Description :
The Doctor and Dodo arrive in London, 1966. Inside the Post Office Tower is a new
super-computer, Wotan. However, Wotan has developed a mind of it's own and sets about
constructing the War Machines.
Information :
Number 136 in the "Doctor Who Library", published by Target, an imprint of Virgin Publishing.
The story is based on the television serial of the same name, which was also written by Ian
Stuart Black.
Review :
By 1988, when this book was written, the Doctor Who
novelizations had reached a much better standard of prose than the earlier stories. This story
is quite good. It was also the first story to be set exclusively on modern day Earth.
Interestingly, Wotan being linked up to other computers and the uses Brett describes for it are
somewhat like the internet. One of the Demon Headmaster stories bears much similarity to
this. I wonder whether Gillian Cross ever read this story?
Anyway, we have a megalomaniac computer who can hypnotise people and is out to take over the
world. Not terribly original, but it's quite a good story. I don't like how the Doctor just
comes along and declares there to be something evil in the Post Office Tower. Surely a much more
believable motivation for the Doctor going to see Wotan could be thought of? At least we don't
have the "Doctor Who is required" business that was in the original television story.
One of my favourite moments is at the end, when Ben and Polly try to find out what the Doctor is
doing in a police box, and then "Vworp! Vworp!" the TARDIS dematerialises. For once the fact it
was stuck with the exterior of a police box didn't make it out of place - causing the Doctor to
put an "Out of Order" sign on it!
A good story, well told and interesting despite an unoriginal plot.
Rating :
Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)
Notes :
The television story this was based on refers to the Doctor as "Doctor Who" - the only instance
of this in the show. The book does not make the same mistake. "Doctor Who" is a question, not
his name.
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