Autonomy (novel)

Autonomy
Doctor:	[[doctor::Tenth Doctor]]
Companion(s):	Kate Maguire
Main enemy:	Nestene Consciousness Autons
Main setting:	Hyperville, 2013
Key crew
Publisher:	[[publisher::BBC Books]]
Writer:	Daniel Blythe
Release details
Release number:	35
Release date:	3 September, 2009
Format:	Hardcover, 241 pages
ISBN:	ISBN 978-1-84607-759-3
BBC New Series Adventures
← Previous	The Taking of Chelsea 426
Next →	The Krillitane Storm

Published in September 2009, Autonomy was one of the last set of three original novels published featuring the Tenth Doctor in the standard BBC New Series Adventures line.

Publisher's summary

Hyperville is 2013's top hi-tech 24 hour entertainment complex - a sprawling palace of fun under one massive roof. You can go shopping, or experience the excitement of Doomcastle, WinterZone, or Wild West World. But things are about to get a lot more exciting- and dangerous...

What unspeakable horror is lurking on Level Zero of Hyperville? And what will happen when the entire complex goes over to Central Computer Control.

For years, the Nestene Consciousness has been waiting and planning, recovering from its wounds. But now is ready, and its deadly plastic Autons are already in place around the complex. Now more than ever, visiting Hyperville will be an unforgettable experience.

Characters

• The Doctor
• Nestene Consciousness
• Autons
• Kate Maguire
• Andrea Watkins
• Lisa
• Jeff
• Bob
• Beta-4
• Shaneeqi (a.k.a Shannon Eyam)
• Paul Kendrick
• Max Carson
• Miss Elizabeth Devonshire
• Derek
• Reece Stanford
• Chantelle Stanford
• Sir Gerry Hobbes-Mayhew
• Captain Tess Tilbrook
• Captain Erisa Magambo (Mentioned)

References

Books

• The Fat Controller from the "Thomas the Tank Engine" books is mentioned.

Cultural references

• Celebrity couple Shaneeqi and Paul Kendrick are an obvious parody of Posh and Becks.

The Doctor

• The Doctor mentions his visit to Snowglobe 7 as well as visits to other 'shopping palaces' on Dargeb IV and the second moon of Ororous.
• The Doctor mentions the old TV test card and the "Credit Crunch".
• The Doctor mentions Disneyland and Blackpool's "Golden Mile".
• The Doctor has trouble getting the pink wedge in "Trivial Pursuit".
• The Doctor mentions "The Wookie Prisoner Trick" from "Star Wars".
• The Doctor mentions "The X-factor"

Individuals

• There is an oblique reference to Sarah Jane Smith and her Aunt Lavinia on page 78.
• Chantelle confuses John Wayne with Bruce Wayne.
• The Doctor references watching David Hasselhoff sing twice.

TARDIS

• The Doctor closes the TARDIS doors by snapping his fingers

Television series

• "The X-Factor" is explicitly mentioned
• A television is showing "Deal or No Deal".

Notes

• This book continues the theme of the 2009 novels of featuring returning monsters. It also continues the trend of the Tenth Doctor travelling without a companion.
• This story was also released as an ebook available from the Amazon Kindle store.

The Audiobook cover.

Continuity

• The Autons, and the Nestene Consciousness, last appeared in DW: Rose.
• The Nestene Consciousness and the Autons were the first aliens used in the new series of Doctor Who (2005), appearing in the episode DW: Rose.
• Captain Erisa Magambo and UNIT are mentioned.
• The events of DW: Spearhead from Space and DW: Terror of the Autons were mentioned.
• Henrik's department store has an outlet in Hyperville.
• The Doctor recalls the events of BFA: Brave New Town.
• "Every organisation...needed a Max." seems to be a reference to DW: The Long Game and/or DW: Voyage of the Damned.
• The Doctor clicks his fingers to shut the TARDIS' doors; he previously did this in DW: Forest of the Dead.

Timeline

• Autonomy occurs after:NSA: The Taking of Chelsea 426
• Autonomy occurs before: NSA: The Krillitane Storm

Audio release

• The story was released as an audiobook on 6x CD read by Georgia Moffett.
• The audiobook is also available as a download from the AudioGo website.

External links

• Autonomy at the Doctor Who Reference Guide