Deadfall (novel)

Deadfall
Main character(s):	Jason
Featuring:	Benny, Chris, Emile, Braxiatel
Main enemy:	The Jithii
Main setting:	Ardethe System, 2594
Key crew
Publisher:	Virgin Books
Writer:	Gary Russell
Cover by:	John Sullivan
Release details
Release number:	67
Release date:	2 October 1997
Format:	Paperback Book; 12 Chapters, 264 Pages
ISBN:	ISBN 0-426-20513-8
Virgin New Adventures
← Previous	Down
Next →	Ghost Devices

Deadfall is the sixty-seventh Virgin New Adventures novel. It is the first novel to not feature Bernice Summerfield in the main character role; rather this novel's story focuses on Jason Kane. This also features the reappearance of Emile Mars-Smith, who acts as Jason's "companion" and who was first introduced in Beyond the Sun, and Chris Cwej, who last appeared in Lungbarrow.

Publisher's summary

"We've a killer brain-eater on board, half of us are dead, and all you want to do is discuss your wretched fish. Do you sense a problem with your priorities?"

Jason Kane is out to impress his ex-wife, Bernice, and he has found the perfect way of doing it. He's convinced she knows the location of the legendary planet of Ardethe — a site of untold riches and forbidden knowledge So, after riffling through her bag for information, he sets off with his trusty crewman Emile to a barren and isolated rock.

As usual, Jason's plans go awry. Very soon people begin to die — and die quite horribly. They have awakened something beneath the planet's surface that's feasting on human brains. And when a ship full of hard-bitten female convicts arrives in the skies above the desolate world, the situation becomes even more complicated.

Someone is pulling the strings and watching the carnage. It could be any of the desperate prisoners, the reclusive crew, or the suspicious governor. Not knowing who the true foe is, Jason calls for help. Assistance arrives in the form of his old companion Christopher Cwej — just the man you'd want by your side in a tricky situation. But something terrible has happened to Chris, and now he can't even remember his own name.

Chapter titles

1. So Important
2. Propaganda
3. At Home, at Work, at Play
4. Tryouts for the Human Race
5. A Fun Bunch of Guys From Outer Space
6. Throw Her Away (and Get a New One)
7. I Married a Martian
8. Happy Hunting Ground
9. A Big Surprise
10. Beat the Clock
11. How Are You Getting Home?
12. This Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us

Plot

to be added

Characters

• Bernice Summerfield
• Jason Kane
• Emile Mars-Smith
• Chris Cwej
• Irving Braxiatel
• Marianne Townsend
• Charlene Connor
• Oliver Tolland

References

• Kastor Major is a planet.

Bars and pubs

• Bernice spends most of this adventure in the Witch and Whirlwind drinking beer. Jason orders a "scotch, neat. Double."

Books

• Bernice's sequel to Down Among the Dead Men is now called Down Among the Dead Men – Slight Return.

Conflicts

• The Orion War is mentioned.

Places

• Some of the cave system on Ardethe is designed like Emmanuel College.
• The River Cam was turned into a monorail track.

Psychology

• Prison camps sometimes use the Keller Principle which buries personality and emotions.

Species

• The Grutcha are a canine species.
• Jy'mli'n, the attendant of the snail mail room, is a Pakhar.

Religion

• Emile's father is a follower of the Natural Path.

Spacecraft

• Gossamer Wing and Mister Kiss-Kiss Bang Bang (also known as the KayBee 2) is the female prison ship.
• Jason Kane owns a ship called the Mother Fist which he won in a game of Twister.

Cover gallery

• 

  Cover

• 

  Textless cover

Notes

• This is one of the Bernice Summerfield novels which for most of the novel hardly has any "Benny-centric" scenes.
• Deadfall is a remake of the Audio Visuals audio drama of the same name.
• The planet Ardethe is hinted several times to be a desolated far-future Gallifrey: it is located in the constellation Kasterborous, it's inhabited by the Shabooj'm, and it holds a great secret. Ardethe would later be confirmed as one of the Nine Gallifreys in The Story So Far....
• This is the fifth of Gary Russell's novels to have a character with the name "Townsend" (in this case Marianne Townsend). This is because Russell's first high school crush was named Townsend.
• Ensign Sax changes gender (across one page) on page 17. Ensign Sax briefly becomes male, being referred to as "Mr Sax", but is then female again at the bottom of the page. This is probably an example of the gender-neutral usage of "Mr" in a military context.
• As confirmed by Gary Russell on Twitter, the individual on the cover was intended to be Jason Kane. However, he was mistakenly depicted with blond hair, making him resemble Chris Cwej instead.

Continuity

• Emile Mars-Smith mentions meeting Benny, Jason, Scott and Tameka while fighting the sunless. (PROSE: Beyond the Sun)
• Benny and Jason haven't seen Chris Cwej since they were all on Earth's moon in PROSE: Eternity Weeps.
• Chris last appeared in PROSE: Lungbarrow.
• Emile has a Professor Nightshade figure. (PROSE: Nightshade)
• Braxiatel still hasn't attended Benny and Jason's wedding, which is in Benny's past but Braxiatel's future. (PROSE: Happy Endings)
• Ardethe is a long-dead Homeworld during the War in Heaven. (PROSE: The Story So Far...)
• Chris doesn't remember Jason, Benny, or being an adjudicator with Roz. (PROSE: Original Sin)
• Chris' DNA is complicated due to his bepple. (PROSE: Original Sin)
• Mind wiping criminals was originally called the Keller principle. (TV: The Mind of Evil)
• Baygent set up the Knights of Jeneve. (PROSE: Dragon's Wrath)
• Roz was killed on Valhalla. (PROSE: So Vile a Sin)

External links

• Deadfall at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
• The Discontinuity Guide to: Deadfall at The Whoniverse
• The Cloister Library: Deadfall
• Doctor Who Bewildering Reference Guide to Deadfall
• Gary Russell's Strange Matter: Deadfall, author notes via Internet Archive: Wayback Machine