Remember what made doctor who in the first place!!!
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will all the patronising and, obviously, far more intelligent people than me stop wittering on about how "the science doesn't work" and "the characters are all too 2 dimensional" or "they were just like the proverbial doctor who monster!" - THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT MADE DOCTOR WHO IN THE FIRST PLACE - we all know how the daleks put doctor who in the history books by being something to hide away from - this book goes right back to the essence of the tv show - a reasonably small core cast, some terrifying monsters and the doctor saving the universe from certain destruction - we didn't need to know how the doctor came up with the formula to save sam and the others, we just had to accept that he did - like we did all those years ago when we were kids - enjoying the show for what it was - these books aren't text books they're science FICTION - so to anyone who has read the bad reviews below, ignore them - this book in unputdownable (yes i'm sure that word doesn't exist, but look at me daring to use it!!) and reminds you what doctor who is really all about
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An enjoyable novel
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"The Janus Conjunction" is a well written and enjoyable story. Some people have crticised it for it's lack of characterisation and it's dodgy science. To be the honest, the characters are all pretty one-dimensional and it's hard to care wether they live or die. I didn't think the science was all that bad and i thought that the scientific method behind the Janus conjunction itself was well explained. It's true that there's nothing groundbreaking here, but then I dont think that it set out to acheive like that. Zemler was almost devoid of character and motivation. We dont see him that much and when we do he is mostly just sitting in a chair in a darkened room. It seems to me that his only reason for being in the novel is to set the Janus conjunction in motion. Lunder was quite irritating right from the start and I was very disappointed when, come the end of the novel he was still alive. And Julya just seems to be there to give the Doctor someone to explain things to. However, the setting was fantastic and i really wished that I could have seen it on screen. The spiders were good and I enjoyed the doomsday weapon plot. Not the best EDA novel but a highly entertaining read nonetheless.
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A really bad Eighth Doctor EDA...
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The Janus Conjunction, although it starts out well, is a terrible novel...The character of the Eighth Doctor is unconvincingly written and completely off - as a matter of fact, he's almost exactly like the Third Doctor, but much more annoying. Sam's character is also done terribly. She contributes nothing to the novel and only serves to annoy the reader. All the characters in the story are flat and boring. Even Lunder, the only close to 3D character, you begin to hate after awhile because of his attitude. The plot works, but it's very pedestrian. It's just a bunch of running around back and forth between Menda and Janus Prime - nothing particullarly exciting happens. The radiation melting the soldiers is just a new twist on an old idea (from page 18 of Vampire Science). There are some serious scientific errors in the resolution of the novel concerning the moons and the weapon, but by the time you reach that point in the book, you will probably only care that the book is almost over. Overall, avoid this book at all costs!!! Perhaps this would have made a good Third Doctor and Jo story, but it's absolutely terrible with the Eigth Doctor and Sam. It's not a pain to read through, but by the time you finish, you WILL be thoroughly dissatisfied.
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Great story with some original and surreal concepts
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A most interesting story with many fascinating ideas. The concept of Janus Prime being permanently eclipsed in darkness by its' own moon is brilliant and the characterisation is strong and believable. The idea of two factions of humans breaking apart and warring against each other after arrival on Menda also works very well, and as an alien race the Janusians are eerie and effective. The strong story is let down slightly by a rather weak ending, particularly with regards to the resolution to Sam's problem, but this is more than made up for by the high standards of the rest of the story. Overall, an exciting, thought-provoking read, with some nice incidental touches.
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