Doctor Who Club of Australia

Greg · Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2005 6:32 pm Post subject: Only Human

The 5th book featuring the 9th Doctor and Rose (and the 2nd with Captain Jack) comes from a former Doctor Who novelist, Gareth Roberts. I enjoyed Gareth's books when he was writing them, but I wondered what I'd think now...

I needn't have worried.

This is (in all likelihood, I've still got another to read) the best of the 9th Doctor novels. Gareth Roberts retains his light and breezy style, peppering the text liberally with wacky and humorous ideas that seem to fit perfectly.

As you might gather from its title, Only Human does look at what it is to be human, although it does that from a number of oblique angles. The story begins on modern-day Earth, where the TARDIS crew find a displaced neanderthal and investigate why... the circumstances of the neanderthal's displacement mean he can't travel back in time (without fatal consequences), so Rose and the Doctor head off to find out what happened, leaving Jack to help settle Das, the neanderthal, in to his new time...

With a number of different version of humanity on display throughout the novel, the book has a minor examination of human nature. But mostly it's Rose and the Doctor unravelling a mystery while Jack gets to introduce Das to the 21st century in his own inimitable fashion.

The characters seem right, in terms of what we've seen on TV. Jack continues to have an outrageous approach to life that would set Mrs Mary Whitehouse's tongue clicking in dismay were she still here to witness it. Rose gets a substantial role while the Doctor has to work out exactly who these humans, from a time period he doesn't reall know, are and what they are up to.

If the book has a failing, it's that it doesn't take itself seriously enough. It's mostly for the laughs, but it doesn't require the characters to act strangely to achieve those laughs. But it doesn't set itself up as being serious, so that failing, if it is one, will derive from what the reader brings to the book.

For those who'd like to read a bit of Gareth Roberts to see whether they might like this book, an earlier novel of his (featuring the 4th Doctor, the 2nd Romana and K9) is available at the BBC website. It's called The Well Mannered War.

Ace · Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Posts: 114 Location: Sydney

I always thought of Gareth Roberts as a bit boring...until I read Only Human. Awesome book. The future humans were just downright frightening. I really hope we don't go down that path...

Das was just delightful. It was good to see that one writer has actually studied his history as well....Neanderthals were dfinately not a stupid people and the fact that Das picks up everything so quickly emphasises this. They were, apparently, fast learners. Pity time wasn't on their side.

Ace

p.s. Is it the fifth book? I didn't realise they had an order, I read it first.

Greg · Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2005 5:24 pm Post subject:

The 'order' can be determined by the symbol at the top of the spine. If you compare these to the symbols at the chapter beginnings, The Deviant Strain is number 4, Only Human is number 5, and The Stealer of Dreams is number 6.

Ace · Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Posts: 114 Location: Sydney

I thought the symbols were just decoration...well there you go. Really didn't make a difference though as none of the stories are connected and previous novel adventures aren't mentioned as yet.

How does comparinf the symbols on the spine to the chapter headings tell you? They're the same in every book as far as I can see,

Ace

Kerr Avon · Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Posts: 478

the symbol on the spine of Only Human is the symbol used for chapter five of every book, thus making it #5 in the series - the same applies to the other five books (with different numbers, obviously)

the wheel · Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Posts: 164

this book was great!

might i just add that pretty much all of the new series books have been great!

this book moved nice and quickly and had enough twists and turns to keep me reading.

i liked the separation between jack and rose and the doctor - it was good to get some relief from the action in the past with jack and das

Darth Sidious · Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Posts: 105

I only gave it a good 'rating'
It was an okay read, but not as good as Robert's other books IMO.

montypython · Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 2:13 pm Post subject:

I loved this! The punchline of the opening chapter was hilarious, as were Jack and Das's adventures. And while it was overall a comedy, it still retained an air of mystery and intrigue.

Ickabod · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 552 Location: far far away

I really enjoyed it....good read....fantastic