Doctor Who: eBook Review - "The Ripple Effect" By Malorie Blackman
rating: 2
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In honor of the upcoming 50th anniversary of Doctor Who and the BBC special that may or may not be fantastic, Puffin is releasing a series of eBook short stories featuring each of the eleven Doctors so far. "The Ripple Effect" chronicles an adventure of the Seventh Doctor, accompanied by idealistic companion Ace. As described on Amazon.com, "When the TARDIS lands on Skaro, the Seventh Doctor and Ace are shocked to discover that the planet has become the universal center of learning, populated by a race of peace-loving Daleks. Ever suspicious of his archenemies' motives, the Doctor learns of a threat that could literally tear the universe apart..."I have very little experience thus far with Classic Who, and Seven was a Doctor whose face I could not even recall, although I must have surely seen a photo at some point. So, in preparation for this review, I watched "The Ghost Light," a serial starring Sylvester McCoy as the Doctor and Sophie Aldred as Ace. Once I got past the rather jarring title sequence, I was unimpressed with both Seven and Ace. I can't say why, exactly, but the three-parter lacked the combination of science and whimsy that has made previous Doctors so very charming to watch. It is entirely possible that I happened to choose a lackluster serial to use as research, but as it is, Seven is not likely to become one of my favorite Doctors. Now, taking place only in either the TARDIS or the Dalek home planet of Skaro, "The Ripple Effect" is clearly written for readers already extremely familiar with the Doctor Who universe as well as with Seven and his companion. The story reads as though it is a sequel to another story. While "The Ripple Effect" is admittedly one installment of a series of short stories that are almost certainly only going to be read by preexisting fans of the Doctor Who universe, the abruptness of both the beginning and ending feel as though there are a few pages missing from the eBook. The biggest problem with "The Ripple Effect," however, is that it is not particularly engaging. All of the elements for an exciting story are there, but the combination fails to live up to its potential. Of course, it could that my lack of connection with Seven and Ace from my viewing of "The Ghost Light" clouded my judgment, but none of the plot twists are particularly twisty. The secondary characters are furthermore fairly two-dimensional, and the emotional resonance clearly intended with the implications of the Doctor's solution to this particular catastrophe is lacking. Fortunately, "The Ripple Effect" does not lack for a redeeming quality or two. Despite the restricting format of the short story, author Malorie Blackman manages to give a deeper look into the culture of Gallifrey and the Time Lords' roles in the universe, both of which are bound to be of interest (as well as the Doctor's attitude towards them) to viewers of only the 2005 reboot. Overall, however, the story has a distinct feeling of filler, and despite the fact that I just finished reading it about twenty minutes before beginning my review, the details of the plot are already fading away. It is a harmless, but hardly memorable, read.