The Well-Mannered War (novel)

The Well-Mannered War

Adapted into:

The Well-Mannered War

Key crew

Publisher:

Virgin Books

Writer:

Gareth Roberts

Release details

Release number:

33

Release date:

17 April 1997

Format:

Paperback book; 12 chapters, 293 pages

ISBN:

ISBN 0-426-20506-5

Virgin Missing Adventures
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The Well-Mannered War was the thirty-third and final novel in the Virgin Missing Adventures series. It was written by Gareth Roberts. It featured the Fourth Doctor, K9 Mark II, Romana II and the Black Guardian. Uniquely, it portrays Romana borrowing articles of clothing from the Doctor's old wardrobe. The ending, where the Doctor defeats the Black Guardian by banishing himself to the Time Vortex, may explain why, in The Leisure Hive, it felt like years had passed for the Doctor and Romana.

Summary

"Destroy them! Destroy them all - now!"

Barclow - an Earth-type planet on the fringes of space at an inestimably distant point in the future. Two factions claim it: humans from the nearby colony world of Metralubit and a small group of Chelonian troopers. Yet in nearly two hundred years of conflict, not one shot has been fired in anger, there are regular socials in the trenches and the military commanders are the best of friends.

The Doctor, Romana II and K9 arrive in the midst of these bizarre hostilities to find there's real trouble to come. A crucial election on Metralubit is looming and K9 is forced to begin a new career as a politician. Romana meets an old friend and the Doctor finds that a sinister hidden force may be attempting to alter the war's friendly nature.

What are the plans of Galatea, the leader of the beautiful robotic Femdroids? Who is killing soldiers on both sides of the battle lines? Will K9's oratory save the day?

Just what is going on?

Chapter titles

Exchange of Fire
The Femdroids
A Very Long Story
The Reluctant Diplomat
New Dog, New Danger
Violence
The Rebels
The Killers
The Web of Death
Explanations
The Hive Attacks
The Official End Of It All

Plot

to be added

Characters

References

Conflicts

General Jafrid is the Chelonian leader in the war for Barclow.
Admiral Dolne is the leader of the human colonists in the war.
The planet Fridgya was devastated in the fifth Thargon-Sorsen war in 2660, according to Romana.

Individuals

K9 Mark II is programmed to protect the Doctor and Romana; this includes their emotional well-being, as well as their physical safety.
The Black Guardian mentions adventures with the Animus, Lady Ruath and the Timewyrm.
Galatea is leader of the Femdroids. She has a voice like sweet honey and matured rum.
Premier Harmock believes that he represents Metralubit, but the planet is devoid of any life.

Literature

The Doctor has a pamphlet in his pocket entitled So You're Caught in a Rocket Attack.

Species

The Doctor briefly mentions the Oraapi.

Theories and concepts

Romana II quotes Clarik's Theorem.

Weapons

The Web of Death was a torture device which stretched the limbs of the victim until they were separated from the body.

Notes

This story was released as an e-book on the BBC website in 2006, with the book remaining on the BBC's site (http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/ebooks/well_mannered_war/) until 2010.
Daryl Joyce's front and back cover art present the e-book as a Target novelisation, which it was not.
This was the last Virgin Missing Adventures novel to be published, hence the odd cliffhanger ending.
Romana is said to be wearing an outfit comprised of bits of the Doctor's wardrobe. While helping the Doctor do a bit of "spring cleaning", she discovers a jacket and frilly shirt worn by the Third Doctor and pairs it with the baggy, checked trousers of the Second Doctor. This fact is partially reflected in the book's cover art, which displays Romana in the frilled white shirt, bowtie, red velvet jacket and Inverness cape combination that the Third Doctor wore in seasons 8 and 9.
Menlove Stokes also appears in the Virgin Bernice Summerfield New Adventures. His first appearance is in the novel Oh No It Isn't!.
In April 2015, Big Finish Productions released a full cast audio adaptation of this story.

Continuity

Menlove Stokes remembers the Doctor, Romana and K9 from the events of PROSE: The Romance of Crime.
Stokes has the same kind of crystal that the Fifth Doctor's companion Turlough received in TV: Mawdryn Undead.
The Doctor pulls out a book from his pocket called So You're Caught in a Rocket Attack. He pulled two other situational books out of his pocket in TV: The Creature from the Pit; first, Everest in Easy Stages, for hints on how to climb out of a pit, and then Teach Yourself Tibetan when he discovered the previous book was written in Tibetan.

Illustrations

This story includes six illustrations from the e-book by Daryl Joyce. The illustrations, like the e-book cover, were drawn in the style of Target novelisation illustrations.