Doctor Who: Scratchman (Doctor Who) (DOCTOR WHO) (Doctor Who)

by Tom Baker and James Goss

What are you afraid of?

In his first-ever Doctor Who novel, Tom Baker’s incredible imagination is given free rein. A story so epic it was originally intended for the big screen, Scratchman is a gripping, white-knuckle thriller almost forty years in the making.

The Doctor, Harry and Sarah Jane Smith arrive at a remote Scottish island, when their holiday is cut short by the appearance of strange creatures – hideous scarecrows, who are preying on the local population. The islanders are living in fear, and the Doctor vows to save them all. But it doesn’t go to plan – the time travellers have fallen into a trap, and Scratchman is coming for them.

With the fate of the universe hanging in the balance, the Doctor must battle an ancient force from another dimension, one who claims to be the Devil. Scratchman wants to know what the Doctor is most afraid of. And the Doctor’s worst nightmares are coming out to play…

• ISBN10: 1785943901
• ISBN13: 9781785943904
• Publish Date: 24 January 2019
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 8 April 2021
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: BBC Consumer Publishing
• Imprint: BBC Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 304
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/isbn/9781785943904

Reviews

[kentholloway]

I was never a fan of Doctor Who when I was a kid. It came on PBS after school every day, but I just couldn’t get past the melodramatic acting and poor special effects back then. Plus, as a kid who loved superheroes, I expected someone named Doctor Who (that’s what we all thought he was called back in those days), he should have super powers like Doctor Strange or Doctor Fate or Doctor Doom. Since he seemed like just a normal guy, I wasn’t all that interested. Then came New Who and like many Americans, I became a huge fan. Oddly enough, even though I wasn’t a fan of the show as a kid, I identified Tom Baker as *my* Doctor because he was the one I saw on PBS as a kid. As an adult, I’ve grown to be a huge fan of his. So, I was excited to hear he was writing a Doctor Who story on his own.

I wasn’t disappointed. I wondered from time to time whether the book was ghost-written because it was so well thought out and the prose was magnificent. Then, I thought about Tom Baker the man and his eloquence, and could truly see him writing as brilliantly as the prose of this novel. In the end, it doesn’t matter who wrote it. It was fantastic. And you really got a sense of the 3rd Doctor’s time in the TARDIS. It was even more so since I listened to it on audiobook with Tom Baker narrating it in a way that only Tom Baker could possibly pull off. His performance was amazing, and even if you’re not a fan of audiobooks, I strongly suggest giving this one a try. I’m sure reading the story would be just as satisfying, but hearing the Doctor laugh his boisterous laugh, and hearing the Doctor give little asides to the text...it was invigorating. And nostalgic.

But not only was the writing and the performance great, the story itself was wonderful too. It was multilayered. Deep. Witty. And smart. Everything one would expect from a Doctor Who story. I just can’t recommend this book enough. I hope you’ll pick it up and give it a try...especially if you’re a fan, but even if you’re not. You’ll thank me later.

[kimbacaffeinate]

The Doctor, Harry Sullivan and Sarah Jane Smith arrive at a remote Scottish island where they intend to enjoy a picnic lunch, a nap and skip stones. All of that changes when they discover hideous scarecrows are taking over the small village. They will soon be in a fight for their lives as a sinister alien force is at work. As the story progresses we learn The Doctor is on trial on Gallifrey. The Time Lords have questions that must be answered.  He is retelling the events of the story to the council.Since Tom Baker narrated this story, allowing me to close my eyes and imagined this trio, the creepy scarecrows, and the Scratchman. I could see the council, the burned out planet, and creepy crawlies we encountered. It was geektastic. The audio has sound effects present at the beginning of chapters. I enjoyed this little added feature, but was also grateful it wasn't throughout.While not perfect, it gave me a sense of nostalgia and felt authentic to their time on the show.  I've since moved on to other Doctors and will confess that nine and ten will forever be my favorite but I enjoyed the new story and trip down memory lane.The story over forty years in the making has a seventies vibe and was originally slated for film. It is my understanding both Ian Martin (Harry Sullivan), and James Goss were involved in the writing. Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane), penned a message that is shared in the epilogue. Sadly, she and Martin are no longer with us. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer