill in the spectacular hit Doctor Who series from BBC Television.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published June 23, 2011
48 people are currently reading
2189 people want to read
About the author
Naomi Alderman
41 books4,512 followersNaomi Alderman (born 1974 in London) is a British author and novelist.
Alderman was educated at South Hampstead High School and Lincoln College, Oxford where she read Philosophy, Politics and Economics. She then went on to study creative writing at the University of East Anglia before becoming a novelist.
She was the lead writer for Perplex City, an Alternate reality game, at Mind Candy from 2004 through June, 2007.[1]
Her father is Geoffrey Alderman, an academic who has specialised in Anglo-Jewish history. She and her father were interviewed in The Sunday Times "Relative Values" feature on 11 February 2007.[2]
Her literary debut came in 2006 with Disobedience, a well-received (if controversial) novel about a rabbi's daughter from North London who becomes a lesbian, which won her the 2006 Orange Award for New Writers.
Since its publication in the United Kingdom, it has been issued in the USA, Germany, Israel, Holland, Poland and France and is due to be published in Italy, Hungary and Croatia.
She wrote the narrative for The Winter House, an online, interactive yet linear short story visualized by Jey Biddulph. The project was commissioned by Booktrust as part of the Story campaign, supported by Arts Council England. [3]
Alderman was educated at South Hampstead High School and Lincoln College, Oxford where she read Philosophy, Politics and Economics. She then went on to study creative writing at the University of East Anglia before becoming a novelist.
She was the lead writer for Perplex City, an Alternate reality game, at Mind Candy from 2004 through June, 2007.[1]
Her father is Geoffrey Alderman, an academic who has specialised in Anglo-Jewish history. She and her father were interviewed in The Sunday Times "Relative Values" feature on 11 February 2007.[2]
Her literary debut came in 2006 with Disobedience, a well-received (if controversial) novel about a rabbi's daughter from North London who becomes a lesbian, which won her the 2006 Orange Award for New Writers.
Since its publication in the United Kingdom, it has been issued in the USA, Germany, Israel, Holland, Poland and France and is due to be published in Italy, Hungary and Croatia.
She wrote the narrative for The Winter House, an online, interactive yet linear short story visualized by Jey Biddulph. The project was commissioned by Booktrust as part of the Story campaign, supported by Arts Council England. [3]
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews
July 24, 2021
This is based on the television series. This one has the Eleventh Doctor along with Amy and Rory. In this one, our heroes set out to stop a bank from collapsing. They didn't know that employees of this bank are borrowing time from lenders and these loans are to be repaid at extravagant rates that could lead to death.
I love the concept of this book. The concept of bank employees having loans and not realizing the compound interest and its encumbrances is something we can relate to in the real world. This book attacks the world of banking. I enjoy when science fiction uses a fictional story that is an allegory for the real world. I do wish this book was a little more subtle about it. This book dived into the concept without having any nuance. One example is the antagonist are sharks because they are the ones giving the loans. They are "loan sharks". Not really subtle. I had no problem with the potrayals with our established characters. I did have a problem with the portrayal of scenes and I believe why I did not connect with this book. For me, the author didn't do the best job with painting the scene and I was reading scenes or new characters without really getting a sense of it. All the timey-wimey stuff did nothing for me. Maybe this would have been better if it was played out visually as an episode.
This is a new author for me and I did not connect with her writing style. I love the idea for the book but I just could not get into it at all. I would have liked to see how it played out visually in an episode because I think there are some interesting ideas here. This wasn't my favorite book in this universe as the writing style and me were just not compatible.
I love the concept of this book. The concept of bank employees having loans and not realizing the compound interest and its encumbrances is something we can relate to in the real world. This book attacks the world of banking. I enjoy when science fiction uses a fictional story that is an allegory for the real world. I do wish this book was a little more subtle about it. This book dived into the concept without having any nuance. One example is the antagonist are sharks because they are the ones giving the loans. They are "loan sharks". Not really subtle. I had no problem with the potrayals with our established characters. I did have a problem with the portrayal of scenes and I believe why I did not connect with this book. For me, the author didn't do the best job with painting the scene and I was reading scenes or new characters without really getting a sense of it. All the timey-wimey stuff did nothing for me. Maybe this would have been better if it was played out visually as an episode.
This is a new author for me and I did not connect with her writing style. I love the idea for the book but I just could not get into it at all. I would have liked to see how it played out visually in an episode because I think there are some interesting ideas here. This wasn't my favorite book in this universe as the writing style and me were just not compatible.
April 7, 2019
This starts with the wrong biscuit a digestive that far to quickly sinks to the bottom of the cup.
From then on Mr Brown 's life is running around like a headless chicken in ever decreasing circles sweaty late all the time.
I know that lot of Jobs in office environments are exactly this for me sound like has Nightmare out of worst horror movie. Blood suicidal depression like the office revolution in Monty Python's Meaning of Life.
For Mr Brown is hair pulling days are over when two crazy heavies turn up load sharks on the Sea of Time straight out of Neverwhere - we can give you that extra time .
The under cover 007 Rory working for mad Doctor in a box no M just an Amy .
Stealing time is not good idea so up to The Doctor to sort it out before the universe goes not with a bang but a whipper........This has old saying always read the small print. This is funny .
From then on Mr Brown 's life is running around like a headless chicken in ever decreasing circles sweaty late all the time.
I know that lot of Jobs in office environments are exactly this for me sound like has Nightmare out of worst horror movie. Blood suicidal depression like the office revolution in Monty Python's Meaning of Life.
For Mr Brown is hair pulling days are over when two crazy heavies turn up load sharks on the Sea of Time straight out of Neverwhere - we can give you that extra time .
The under cover 007 Rory working for mad Doctor in a box no M just an Amy .
Stealing time is not good idea so up to The Doctor to sort it out before the universe goes not with a bang but a whipper........This has old saying always read the small print. This is funny .
October 31, 2018
Do you ever wish you could just have a little more time to get everything done? Would you consider borrowing some?
Using the banking crisis as an analogy, this excellent 11th Doctor story simplifies how easy it is to run up a big debt without properly looking at the Terms and Conditions.
Not only is this a great thrilling adventure, it also gives a great moral story to younger readers on how on easy it is to fall into that trap.
One of the best NSA’s.
Using the banking crisis as an analogy, this excellent 11th Doctor story simplifies how easy it is to run up a big debt without properly looking at the Terms and Conditions.
Not only is this a great thrilling adventure, it also gives a great moral story to younger readers on how on easy it is to fall into that trap.
One of the best NSA’s.
April 4, 2020
OK, that was a fun and entertaining jaunt, and a nice .. and oh-so-welcome ... diversion (at, alas, a time when diversions are uniquely valuable).
I'm not sure you'd need to be Doctor Who fan or reader to enjoy this. It's a fully accessible, rollicking, sci-fi (time-travel, duh!) saga, with a healthy dollop of banking/financial industry bubble-and-recession harbingers, spiced up by a couple of not-so-subtle, but fun, springboards from the historically fascinating, great yet terrible, mind-blowing in retrospect, Dutch Tulip debacle/bubble/collapse ... the Tulpenwindhandel ... of 1637.
Full disclosure: I was never a full on Doctor Who fan, regular consumer, or, in any sense of the word, aficionado. But, there I was, a fair number of years ago, in Cardiff, Wales, at an academic conference, at the peak of my elder's obsession with the Doctor, and there was a(n impressive, TV-set worthy) Tardis in the conference facility, and there was a fan-store downtown, ... and it was there I found (and purchased) my first ... what do you call them? ... BBC-commissioned/published, celebrity-authored Doctor Who one-off novel(s). [There are so many Doctor Who books, that I can't begin to claim to understand the categories...] I haven't read that many, but I'm enjoyed each of them, so now, when I see them, I'm inclined to try them. I saw this one at Mid-Town Comics in NYC, and, while I didn't love (but nonetheless enjoyed) Alderman's The Power, I figured I couldn't go wrong. [It looks to me like the paperback was re-released after the success of The Power, but I could be wrong....] And, frankly, for whatever reason, I enjoyed this more than her (far) more popular novel.
The book was easy to read/digest, but ... for this reader ... it progressively improved ... culminating in a gratifying and satisfying ending, that (again, to my mind) wrapped things up quite well and left a(n admittedly silly) smile on my face.
I'm not sure you'd need to be Doctor Who fan or reader to enjoy this. It's a fully accessible, rollicking, sci-fi (time-travel, duh!) saga, with a healthy dollop of banking/financial industry bubble-and-recession harbingers, spiced up by a couple of not-so-subtle, but fun, springboards from the historically fascinating, great yet terrible, mind-blowing in retrospect, Dutch Tulip debacle/bubble/collapse ... the Tulpenwindhandel ... of 1637.
Full disclosure: I was never a full on Doctor Who fan, regular consumer, or, in any sense of the word, aficionado. But, there I was, a fair number of years ago, in Cardiff, Wales, at an academic conference, at the peak of my elder's obsession with the Doctor, and there was a(n impressive, TV-set worthy) Tardis in the conference facility, and there was a fan-store downtown, ... and it was there I found (and purchased) my first ... what do you call them? ... BBC-commissioned/published, celebrity-authored Doctor Who one-off novel(s). [There are so many Doctor Who books, that I can't begin to claim to understand the categories...] I haven't read that many, but I'm enjoyed each of them, so now, when I see them, I'm inclined to try them. I saw this one at Mid-Town Comics in NYC, and, while I didn't love (but nonetheless enjoyed) Alderman's The Power, I figured I couldn't go wrong. [It looks to me like the paperback was re-released after the success of The Power, but I could be wrong....] And, frankly, for whatever reason, I enjoyed this more than her (far) more popular novel.
The book was easy to read/digest, but ... for this reader ... it progressively improved ... culminating in a gratifying and satisfying ending, that (again, to my mind) wrapped things up quite well and left a(n admittedly silly) smile on my face.
October 13, 2012
This is a story of investment banking, the white-collar rat race, fraud, debt, the subjectivity of value, and the dangers of compound interest... sort of. It’s not about money or stocks, though. It’s about time -- using it, managing it, borrowing it, trading it, and paying it back -- with interest, compounded hourly.
An alien time trader has come to Earth and is loaning harried bank employees the time they feel they need to conduct research, prepare reports, do presentations, and everything else necessary to climb the corporate ladder while still having some time for themselves and their families. The snag is that the time must be paid back, and under the fine print terms of the contact, some people find themselves owing more than a lifetime. The 11th Doctor, Amy, and Rory must expose the dangers of borrowing on the future because if they don’t, humanity may not have one.
This novel has a serious and timely underlying theme, although the story itself is not to be taken seriously. I seriously love books like this. There are far too few of them. When Doctor Who is done well, though, it can provoke thought about a serious idea and still be fun. This story does that well enough. I won’t say it’s not without some flaws. I thought the characterizations were just a bit off. The Doctor was perhaps a bit too eccentric and Rory a bit too goofy, and the bank employees, well, they were unbelievably oblivious to the strange things going on around them. But, all in all, I enjoyed this book. It’s a quick and easy read and a great way to spend an evening or two between Doctor Who episodes. I recommend it to all Doctor Who fans and other lovers of positive science fiction.
An alien time trader has come to Earth and is loaning harried bank employees the time they feel they need to conduct research, prepare reports, do presentations, and everything else necessary to climb the corporate ladder while still having some time for themselves and their families. The snag is that the time must be paid back, and under the fine print terms of the contact, some people find themselves owing more than a lifetime. The 11th Doctor, Amy, and Rory must expose the dangers of borrowing on the future because if they don’t, humanity may not have one.
This novel has a serious and timely underlying theme, although the story itself is not to be taken seriously. I seriously love books like this. There are far too few of them. When Doctor Who is done well, though, it can provoke thought about a serious idea and still be fun. This story does that well enough. I won’t say it’s not without some flaws. I thought the characterizations were just a bit off. The Doctor was perhaps a bit too eccentric and Rory a bit too goofy, and the bank employees, well, they were unbelievably oblivious to the strange things going on around them. But, all in all, I enjoyed this book. It’s a quick and easy read and a great way to spend an evening or two between Doctor Who episodes. I recommend it to all Doctor Who fans and other lovers of positive science fiction.
September 20, 2018
Loved this one!
The author managed to really catch the characters extremely well - it felt like watching an actual episode! One of the best Doctor Who stories I read so far characterwise. Both in Amy, Rory and the Doctor feeling very true and also in the main characters being well fleshed out.
The plot also was both really interesting and well thought out! I was hooked all the way.
Prose was fluent and fast and a perfect match for the story.
Audio book was brilliantly narrated too, so:
Full 5 stars and a 100% recommendation from me.
The author managed to really catch the characters extremely well - it felt like watching an actual episode! One of the best Doctor Who stories I read so far characterwise. Both in Amy, Rory and the Doctor feeling very true and also in the main characters being well fleshed out.
The plot also was both really interesting and well thought out! I was hooked all the way.
Prose was fluent and fast and a perfect match for the story.
Audio book was brilliantly narrated too, so:
Full 5 stars and a 100% recommendation from me.
May 21, 2016
Besides the bit about Narnia, the epilogue had to be my favorite part!
Time sharks. Just, really? CREEEEPY
Time sharks. Just, really? CREEEEPY
May 19, 2018
What a fun Doctor Who story! I especially liked that ending. The author and the narrator totally hit the mark with the some of my favorite chat, The Doctor, Amy, and Rory.
December 29, 2014
Naomi Alderman's story in Granta 123: The Best of Young British Novelists 4 was a very funny Gaiman-esque mythology-meets-reality piece. So I wanted to see what she would do with a Doctor Who novel. I wasn't that impressed.
I've never read any Doctor Who fiction before - though a number of my friends have between them read hundreds of volumes of it, so I'd never dismiss it out of hand when such clever people read (and write) it. But I can't say how this compares to other Who stories ... and that's what I'd most like to know.
Borrowed Time trundled on satisfactorily enough, like the books of middling comic fantasy writer Tom Holt: derivative and therefore slightly bland style, and a mixture of the embarrassingly obvious and rather clever. Seeing yet another allegory for the banking crisis made me groan: in 2006 or 7, staff at the London branch of an international bank are approached by two oleaginous aliens, Mr. Symington & Mr. Blenkinsopp, and offered watches which allow them to rewind time and get more work done, in return for an apparently low rate of interest of 5 minutes per hour. The time-lenders can also take the bodily form of sharks ... geddit ... but at least the system is quite intricately designed, albeit with a couple of holes I thought I spotted. I've never been very interested in futuristic time travel, but when stories involve travel to the past, whether for historical tourism or revising bits of your own life, I generally love it. So at least I was more sympathetic to this than if it had been a story of fighting random aliens, which would have needed to be very funny to keep me interested.
Unfortunately I don't like the characters from the Eleventh Doctor series as much as those from the 9th and 10th. The Doctor and Rory seemed true to type though I wasn't so sure about Amy who too often, especially in the first half, seemed mostly to be doing things because they fitted the plot.
The writing was simpler than I expected but a couple of other reviews indicate that kids and teenagers are a big market for these books. The other times I've read children's books by writers whose adult fiction I like, I've often been disappointed; perhaps with a smaller vocab an interesting style just isn't so forthcoming.
This isn't bad, but on the basis of that excellent Granta story, I'd hope Alderman can do better things with genre fiction and humour in future.
I've never read any Doctor Who fiction before - though a number of my friends have between them read hundreds of volumes of it, so I'd never dismiss it out of hand when such clever people read (and write) it. But I can't say how this compares to other Who stories ... and that's what I'd most like to know.
Borrowed Time trundled on satisfactorily enough, like the books of middling comic fantasy writer Tom Holt: derivative and therefore slightly bland style, and a mixture of the embarrassingly obvious and rather clever. Seeing yet another allegory for the banking crisis made me groan: in 2006 or 7, staff at the London branch of an international bank are approached by two oleaginous aliens, Mr. Symington & Mr. Blenkinsopp, and offered watches which allow them to rewind time and get more work done, in return for an apparently low rate of interest of 5 minutes per hour. The time-lenders can also take the bodily form of sharks ... geddit ... but at least the system is quite intricately designed, albeit with a couple of holes I thought I spotted. I've never been very interested in futuristic time travel, but when stories involve travel to the past, whether for historical tourism or revising bits of your own life, I generally love it. So at least I was more sympathetic to this than if it had been a story of fighting random aliens, which would have needed to be very funny to keep me interested.
Unfortunately I don't like the characters from the Eleventh Doctor series as much as those from the 9th and 10th. The Doctor and Rory seemed true to type though I wasn't so sure about Amy who too often, especially in the first half, seemed mostly to be doing things because they fitted the plot.
The writing was simpler than I expected but a couple of other reviews indicate that kids and teenagers are a big market for these books. The other times I've read children's books by writers whose adult fiction I like, I've often been disappointed; perhaps with a smaller vocab an interesting style just isn't so forthcoming.
This isn't bad, but on the basis of that excellent Granta story, I'd hope Alderman can do better things with genre fiction and humour in future.
February 25, 2015
So here we have ‘Doctor Who’ does the financial crisis, with The Doctor taking Amy and Rory to witness the biggest banking collapse of the age. Obviously that’s a set-up containing a great deal of promise, but there’s also something a tad disquieting about it. After all if The Doctor is involved, then there will obviously be malevolent aliens involved somewhere in this crash. But why would human beings need malevolent aliens to crash a bank? Human beings have more than proved themselves stupid enough, greedy enough and venal enough to crash a whole world economy, what would they need outside help for? Introducing outside extra-terrestrials does make it seem like some of the culpability is being removed from the bankers, the asset traders and the other functionaries of greed, and they are people who should feel really, very, incredibly culpable.
Fortunately the book doesn’t go quite in that direction. Instead what plays out is a chase through corridors with a few broad swipes at credit cards, pay-day loans, loan sharks and other tricks of high interest lenders, but it’s all done for laughs and (ironic really, given that the loan sharks are actually walking sharks) somewhat without teeth. What we have here is a romp in a high-end office block and around the City of London. It’s perfectly serviceable in what it does, but doesn’t have the reach or the scale of Una McCormick’s ‘The King’s Dragon’. Amy particularly suffers in comparison to that book. Whereas in ‘The King’s Dragon’ she was impatient force pushing the book along, here she’s the idiot member of the team who goes and does something stupid. It’s all slightly disappointing.
Spin-off books from popular TV shows are always going to be a disposable item. This one is a fun, but particularly disposable example.
Fortunately the book doesn’t go quite in that direction. Instead what plays out is a chase through corridors with a few broad swipes at credit cards, pay-day loans, loan sharks and other tricks of high interest lenders, but it’s all done for laughs and (ironic really, given that the loan sharks are actually walking sharks) somewhat without teeth. What we have here is a romp in a high-end office block and around the City of London. It’s perfectly serviceable in what it does, but doesn’t have the reach or the scale of Una McCormick’s ‘The King’s Dragon’. Amy particularly suffers in comparison to that book. Whereas in ‘The King’s Dragon’ she was impatient force pushing the book along, here she’s the idiot member of the team who goes and does something stupid. It’s all slightly disappointing.
Spin-off books from popular TV shows are always going to be a disposable item. This one is a fun, but particularly disposable example.
July 5, 2011
After Jonny's excellent Who book Touched by an Angel, I didn't think the next book could live up to it. I was wrong.
Less concerned with emotional depth than Jonny's, this is far more a satirical, even political book, exploring the recession and bank collapses - right in line with the show's original remit to educate and entertain at the same time - I can't recall a Who book ever taking the time to explain the workings of compound interest before!
Given the complexity of the ideas she explores, and the huge difficulty of communicating them for kids and being fun and exciting at the same time, it's hugely impressive how brilliantly she manages to pull it off.
Funny, clever, and very, very well written, this was a joy from start to finish.
Less concerned with emotional depth than Jonny's, this is far more a satirical, even political book, exploring the recession and bank collapses - right in line with the show's original remit to educate and entertain at the same time - I can't recall a Who book ever taking the time to explain the workings of compound interest before!
Given the complexity of the ideas she explores, and the huge difficulty of communicating them for kids and being fun and exciting at the same time, it's hugely impressive how brilliantly she manages to pull it off.
Funny, clever, and very, very well written, this was a joy from start to finish.
September 11, 2019
Can you imagine this as TV episodes? Because I can and they sound glorious.
I don't even know where to start. The Doctor, Amy, and Rory are all in characters. And the other characters are also fleshed-out quite well. And the plot looks quite simple but it is not. The story have several layers. And there were so many action scenes but never a dull moment.
TLDR; I'm so glad I read this book and I can't wait to re-read!
I don't even know where to start. The Doctor, Amy, and Rory are all in characters. And the other characters are also fleshed-out quite well. And the plot looks quite simple but it is not. The story have several layers. And there were so many action scenes but never a dull moment.
TLDR; I'm so glad I read this book and I can't wait to re-read!
August 31, 2023
A decent Doctor Who tale with the 11th Doctor, Amy and Rory. The story wins by employing relatable themes; loans with horrible compound interest rates that bury the borrower and people jumping into contracts without reading the terms and conditions.
An enjoyable offering for even casual fans, but may be too light for hard core Whovians.
An enjoyable offering for even casual fans, but may be too light for hard core Whovians.
February 16, 2025
Listen, I can and will read a Doctor Who novel whenever I want, and I’m so glad it was this one! I thought it was a heist, but it wasn’t, the enemy was capitalism and literal loan sharks, it fit my unofficial theme for books I’ve read recently (capitalism is hell) and it was great! Good fun. Great time.
October 25, 2023
2023 52 Book Challenge - 31) Set In A Work Place
One of my favourite Eleventh Doctor novels. I loved the references to both Torchwood and UNIT.
This novel has the most brilliant explanation of compound interest, using cake and icing as metaphors for borrowing and interest. Everytime I think of banking now, I think of cake.
This novel consisted of a fast paced plot and the Doctor, Amy and Rory all seemed well characterised, from the Doctor's care of Amy to Rory feeling useless and on the verge of dismissal.
Overall, a brilliant book.
One of my favourite Eleventh Doctor novels. I loved the references to both Torchwood and UNIT.
This novel has the most brilliant explanation of compound interest, using cake and icing as metaphors for borrowing and interest. Everytime I think of banking now, I think of cake.
This novel consisted of a fast paced plot and the Doctor, Amy and Rory all seemed well characterised, from the Doctor's care of Amy to Rory feeling useless and on the verge of dismissal.
Overall, a brilliant book.
May 17, 2015
"Oh god, has the Doctor decided I'm useless, well I am useless, but maybe I'm useless in that useful sort of way? Bait, maybe?"
It really breaks my heart how cruel these books are to Rory - he's always being left behind and picked on by Amy and the Doctor and it makes me just want to go and give him a big hug. So far, I've yet to encounter one of these books that doesn't patronise him on a depressing level. But maybe I'm just overly smitten with Arthur Darvill . . .
The Book
Borrowed Time is a really great adventure with the Doctor, Amy and Rory. The Doctor has been wonderfully depicted by Alderman and I think Amy has too (I often find she's the character who waivers the most). So, what happens? After an interesting and seemingly abstract beginning with Amy and Rory stuck inside a bubble that slows down time so that they can watch this particular sunset for, well, for three hours, we move on to the time borrowing endemic that is sweeping the Lexington Bank - and possibly the world. The curious characters of Mr. Symington and Mr. Blenkinsop are handing out wrist watches to the time-pressed employees of the bank with offers they think "you'll find hard to refuse". *Insert sinister laugh here*. All one has to do is twist a dial and hey presto! Back in time you go. Need to get a report done but also have to be at a meeting? Why not do both at the same time?! Perhaps the easiest way to understand this is to think of Hermione and her time-turner in Harry Potter? Got it? Now, these people must also repay their time. Yes, you see where this is going? Good, good. Because this is borrowed time that has some severe compound interest (the concept of which only the cake analogy made clear to me). The problem? No one reads the fine print. Thank goodness for the Doctor.
Time Borrowing
I just found the plot in general to be highly entertaining. It's jam-packed with energy and the Doctor is alarmingly realistic. We've got new aliens and original ideas - what else do you need? I found this a refreshing break in the Whoniverse, and I definitely tip my hat to Alderman for tackling the sensitive topic of time and what exactly the rules and regulations are. The only thing I found didn't sit with me was the one-line reference to these baddies out-smarting the Shadow Proclamation. Uh-uh. In my rule book, that just doesn't happen. But as I said, one line, I dare say I shall soldier on and live to read another day. And HOORRAY, excellent plot twist Alderman, excellent plot twist. There was so much on the go that I didn't have time to predict that one, or expect it. *Round of applause*. There's truly not a lot to fault this book on.
Amy and Rory
This relationship always breaks my heart. Rory spends what, 2000 years waiting for Amy? And most of the time he's worried she'll just ditch him. Sad face. I wish he had more faith in her and belief in himself. That being said, I think their relationship is pretty accurate . . . Rory doing what he's told and sticking to the rules, and Amy stuffing it all up. Amy has a decent sized role along with a substantial amount of flirting and Rory gets to (almost) go in a date (twice) with his wife. *Aww*. See? It really has covered everything, this book. I loved the fact that there were references to Rory's 2000 years waiting and Amy's parents actually existing - it slips nicely into the time continuum.
Summary
I just loved it. This book makes me truly excited about Doctor Who. It makes me, a) proud to be a Whovian, and, b) keen to read every other Doctor Who book out there. All the wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey loops were tied up (praise The Lord) and I see no reason to criticise any of it. I present to you, a well written book that I recommend to any Whovian out there looking for something to stick their nose into!
November 19, 2015
Fittingly, I read this one entirely on a plane taking me first to and then again back home from the Doctor Who Festival in London last weekend.
And it reminded me once again that while the Twelfth Doctor is MY Doctor (and this is where I'm really tempted to insert some utterly fangirlish, smitten gushing over how ridiculously gorgeous Peter Capaldi is in real life, especially close up, and how wonderfully firm and warm his hand is, and how radiant and genuine his smile is, and how I melted into a little puddle of goo when getting my photo with him), some of my favourite Doctor Who in book form is still, and consistently, from Eleven's era.
I don't know why this is but somehow most authors seem to have an easier time getting a good handle on the characters and their voice with Eleven, Amy and Rory, and when you add in a really rather original, interesting plot - because at least I haven't seen a lot of sci-fi or time-travel stories that take place almost entirely in a contemporary 21st century London bank, with a lot of talk about presentations and board meetings and compound interest etc - then the result can't really be anything but a pretty great book.
So, yeah, I actually really enjoyed this one.
And it reminded me once again that while the Twelfth Doctor is MY Doctor (and this is where I'm really tempted to insert some utterly fangirlish, smitten gushing over how ridiculously gorgeous Peter Capaldi is in real life, especially close up, and how wonderfully firm and warm his hand is, and how radiant and genuine his smile is, and how I melted into a little puddle of goo when getting my photo with him), some of my favourite Doctor Who in book form is still, and consistently, from Eleven's era.
I don't know why this is but somehow most authors seem to have an easier time getting a good handle on the characters and their voice with Eleven, Amy and Rory, and when you add in a really rather original, interesting plot - because at least I haven't seen a lot of sci-fi or time-travel stories that take place almost entirely in a contemporary 21st century London bank, with a lot of talk about presentations and board meetings and compound interest etc - then the result can't really be anything but a pretty great book.
So, yeah, I actually really enjoyed this one.
May 12, 2016
Another winner of a DW novel. Totally canon to the 11/Amy/Rory world. Very fast paced, trippy, slightly terrifying and quite sad. Honestly would've thought Moffat could've written this. Definitely recommend :)
November 8, 2017
As I picked Borrowed Time up and started to read, I had a nagging feeling I knew the author name from somewhere, and sure enough, the author is the very same Naomi Alderman who more recently wrote The Power, a bestselling science-fiction novel with a feminist plot twist, which has been the talk of the broadsheet culture supplements.
There are plenty of signs in this earlier work that the author would go on to greater things, as this is certainly one of the best examples of new series Doctor Who novels I've read. Events take place in the capitalist environment of a multinational bank, which calls to mind the recent TV episode Oxygen. If (like me) you were turned off that story by the didactic dialogue and promotion, you might think this book isn't for you. However, although it certainly could be read as parable on the dangers of greed, this never overwhelms the story to the point where it feels less an adventure, and more a lecture. Quite the opposite; it is a hugely entertaining ride that adeptly spins financial tropes such as "compound interest" and "loan sharks" on the way to great effect.
Regular characters of the Eleventh Doctor, Rory and Amy are present and convincingly correct, with this incarnation's manic energy - the arms and legs all over the place and the mouth which never stops talking - beautifully portrayed, as are Amy's moody turns and Rory's unswerving loyalty. Characters, monsters and gadgets are developed fully with a humourous eye for detail - I particular enjoyed the camera from the future that addresses its user in Chinglish.
The climax of the book - which sees the Doctor separated from companions - is especially effective, to the point where I couldn't put the book down for the last fifty pages or so, a rare experience for me. And to round things off, in the last few pages there is a delicious hint of a sequel set in the past.
A multilayered and intricate book that never feels difficult, and is indeed consistently enjoyable, this is a wonderful work from a skilled author who I would happily bank with.
There are plenty of signs in this earlier work that the author would go on to greater things, as this is certainly one of the best examples of new series Doctor Who novels I've read. Events take place in the capitalist environment of a multinational bank, which calls to mind the recent TV episode Oxygen. If (like me) you were turned off that story by the didactic dialogue and promotion, you might think this book isn't for you. However, although it certainly could be read as parable on the dangers of greed, this never overwhelms the story to the point where it feels less an adventure, and more a lecture. Quite the opposite; it is a hugely entertaining ride that adeptly spins financial tropes such as "compound interest" and "loan sharks" on the way to great effect.
Regular characters of the Eleventh Doctor, Rory and Amy are present and convincingly correct, with this incarnation's manic energy - the arms and legs all over the place and the mouth which never stops talking - beautifully portrayed, as are Amy's moody turns and Rory's unswerving loyalty. Characters, monsters and gadgets are developed fully with a humourous eye for detail - I particular enjoyed the camera from the future that addresses its user in Chinglish.
The climax of the book - which sees the Doctor separated from companions - is especially effective, to the point where I couldn't put the book down for the last fifty pages or so, a rare experience for me. And to round things off, in the last few pages there is a delicious hint of a sequel set in the past.
A multilayered and intricate book that never feels difficult, and is indeed consistently enjoyable, this is a wonderful work from a skilled author who I would happily bank with.
January 16, 2024
Oooo I loved this! I found it to be such a clever and intricate story, I had no problem reading this from cover to cover and then blinking in what felt like a split second, and it being over.
I need one of those time watches so I can go back and read it again for the first time as I loved it so much, although not sure id like the interest on it… seems you borrow too much time and it comes back to bite you. As much as we’d all love a time watch to claw back some more hours in the day or finally get all the stuff done you want to, it certainly comes at a price. Yet it’s an offer that’s hard to refuse…
It was a really well crafted book and amazingly written by Naomi Alderman who you can tell really knows the show and knows how to write the characters. She captured the 11th Doctor, Amy and Rory perfectly and they were spot on.
It kept me effortlessly engaged and it’s definitely a story I’d reread again!
I need one of those time watches so I can go back and read it again for the first time as I loved it so much, although not sure id like the interest on it… seems you borrow too much time and it comes back to bite you. As much as we’d all love a time watch to claw back some more hours in the day or finally get all the stuff done you want to, it certainly comes at a price. Yet it’s an offer that’s hard to refuse…
It was a really well crafted book and amazingly written by Naomi Alderman who you can tell really knows the show and knows how to write the characters. She captured the 11th Doctor, Amy and Rory perfectly and they were spot on.
It kept me effortlessly engaged and it’s definitely a story I’d reread again!
July 2, 2021
Since they took off Doctor Who from Netflix I’ve desperately searched for something to replace it and I finally found the books. This is my first one btw. What I liked so much about this one is how the author really did manage to capture the characters- especially the doctor. It almost felt like I was watching an actual episode, humor, silliness and all.
The plot was kind of capturing and the whole idea of having more time to get everything done. It’s a great both thrilling and interesting adventure.
I didn’t give it 5 stars because I found it boring sometimes, because of how easy it was to read, I didn’t learn anything new but it improved a bit at the end.
The plot was kind of capturing and the whole idea of having more time to get everything done. It’s a great both thrilling and interesting adventure.
I didn’t give it 5 stars because I found it boring sometimes, because of how easy it was to read, I didn’t learn anything new but it improved a bit at the end.
September 17, 2024
Cool concept but looses itself along the way. Uninspired side characters, unnecessary romance (he was a boy, she was a girl vibes), and an overcomplicated plot. The time watches and the capitalism critique were solid though
June 25, 2024
Rory did not deserve the treatment he got in a lot of this book. I liked the premise and it was a fun romp.
September 25, 2024
Naomi Alderman joins the illustrious list of literary types (Brian Evenson, Thomas Disch) writing a tie-in novel and succeeds quite well! For one thing, it's very clear that Alderman loves Who. Her imagination is in fine form as she gives us cockroaches, a bank that uses time as currency, and a whole smorgasbord of fun ideas happening at a rapid clip. Most fascinatingly (especially if you've read her other books), I liked the way that she unpacked the Amy-Rory relationship dynamic, pointing to trouble beneath the seams and being honest about the fact that, well, Rory is a bit annoying. Her only real misstep here -- and it's a significant one -- is not really getting the Matt Smith Doctor's speech down. It doesn't sound true to his incarnation, even though she has done a fine job of crafting an enjoyable adventure.
June 12, 2019
Who among us couldn’t use more time? Time to get done all the things that need to get done but to also do the things one wants to do? According to Mr. Symington and Mr. Blenkinsop, they have the perfect solution and are quite happy to help. And it’s all available at a quite reasonable rate of interest.
Anyone who knows me knows I am a big Doctor Who fan. I’ve read several of the series novels before and even reviewed them here, though I tend to prefer the actual TV show over the books. The reason being that the novels are very hit and miss when it comes to capturing the essence of the show. When the books in question are good, they are very good; and when they are bad, they are usually awful.
Fortunately, Borrowed Time is a hit. Reading it was very much like watching an episode, albeit in my head instead of on my TV screen. Naomi Alderman does an excellent job of capturing Eleven’s frenetic – almost frantic – way of speech. The way he randomly rambles is caught on the printed page and it is incredibly easy to mentally picture Matt Smith saying the words.
Also worth mentioning is the way Amy and Rory (especially Rory) are kept relevant in the story. They are the Doctor’s companions, his friends; and like in the show they offer another view of what is happening. They help to gather information as well as offer assistance when they can. I especially liked how Rory was used and not simply brushed aside – something that sadly happens too often for him. He can be every bit as intelligent and insightful as Amy and that is used to good effect in this book.
Borrowed Time is a fairly quick read, again emulating the show’s hour long episode format. With only a few minor tweaks I could easily see this book being turned in to an actual episode.
Fans of Doctor Who – especially his Eleventh incarnation – will enjoy this one. I recommend picking it up and soundly rejecting any one who says they can help you with time.
September 24, 2012
Doctor Who: Borrowed Time is a crazy book. At Lexington Bank, the biggest bank in the whole entire world, has a ton of employees. They are expected to get a humungous project done in an hour. How? There are these weird people who give you watches. This special watch you can borrow time. If you go back a day, it will only affect you, and no one else. However, there is interest. Five minutes per hour, per hour. But when the weird people tell you the interest rates, they say the second per hour very quietly. When you pay back, the watch sucks out the time from your lifespan. If you borrow and you have a ton of unknown interest, and you pay back, you die, and you're a skeleton. Amy got one without realizing the danger, and doesn't pay back. Then the weird people start turning into shark people...
March 11, 2013
This is just bad!
Poor writing, with a weak concept and bad characterisations.
Firstly the setup for the story is boring right from the beginning, with all of time and space to choose from, the Doctor decides to take Amy and Rory to see a bank go bust... REALLY?!?!
Then Amy does something so stupidly, un-Amy that I wonder if the writer has ever watched the show before. The monsters are just ridiculous and lack any form of imagination (Shark Men??) and the story just drags on and on without any real interest thrown in.
This book is a fast read, and easy to get through if you want to but I find myself really forcing to get through this ridiculousness. One of the wrost of the Who books I've ever read.
Poor writing, with a weak concept and bad characterisations.
Firstly the setup for the story is boring right from the beginning, with all of time and space to choose from, the Doctor decides to take Amy and Rory to see a bank go bust... REALLY?!?!
Then Amy does something so stupidly, un-Amy that I wonder if the writer has ever watched the show before. The monsters are just ridiculous and lack any form of imagination (Shark Men??) and the story just drags on and on without any real interest thrown in.
This book is a fast read, and easy to get through if you want to but I find myself really forcing to get through this ridiculousness. One of the wrost of the Who books I've ever read.
June 18, 2013
So awhile ago I was really missing Amy, Rory and the Doctor, sad they didn't get a proper last series so went and ordered ALL the books I could find with them from the library. I really enjoyed this. It was Doctor Who meets Momo via Neil Gaiman. It was a plot that mocked the banking crisis, borrowing on credit, compound interest and loan sharks. I think this is my favourite Amy, Rory and the Doctor novel to date. It was a fun time travel story and mocked the career hungry and money hungry world we live in without being heavy handed. It was also nice to have a woman writer for a Doctor Who story as they are far too few and far between.
November 17, 2023
4.25/5
“I wish I had more time.”
Who among us hasn’t said that at one time or another. For writers, it’s something that seems to sum up so much of our time (especially during NaNoWriMo, which is taking place as I type these words). Imagine that someone could offer it to you and, with it, a chance to do all the things you wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to accomplish. All for a low interest fee. Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? Not to mention a plot idea more than worthy of Doctor Who. No wonder then that Naomi Alderman, future bestselling author of The Power, used it as the premise for her 2011 novel featuring the Eleventh Doctor.
Set in the gap between A Christmas Carol and The Impossible Astronaut, Borrowed Time fits neatly into the early Moffat era. Alderman put her spin on “timey wimey” by taking the Doctor, Amy, and Rory somewhere that time is literally money: a London based investment firm. One that seems the very model for the modern British economy, so much so it’s attracted government attention. And, of course, with a secret at its heart that explains how its productivity has risen some 300 percent in a short time.
Published in 2011 and set in 2007, it’s hard not to read the novel with another dozen years worth of hindsight as Alderman doing a Doctor Who take on the Great Recession. Something that would have been too topical perhaps for the series to tackle on-screen (at least directly, or until the Chibnall era took aim at hot button topics) but something that suited the Doctor’s literary adventures. There’s biting satire of toxic mortgages, the overinflated worth of assets, and, of course, what happens when the markets go into utter panic. Largely set inside a single firm that has become the beating heart for a financial power that few know exists, let alone understands. A system corrupt to its core, capturing the best and brightest young professionals and eventually sapping them for all their worth.
Literally, in this case, through the auspices of the time lending schemes of Symington and Blenkinsop.
Being Doctor Who, what would the novel be without some villains? Symington and Blenkinsop fill that gap for much of the novel’s length, first as odd merchants of time and then as something far more threatening. Alderman’s prose making it easy to imagine the pair, and sometimes multiple versions of them existing at the same time, pursuing the novel’s characters through lobbies and corridors. That they’re not alone seems a forgone conclusion but, also in keeping with the era that spawned the novel, Alderman is coy about who the power behind them is until it suits the narrative for a late but satisfying twist in the tale.
It also helps that Alderman knows this TARDIS crew and gets the Doctor Who universe so well. Capturing the quicksilver aspects of Matt Smith’s Doctor in prose can be as challenging as capturing Patrick Troughton. Yet Alderman does so with seemingly consummate ease, capturing the utterly childlike joy and humor of the character in scenes such as his arrival at the firm where the Doctor is impersonating an efficiency expert. But the novel also captures the darker, more world (nay, universe) weary aspects of that incarnation well, from realizing the danger one of his companions has gotten into to the novel’s climax. If there’s a piece of prose that’s captured Smith’s Doctor, it would be Borrowed Time.
What about Amy and Rory? Set in the still early days of their TARDIS travels and their marriage, the chemistry that Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill shared on-screen is replicated here. As are aspects of their story arcs, from Amy trying to find the balance in her life between time with the Doctor and her love for Rory to the sense of Rory having an inferiority complex thanks to the Doctor’s presence in Amy’s life. Alderman, too, weaves these into the plot, making them important emotional beats, replicating Moffat era tropes there as well. Like with other aspects of the novel, Alderman is able to return somewhat to the old “stories too broad and deep for the small screen” approach of Doctor Who books of yesteryear by exploring character aspects and concepts that Modern Who’s 45 minute format might well have struggled with.
That said, Alderman’s novel suffers from some of the pitfalls of the TV era that originated it. Though well-paced and bordering on being a page turner, there are times when keeping track of which versions of Symington and Blenkinsop are appearing in some sequences. The ideas regarding time and compound interest are, as mentioned above, intriguing ones but there are times when the novel gets mired in all but lecturing the reader about what it’s all about. Even if it does offer a neat full circle item about the tulip mania that gripped 1630s Holland (why hasn’t Doctor Who tackled that as a story, one wonders?). Like the Moffat era, the ideas are intriguing but the execution can sometimes be lacking, even if Alderman does a solid job for much of the novel’s length.
While being something that could have been an episode on TV can be off-putting for some (and a nightmare for others), it’s something that suits Borrowed Time rather well. Indeed, the novel is a better take on the “Doctor Who in a bank” idea than TV’s Time Heist a few years later. More than that, it also brings out what literary Doctor Who has done so well since the early 1990s: go further that the TV series could go.
Though finishing the novel, I was left with one unanswered question:
Did the Doctor cause the Great Recession?
“I wish I had more time.”
Who among us hasn’t said that at one time or another. For writers, it’s something that seems to sum up so much of our time (especially during NaNoWriMo, which is taking place as I type these words). Imagine that someone could offer it to you and, with it, a chance to do all the things you wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to accomplish. All for a low interest fee. Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? Not to mention a plot idea more than worthy of Doctor Who. No wonder then that Naomi Alderman, future bestselling author of The Power, used it as the premise for her 2011 novel featuring the Eleventh Doctor.
Set in the gap between A Christmas Carol and The Impossible Astronaut, Borrowed Time fits neatly into the early Moffat era. Alderman put her spin on “timey wimey” by taking the Doctor, Amy, and Rory somewhere that time is literally money: a London based investment firm. One that seems the very model for the modern British economy, so much so it’s attracted government attention. And, of course, with a secret at its heart that explains how its productivity has risen some 300 percent in a short time.
Published in 2011 and set in 2007, it’s hard not to read the novel with another dozen years worth of hindsight as Alderman doing a Doctor Who take on the Great Recession. Something that would have been too topical perhaps for the series to tackle on-screen (at least directly, or until the Chibnall era took aim at hot button topics) but something that suited the Doctor’s literary adventures. There’s biting satire of toxic mortgages, the overinflated worth of assets, and, of course, what happens when the markets go into utter panic. Largely set inside a single firm that has become the beating heart for a financial power that few know exists, let alone understands. A system corrupt to its core, capturing the best and brightest young professionals and eventually sapping them for all their worth.
Literally, in this case, through the auspices of the time lending schemes of Symington and Blenkinsop.
Being Doctor Who, what would the novel be without some villains? Symington and Blenkinsop fill that gap for much of the novel’s length, first as odd merchants of time and then as something far more threatening. Alderman’s prose making it easy to imagine the pair, and sometimes multiple versions of them existing at the same time, pursuing the novel’s characters through lobbies and corridors. That they’re not alone seems a forgone conclusion but, also in keeping with the era that spawned the novel, Alderman is coy about who the power behind them is until it suits the narrative for a late but satisfying twist in the tale.
It also helps that Alderman knows this TARDIS crew and gets the Doctor Who universe so well. Capturing the quicksilver aspects of Matt Smith’s Doctor in prose can be as challenging as capturing Patrick Troughton. Yet Alderman does so with seemingly consummate ease, capturing the utterly childlike joy and humor of the character in scenes such as his arrival at the firm where the Doctor is impersonating an efficiency expert. But the novel also captures the darker, more world (nay, universe) weary aspects of that incarnation well, from realizing the danger one of his companions has gotten into to the novel’s climax. If there’s a piece of prose that’s captured Smith’s Doctor, it would be Borrowed Time.
What about Amy and Rory? Set in the still early days of their TARDIS travels and their marriage, the chemistry that Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill shared on-screen is replicated here. As are aspects of their story arcs, from Amy trying to find the balance in her life between time with the Doctor and her love for Rory to the sense of Rory having an inferiority complex thanks to the Doctor’s presence in Amy’s life. Alderman, too, weaves these into the plot, making them important emotional beats, replicating Moffat era tropes there as well. Like with other aspects of the novel, Alderman is able to return somewhat to the old “stories too broad and deep for the small screen” approach of Doctor Who books of yesteryear by exploring character aspects and concepts that Modern Who’s 45 minute format might well have struggled with.
That said, Alderman’s novel suffers from some of the pitfalls of the TV era that originated it. Though well-paced and bordering on being a page turner, there are times when keeping track of which versions of Symington and Blenkinsop are appearing in some sequences. The ideas regarding time and compound interest are, as mentioned above, intriguing ones but there are times when the novel gets mired in all but lecturing the reader about what it’s all about. Even if it does offer a neat full circle item about the tulip mania that gripped 1630s Holland (why hasn’t Doctor Who tackled that as a story, one wonders?). Like the Moffat era, the ideas are intriguing but the execution can sometimes be lacking, even if Alderman does a solid job for much of the novel’s length.
While being something that could have been an episode on TV can be off-putting for some (and a nightmare for others), it’s something that suits Borrowed Time rather well. Indeed, the novel is a better take on the “Doctor Who in a bank” idea than TV’s Time Heist a few years later. More than that, it also brings out what literary Doctor Who has done so well since the early 1990s: go further that the TV series could go.
Though finishing the novel, I was left with one unanswered question:
Did the Doctor cause the Great Recession?
April 6, 2021
This is my first doctor who book. It was like a really long Doctor Who episode, and with some of my favourite companions, but I overall found it quite average. It was a nice idea, the writing was fine but I kept checking how much was left and I didnt finish the book feeling really glad i'd taken the time to read it, ironically. Depending on your love for Doctor Who it could be worth it but it just wasn't my story.
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