Winners and Losers

The Winner Takes All (New Series Adventure 3)


Author: Jacqueline Rayner

Published by: BBC books

Hardcover: 288 pages

Category: SciFi/Drama


Synopsis: Rose and the Doctor return to present-day Earth, and become intrigued by the latest craze - the video game, Death to Mantodeans. Is it as harmless as it seems? And why are so many local people going on holiday and never returning? Meanwhile, on another world, an alien war is raging. The Quevvils need to find a new means of attacking the ruthless Mantodeans. Searching the galaxy for cunning, warlike but gullible allies, they find the ideal soldiers - on Earth. Will Rose be able to save her family and friends from the alien threat? And can the Doctor play the game to the end - and win? This title features the Doctor and Rose as played by Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper in the hit series from BBC Television.


Introduction: Hmm honestly I did try to read this series of 9th Doctor’s novels in some kind of an order but what the heck…the synopsis on the back got me and the novel saved me from complete boredom on my trip to my home town (read another planet). Anyway what the synopsis promised the author delivered. Good writing, although this could “tehnically” be considered a fan fiction but one that is endorsed and fully copyrighted by the original creators and owners of the series, characters and so on…Why fan fiction you’d probably ask? Or wouldn’t? Well to answer a hypothetical question—it means that the writer is using already established TV series’ characters and locations but while those more fan-types of fan fic’ writers or squeeling fan girls write their visions or wishes for the already established fictional characters and never get paid for all their blood and sweat put into those works of art (guilty as charged shocking, I know), these more professional writers get a name for themselves (I mean who wouldn’t want to be involved with this series somehow?) and money.
Sad for us “so called” writers. Oh well.

Anyway, I digress…this was a good read. The author (although I haven’t read anything else from her and she has a ton of Doctor Who related work behind her) did a great job with the characters and you can picture them in your head, like they are on the TV. The premise was interesting, I always like the introduction of the new aliens and she even made me like Mickey, well for a while anyway…then towards the end he was back to his “The Idiot” nickname.

I won’t do a recap on this so I don’t spoil it but it seems to me that this story had some kind of moral message in the end. Or am I just fishing? Okay so what I think the moral was?


1) Playing video/Playstation/XBox/any kind of box/console games is very bad for you because you’ll get absorbed by it and miss the important things in your life…like for example life. Or you could get abducted by an alien porcupine and killed by an alien praying mantis.

2) TV games/lottery and any kind of games that promise great prizes or money are bad for you…in fact you could die.


If you set aside the moral, this comes out as very well written sci-fi story, with a touch of British humor, we’ve come to love over the years.

Overall I give it 9 out of 10, because there were some things that kind of messed up the flow of a good story. I’ll mention the sudden change of POV in the fourth chapter…Who is this Robert, all of a sudden? Very confusing at first and you have trouble keeping up with who’s talking and why the need for sudden dream-like brainstorming of the not-so-important ‘author created’ character…I don’t know but sometimes he comes out like some kind of a ‘Mary- Sue’ wannabe. Besides this is supossed to be a book for kids and if an adult (that is debatable sometimes) can’t undersand it, how will a let’s say 10-year old?

Other than that I recommend it fully for a good, relaxing day of reading.

You can get it here

Next review: The Clockwise Man by Justin Richards

Croatian SciFi Convention

I just found out about a real SciFi convention that was to be run this month here in Zagreb. And after slapping myself for not checking before (where have I been living-in a cave?!) I decided to go and make some sort of a report on it later.

Timeline: 21st-23rd of April 2006.

Location: Zagreb

Info homepage: SFeraKon

Poster of the last year Con 2005 copyright by SFera

The Doctor's In the Media House

It's strange really. A couple of weeks ago I wrote a short review of the Doctor Who The Movie and this weekend I visited one of my local 'dealers' of the Doctor Who DVD editions and noticed that whenever there's a stash missing...meaning the DVDs being sold out...the first one they order is the TV Movie. I don't know if that's a coincidence or if the retailers just thought that since the British viewers have seen the new Ninth Doctor it was in order to watch his predecessor the Eight Doctor and his only one but significant TV adventure. Like I said, I don’t know.

Ever since I rediscovered my fondness for the cult series, I've often wondered if I was the only one but the evidence...or the missing DVDs suggest that there are some people who actually pay good money to watch them. That's not to say that the DVD's are costly but I don't think they're that cheap for those of my compatriots without bigger pockets.

Though I could be wrong. A little over three months ago there were several good editions featuring the Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor and some of my favourite Fifth Doctor's eps like The Visitation and I remember a while ago there was even The Caves of Androzani which I regret not buying at the time, since they didn't order more after that.

While I was browsing the bestsellers’ book section, I also found several editions featuring the Christopher Eccleston’s Ninth Doctor and his companions Rose Tyler and Jack Harkness. Of course I couldn’t leave without buying at least one of them so I decided on Justin Richards’ The Clockwise Man. It has an interesting premise and as I’m familiar with Richards’ previous work, I have no doubt that it’s going to be a good novelisation of the Ninth Doctor’s adventures. Will probably do a separate review on it later.

Anyway it’s a promising market for the sale of Doctor Who merchandise in my country.
Hopefully in the future there’ll be more editions to choose from and more of them being sold.

It’s the new era for Doctor Who and it really deserves more attention.