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Doctor Who: The Legacy > The Collector -
Chapter Two
Chapter Two Review by Elizabeth Medeiros The formal invitations have been issued and the Space Zoo officially opens in this second installment of "The Collector." Of course, the Doctor, Nick and Alf have been part of the zoo for some time already, enough that Nick and Alf are the official greeters to the new exhibits that are just arriving But there's just a little more to this unique story. The story in this chapter is mostly told through a series of interludes and diary entries by Nick (as edited by Oolon Coluphid). For the most part, that technique works well, the descriptions of the exotic alien species are really wonderful and memorable. For instance, the section with the Crocodile Men trying to dress in tuxedos "The Crocodilemen were awkwardly trying to put on tuxedos… but the Crocodilemen's tendency to rip the clothes open was making the supply run out faster than it should." stands out for me. It's downright funny. When the narrative focuses on Nick's diary entries the effect is uneven. There is an eerie menace in this tale and they are in peril, but since all these entries were presumably written after the fact, most of the suspense is gone. They had to escape the zoo at some point, or else there wouldn't be any future diary entries. But the best diary excerpt is the part where Nick indulges in a little self pity when he describes how utterly miserable he is being in love with Alf. It's a great section, but it would've been better if there were fewer of the "sh" word. Doesn't that guy know any other swears? There's one more part I want to mention: There's an excerpt from "20th An Century Film Flops," that reviews an American TV movie based on a successful British TV series, and the reasons why that movie was a gigantic flop. Seems the producers reworked and revised the premise so much it was unrecognizable. Does that remind you of anything? If Adam was winking with his readers in this passage, he did it very aptly. The one real problem I have with this chapter is that the Doctor and Alf are treated as afterthoughts. The Doctor is still floating around disconnected from his brain, and Alf for the most part, is only referred to by Nick. The chapter would have been much stronger if the Doctor and Alf weren't almost invisible characters. But perhaps in Chapter 3? Chapter Two Review by Paul Clement The guests are arriving for the grand opening of the Space Zoo, but all is not well. One of the most obvious things to notice from reading chapter two is that Adam is an exceptionally talented writer, his prose style is engaging and he is adept at bringing characters to life. Unfortunately, despite these wonderful extracts, Adam hasn't managed to structure the narrative to the standards of the writing itself. Once again, the story jumps around too often, with far too many interludes within the story. It begs the question, interludes from what? The story doesn't seem to be stitching itself together yet and with chapters going by, there doesn't appear to be enough time left to be able to manage it satisfactorily. Adam's biggest success in the story so far has been the development and detail he has added to Nick's character. The obvious helplessness that Nick is feeling due to his inability to communicate with Alf, and his fears that she is slipping away from him is extremely tangible as is his concern and feeling of guilt over the Doctors situation. Nick is obviously a favourite of a number of the authors, and as such has been well developed, and this story is no exception, however, it appears that Nick's development has been at the detriment of the characters of Alf and the Doctor himself, who are both all but absent from the story so far. The guests themselves are a pleasure to read about, there are some great moments such as the Crocodilemen in their tuxedos. As I read the dialogue between them I was reminiscent of the interplay between the three Hyenas in Disney's Lion King. The woman in the nineteenth century dress is an intriguing character and the final part of the chapter was excellently done. Overall, great writing but the structure of the story seems to wander to much and perhaps too much going on outside the main sphere. Waiting for chapter three with baited breath, role on the wonderful prose style..... |
