Synthespians™ (novel)

Synthespians™
Doctor:	[[doctor::Sixth Doctor]]
Companion(s):	Peri Brown
Main enemy:	Walter J. Matheson Nestene Consciousness Autons
Main setting:	101st century, New Earth Republic
Key crew
Publisher:	[[publisher::BBC Books]]
Writer:	Craig Hinton
Release details
Release number:	67
Release date:	July 2004
Format:	Paperback Book, 277 Pages
ISBN:	ISBN 0-563-48617-1

Publisher's summary

"We've been colonising planets for a thousand million years," she said, turning to the camera and giving her trademark smile. "All right, Mr. Matheson - I'm ready for my close-up."

In the 108th century, nostalgia is everything. Television from the 20th century is the new obsession, and Reef Station One is receiving broadcasts from a distant Earth of the past, transmitting them to a waiting audience.

When the Sixth Doctor and Peri arrive on Reef Station One, they find a fractured society, totally dependent on film and television. They also discover that the Republic’s greatest entrepreneur Walter J. Matheson is in league with one of the Doctor’s oldest enemies.

As the alien influence spreads its tentacles throughout the Republic, the Sixth Doctor and Peri must unravel the link between Walter J. Matheson’s business empire and the invaders. Because, if they don’t, they’ll end up in the deadliest soap opera of all time.

Plot

to be added

Characters

• The Doctor
• Peri Brown
• Walter J. Matheson

References

Species

• Khorlthochloi
• Reverent Pentiarchs of Loorn
• Selyoid

Locations

• Ant Nebula
• Cramodar
• New Earth Republic
• Reef Station One
• Polymos
• Plovak 6
• Wolf-Lundmark-Melotte

Technology

• Skin Deep™
• Laserson probe

Notes

Comic preview from DWM 345.

• The cover for this novel went through several modifications of its design.

• The first cover was created by James Gent for Craig Hinton as a proof of concept (like Spearhead from Space crossed with Dynasty).
• Unfortunately Black Sheep (the cover designers for BBC Books' range throughout the PDAs) interpreted him directly. This image has basically the cast of Dynasty but as Autons (which was several breaches of copyright).
• The third cover was approved for publishing, but the background and the two female Autons are both mirrored, necessitating the entire batch to be pulped.

First cover

Second Dynasty cover

Third 'pulped' cover

Continuity

to be added

Timeline

• Synthespians™ occurs after: ST: House
• Synthespians™ occurs before: DWY: Work is Hell

External links

• Synthespians™ at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
• The Discontinuity Guide to: Synthespians™ at The Whoniverse