...

[trinityofone]

"In the days when the Time Lords were young, their war with the vampires cost trillions of lives on countless worlds. Now the Vampires have been sighted again, in San Francisco.

Some want to coexist with humans, using genetic engineering in a macabre experiment to find a new source of blood. But some would rather go out in a blaze of glory - and UNIT'S attempts to contain them could provoke another devastating war.

The Doctor strikes a dangerous bargain, but even he might not be able to keep the city from getting caught in the crossfire. While he finds himself caught in a web of old feuds and high-tech schemes, his new companion Sam finds out just how deadly travelling with the Doctor can be.

This novel is another in the series of adventures featuring the Eighth Doctor."

...

Seriously, why am I trying to read the Doctor Who books again?

I mean, I love Doctor Who, I really do except the S3 finale and actually most of S2, and I WANT to expose myself to more crazy time traveling adventures with his magnificent emoness. Then I see that the book I'm about to start beings with that introduction.

"Now the Vampires have been sighted again, in San Francisco*." This would make a great t-shirt, really; I am dubious about its strengths as a novel.

lcsbanana, should I just skip forward to the first Fitz book or what? Or is Classic Who just not for me? I watched 'The Five Doctors' the other night and I thought it was SO LAME. *sad*

This is a SERIOUS DILEMMA, people!


*Most likely Haight-Ashbury.

Comments

[jetspeaks.livejournal.com]

Classic Who is just a very different animal; there are some great stories, but there are some truly awful ones, and the effects are dreadful at times. I love it, but I don't know if I would had I come to it later. As it is, I was a fan from infancy (I blame my mother, it was her favourite. I knocked out two teeth running to hide from something scary behind a couch at the age of 6). If you are looking for more Russel T Davies, you won't get it. If you can handle sorting through the chaff, you may find something fun, or you may find it's all too lame.

You might consider watching an old story that is not an anniversary show (as the Five Doctors is). IIRC there was a lot of bits and pieces thrown in for die-hard fans.

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

I've seen some other bits in pieces, including some of the Tom Baker era when I was much younger; unfortunately since it was only occasional and rare exposure, I don't remember much outside of The Scarf and K-9. I suspect that when choosing what to watch of the old stuff since becoming a New Who fan, I have not chosen wisely. Do you have any particular recommendations of good arcs, etc.?

If you are looking for more Russel T Davies, you won't get it.

At the moment, more Rusty is really NOT what I'm looking for. (The Doctor is Tinkerbell? WTF?) *g*

[graycastle.livejournal.com]

Just jumping in here - I really love a lot of old Who, but you have to be careful, as some of it is just...awful. I'd recommend 4th and 5th Doctors unflinchingly; try City of Death (Tom Baker, written by Douglas Adams), Logopolis (last Tom Baker series), Castrovalva (first Peter Davison series, and one of my favourites), Four to Doomsday (Peter Davison again), The Ribos Operation (Tom Baker again - this is the first of an actual plot arc that they did, and did well). It's often fun to watch the last/first series for a particular doctor, as that's when they tend to do interesting character things.

A friend of mine really loves Seven (Sylvester McCoy) and he is kind of charming - and if you want to see him being charming, watch Greatest Show in the Galaxy or Happiness Patrol (or even Dragonfire, which introduces Ace, the oh-so-eighties companion who likes to blow things up).

Hope that helps! Really, there's a lot to love in old Who.

[tonicollins.livejournal.com]

Vampires are canonical in Doctor Who - at least in E-Space. The 4th Dr. ep State of Decay (http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/stateofdecay/detail.shtml) featured them.

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

I'm aware of that, vaguely? But I can't help thinking it's stupid. This may be because I was scarred at a very young age by a Choose Your Own Adventure called, succinctly, Space Vampire. Since then I have been unusually bothered by vamps in sci-fi. (As opposed to vamps in fantasy/horror.) NON-MIXY!

...Please don't ask why this doesn't preclude me from enjoying SGA. The Wraith are different because, um...

*fidgets*

[zabbers.livejournal.com]

They suck your life, with their hands, not your blood with their mouths.

*nods sagely*

I recommend the Three and Master ones, which I've been liking in my gradual chipping away at the backstory. But then again, I've always had a weakness for classic television (it was TOS that got me into Trek, years and years after it had become classic tv). I have to agree with everyone else that the specials are less likely to be good stories than many of the regular episodes. What I've been doing, is reading about elements of the backstory I want to know, and then figuring out which episodes/other media might address those elements, and linking to other related episodes from there, through authors, characters, and events that I like. I figure eventually this will lead me through all the serials, or at least most of them. Not linear at all, and rather related to internet-culture, I think.

I'd like that vampires in SF t-shirt to also have the footnote on it.

[tonicollins.livejournal.com]

I should add that this is in no way an endorsement of the book, or any Doctor Who book, for that matter. I could never read them, even when I was immersed in all things Who.

And yes, season three's finale stunk to high heaven. And please, please, please, can we have a season without the "last, daleks, ever".

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

"No, really this time! We were just going! Byeeeeeeee!"

Next episode:

"Whoops, forgot my purse!"

[emhen.livejournal.com]

No, what you should do is listen to the Eight audios. Eight is a pretty good bridge between Classic and New Who pretty much because of Paul McGann; I adore him and I'm still having trouble with the books.

And yeah. Classic Who takes a totally different mentality to enjoy. The love in your heart has to move over and make room for the lame. :D

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

Paul McGann is so adorable! (WHY OH WHY WAS THE TV MOVIE SO ABOMINABLY BAD?)

I wish I could leap on the audio book train; the problem is, I don't really enjoy being read to anymore. I like reading or watching, but not...sitting still and listening, I guess. *fails*

I should probably get over myself and at least give them a try. This thread is taking a nasty turn toward needing to be retitled "Bizarre phobias of Trin's."

1) Vampires in spaaaaaaaace
2) Radio

Also old TV with sketchy production values, I guess. IT WATCHES LIKE A BADLY STAGED PLAY!

[thekynicist.livejournal.com]

(1) I would wear that t-shirt.

(2) The Five Doctors.

...Yeah, about that. [shifty] See, thing is, I love old!Who, because I was brainwashed at an early age by a British grandfather into believing it was The One True Sci Fi... but there are times when it's kind of crap. And by kind of, I mean very. And by very, I mean "what's that smell?" Actually, considering my general aversion to camp, I'm surprised by the fierce nostalgia I still have for it. New Who probably plays a big role in that... but back to The Five Doctors. Even for old!Who, the anniversary specials were spectacularly bad. And that one, unusually so.

(And when I say this, you have to know that TFD takes place during Fifth's era, and Fifth is the first Doctor I ever saw and a Doctor that, despite the fact that I can't actually name one story he appeared in that I really liked, is my Doctor, on the basis of nostalgia and a weakness for fluffy blond hair alone.)

And now I'll go back under the rock from whence I came.

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

(1) Me too!

(2) I don't know why, but I was under the impression that that one was generally considered to be good. Clearly, I got this notion straight from crackville. Bugger.

Before you slip back under that rock, can I ask you the same question I asked jetspeaks? Do you have any favorite arcs, or...?

[thekynicist.livejournal.com]

My absolute favorite old school arcs are "The Deadly Assassin", featuring the Fourth Doctor in the only arc that features a Doctor sans companion thus far (to my knowledge, which is sadly less complete than I'd like it to be) and "The Caves of Androzani," featuring Fifth, and "The Black Orchid," also featuring Fifth. ...So actually, I guess I can think of Fifth stories I like and perhaps my brain was on stand-by last night? Hm.

[delurker.livejournal.com]

"Now the Vampires have been sighted again, in San Francisco*." This would make a great t-shirt, really
Hell yes! It would be awesome.

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

I feel like it would prompt people to come up to you on the street: "OMG, that explains SO MUCH."

also: YES. SKIP TO THE FITZ BOOKS.

[some-stars.livejournal.com]

*dies* omg, I'm a recognized expert. *hee hee* I--have you already read my enormous Eight books pimping post, with the summaries of the plot arcs and the recommendations and such? 'cause that pretty much sums up my advice as regards those. And as far as the audios--I also HATE being read to, it just makes me want to punch people in the face, and I LOVE the audios. They really are *plays* designed to be heard, and I can seriously just lie down and close my eyes and listen to them like watching tv.

As far as classic Who in general....well. uh. *coughs, adjusts tie* There is lameness! I will not lie. There is MUCH LAMENESS. But there's really good stuff beneath the lameness, usually! The Five Doctors is not so much a great example of that, heh. It's pretty much pure fluff--it was done as an anniversary-celebration special, so it's basically "doctors! and companions! and the master! and a dalek! AND GLITTER"

I recommend poking around the other doctors and seeing if anything or anyone grabs you. I REALLY need to get the rest of my pimp posts done--eventually I want to have covered Two(done), Three, Four, Five, and Seven--so I can provide better guidance! --but then, if you watch another couple hours and you still don't like it, there's no point in forcing it; you may just not be able to tolerate the cheese. *g* I mean, I can't watch movies from before 1970 or so--it feels pretty much like being read to, come to think of it--so, yeah, it might not be your bag. But there is SO MUCH variety and so much delight that I hope you keep trying and find something that works for you! (Offhand I think you'd like Three, some of Four, and Five--Seven is all serious and leftist and has Ace, who is FAN BAIT, but it also has some of the most outrageous cheese in the whole series.)

Re: also: YES. SKIP TO THE FITZ BOOKS.

[some-stars.livejournal.com]

oh, and specific recommendations--

Three: Spearhead from Space(his first), Terror of the Autons. And most Three stories with the Master in are pretty awesome, at least his bits. *g*

Four: SEVERE gaps in my knowledge here, but Robot & Ark in Space present one of the more ADORABLE threesomes in TARDIS history; Robots of Death is great Leela and surprisingly good guest characters; The Pirate Planet is HILARIOUS and Romana I is impossible not to adore.

Five: Black Orchid is short, weird, and charming as hell; Frontios is a good solid adventure with some lovely character touches; The Caves of Androzani is AWESOME and has really great chemistry between Five and Peri(sadly not to be continued, as this is the episode where he turns into Six).

Seven: Anything with Ace in it, except Ghostlight(utterly incomprehensible even by Seven-era standards) and Silver Nemesis(just plain dull, mostly). The plots are either ridiculous/laughable or completely confusing, but that's not why one watches Seven, of course. *g*

[aurora]

Am I the only one who thought 'ooh, Angel crossover!'?