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zmull's review against another edition
4.0
Douglas Adams is the biggest name to ever work on Doctor Who. But his legacy there is mixed. City of Death, which he scripted from a story by David Fisher, is probably the best Doctor Who story ever made. His next story, Shada, was cancelled mid-production. Despite its mythic status, if finished it likely it would have ranked nearer to this book's source material, than City of Death. The Pirate Planet was Douglas Adams' first Doctor Who story. It's likely that script editor Anthony Read heavily reworked the story before commissioning Adams' scripts. The serial, like all Doctor Whos, was make in a rush, with little money, and no thought whatsoever toward historical review. It was grossly overacted. Tom Baker was in his fifth year and no one could direct him at this point. And Bruce Purchase as the Captain... oof. As TV, the Pirate Planet is weird and charming, but not DW at its best.
What makes the recent Douglas Adams novelizations so wonderful is the chance they offer to take another pass at these stories. Gareth Roberts' Shada is fantastic. For my money, it's the definitive version of that story. But the one that provides the best service to fans is this book. James Goss fixes the plot without losing any of the original's strangeness. His jokes match Adams jokes. He even fixes one of the lamest cliffhangers in all of Doctor Who. Even better, the audiobook is read by Jon Culshaw, who famously does a spot on Tom Baker impression. He also nails Purchase's, uh, energy and the prissiness of John Leeson's K9. As with Shada, this novel, especially the audio version vastly improves on the TV version. Recommended.
(Now there are only two DWs without novelizations - Eric Saward's two Dalek stories. Saward isn't the name Adams is, of course, but I sure would love to see those stories given the deluxe treatment these three were given. They're both good stories.)
(Hell, I'd go for James Goss / Jon Culshaw versions of some of Tom Baker stories that have Target novelizations already. Could they fix The Power of Kroll? Yes, please.)
What makes the recent Douglas Adams novelizations so wonderful is the chance they offer to take another pass at these stories. Gareth Roberts' Shada is fantastic. For my money, it's the definitive version of that story. But the one that provides the best service to fans is this book. James Goss fixes the plot without losing any of the original's strangeness. His jokes match Adams jokes. He even fixes one of the lamest cliffhangers in all of Doctor Who. Even better, the audiobook is read by Jon Culshaw, who famously does a spot on Tom Baker impression. He also nails Purchase's, uh, energy and the prissiness of John Leeson's K9. As with Shada, this novel, especially the audio version vastly improves on the TV version. Recommended.
(Now there are only two DWs without novelizations - Eric Saward's two Dalek stories. Saward isn't the name Adams is, of course, but I sure would love to see those stories given the deluxe treatment these three were given. They're both good stories.)
(Hell, I'd go for James Goss / Jon Culshaw versions of some of Tom Baker stories that have Target novelizations already. Could they fix The Power of Kroll? Yes, please.)
nchpmn's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
rachelsoph's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
jarichan's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
litartist's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
wayward's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
rancidslopshop's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
gingerreader99's review against another edition
5.0
I'm not sure how this isn't a full rate 5 star book. It's a showcase of the absolute hilarious Genius that is Douglas Adams and in my opinion his perfect capture of the 4th Doctor and Romana. It's getting to the point after Shada and this that I never want to bother with 4th Doctor Stories that are not from him(and yes I know there's not very many). I really believe this gets funnier as it goes, but it has its moments throughout. I cannot wait to dive into the next Adams story I have waiting for me.
lilly_haferkamp's review against another edition
3.0
Spent a pleasurable time reading this Dr. Who Story based on Douglas Adams. Quite lovely but originally made for tv and I think it is better to watch than to read.
elizafiedler's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0