Changes: Synthespians™ (novel)

Synthespians™ was the sixty-seventh BBC Past Doctor Adventures novel. It featured the Sixth Doctor and Peri Brown. This was author Craig Hinton's last Doctor Who novel.

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 101st 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

References

Individuals

The Doctor has met Francis Bacon, Sigmund Freud, Geoffrey Chaucer and Samuel Johnson.
Peri has shopped in a 25th century Wal-Mart.

Planets

Some of the planets of the New Earth Republic include New California, Tranicula, New Regency, Bel Terra, Paxas, New Aspen and New Alaska.

Television

Television programmes restored and broadcast from Reef Station One include Dixon of Dock Green, The Sweeney, The Bill, Dallas, Dynasty, Baywatch, Professor X, Babylon 5, Crossroads, Falcon Crest, Z-Cars, The Forsyte Saga, The Six Million Dollar Man, EastEnders, The Tomorrow People and Juliet Bravo.
Original programs broadcast from Reef Station One include Dreams of Tomorrow, Executive Desires, As the Worlds Turn, Dusty the Fearless Monster Killer, Space Journey: Traveller, Star Traveller: The Motion Picture, The Secret Files, Confessions of a Monoid, The Rep, ReefEnders, Liberation Street, and This Evening With Phil and Bev.

Notes

Synthepianspreview — Illustrated preview from DWM 345.

An illustrated preview for this story appeared in 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, intended to be "like Spearhead from Space crossed with Dynasty".
Unfortunately, Black Sheep (the cover designers for BBC Books' range of PDAs) interpreted him literally, using copyrighted images of the cast of Dynasty but as Autons. This was technically illegal, necessitating the entire batch to be pulped.
The third cover was approved for publishing, but featured mirroring on both the background and the two female Autons, prompting Black Sheep to make several modifications to it before publication. ^[1]

Continuity

In the year 200,100, the Earth was also dependent solely on TV, mainly the broadcasts from the Game Station. (TV: Bad Wolf)

Footnotes

↑ Millennium Effect - Synthespians

External links

[1] Millennium Effect - Synthespians

[1]

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 |number= 67
 |doctor= Sixth Doctor
-|companions=  [[Peri Brown]]
+|companions=  [[Peri Brown|Peri]]
 |enemy= {{il|[[Walter J. Matheson]]|[[Nestene Consciousness]]|[[Auton]]s}}
-|setting= [[101st century]], [[New Earth Republic]]
+|setting= [[New Earth Republic]], [[101st century]]
 |writer= [[Craig Hinton]]
 |publisher= BBC Books
 |cover=[[Black Sheep]]
 |release date= [[19 July (releases)|19 July]] [[2004 (releases)|2004]]
-|format= Paperback Book, 277 Pages
+|format= Paperback Book; 15 Chapters, 277 Pages
 |isbn= ISBN 0-563-48617-1
 |prev= The Eleventh Tiger (novel)
 |next= The Algebra of Ice (novel)}}
-'''''{{StoryTitle}}''''' was the sixty-seventh [[BBC Past Doctor Adventures]] novel. It featured the [[Sixth Doctor]] and [[Peri Brown]]. This was author [[Craig Hinton]]'s last ''[[Doctor Who]]'' novel (he wrote one further published ''Doctor Who'' work, [[AUDIO]]: ''[[Excelis Decays (audio story)|Excelis Decays]]'').
+'''''{{StoryTitle}}''''' was the sixty-seventh [[BBC Past Doctor Adventures]] novel. It featured the [[Sixth Doctor]] and [[Peri Brown]]. This was author [[Craig Hinton]]'s last ''[[Doctor Who]]'' novel.
 == 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."
+"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 101st 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.
+In the 101st 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 Brown|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 [[Nestene Consciousness|oldest enemies]].
+When the [[Sixth Doctor]] and [[Peri Brown|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 [[Nestene Consciousness|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.
+As the [[alien]] influence spreads its [[tentacle]]s 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 ==
@@ Line 36: / Line 36: @@
 * [[Peri Brown]]
 * [[Walter J. Matheson]]
+* [[August DeValle]]
+* [[Charles Bruderbakker]]
+* [[Claudia Bruderbakker]]
+* [[Dominique Delacroix]]
+* [[Joan Bruderbakker]]
+* [[Marcus Brooks]]
+* [[Sean Brady]]
 == References ==
-=== Species ===
+=== Individuals ===
+* The Doctor has met [[Francis Bacon]], [[Sigmund Freud]], [[Geoffrey Chaucer]] and [[Samuel Johnson]].
-* [[Khorlthochloi]]
+* Peri has shopped in a [[25th century]] [[Wal-Mart]].
-* [[Reverent Pentiarchs of Loorn]]
-* [[Selyoid]]
-=== Locations ===
+=== Planets ===
+* Some of the planets of the New Earth Republic include [[New California]], [[Tranicula]], [[New Regency]], [[Bel Terra]], [[Paxas]], [[New Aspen]] and [[New Alaska]].
-* [[Ant Nebula]]
-* [[Cramodar]]
-* [[New Earth Republic]]
-* [[Reef Station One]]
-* [[Polymos]]
-* [[Plovak 6]]
-* [[Wolf-Lundmark-Melotte]]
-=== Technology ===
+=== Television ===
+* Television programmes restored and broadcast from Reef Station One include ''[[Dixon of Dock Green]]'', ''[[The Sweeney]]'', ''[[The Bill]]'', ''[[Dallas (TV series)|Dallas]]'', ''[[Dynasty]]'', ''[[Baywatch]]'', ''[[Professor X]]'', ''[[Babylon 5]]'', ''[[Crossroads]]'', ''[[Falcon Crest]]'', ''[[Z-Cars]]'', ''[[The Forsyte Saga]]'', ''[[The Six Million Dollar Man]]'', ''[[EastEnders]]'', ''[[The Tomorrow People]]'' and ''[[Juliet Bravo]]''.
-* [[Skin Deep™]]
+* Original programs broadcast from Reef Station One include ''[[Dreams of Tomorrow]]'', ''[[Executive Desires]]'', ''[[As the Worlds Turn]]'', ''[[Dusty the Fearless Monster Killer]]'', ''[[Space Journey: Traveller]]'', ''[[Star Traveller: The Motion Picture]]'', ''[[The Secret Files]]'', ''[[Confessions of a Monoid]]'', ''[[The Rep]]'', ''[[ReefEnders]]'', ''[[Liberation Street]]'', and ''[[This Evening With Phil and Bev]]''.
-* [[Laserson probe]]
 == Notes ==
 [[File:Synthepianspreview.jpg|thumb|Illustrated preview from [[DWM 345]].]]
-*An illustrated preview for this story appeared in [[DWM 345]].
+* An illustrated preview for this story appeared in [[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).
+:* The first cover was created by James Gent for [[Craig Hinton]] as a proof of concept, intended to be "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).
+:* Unfortunately, [[Black Sheep]] (the cover designers for [[BBC Books]]' range of PDAs) interpreted him literally, using copyrighted images of the cast of Dynasty ''but'' as Autons. This was technically illegal, necessitating the entire batch to be pulped.
-:* 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. <ref>[http://www.millenniumeffect.co.uk/lit/synthespians.php Millennium Effect - Synthespians]</ref>
+:* The third cover was approved for publishing, but featured mirroring on both the background and the two female Autons, prompting Black Sheep to make several modifications to it before publication. <ref>[http://www.millenniumeffect.co.uk/lit/synthespians.php Millennium Effect - Synthespians]</ref>
 <gallery position=center captionalign=center hideaddbutton="true" >
 File:Synthespians_mock_cover.jpg|First cover
 File:Synthespians_dynasty_cover.jpg|Second '''Dynasty''' cover
-File:Synthespians_cover_1.jpg|Third 'pulped' cover
+File:Synthespians_cover_1.jpg|Third cover
 </gallery>
 == Continuity ==
-In the year [[200,100]], the [[Earth]] was also dependent solely on TV, mainly the broadcasts from the [[Game Station]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Bad Wolf (TV story)|Bad Wolf]]'')
+* In the year [[200,100]], the [[Earth]] was also dependent solely on TV, mainly the broadcasts from the [[Game Station]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Bad Wolf (TV story)|Bad Wolf]]'')
 === Footnotes ===
 {{reflist}}
@@ Line 77: / Line 77: @@
 == External links ==
 * {{dwrefguide|whobbk67.htm|Synthespians™}}
-* {{whoniverse|PD66.php|Synthespians™}}
+* {{whoniverse|pd66|Synthespians™}}
-* [http://www.magnetopia.org/cloisterlibrary/synthespians.htm The Cloister Library: '''Synthespians™''']
+* [http://mysite.science.uottawa.ca/rsmith43/cloister/synthespians.htm The Cloister Library: '''Synthespians™''']
 {{PDA}}
 {{Auton stories}}
 {{TitleSort}}
 [[Category:Sixth Doctor novels]]
 [[Category:PDA novels]]

Tardis