Conundrum (Doctor Who)
Encyclopedia
Conundrum is an original novel written by Steve Lyons and based on the long-running British
science fiction television
series Doctor Who
. It features the Seventh Doctor
, Ace
and Bernice
. A prelude to the novel, also penned by Lyons, appeared in Doctor Who Magazine
#208. This novel is the fourth book in the "Alternate Universe cycle" which continues until No Future
.
and his companions when the inhabitants begin to exhibit superhero abilities...
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
science fiction television
Science fiction on television
Science fiction first appeared on a television program during the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary world not limited by the constraints of reality; this makes television an excellent medium...
series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
. It features the Seventh Doctor
Seventh Doctor
The Seventh Doctor is the seventh incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by the actor Sylvester McCoy....
, Ace
Ace (Doctor Who)
Dorothy Gale McShane, better known by her nickname Ace, is a fictional character played by Sophie Aldred in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
and Bernice
Bernice Summerfield
Bernice Surprise Summerfield is a fictional character created by author Paul Cornell as a new companion of the Seventh Doctor in Virgin Publishing's range of original full-length Doctor Who novels, the New Adventures...
. A prelude to the novel, also penned by Lyons, appeared in Doctor Who Magazine
Doctor Who Magazine
Doctor Who Magazine is a magazine devoted to the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
#208. This novel is the fourth book in the "Alternate Universe cycle" which continues until No Future
No Future
No Future is an original novel written by Paul Cornell and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Bernice. A prelude to the novel, also penned by Cornell, appeared in Doctor Who Magazine #209...
.
Plot
What seems to be a simple murder investigation in a quiet English village becomes something far more deadly for the Seventh DoctorSeventh Doctor
The Seventh Doctor is the seventh incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by the actor Sylvester McCoy....
and his companions when the inhabitants begin to exhibit superhero abilities...
Continuity
- Conundrum features the Land of Fiction first seen in the 1968 television serial The Mind RobberThe Mind RobberThe Mind Robber is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in five weekly parts from September 14 to October 12, 1968...
. Lyons' later New Adventure Head GamesHead Games (Doctor Who)Head Games is an original novel written by Steve Lyons and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
is a sequel to this novel and also relates to the Land of Fiction.
- This novel is effectively written in the first person by Jason, the Master of the Land of Fiction. This enables metafictionMetafictionMetafiction, also known as Romantic irony in the context of Romantic works of literature, is a type of fiction that self-consciously addresses the devices of fiction, exposing the fictional illusion...
al concepts; for instance, he grows frustrated that he finds it impossible to read the Doctor's mind, a reference to the New Adventures guideline that the books should not show what the Doctor is thinking.
- This novel features the second occasion in which the Doctor manages to repair the TARDIS's chameleon circuit, the previous occasion being the Sixth DoctorSixth DoctorThe Sixth Doctor is the sixth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by Colin Baker...
story Attack of the CybermenAttack of the CybermenAttack of the Cybermen is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in two weekly parts from 5 January to 12 January 1985. It opened Season 22 of the series...
.