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so i accidentally bought a used copy of Human Nature last weekend and read it all on Tuesday. and the TV episodes are fresh in my mind too, so Immediate Reactions (spoiler warning):
fascinating that in book!HN, the Doctor decides to become human for the hell of it, for emotional reasons. I’d assumed that it would be revealed eventually that of course he was doing it to hide from the Family (erm, I forget their species name in the book), but no, the Family was the one who turned him human. I do think the TV version works better as a premise—and the Doctor not explaining much and giving limited instructions works better if he was genuinely in a rush, rather than it being a personal choice. but still. huh.
dear lord this book is much darker than the TV version. the whole school getting blown up and most of the students dying, the bullies literally killing Tim and him being brought back to life…..
the one thing I liked better in the book was how it explored the Doctor-as-an-Ideal more—how anyone can be the Doctor. John Smith didn’t have to change back to embrace what the Doctor stood for—he chose to be the sort of hero the Doctor was himself, while he was still human. Tim learned that he can say no to being a soldier and there are other ways to do good — and literally became a doctor.
I am fascinated by John Smith surviving briefly as a separate person from the Doctor. I liked it as a plot resolution—the villain trying to absorb the Doctor and instead being thwarted because he absorbed the mind of a human. weird that he then. dies(?) but there was something quite interesting there briefly, about humanity being his undoing. and the Doctor and John Smith getting to talk to each other. and it was definitely unexpected, given how nothing of the sort happens in TV!HN. (the mechanics of becoming human and the Doctor’s memories being stored separately also being different.)
yes I did read this because I knew Romana would be mentioned. I’d heard that seeing a vision of her was what led the Doctor to realize the threat the Family posed—which is true! but I’d assumed that this vision was before the adventure, that this vision sparked his plan to thwart the Family by hiding as a human. so I was emotionally unprepared for it being John Smith having the vision. he didn’t even remember her, but seeing Romana executed was what convinced him to resist, to not give the Family what they wanted. y’all I’m feeling things 🥺
#emily reads dw books#that’s a tag now#i truly didn’t *plan* to buy and inhale this book so quickly but hey!#it was genuinely really interesting seeing the similarities and differences to the tv version!#dw vnas#doctor who#dw eu#ramblings#romana#doctor x romana
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getting into the VNAs is actually insane because every once in a while you will run into a tiny little throwaway detail that is For Some Reason referenced in an equally throwaway manner in a tv episode 20 years later like this shit what do you mean that was a reference to an extended universe book from 1995. what do you MEAN
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This week in obscure Doctor Who expanded universe references the internet has found:
First, the pub has a beer called Llanfer Ceiriog Pale Ale. While there's some similarly named locations IRL, with the Ceiriog Valley being a valley in North-East Wales, there is no place actually called this. Instead it's seemingly a direct reference to a fictional Welsh village visited by Seven and Ace in Cat's Cradle: Witch's Mark, connected by a stone circle to a planet of fantasy creatures. Quite ironic, given how mocking the landlady and patrons are about people thinking Welsh villages are backwards and full of witchcraft.
Secondly, while this might be a coincidence, Kate's suggestion of a Sontaran's arrival inspiring belief in God could be referencing DWM 59's comic: "The Gods Walk Among Us", where ancient Egyptians indeed mistake a Sontaran named Styx for a god.
Bonus, because it's not actually a reference, but just a reused filming location:
The pub Ruby stays in is the same one in Countrycide. At least in this case, however, it's just a filming location coincidence. The external shots are completely different, they're in different villages, and the pubs have different names.
#Doctor Who#DW Spoilers#Doctor Who Spoilers#73 Yards#Torchwood#DWM#Doctor Who Magazine#VNAs#Cat's Cradle: Witch's Mark#The Gods Walk Among Us#Countrycide#Doctor Who EU
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being a dr who eu fan is a full time job. and brother? im puttin' in my 40 hours
#doctor who#dr who#dw#dweu#doctor who eu#big finish#edas#vnas#SO A KINK BLOG I FOLLOW POSTED SOMETHING AND HAD THE WORD 'LOOMS' IN THE CAPTION
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girls be like I'm really normal about doctor who then proceeds to tell you the difference between EDAs 8DAs PDAs and VNAs
#dw#eighth doctor#edas#eighth doctor adventures#8das#vnas#pdas#virgin new adventures#past doctor adventures#8th doctor adventures#big finish#dweu#doctor who#doctor who expanded universe
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The One Who Waits: what if its Death?
Death is what waits for everyone. She's inescapable. She's inevitable. It makes sense the Toymaker, a creature of eternal play, would stay away from the embodiment of Ending.
Not to mention rtd is clearly still going with exploring the Doctor's past and Death is tied to at least one version of the Doctor's origin
Between the duo in Can You Hear Me, Time in Flux, and the Toymaker in The Giggle, the show has been inching back towards eternals and godlike creatures.
Wouldn't it be cool if Death was next?
#i saw a clip of rtd talking about gods and 'goddesses' they could bring back in the new series#and HELLO#death your problematic queen??#doctor who#dw spoilers#dw speculation#do not mention leaks if there are any i dont want to know#doctor who death eternal#doctor who eternals#dweu#the giggle#the one who waits#vnas#dw lore#<- someone tagged that and yesss the LOREEEEEEE
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i love the dweu. you can love classic who companions. you can watch everything they are in, love them dearly, sing their praises up the rooftops to make people understand them deeper. and then still get hit with: "i love them, a shame about the mpreg though" ...and you just have to sit there and prosses for a minute
#doctor who#dw#dweu#big finish#doctor who comics#vnas#edas#YES THIS IS ABOUT STEVEN TAYLOR BECAUSE WHAT
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not what i was looking for but it's always great to be reminded of the time that seven martyred five 👍
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dr who books from the 90s: what if people from the far future are racist and sexist in the exact same way that people are racist and sexist in 1992. i can imagine other worlds and species but all of those species have the same approach to race and gender as this world and time. this is visionary btw
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I was opening my software to try to make some new series gif parallels with the expanded universe and got way too far before I remembered that the books, comics, and audios don't have anything I can gif.
Sad.
#doctor who#dw#dr who#new who#big finish#big finish doctor who#big finish audios#doctor who expanded universe#dw eu#doctor who eu#gif#audios#edas#pdas#vnas#nsas#dw comics
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A little Benny concept
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this paragraph hits my already softened brain at the exact right moment with its level of Transgendered Experience and i just start fucking bawling
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Is anybody else's relationship with Doctor Who currently all over the place like a rollercoaster at the moment, or is it just me?
I do love this show and what it has done to me and the friends and opportunities I've had through it and I will always be thankful for it making the person I am today, but I just feel like the last few years it has not been as it should be in terms of writing and quality control? I don't know how else to describe it.
I have been doing my best to completely ignore the bits of Doctor Who that I don't like and focus on the areas that I do like, and I really want to get back into the expanded universe / classic series again, I think.
I've taken a step back from the fandom recently and been trying to dive into other stuff, but maybe I should try and just pick up a random doctor who books or audios to get me into the spirit of things again.
#dw negativity#doctor who#my benny books specifically have been saying i need to pick up the rest of the series of vnas and continue reading them#and they are right!#i started reading the almost people in december and its now march and ive still not finished it#but i have been in such a slump with books and audios lately#like i want to be so excited for ncuiti gatwa i know hes going to be incredible#hes a fantastic actor and his passion for acting and the show is great#but ehhhh#with everything going on and it going with the timeless child plotline / streaming thing#not sure how i feel
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this illustration from Lucifer Rising is so annihilation...
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'Ah. Yes, well.' The Doctor looked flustered. He crossed to the door and listened for a moment. Then he straightened a mirror that had been turned to the wall. 'You see Chris, what's been happening… Urn, well, it's the TARDIS, you see.' 'Yeah?' 'Well, my head really. Only it's been getting so full lately. People to see…' 'Plots to unravel.' 'Yes, you know the sort of thing. But even my brain has a limited capacity.' 'Unlike your pockets.' 'Yes, you know I think I might have a hole. I seem to be losing things…' 'Your head is full,' Chris reminded him. 'Urn, yes. So to compensate, the TARDIS may be sideshunting a few of my subconscious thoughts into the nearest available database.' 'Meaning me?'
i love this so much. the tardis should do weird freak stuff more often.
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