| Title | : | Doctor Who: At Childhood's End |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1785945017 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 978-1785945014 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 352 pages |
| Publication | : | Penguin Group UK |
Doctor Who: At Childhood's End Reviews
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4.5/5
I love it when elements of Classic Who and New Who are combined to tell a whole new story. With a history this vast Doctor Who is a franchise that's perfect for such a mashup of the old and new. Especially given how much of a mixture of old and new this current era is what with its female Doctor and its throwback to a three companion TARDIS team. So, when the news broke that Sophie Alfred, the actress who played Ace (companion of the 7th Doctor and the prototype for the modern Doctor Who companion as we know them), would be writing a book detailing an adventure where Ace meets the current Doctor and her companions, I was totally on board. And, I gotta tell you, it's a really good book. In fact, it's so good that I wish it could be adapted into an episode or two of the show itself.
Sophie Aldred is a good writer. Yes, I know the book is technically co written by Steve Cole and Mike Tucker, two veteran Doctor Who novelists, and it's hard to know who, exactly, wrote what. But I stand by that statement Sophie Aldred is a good writer. Or, at least, she knows how to construct a really good Doctor Who story. Her prose may not be the best flowing, but she totally understands the various components that make a good Doctor Who story: a really compelling mystery, some really great character work, and a lot of fun. Honestly, At Childhood's End might rival Engines of War and The Good Doctor as my favorite Doctor Who novel that I've read to date.
At Childhood's End certainly has a good hook. It's been ages since Ace traveled with the Doctor, but she's suddenly having bad dreams about being transported to a weird, desert planet with sand that hurts your feet that remind her of her past experiences with a time scoop. Those dreams also seem to be related to a string of recent disappearances where homeless/abandoned children are being kidnapped by weird, rat like aliens. Then there's the sudden appearance of a UFO orbiting the moon with nobody seeing it approach. All of that makes for a great hook for a Doctor Who story, especially when combined with the equally big hook of Ace meeting the 13th Doctor. But Aldred is really smart and withholds that first meeting until the very end of the first third of the novel. Instead, she spends the first chunk reintroducing readers to Ace (or introducing them to her for the first time, as the case may be) and allowing her to go on her own adventure as she tries to get to the bottom of what's going on. Honestly, I'd read an entire book that was just Ace investigating alien threats on her own, without the Doctor ever appearing. That's how good that first part is. But, of course, this is a Doctor Who story and the Doctor has to enter at some point, which she does with lots of panache at the end of the first part of the novel.
From there, the story plays out like any other Doctor Who tale. The Doctor enters the picture and starts to take control of the situation, gathering information from everyone involved and investigating various elements before plunging herself, and her friends, into certain danger until the story ultimately wraps up. While it's definitely a very entertaining and engaging story, I will say that it isn't exactly the novel's best element. The premise is strong, but it feels like it doesn't quite support the novel's length and in the latter half of the book, things feel as though they've been stretched just a bit too thin. As a result, the momentum of the actual story just sort of fizzles out in a climax that's not quite as climactic as it should be. The villain is interesting, but a bit under explored and there are a few too many other potential villains that distract from the main one. It's not that any of this is bad, necessarily, but it does feel a tiny bit underwhelming, especially when compared to the excellent characterization found throughout the novel. Still, it's a very engaging plot, even if it does fizzle out a bit at the end. In that regard, it's in pretty great company beside loads of other great Doctor Who stories with somewhat problematic plots.
The best aspect of the novel, however, is easily its characterization. Aldred not only understands exactly what makes Ace tick, but she also has a deep understanding of what makes the 13th Doctor, Ryan, Graham, and Yaz tick and she's able to write all of these characters as if she's been writing them for years. The biggest joy, of course, is seeing how Ace has changed and grown in the years after her adventures with the Doctor. It's not as though Doctor Who's expanded universe hasn't explored Ace's life after the classic run of the series ended, of course, but rarely has a story jumped this far into her future and explored what her life might be like after the Doctor. This is an Ace who departed with the Doctor on less than good terms (an event which is hinted at throughout the novel in interludes but never fully shown) and, as a result, has taken that pain and allowed it to harden her in certain ways while pushing her to focus her energy on doing the most good she can do which she does by running her charity, A Charitable Earth. This evolution of the character feels totally in line with the arc she went through during her time on the show. It feels like a natural continuation of her story and it's a large part of why her interactions with the 13th Doctor work as well as they do.
Speaking of the Doctor, her relationship with Ace contributes a lot to the novel. It's a lot of fun to see how this Doctor is both similar and different to the 7th Doctor, the one Ace is familiar with. That Doctor was a lot blatantly manipulative than the 13th Doctor is, but both Doctors cake their manipulations in a layer of "we're just trying to do what's best." Ace, of course, is than fed up with the Doctor deciding what's best for her. In fact, one of the interesting elements of Ace and the 13th Doctor's relationship is how Ace's knowledge of the Doctor's past influences Yaz's opinion of the Doctor, presently. It's also really interesting seeing how both Ace and the Doctor have changed since they parted ways. Ace has lived the rest of her life and simultaneously distanced herself from her past while allowing it to shape her into the woman she is today and the Doctor has been through so much trauma that's definitely informed who she is. Both of them are different but both of them are also the same in a lot of ways. They're often at odds with each other, but they also easily slip back into their old friendship. Their relationship is the heart of the book and it's in these moments that the book shines its brightest. I almost wish it could have been an adventure with only those two just so we could see of their dynamic. But as it is, it's some really good stuff and it's clear that Aldred has a lot to say about their relationship.
At Childhood's End has quite a large cast there's Ace, Will (a British astronaut and Ace's ex), Sam (his coworker and current partner), Chantelle (Ace's childhood friend), Kim Fortune (a podcaster), the Doctor, Ryan, Yaz, and Graham. That's a sizeable cast and while Aldred does her best to give all of them a fair amount of page time and things to do, some of the characters will inevitably get left by the wayside most notably Sam and Will, who completely disappear from the story in the final third, and Chantelle and Kim who make very little splash, in general, save for some attention in the climax that might have been better spent elsewhere. It's a shame because all four make a pretty good impression in the first third of the book before the Doctor enters the picture. But once the current TARDIS team arrives, they sort of suck all the attention away from the rest of Ace's friends. Which is understandable, if a bit sad. It makes me wish for Aldred to write books with this cast of characters, just without the Doctor appearing in them.
However, Aldred does an excellent job of capturing the voices of Ryan, Yaz, and Graham and giving them something to do and ensuring they each get a fair chunk of attention throughout the story. Aldred clearly understands what makes these characters tick and it feels as though she's been writing them for ages. Yaz is definitely given the meatiest role of the current companions as Aldred uses Yaz as a character to contrast with Ace. While Ace doesn't trust the Doctor, Yaz doesn't trust Ace and she finds that she's jealous of Ace's past with the Doctor. This tension leads to some really good scenes later in the novel where Ace tells Yaz about the Doctor's darker side, truly shaking some of Yaz's faith in the Doctor. Combined with the ongoing arc in the current season of the show, this characterization of Yaz really enhances what audiences are seeing on screen and, honestly, it's the kind of characterization the show should be showing of. It leads to some great scenes where Yaz confronts the Doctor about her subtle manipulations of the companions, giving us a really nice moment where the Doctor actually apologizes for her actions. It's good stuff. While Ryan and Graham don't get the same development or attention that Yaz and the Doctor do, they feel true to their TV selves, but they aren't given much to do outside of what they normally do. But honestly, it's okay because what characterization At Childhood's End does have is really wonderful and it carries the book a long way.
At the end of the day, At Childhood's End has everything you want in a Doctor Who story: a really good mystery, a lot of meaty character drama, and a rollicking good adventure. It's paced really well, written really well, and easily grabs your attention. It's one of those books that you pick up for the gimmick of a previous companion meeting the current Doctor but stick around for the excellent characterization and truly entertaining story that's being told. For a debut novel, At Childhood's End is a really promising one and I would love for Aldred to continue writing novels about Ace. This novel should easily please fans of both the classic and modern eras of Doctor Who; it's a beautiful merge between the two eras and is so well executed that I really wish it would be adapted as a televised Christmas special or something. It'd be really Ace. Pun intended. -
Another great Doctor Who book. Old companion of the Seventh Doctor Meets the 13th Doctor. I liked Ace in the old series she and the Doctor made a great team. I Wondered what happened to Ace after the original series ended. The comics and books of the Doctor Who series ether say she died in battle or married and lived a great life. I liked this version better. Sophie Aldred who played Ace in the series did a good job on this book. Only a person who played the character could really understand her life and motivations. I hope Ace and Sophie come back to do books or guest star in the new series.
new tv series -
No one knows the character of Ace in Doctor Who better than Sophie Aldred who played her. In this story Sophie Aldred tells the readers what Ace is doing thirty years after she traveled in the TARDIS with the seventh Doctor. Now calling herself Dorthy, the former companion is the CEO of a major charity organization called A Charitable Earth. One morning, the world notices that there is strange spaceship orbiting the moon. With the help of of an astronaut named Will, she travels to the ship to investigate. When she arrives, she finds the eleventh Doctor and her current crew are already there. Dorthy joins forces with the Doctor to defeat the evil menace that is threatening the peace of the universe. There is an interesting sub plot that explains why Ace parted ways with the seventh Doctor. This is a fun story written in the style of classic Doctor Who. I recommend it for any Doctor Who fan.
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I don't casually hand out five star ratings, and didn't expect to here, either. The early chapters didn't engage me very much, and I found myself counting the number of times the word 'huge' appeared, and how so many sentences could read better if cast in the active voice (a side effect, no doubt, of being a former technical writer and editor).
Then something magical happened: I found myself immersed in the story, no longer focused on the details of the writing, but on the details of the characters and story. By the end I felt deeply engaged and very happy that I had read it, and just a little jealous that my own fiction writing is not yet at this level.
The biggest surprise for me is that this was possibly the best Who novel of the two or three dozen (or ) that I've read. Very satisfying. -
Around a year after a Fourth Doctor novel comes from Tom Baker himself, it is the turn of Sophie Aldred to provide a novel that focusses upon her onscreen character of Ace.
Set in the current year of 2020, this is an Ace thirty years after she has parted ways with the Doctor. This then means that Ace’s intervening life is basically in real time. During this period she has dropped the moniker of Ace and is going under her real name of Dorothy and has setup and run the organisation A Charitable Earth, echoing the ideas Russell T. Davies potentially had for the character but which ultimately only received a brief mention in ‘The Sarah Jane Adventures’.
Intriguingly this also seems like it could tie in the Bluray commercial for the twenty sixth series where Sophie Aldred reprised her role of Ace and was seen waiting in the offices of A Charitable Earth for the Doctor. It may have been that filming that was the inspiration for writing this novel.
Much like Rose, Martha and the aforementioned Sarah Jane, Ace has continued her involvement with aliens, obtaining her own stash of artefacts and keeping tabs on UNIT and Torchwood. It is her investigation into the appearance of a strange vessel in the vicinity of the moon that results in her crossing paths with the Doctor once .
There’s a decent storyline which links nicely as to how and why Ace ended up being whisked off to Iceworld, expanding upon the loose Fenric connection. However, although it’s an entertaining enough tale the novel’s main strength lies in how well Aldred knows the character she played onscreen and how successfully and realistically she portrays a version thirty years on.
Of course, this is also a Thirteenth Doctor novel, which is a bonus considering that there doesn’t seem to be the usual output of BBC novels to accompany the current series. The novel exhibits a Good grasp of the Thirteenth Doctor and her companions.
Yaz, in particular, benefits from some good characterisation. She is suspicious of Ace and somewhat jealous of her prior relationship with the Doctor. This encourages her to be a little antagonistic towards Ace in their interactions and shows a side/element to her that isn’t seen onscreen.
The novel offers a new explanation as to why Ace leaves the Doctor. It works into the events of this novel and includes some flashback sequences that allow for Ace and the Seventh Doctor to appear together again. It doesn’t particularly correspond to any previous ideas that the programme may have progressed with if it stayed on air or that have come up in other media. However, it is still based around the issues that arose in the twenty sixth series concerned with her manipulation by the Doctor.
Even though the Doctor and Ace meeting again is enjoyable, there could have been a little to it perhaps. It is also a shame that there isn’t as much interaction between them as there could have been as they spend much of the story apart. -
That one word heading is about all I can say without risking spoilers. There are many good Doctor Who novels (& some not so good). This is among the best: good story, all characters done really well (not just Ace, whom the author played). It helps, of course, that Ace is still my all time favourite of the Doctor's companions.
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The Seventh Doctor and Ace remain my favourite Doctor and companion pairing. So of course I wanted to read a book featuring written by, well, Ace! (Or at least the actor who portrayed her on the TV series and has continued to do so on 'Big Finish' audio adventures.)
The story races along quite well, but also has some great character moments. These aren't only from Ace. Intriguingly enough, the book manages to differentiate and give complexity to the Thirteenth Doctor's companions than the TV series seems able to do. Yaz, in particular, really shines.
Recommended for any 'Doctor Who' fans, classic or current series. -
Ever wondered what became of Ace (aka Dorothy McShane) after the original "Doctor Who" series ended in 1989?
Serious fans will know there's no definitive answer. Rather like Peri, there have been several contradictory accounts of their post TV lives. According to a "Doctor Who Magazine" comic strip, Ace died tragically in action, while the Big Finish audios have her continuing in the TARDIS for some considerable time, the Doctor eventually taking her to Gallifrey. Another alternative was the Virgin "New Adventures" series of novels, which churned out literally dozens of Ace's exploits with the Doctor, ending up with her somehow settled in fin de siecle Paris.
In the course of those NA tales she evolved from a stroppy teenager, briefly left the TARDIS and become a starship trooper, returned to continue her travels with the Seventh Doctor and archaeologist Bernice Summerfield, and even spent time in Ancient Egypt.
When Big Finish lost its franchise, BBC Books took over producing "new" stories about the various Doctors and their companions, including the superb "Illegal Aliens", featuring The Seventh Doctor and Ace encountering Cybermen during the Blitz.
This is the only tale specifically mentioned in "At Childhood's End", Sophie Aldred's attempt to throw light on what Ace would be up to now.
Alded also mentions in passing these contradictory alternatives, suggesting they are parallel timelines or other possible futures for Ace, but her take is that not that long after "Survival", a situation arose in which the Doctor's manipulative nature and Ace's self obsessed touchiness clashed beyond resolution, and they went their separate ways.
In 2020 Ace, now calling herself Dorothea McShane, is 50 and a multi millionaire philanthropist, with an astronaut ex boyfriend, the ultimate "green" car, and a private collection of alien artefacts. This includes "Squidget", a semi organic lifeform that can power and navigate any device. It does rather come across as being like the cute little creature that HAS to accompany the heroes & heroines in American cartoons.
(The account of how Ace BECAME so wealthy is amusing, though it was a thing the Doctor himself had done in an early New Adventures called 'Birthright', so why the latest Doctor is so disapproving is a mystery.)
The storyline of "At Childhood's End" is too involved to go into here. Suffice to say it starts with a mystery object orbiting the Moon and Ace getting up there so ridiculously quickly (a matter of moments!) that the first 50 pages of the book seem like an episode of "Supercar" or "Thunderbirds".
Come to that, why is the space centre in England slap bang next to a picturesque village? I can't imagine the villagers tolerating the noise and potential danger of rockets being launched from their doorsteps!
Inside the mystery satellite, Dorothea and her tame astronaut come face to face with the current (female) Doctor and her "fam"
I have to say that for a first time novelist, Aldred masters the intricacies of plotting extremely well, and her large cast of characters, which includes some highly original aliens, is vividly portrayed.
She writes well, capturing the speech patterns of the established TV characters perfectly. Ryan even comes out with his "Sick!" expletive, which I imagine is the 21st century equivalent of "Wicked!"
I do wish she wouldn't use the American word "gotten"I know it started as an English word, but we really don't say it over here.
The story does become complex and disturbing, and is not resolved TOO tritely.
But there's something rather childish & naive about much of it. The fantasy story is a long drawn out nightmare involving goblins, status and centaurs, but the earthbound chapters are thin and unconvincing. Dorothy (Ace) comes across as a fifty year old little girl with an impossibly affluent lifestyle. She makes big claims about how "green" and environmentally involved she is, yet she lives alone in a purpose built skyscraper in the City of London that has air conditioning throughout. Her carbon footprint can't be that light!
The door seems to have been left open for further "Ace" takes, but I for one hope everyone involved realises the time has come to let her be. I see Big Finish is about to team up Ian Chesterton & Susan Foreman with the Eighth Doctor, and I've just bought a BF audio that has the First and Second Doctors meeting up..along with poor dead Katarina!
Pleaseremember the fable of the Golden Goose! I'll need TARDIS bookshelves at this rate! -
While Ace has always been a popular companion, this last year or so the character seems to have enjoyed a resurgence in popularity. There have been multiple contradictory accounts of what happened to Ace after leaving the Doctor, but we seem to have settled on the one depicted in Sophie Aldred's novel that Ace established a successful charity back on Earth.
Besides Sophie Aldred penning the character she's played for over thirty years, the appeal of At Childhood's End lies in seeing Ace reunite with the Doctor's latest incarnation. While I found Series 11 of the show to be refreshing in the way it distanced itself from references to the past, when it comes to the wider Whoniverse, you have room to do a lot , and I imagine those who may have been disappointed by the show's approach enjoying this a lot .
It is wonderful getting to read about Ace meeting the 13th Doctor, Graham, Ryan and Yaz, and I'd welcome seeing this novel adapted for the actual show. Aldred does a great job characterizing the current TARDIS team and they're prominent for the bulk of the story. The story itself maybe isn't as memorable or interesting as just seeing this team up happen, and generally I wouldn't say it's the novel's strongest aspect. It does engage with some big ideas and even link back to events from The Curse Of Fenric, but I think it was inevitable that the rest of the story does feel somewhat less attention grabbing than the promise of Ace and the 13th Doctor meeting.
At Childhood's End is very enjoyable nonetheless, and I hope that we get to see some kind of follow up to it, whether it be through further extended universe material or with a bit of luck in the show itself. Definitely recommended!
