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> Warmonger Ten Little Aliens - A Review By Andrew Hunter The Doctor, Ben and Polly arrive on a planetoid, as a group of marines hunt down two robots. The Doctor and his companions cannot get into the TARDIS and must join forces with the soldiers to work out why ten seemingly dead aliens disappear without trace. More problems arise as the planetoid begins to head into a dangerous area of space and a number of soldiers begin to have horrific changes in their skin. Stone angels take to the air and begin to hunt. The Doctor must solve these problems before time runs out… This setting is noteworthy because it has long dark caves and tunnels. The soldiers do not know what lies at the end of them… To make this more exciting, there are various rock falls and vibrations. The caves contain stone angels. Because they are made of such strong material, the soldier's rifles cannot stop them. They kill by tearing their victim apart. A grenade launcher eventually solves the problem, but inside the angels are millions of fleas. Stephen Cole borrows some factors from the films, “Alien” and “Predator”. “Alien” has people being picked off, one by one, in a confined space. “Predator” contains marines being hunted by an alien on a mission. This threat of danger increases the pace in the book and made me want to read on. These dangers seriously threaten the characters involved. The realisation of the Doctor and his companions is impressive and their thoughts and feelings are explored well, adding more depth to them. The other characters are also examined fully, showing their unique identities. This makes them more interesting and makes the reader think about them more. Another reason which makes us read on more is the mystery of the Schirr bodies and the soldiers disappearing. The soldiers are wary of each other and the reader is made to wonder who or what is committing the crimes. This makes the book and the reader interact together. Interaction in the book is important because it makes it more interesting for the reader. Everyone on the planetoid wears “websets”, which pick up thoughts and feelings of the individual. Steve Cole gives us the opportunity to go to each person's feelings. An example would be “To switch to Roba's viewpoint, select section 22 on page 234 – then return here”. The only major disadvantage of the book is that it has got shades of other stories - “Alien” or “Predator” or “Earthshock” to some extent. This may give the feeling of “been there, done that” to some people. Although similar to those, Stephen Cole effectively brings in new and deadly menaces to the world of Doctor Who. With the great cover and plot, Ten Little Aliens is a brilliant book. |
