DOCTOR WHO: THE CITY OF THE DEAD

It's Time Lord, New Orleans style!

By Tony Whitt     October 05, 2001

THE CITY OF THE DEAD is by far one of the best books the BBC range has yet produced, rivaling previous stand-outs like ALIEN BODIES and EARTHWORLD. Of course, I may be a bit biased: the novel is set in New Orleans, where I live. Ask anyone who lives here if he feels the city has been well represented in novels and films, and you'll get anything from a disgusted shake of the head to a lengthy diatribe on the inability of writers and filmmakers to even get the local geography right, let alone capture the true spirit of the city. Apart from one itty-bitty error (it's called The Marigny, not just "Marigny"), Lloyd Rose does all that, and more and what's more amazing, this is her first book.

THE CITY OF THE DEAD is dedicated to Kate Orman appropriate, since that author's influences are all over this novel. At times, it even reads like some of the best of Orman's pre-BBC DOCTOR WHO books like RETURN OF THE LIVING DAD and THE LEFT-HANDED HUMMINGBIRD. But Rose is no mere Orman clone she simply shares a strong sense of place, a keen eye for characterization, and a gift for creating some of the most memorably funny and horrific scenes ever written in a DOCTOR WHO book. Rose also uses that most interesting of Orman's tropes, that of putting the Doctor through sheer and complete hell before allowing him to extricate himself and save the day.

Rose's take on the Eighth Doctor, though, is a unique one. He's still amnesiac, still uncertain of what horrific act he committed that made him lose his memory in the first place and of course he's no closer by the end of this novel. But this is a very different Doctor than we saw in the Earth-bound arc of last year, or even the last five novels featuring Anji. This Doctor is capable of being acerbic and bored by idiots and saying so to their face, as his wonderful exchanges with the would-be magician Jack Dupre show. This Doctor is capable of keeping his companions out of the loop and adventuring on his own and yet making certain they know how much he values them a touching scene late in the novel between the Doctor and Fitz provides one of the book's emotional centers, as well as providing one of the biggest belly-laughs. (Yes, you need to go read it to find out how it can do both at once, and you'll be as astounded as I was that Rose can pull off both at the same time.) And this Doctor is more than capable of getting himself into the most unimaginable trouble and using abilities he's rarely manifested before to get himself out again. Just like the old days.

While some of the authors this year have had difficulty handling the regular characters while concentrating on their own, Rose finds a perfect balance. Fitz and Anji are as well-written here as they've ever been, and Rose's own creations, such as homicide detective Jonas Rust and borderline psychotic Teddy Acree, are everything we'd want such characters to be. The best thing is that Rose hardly ever resorts to stereotypes in creating these characters and even when she does, any New Orleanian could tell you that she gets the local stereotypes exactly right. Take it from me: if there's some bit in this book that makes you a bit uneasy (and there will be a few), just remember that it's dead-on accurate. And then there's the plot, an intricate murder mystery that throws so many red herrings in your path that by the time the identity of the Magician is revealed, you'll kick yourself for not having guessed it, even though the clues were so well-hidden.

Gush, gush, gush. I obviously can't say enough about this book, so I'll save the rest for this spring, when Rose's second book comes out. Sure, it won't be set in New Orleans, but I have a feeling this writer could set it in an old septic tank and do an equally expert job.

DOCTOR WHO: CITY OF THE DEAD

Grade: A+

Author(s): Lloyd Rose

Publisher: BBC Books

Price: $6.95