Walking to Babylon (novel): Difference between revisions

From Tardis Wiki, the free Doctor Who reference
No edit summary
Tag: 2017 source edit
 
(115 intermediate revisions by 31 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Infobox Other Novels|
{{title dab away}}
novel name= Walking to Babylon |
{{real world}}
image= [[Image:Walking_to_Babylon.jpg|250px]] |
{{Infobox Story SMW
series=[[Virgin Bernice Summerfield New Adventures | Virgin <br> Bernice Summerfield New Adventures]] |
|image          = Walking to Babylon.jpg
number= 10 |
|series         = [[Virgin New Adventures]]
featuring= --- |
|range          = Virgin New Adventures
enemy= [[WiRgo!xu]] and [[!Ci!ci-tel]] |
|number in range = 71
year= [[Dellah]], [[St. Oscar's University]] [[2594]] <br> [[The People]]’s [[Worldsphere]], [[2594]] <br> [[MD 20879]], [[2594]] <br> [[Earth]], [[Babylon]], [[December]] 12th, [[1901]] <br> [[Earth]], [[Babylon]], [[570 BCE]] |
|number         = 71
writer= [[Kate Orman]] |
|adapted into    = Walking to Babylon (audio story)
publisher= [[Virgin Books]] |
|main character  = [[Bernice Summerfield]]
release date= February, 1998 |
|featuring       = Joseph (Oh No It Isn't!)
format= Paperback Book, ? Pages |
|featuring2      = Clarence
isbn= ISBN 0-426-20521-9 |
|featuring3      = God (The Also People)
previous story= [[Tempest (novel) | Tempest]] |
|featuring4      = Wolsey
next story= [[Oblivion]]}}
|enemy           = [[WiRgo!xu]] and [[!Ci!ci-tel]]
|setting        = [[St Oscar's University|St Oscar's]], [[Worldsphere]], and [[MD 20879]], [[2594]]; [[Babylon]], [[12 December]] [[1901]] and [[BC#6th century BC|570 B.C.]]
|writer          = Kate Orman
|cover          = [[Mark Salwowski]]
|publisher       = Virgin Books
|release date   = 3 February 1998
|format         = Paperback Book;<br/>14 Chapters, 256 Pages
|isbn           = ISBN 0-426-20521-9
|prev            = Tempest (novel)
|next            = Oblivion (novel)
}}{{prose stub}}
'''''Walking to Babylon''''' is the seventy-first [[Virgin New Adventures]] novel. It features [[Bernice Summerfield]] and [[the People]]. It was the third novel to be adapted by [[Big Finish Productions]] into a full cast audio story, which was released in [[November (releases)|November]] [[1998 (releases)|1998]].


==Publisher's Summary==
== Publisher's summary ==
''''I'm scared of letting all these people down. Like the whole human race. At least if I get blown up as well, they can say I died heroically. Assuming I ever existed at all.''''
''"I'm scared of letting all these people down. Like the whole human race. At least if I get blown up as well, they can say I died heroically. Assuming I ever existed at all."''


When Bernice Summerfield visits the People -- an incredibly advanced civilisation living in a Dyson Sphere -- she discovers that even in utopia they still have their problems.
When [[Bernice Summerfield]] visits [[the People]] — an incredibly advanced civilisation living in a [[Dyson sphere|Dyson Sphere]] — she discovers that even in utopia, they still have their problems.


An illegal time travel experiment threatens a war which could destroy them all. Rather than risk it, the People and their ultra-powerful computer, God, are prepared to eradicate the source of the problem -- the ancient city of Babylon. But such action would involve the death of a quarter of a million human beings, and do incalculable damage to Earth's history.
An illegal time travel experiment threatens a war which could destroy them all. Rather than risk it, the People and their ultra-powerful computer, [[God (The Also People)|God]], are prepared to eradicate the source of the problem — the ancient city of [[Babylon]]. But such action would involve the death of a quarter of a million human beings, and do incalculable damage to [[Earth]]'s history.


Babylon -- and the human race -- have one hope. Benny returns to the cradle of civilisation to try and stop the interference. She has just one week to prevent a catastrophe that could mean she will never be born. Her only assistance comes from a Victorian linguist who has stumbled across the experiment himself. But he's no help at all -- even though he has a power neither of them suspects.  
Babylon — and the [[human]] race — have one hope. Benny returns to the cradle of civilisation to try and stop the interference. She has just one week to prevent a catastrophe that could mean she will never be born. Her only assistance comes from a Victorian linguist who has stumbled across the experiment himself. But he's no help at all — even though he has a power neither of them suspects.


==Characters==
== Chapter titles ==
[[Bernice Summerfield]]
* Chapter 0: An Invitation From God
* Chapter 1: In Too Deep
* Chapter 2: Basket Case
* Chapter 3: Language
* Chapter 4: The Party's Over
* Chapter 5: Past Shock
* Chapter 6: The Evening After the Afternoon Before
* Chapter 7: Head Above Water
* Chapter 8: The Shortest-Lived Profession
* Chapter 9: Helpless
* Chapter 10: Looking
* Chapter 11: The Plan
* Chapter 12: Rain and Snow
* Chapter 13: Walking on Home


[[God (Worldsphere)|God]]
== Plot ==
* Speaks through Benny’s porter [[Joseph]].
''to be added''


[[John Lafayette]]
== Characters ==
* Is a [[time sensitive]] and thus was able to walk [[The Path]].
* [[Bernice Summerfield]]
* [[God (The Also People)|God]]
* [[John Lafayette]]
* [[Clarence]]
* [[Cin-ta!x]]
* [[Ninan]] (High Princess)
* [[WiRgo!xu]]
* [[!Ci!ci-tel]]
* [[!qu-!qu-tala]]


[[Clarence]]
== Worldbuilding ==
* Collects Benny from St Oscar’s.
=== Biology ===
* Bernice once had [[sex]] with some [[Citdbtbed]]s by shaking hands with them.


[[Cin-ta!x]]
=== Groups ===
* Spokesperson for the [[Temporal Interest Group]].
* Several Interest Groups are mentioned, including the [[Obscure and Unlikely Civilisations Interest Group]], the [[Abnormal Psychology Interest Group]], the [[Weird Aviation Interest Group]], the [[Seriously Primitive Societies Interest Group]], the [[Apathy Interest Group]], the [[Wilderness Gardening Interest Group]], the [[Temporal Interest Group]], the [[Interpersonal Dynamics Interest Group]], the [[Weapons Development Interest Group]], the [[Primitive Cooking Interest Group]], the [[Freak Accidents Interest Group]], the [[Ke Chedani Interest Group]], the [[Immortality Through Not Pissing Off God Interest Group]], the [[Solar Mechanics Interest Group]], the [[Creative Writing Interest Group]], and the [[Celibacy Interest Group]].
* [[Cin-ta!x]] is a spokesperson for the Temporal Interest Group.


[[Ninan]] (High Princess)
=== Individuals ===
* Basically the head whore.
* [[God (The Also People)|God]] speaks through Benny's porter [[Joseph (Oh No It Isn't!)|Joseph]].
* But she was a virgin (giving herself only to the gods).
* [[Clarence]] collects Benny from [[St Oscar's University|St Oscar's]].
* [[!qu-!qu-tala]] is a [[drone]] accompanying !Ci!ci-tel and WiRgo!xu. The drone is also a veteran of the war.


[[WiRgo!xu]]  
=== Literature ===
*  Is a veteran of the People’s war with ‘them’.
* Bernice Summerfield is studying some [[D'nasian]] poetry.


[[!Ci!ci-tel]]
=== Planets ===
*  Is a veteran of the People’s war with ‘them’.
* Bernice mentions the planet [[Jalkejai]].
 
* Aged to death by temporal energy stored in John Lafayette.
 
[[!qu-!qu-tala]]
* The drone accompanying !Ci!ci-tel and WiRgo!xu, the drone is also a veteran of the war.
 
==References==
* [[The People]] can’t develop [[Time travel]] because of their treaty with the [[Time Lords]].
 
* [[Temporal Flexibility]] is the ability build up in frequent time travelers to not store up potential temporal energy (as a result of some forms of time travel).


=== Time travel ===
* [[The People]] can't develop [[time travel]] because of their [[Time Lord-People Treaty|treaty]] with the [[Time Lord]]s.
* [[John Lafayette]] is a [[Time sensitivity|time sensitive]] and thus was able to walk the [[Time Path]].
* [[Temporal Flexibility]] is the ability to store up potential temporal energy (as a result of some forms of time travel).
* [[The Path]] is an unstable temporal path leading back to ancient Babylon.
* [[The Path]] is an unstable temporal path leading back to ancient Babylon.


=== Weapons ===
* The People decide to send back a [[Singularity Bomb]] to shut down the path, which would also destroy Babylon.
* The People decide to send back a [[Singularity Bomb]] to shut down the path, which would also destroy Babylon.
*Bernice mentions the planet [[Jalkejai]].
==Notes==
* This novel was adapted for Big Finish by [[Jacqueline Rayner]].


==Continuity==
== Notes ==
* The People first appeared in [[The Also People]].
* This novel was adapted into an audio story by [[Big Finish Productions]] by [[Jacqueline Rayner]]. (see [[AUDIO]]: ''[[Walking to Babylon (audio story)|Walking to Babylon]]'')


* Benny agreed to become an agent of The People in [[Oh No It Isn't!]].
== Continuity ==
* The People first appeared in [[PROSE]]: ''[[The Also People (novel)|The Also People]]''.
* Benny agreed to become an agent of the People in [[PROSE]]: ''[[Oh No It Isn't! (novel)|Oh No It Isn't!]]''.
* The People make a deal regarding time travel in [[PROSE]]: ''[[Dead Romance (novel)|Dead Romance]]''.
* Benny tells the story of her solo dig on [[Capella Four]]. This was first mentioned in [[PROSE]]: ''[[Parasite (novel)|Parasite]]'' and expanded upon in [[PROSE]]: ''[[Steal from the World (short story)|Steal from the World]]''.


==External Links==
== External links ==
[http://www.drwhoguide.com/who_na71.htm Doctor Who Reference Guide - Detailed Synopsis: Walking to Babylon]
{{dwrefguide|who_na71.htm|Walking to Babylon}}
* {{whoniverse|na71|Walking to Babylon}}
* [http://mysite.science.uottawa.ca/rsmith43/cloister/walk.htm The Cloister Library: '''Walking to Babylon''']
{{BNA}}
{{TitleSort}}


[[Category:Bernice Summerfield novels]]
[[Category:Bernice Summerfield sources]]
[[Category:1998 novels]]
[[Category:1998 novels]]
[[Category:BNA novels]]
[[Category:Stories set in 570 BC]]
[[Category:Stories set in 1901]]
[[Category:Stories set in Babylon]]
[[Category:Stories set in 2594]]
[[Category:Novels set on Dellah]]

Latest revision as of 21:13, 12 January 2024

RealWorld.png

prose stub

Walking to Babylon is the seventy-first Virgin New Adventures novel. It features Bernice Summerfield and the People. It was the third novel to be adapted by Big Finish Productions into a full cast audio story, which was released in November 1998.

Publisher's summary[[edit] | [edit source]]

"I'm scared of letting all these people down. Like the whole human race. At least if I get blown up as well, they can say I died heroically. Assuming I ever existed at all."

When Bernice Summerfield visits the People — an incredibly advanced civilisation living in a Dyson Sphere — she discovers that even in utopia, they still have their problems.

An illegal time travel experiment threatens a war which could destroy them all. Rather than risk it, the People and their ultra-powerful computer, God, are prepared to eradicate the source of the problem — the ancient city of Babylon. But such action would involve the death of a quarter of a million human beings, and do incalculable damage to Earth's history.

Babylon — and the human race — have one hope. Benny returns to the cradle of civilisation to try and stop the interference. She has just one week to prevent a catastrophe that could mean she will never be born. Her only assistance comes from a Victorian linguist who has stumbled across the experiment himself. But he's no help at all — even though he has a power neither of them suspects.

Chapter titles[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Chapter 0: An Invitation From God
  • Chapter 1: In Too Deep
  • Chapter 2: Basket Case
  • Chapter 3: Language
  • Chapter 4: The Party's Over
  • Chapter 5: Past Shock
  • Chapter 6: The Evening After the Afternoon Before
  • Chapter 7: Head Above Water
  • Chapter 8: The Shortest-Lived Profession
  • Chapter 9: Helpless
  • Chapter 10: Looking
  • Chapter 11: The Plan
  • Chapter 12: Rain and Snow
  • Chapter 13: Walking on Home

Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]

to be added

Characters[[edit] | [edit source]]

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

Biology[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Bernice once had sex with some Citdbtbeds by shaking hands with them.

Groups[[edit] | [edit source]]

Individuals[[edit] | [edit source]]

Literature[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Bernice Summerfield is studying some D'nasian poetry.

Planets[[edit] | [edit source]]

Time travel[[edit] | [edit source]]

Weapons[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • The People decide to send back a Singularity Bomb to shut down the path, which would also destroy Babylon.

Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

External links[[edit] | [edit source]]

v • e
Virgin Books New Adventures
Seventh
Doctor
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
Bernice
Summerfield
1997
1998
1999
Retrieved from "https://tardis.wiki/w/index.php?title=Walking_to_Babylon_(novel)&oldid=3690580"