The Nightmare of Black Island
Encyclopedia
The Nightmare of Black Island is a BBC Books
original novel written by Mike Tucker
and based on the long running science fiction television
series Doctor Who
. It was published on September 21, 2006, alongside The Art of Destruction
and The Price of Paradise
. It features the Tenth Doctor
and Rose
.
Like all Doctor Who spin-off media, its canonicity in relation to the television series is unknown. See New Series Adventures Canonicity for more details.
coastline, a fisherman is killed by a hideous creature from beneath the waves. When the Doctor and Rose arrive, they discover a village where the children are plagued by nightmares, and the nights are ruled by monsters. Bronwyn Ceredig, the old woman of the village, suspects that ailing industrialist Nathaniel Morton is to blame, but the Doctor has suspicions of his own.
and Rose
dream of a fisherman who is attacked by a creature from the sea. Also appearing in the dream is an 'observer': a young boy. Tracing the source, the Doctor
takes them to Ynys Du, a small village on the Welsh
coast. They discover that the villagers are terrorised by fantastical monsters which roam the streets and woods at night; the adults are anxious and the children all have nightmares.
The trouble seems to have begun when an elderly Nathaniel Morton returned to the village after many years away and established a 'nursing home
' in the Old Rectory. Here, six ancient figures sleep, attached to machines and attended by masked technicians.
The Doctor knows something is wrong, as the monsters do not appear to be the product of a normal evolutionary process. He traces an interference signal to the abandoned lighthouse
on Black Island. Exploring the island with an eccentric local woman, Bronwyn, the Doctor finds an 'interstellar space-hopper' and, in the lamp room of the lighthouse, a psychic transmitter/receiver. Understanding that this is causing the children's nightmares, in turn realising the monsters they dream about, the Doctor is reluctant to dismantle the machine and risk damaging the children. He cannot reach the controls of the telepathic circuits as they are underneath the machine.
Meanwhile, Rose has entered the Rectory in search of further information. She is discovered by the 'medical technicians' who reveal themselves to be the lizard-like Cynrog who, under their chief priest Peyne, are manipulating Morton. Rose is subjected to a mind-scan. The Doctor is alerted to Rose's capture when a Slitheen
and an Nestene Consciousness
are created and a Dalek
is heard nearby.
Having instructed the villagers to keep the children awake (to prevent the appearance of more monsters), the Doctor rushes to rescue her; however, she has already escaped with the help of one of the village girls, Ali. She tells the Doctor of a strange monster she has seen in the Rectory library.
The Doctor sends Rose (with the sonic screwdriver
) and Ali to Bronwyn, so she might take them to the lighthouse, in the expectation that the smaller Ali can reach under the alien machinery to alter the settings so it no longer affects the children.
The Doctor takes Rose's place in the Rectory. Following Rose's brain-scan, Peyne and Morton know he is a Time Lord
, and are excited by what they might gain from him. They show him the monster in the library. The Doctor deduces that the body is empty, created from the nightmares of the children. Peyne admits that the body is to receive the soul of Balor, their warrior general who had crashed on Earth eighty years earlier. His original body dying, he transferred his soul into the child witnesses of the crash: Morton and the other 'people' attached to the machines.
Moving into the final phase, Peyne orders her Cynrog technicians to attach both the Doctor and Morton to waiting machines, and alters them to induce sleep in the wakeful children so she might continue to harness their imaginations.
The Doctor uses the telepathic machines (which operate at the same frequency as the TARDIS's) to take control. He investigates the memory of the other victims and, through the vision of the small boy -who has appeared at intervals throughout the story- discovers that Bronwyn also witnessed the crash, and contains some of Balor's soul. 'Hitching a ride' on the telepathic waves, the Doctor 'contacts' Rose, instructing her how to alter the machinery to affect adults rather than children.
The newly-created Balor, missing a part of his soul, is mad and ungovernable, wreaking havoc throughout the house. Peyne frees the Doctor, blaming him. 'Balor' takes Morton's mind and revenges himself on Peyne. Before 'Morton-Balor' can attack the Doctor, Ali and Rose succeed in changing the settings on the alien transmitter. The village children wake and the adults dream, starving Balor of imagination and shrinking him until the neuroses of the adults become so trivial he ceases to exist.
Before the alien machines in the Rectory are destroyed by the resulting fire, the 'polarity was reversed' and connecting to Bronwyn, it transfers all the life-force into her. She becomes young again.
The Doctor orders the remaining Cynrog to leave in their spaceship, sending them '40 or 50 parsecs' out of their way, and hinting to Rose that their stasis
will be tormented by nightmares of him.
(Mr Finch from "School Reunion
") was released in November 2006 (ISBN 1-84607-175-5) by BBC Audiobooks
. Also included was a "behind-the-scenes" discussion between the author and the reader.
BBC Books
BBC Books is an imprint majority owned and managed by Random House. The minority shareholder is BBC Worldwide, the commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation...
original novel written by Mike Tucker
Mike Tucker
Mike Tucker is a special effects expert who worked for many years at the BBC Television Visual Effects Department, and now works as an Effects Supervisor for his own company, The Model Unit. He is also the author of a variety of spin-offs relating to the television series Doctor Who and...
and based on the long running 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 was published on September 21, 2006, alongside The Art of Destruction
The Art of Destruction
The Art of Destruction is a BBC Books original novel written by Stephen Cole and based on the long running science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was published on September 21, 2006, alongside The Nightmare of Black Island and The Price of Paradise...
and The Price of Paradise
The Price of Paradise
The Price of Paradise is a BBC Books original novel written by Colin Brake and based on the long running science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was published on September 21, 2006, alongside The Nightmare of Black Island and The Art of Destruction...
. It features the Tenth Doctor
Tenth Doctor
The Tenth Doctor is the tenth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is played by David Tennant, who appears in three series, as well as eight specials...
and Rose
Rose Tyler
Rose Marion Tyler is a fictional character portrayed by Billie Piper in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and was created by series producer Russell T Davies...
.
Like all Doctor Who spin-off media, its canonicity in relation to the television series is unknown. See New Series Adventures Canonicity for more details.
Synopsis
On a lonely stretch of WelshWales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
coastline, a fisherman is killed by a hideous creature from beneath the waves. When the Doctor and Rose arrive, they discover a village where the children are plagued by nightmares, and the nights are ruled by monsters. Bronwyn Ceredig, the old woman of the village, suspects that ailing industrialist Nathaniel Morton is to blame, but the Doctor has suspicions of his own.
Plot
While in flight, the TARDISTARDIS
The TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
and Rose
Rose Tyler
Rose Marion Tyler is a fictional character portrayed by Billie Piper in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and was created by series producer Russell T Davies...
dream of a fisherman who is attacked by a creature from the sea. Also appearing in the dream is an 'observer': a young boy. Tracing the source, the Doctor
Doctor (Doctor Who)
The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and has also featured in two cinema feature films, a vast range of spin-off novels, audio dramas and comic strips connected to the series....
takes them to Ynys Du, a small village on the Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
coast. They discover that the villagers are terrorised by fantastical monsters which roam the streets and woods at night; the adults are anxious and the children all have nightmares.
The trouble seems to have begun when an elderly Nathaniel Morton returned to the village after many years away and established a 'nursing home
Nursing home
A nursing home, convalescent home, skilled nursing unit , care home, rest home, or old people's home provides a type of care of residents: it is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living...
' in the Old Rectory. Here, six ancient figures sleep, attached to machines and attended by masked technicians.
The Doctor knows something is wrong, as the monsters do not appear to be the product of a normal evolutionary process. He traces an interference signal to the abandoned lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
on Black Island. Exploring the island with an eccentric local woman, Bronwyn, the Doctor finds an 'interstellar space-hopper' and, in the lamp room of the lighthouse, a psychic transmitter/receiver. Understanding that this is causing the children's nightmares, in turn realising the monsters they dream about, the Doctor is reluctant to dismantle the machine and risk damaging the children. He cannot reach the controls of the telepathic circuits as they are underneath the machine.
Meanwhile, Rose has entered the Rectory in search of further information. She is discovered by the 'medical technicians' who reveal themselves to be the lizard-like Cynrog who, under their chief priest Peyne, are manipulating Morton. Rose is subjected to a mind-scan. The Doctor is alerted to Rose's capture when a Slitheen
Slitheen
The Slitheen are a family of massive, bipedal extraterrestrials from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and they are adversaries of the Doctor. They first appeared in the 2005 series episodes "Aliens of London" and "World War Three", and subsequently recur in later episodes of...
and an Nestene Consciousness
Auton
The Autons are an artificial life form from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and adversaries of the Doctor. First appearing in Jon Pertwee's first serial as the Doctor, Spearhead from Space in 1970, they were the first monsters on the show to be presented in colour.Autons...
are created and a Dalek
Dalek
The Daleks are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Within the series, Daleks are cyborgs from the planet Skaro, created by the scientist Davros during the final years of a thousand-year war against the Thals...
is heard nearby.
Having instructed the villagers to keep the children awake (to prevent the appearance of more monsters), the Doctor rushes to rescue her; however, she has already escaped with the help of one of the village girls, Ali. She tells the Doctor of a strange monster she has seen in the Rectory library.
The Doctor sends Rose (with the sonic screwdriver
Sonic screwdriver
The sonic screwdriver is a fictional tool in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and its spinoffs. It is a multifunctional tool used by The Doctor. Its most common function is that of a lockpick, but can be used to perform other operations such as performing medical scans,...
) and Ali to Bronwyn, so she might take them to the lighthouse, in the expectation that the smaller Ali can reach under the alien machinery to alter the settings so it no longer affects the children.
The Doctor takes Rose's place in the Rectory. Following Rose's brain-scan, Peyne and Morton know he is a Time Lord
Time Lord
The Time Lords are an ancient extraterrestrial race and civilization of humanoids in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, of which the series' eponymous protagonist, the Doctor, is a member...
, and are excited by what they might gain from him. They show him the monster in the library. The Doctor deduces that the body is empty, created from the nightmares of the children. Peyne admits that the body is to receive the soul of Balor, their warrior general who had crashed on Earth eighty years earlier. His original body dying, he transferred his soul into the child witnesses of the crash: Morton and the other 'people' attached to the machines.
Moving into the final phase, Peyne orders her Cynrog technicians to attach both the Doctor and Morton to waiting machines, and alters them to induce sleep in the wakeful children so she might continue to harness their imaginations.
The Doctor uses the telepathic machines (which operate at the same frequency as the TARDIS's) to take control. He investigates the memory of the other victims and, through the vision of the small boy -who has appeared at intervals throughout the story- discovers that Bronwyn also witnessed the crash, and contains some of Balor's soul. 'Hitching a ride' on the telepathic waves, the Doctor 'contacts' Rose, instructing her how to alter the machinery to affect adults rather than children.
The newly-created Balor, missing a part of his soul, is mad and ungovernable, wreaking havoc throughout the house. Peyne frees the Doctor, blaming him. 'Balor' takes Morton's mind and revenges himself on Peyne. Before 'Morton-Balor' can attack the Doctor, Ali and Rose succeed in changing the settings on the alien transmitter. The village children wake and the adults dream, starving Balor of imagination and shrinking him until the neuroses of the adults become so trivial he ceases to exist.
Before the alien machines in the Rectory are destroyed by the resulting fire, the 'polarity was reversed' and connecting to Bronwyn, it transfers all the life-force into her. She becomes young again.
The Doctor orders the remaining Cynrog to leave in their spaceship, sending them '40 or 50 parsecs' out of their way, and hinting to Rose that their stasis
Stasis (fiction)
Stasis , or hypersleep, is a science fiction concept akin to suspended animation. Whereas suspended animation usually refers to a greatly reduced state of life processes, stasis implies a complete cessation of these processes, which can be easily restarted or restart spontaneously when stasis is...
will be tormented by nightmares of him.
Continuity
- When asked by Rose if he ever slept, the Doctor said he didn't (although he'd tried it once). This seems a contradiction of accepted canon, as he has been seen sleeping on occasion (an example is Castrovalva, and he also mentions that his regeneration will be fine after a few hours' sleep in The Twin DilemmaThe Twin DilemmaThe Twin Dilemma is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four twice-weekly parts from 22 March to 30 March 1984, the first to star Colin Baker in the title role.-Synopsis:...
). He also mentions not sleeping in The Last DodoThe Last DodoNot to be confused with "The Last Dodo" character in the Warner Brothers cartoon Porky in Wackyland, or the musical play by Peter DizozzaThe Last Dodo is a BBC Books original novel written by Jacqueline Rayner and based on the long running science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features...
. - At one point, the Doctor uses the computer-enhanced opera glassesOpera glassesOpera glasses, also known as theater binoculars or Galilean binoculars, are compact, low-power optical magnification devices, usually used at performance events, whose name is derived from traditional use at opera performances. Magnification power below 5x is usually desired in these circumstances...
seen in "The Empty ChildThe Empty Child"The Empty Child" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on 21 May 2005. It is the first of a two-part story. The concluding episode, "The Doctor Dances", was broadcast on 28 May...
". - The Doctor reminds Rose of New EarthNew Earth"New Earth" is the first episode of the second series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, first broadcast on 15 April 2006. It is a sequel to the first series episode "The End of the World", and brings back its villain who was thought to be destroyed, Lady Cassandra, as...
when she complains that he never takes her anywhere "nice and warm". Rose then points out that she spent part of that visit possessed, referring to Lady CassandraLady CassandraLady Cassandra O'Brien.Δ17 is a fictional character from the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The character was voiced by Zoë Wanamaker, and was largely computer-generated, although a physical prop was also used on set....
. - The Doctor uses everlasting matches in the forest, introduced in the previous New Series Adventures novel, The Resurrection CasketThe Resurrection CasketThe Resurrection Casket is a BBC Books original novel written by Justin Richards and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was published on April 13, 2006, alongside The Stone Rose and The Feast of the Drowned...
. - After the Doctor showed his psychic paper to Nathaniel Morton, he was unsure what Morton had seen, as there was no 'after-image'. In "The Idiot's LanternThe Idiot's Lantern"The Idiot's Lantern" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on 27 May 2006.-Plot:...
", he glances at the paper to tell Tommy that the guard thinks he's the King of Belgium. In "Tooth and ClawTooth and Claw (Doctor Who)"Tooth and Claw" is the second episode in the second series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and was first broadcast on 22 April 2006. In 1879 Scotland, the Doctor and Rose meet Queen Victoria...
", the Doctor seems surprised when Queen Victoria says he's been appointed her 'protector.' It suggests that what the viewer sees is at least partly determined by how specific the person handing it over is ('someone important' vs. 'Invited Guest'), and that if the viewer sees nothing, that's what the paper will show to the holder. - When she meets the Cynrog for the first time, Rose mentions the SlitheenSlitheenThe Slitheen are a family of massive, bipedal extraterrestrials from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and they are adversaries of the Doctor. They first appeared in the 2005 series episodes "Aliens of London" and "World War Three", and subsequently recur in later episodes of...
. The Cynrog appear to know them, as they correctly identify them as Raxacoricofallapatorians. - The Cynrog use Rose's memories to create monsters, specifically the Nestene ConsciousnessAutonThe Autons are an artificial life form from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and adversaries of the Doctor. First appearing in Jon Pertwee's first serial as the Doctor, Spearhead from Space in 1970, they were the first monsters on the show to be presented in colour.Autons...
, a Slitheen and a DalekDalekThe Daleks are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Within the series, Daleks are cyborgs from the planet Skaro, created by the scientist Davros during the final years of a thousand-year war against the Thals... - Rose reassures Ali by telling her that the Doctor gives monsters nightmares. The Doctor previously claimed this in "The Girl in the FireplaceThe Girl in the Fireplace"The Girl in the Fireplace" is the fourth episode of the second series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on 6 May 2006, and is the only episode in the 2006 series written by Steven Moffat...
", itself a reference to a line Paul CornellPaul CornellPaul Cornell is a British writer best known for his work in television drama as well as Doctor Who fiction, and as the creator of one of the Doctor's spin-off companions, Bernice Summerfield....
's Virgin New AdventuresVirgin New AdventuresThe Virgin New Adventures were a series of novels from Virgin Publishing based on the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who...
novel Love and WarLove and War (Doctor Who)Love and War 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 introduces a new companion, Bernice Summerfield...
. - When he sees the monster in the library, the Doctor says, "I know what it's like choosing a body you're happy with". In The War GamesThe War GamesThe War Games is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which originally aired in ten weekly parts from 19 April to 21 June 1969. It was the last regular appearance of Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor, and of Wendy Padbury and Frazer Hines as companions Zoe...
, the Second Doctor is forced to change his appearance. He is presented with a range of faces, all of which he rejects. This could also be seen as a reference to his regenerations. - The Tenth Doctor's highly-developed sense of taste is demonstrated again when he identifies 'psychomorphic radiation' by licking some cables.
- The Cynrog machinery somehow had its 'polarity reversed', a reference to the well-known technobabbleTechnobabbleTechnobabble , also called technospeak, is a form of prose using jargon, buzzwords, esoteric language, specialized technical terms, or technical slang that is incomprehensible to the listener...
of the Third DoctorThird DoctorThe Third Doctor is the third incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by actor Jon Pertwee....
. The Doctor then says this again about Professor Lazarus' machine in "The Lazarus ExperimentThe Lazarus Experiment"The Lazarus Experiment" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 5 May 2007 and is the sixth episode of Series 3 of the revived Doctor Who series. It stars David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor and Martha Jones as his companion, played...
". - The Doctor concedes that the TARDIS might have had something to do with the final outcome as "she does like to interfere sometimes" - a reference to the TARDIS's interceding in various stories including "Boom TownBoom Town (Doctor Who)"Boom Town" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on 4 June 2005. The Doctor, Rose and Jack travel to modern-day Cardiff and meet up with Rose's boyfriend, Mickey...
" and "The Parting of the WaysThe Parting of the Ways"The Parting of the Ways" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on 18 June 2005. It was the second episode of the two-part story that featured Christopher Eccleston making his last appearance as the Ninth Doctor...
".
Audio book
An abridged audio book version of The Nightmare of Black Island read by Anthony HeadAnthony Head
Anthony Stewart Head , usually credited as Anthony Head, is an English actor and musician. He rose to fame in the UK following his role in television advertisements for Nescafé Gold Blend , and is known for his roles as Rupert Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and as Uther Pendragon in...
(Mr Finch from "School Reunion
School Reunion (Doctor Who)
"School Reunion" is the third episode in the second series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It first aired on 29 April 2006. The episode's narrative takes place some time after the events of "The Christmas Invasion"...
") was released in November 2006 (ISBN 1-84607-175-5) by BBC Audiobooks
BBC Audiobooks
BBC Audiobooks is a publisher of audiobooks and also a range of spoken word and large-print titles.BBC Audiobooks has published unabridged audio novels, and also the BBC Radio Collection which incorporates dramatisations and non-fiction output derived from BBC Radio programming.In 2010, BBC...
. Also included was a "behind-the-scenes" discussion between the author and the reader.
See also
- New Series Adventures Canonicity
- WhoniverseWhoniverseWhoniverse, a portmanteau of the words "Who" and "universe", is a word used to describe the fictional setting of the television series Doctor Who, K-9 and Company, Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures and K-9, as well as other related stories...