| THE STEALERS OF DREAMS by Steve Lyons |
| Story ? Synopsis: The TARDIS lands on a colony world in the 28th century, but the Doctor soon notices there is a predominance of truth; no fiction. They book into a hotel, but the Doctor slips out in the night, teaming up with a policewoman. Meanwhile, Rose and Jack meet Domnic, a fugitive creator, who commits suicide. They learn of Hal Gryden, a wanted subversive who uses a channel called Static to peddle his message of freedom. Rose and Domnic feel they're being pursued, and try to hide. Jack tries to draw attention to himself so he can make contact with Gryden, and it works. But when they come to one of Gryden's studios, the cops arrive, and Gryden seems suddenly delusional. The Doctor is shown to the Big White House, where those suffering from fantasy crazes are treated. Satisfied, he gets back to Rose, but she's disappeared. Jack tries to treat the Big White House calmly, but this renders him a case for treatment. Rose thinks she's with the Doctor, and he leads her to the Big White House, where her crazy actions put her in trouble. Jack manages to avoid being lobotomised, and finds his way to Rose, reassuring her that he is real. They free other inmates, and hold the staff hostage. The police come to deal with the disturbance, and the Doctor convinces his policewoman friend, Inspector Waller, that he can negotiate safely. Inside, he sets up a TV camera so he can pose as Hal Gryden, and reveal some truths to the populace. Once he begins to speak, the police break in, and within 10 minutes, are able to stop the broadcast. But before they can, the Doctor shows that Waller is as deluded as anyone, and not even a real cop. The truth (Gryden is a myth, micro-organism spores in the atmosphere are causing the real trouble) gets out. The Doctor, Rose and Jack are able to slip away to the TARDIS, and leave. |
| Review:- A strange tale of the need to dream, and the dangers of fiction. Too clever by half? Oh, if only... The blandly-named colony world is a bit of a cliche, and the colony here is pretty stark, too. Fiction is a dirty word, and society is dead dull as a result. Soon, our heroes are in the thick of investigation, and each sees the place from a different perspective as a result, which does allow the reader to see the bigger picture. The Doctor learns the official line from Inspector Waller, and is shown both the situations of people on the brink, and also the intended solutions of the Big White House. Rose pairs up with Domnic, the fiction fan who believes in Gryden, and is startled to meet anyone for whom fiction is not a dirty word. Jack works with a mysterious tramp, who claims to be Gryden. He seems to take to the life of the raconteur so well, and it's all the more emphatic when the dream collapses, and the tramp turns out to be deluded after all. Rose's descent into delusion is amusingly written, as the reader knows before she does that the Doctor is being a bit useless on their raid, because he isn't really there. Jack gets to show his mettle, trying to take the authorities on their own terms, then avoiding a lobotomy by a narrow margin. His organisation during the final siege references The Parting Of The Ways, even though this is set before that. At least he's a part of the action (cf. Only Human). The Doctor seems to be on the case very quickly, but events spiral out of his control. He does at least take Domnic with him, despite not realising what Rose and Jack did for him. His pretence of being Gryden, and then exposing Waller, is quite bold stuff, and gives some value to an otherwise jerky resolution. It's not a bad book, but nothing essential. Not one of Lyons' better books, but equally, not one of his worst. |
| Disclaimer: I have a copy of the book. |