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{{Infobox Novel|
{{title dab away}}
novel name= Invasion of the Cat-People |
{{real world}}
image= [[Image:Ma-13.jpg|250px]] |
{{Infobox Story SMW
series=[[Doctor Who]] -<br/>[[Virgin Missing Adventures]] |
|image       = Ma-13.jpg
number= 13 |
|series       = [[Virgin Missing Adventures]]
doctor=[[Second Doctor]] |
|range = Virgin Missing Adventures
companions= [[Ben Jackson|Ben]], [[Polly]] |
|number in range = 13
enemy= [[Cat-People|the Cat-People]] <br> The Euterpians |
|number      = 13
year= [[Cumbria]], North West [[England]] [[Queensland]], North-East [[Australia]]: 6 [[July]], [[1994]] |
|doctor       = Second Doctor
writer= [[Gary Russell]] |
|companions   = [[Polly Wright|Polly]], [[Ben Jackson|Ben]]
publisher= [[Virgin Books]] |
|enemy        = [[Godwanna]], [[Thorgarsuunela]], [[Atimkos]], [[Aysha|Queen Aysha]]
release date= [[August]], [[1995]] |
|setting      = {{il|[[Cumbria]], [[London]], [[Cat-People]] spaceship in [[Earth]] orbit, [[6 July|6]]-[[8 July]] [[1994]]|[[Baghdad]], 2000 years earlier|[[Sydney]], [[10 July]] [[1994]]|[[Hyper reality]]}}
format= Paperback Book, ? Pages |
|writer       = Gary Russell
isbn= ISBN 0426204409|
|cover        = [[Colin Howard]]
previous story=[[The Sorcerer's Apprentice]]|
|publisher   = Virgin Books
next story= [[Managra]] }}
|release date = 17 August 1995
|format       = Paperback Book; 7 Chapters, 256 Pages
|isbn         = ISBN 0-426-20440-9
|prev        = The Sorcerer's Apprentice (novel)
|next         = Managra (novel)
}}{{prose stub}}
'''''Invasion of the Cat-People''''' was the thirteenth novel in the [[Virgin Missing Adventures]] series. It was written by [[Gary Russell]] and featured the [[Second Doctor]], [[Ben Jackson]] and [[Polly Wright]].


==Publisher's summary==
== Publisher's summary ==
'''‘Explode the buoys? But that will destroy the Earth!’'''<br>
:"Explode the [[buoy]]s? But that will destroy the [[Earth]]!"
'''‘Oh dear, so it will. Pass on my apologies to the humans, won’t you?’'''
:"Oh dear, so it will. Pass on my apologies to the [[human]]s, won't you?"


[[Earth]] has been invaded. Twice. Thousands of years ago by a race searching for a new power source. More recently by the galactic marauders known as [[Cat-People|the Cat-People]], who intend to continue the work done by the earlier visitors, with devastating results.  
[[Earth]] has been invaded. Twice. Thousands of [[year]]s ago by a race searching for a new power source. More recently by the [[Galaxy|galactic]] marauders known as the [[Cat-Person|Cat-People]], who intend to continue the work done by the earlier visitors, with devastating results.


The recently regenerated [[Second Doctor|Doctor]], along with companions [[Ben Jackson|Ben]] and [[Polly]], teams up with a group of amateur ghost-hunters and a mysterious white witch on a journey that takes them from [[20th century|twentieth-century]] [[Cumbria]] to the [[Arabian]] deserts of folklore and [[Australia]] 40,000 years in the past. Can the Doctor stop the invaders and disarm the bombs left buried beneath the planet’s surface - or have the ancient [[Aborigines]] of Australia sung the seeds of their own destruction?
The recently [[Regeneration|regenerated]] [[Second Doctor|Doctor]], along with [[companion]]s [[Ben Jackson|Ben]] and [[Polly Wright|Polly]], teams up with a group of amateur [[ghost]]-hunters and a mysterious [[white witch]] on a journey that takes them from [[20th century|twentieth-century]] [[Cumbria]] to the [[Arabian]] [[desert]]s of folklore and [[Australia]] 40,000 years in the past. Can the Doctor stop the invaders and disarm the [[bomb]]s left buried beneath the planet's surface — or have the ancient [[Aborigine]]s of Australia sung the seeds of their own [[destruction]]?


==Characters==
== Plot ==
*[[Second Doctor|The Doctor]]
''to be added''
*[[Ben Jackson]]
*[[Polly]]
'''[[Cat-People]]'''
*[[Aysha|Queen Aysha]]
*[[Pride Mother]]
*[[Chosan]]
*[[Lotuss]]
*[[Jayde]]
'''[[Euterpian|Euterpians]]'''  
*[[Thorgarsuunela|Thorsuun]]
*[[Atimkos]]
*[[Udentkista]]
*[[Tarwildbaning]]
*[[Godwanna]]
'''Professors and Students'''
*[[Bridegman|Professor Bridgeman]]
*[[Martin Kerbe]]
*[[Peter Moore]]
*[[Simon Griffiths]]
*[[Carfrae Morgan]]
*[[George Smithers]]
*[[Charlie Coates]]
'''People from [[Bagdad]]'''
*[[Aroon]]
*[[Nypp]]
*[[Aall]]
*[[Tuq]]


==References==
== Characters ==
*When the Cat-People are searching around the [[Sol System]] they see signs of a lost civilisation. This could be a reference to the [[Ice Warrior]]s ([[DW]]: ''[[The Ice Warriors]]'') or the [[Osirian]]s. ([[DW]]: ''[[Pyramids of Mars]]'')
In brackets are the names [[Gary Russell]] lists as his preferred casting choices for if ''Invasion of the Cat-People'' had hypothetically been a TV story, and how he envisions each character's appearance. Not every character is assigned an actor.
*The Doctor's regeneration caused the TARDIS to regenerate to some extent, shrinking 15 centimetres.
*[[Magnus]] (later known as the War Chief) was unconcerned about wasting regenerations, and never listened to the Doctor who advised him not to waste them.
*Ben finds clothes in the TARDIS wardrobe which have pockets that are bigger on the inside, much like the Doctor's own pockets. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Runaway Bride]]'')


==Notes==
=== TARDIS crew ===
*At the beginning of this story, three weeks have passed since the Doctor's regeneration.
* [[Second Doctor|The Doctor]] ([[Patrick Troughton]])
* [[Ben Jackson]] ([[Michael Craze]])
* [[Polly Wright]] ([[Anneke Wills]])


==Continuity==
=== Cat-People ===
*The [[Cat-People]] are related to the [[Cheetah People]] who appeared in [[DW]]: ''[[Survival]]''.
* [[Aysha|Queen Aysha]] ([[Susan Engel]])
* [[Pride Mother]] ([[Cynthia Grenville]])
* [[Chosan (Invasion of the Cat-People)|Chosan]] ([[Patricia Maynard]])
* [[Jodi]]
* [[Lotuss]] ([[Myra Frances]])
* [[Jayde]] ({{w|Rowena Wallace}})
* [[Aall]] ({{w|Maggie Kirkpatrick}})
* [[Nihmrod]] ([[Rosalind Lloyd]])
* [[Nypp]] ([[Lois Baxter]])
* [[Tamora]] ({{w|Maggie Dence}})
* [[Tensing]] ({{w|Julie T. Wallace}})
* [[Tuq]] ({{w|Louise Silversen}})


==Timeline==
=== Euterpians ===
*This story occurs after [[ST]]: ''[[Pluto (short story)|Pluto]]''
* [[Thorgarsuunela]] ([[Carolyn Seymour]])
*This story occurs before [[DWA]]: ''[[The Sour Note]]''
* [[Atimkos]] ({{w|Jude Law}})
* [[Udentkista]] ([[John Normington]])
* [[Tarwildbaning]] ({{w|Stephanie Beacham}})
* [[Godwanna]] ([[Jacqueline Pearce]])


==External links==
=== The Grange Estate ===
* [http://www.drwhoguide.com/who_ma13.htm The Doctor Who Reference Guide detailed synopsis of '''Invasion of the Cat-People''']
* [[Professor]] [[Nicholas Bridgeman]] ([[Alan David]])
*{{whoniverse|MA13.php|Invasion of the Cat-People}}
* [[Marten Kerbe]] ([[Maurice Roëves]])
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20021212055911/www.gary.dircon.co.uk/StrangeCat.html Gary Russell's Strange Matter: '''Invasion of the Cat-People''', notes on the writing of the novel] via [http://www.archive.org/web/web.php Internet Archive: Wayback Machine]
* [[Peter Moore]] ({{w|Nathan Constance}})
* [[Simon Griffiths]] ({{w|Simon Fenton}})
* [[Carfrae Morgan]] ({{w|Siri Neal}})
* [[George Smithers]] ({{w|Gerald James}})
* [[Charlie Coates]] ([[Colin Jeavons]])
 
=== Other humans ===
* [[Nate Simms]] ([[Steven Mackintosh|Steven Macintosh]])
* [[Adoon]]
* [[Martin Hickman]]
* [[Martina (Invasion of the Cat-People)|Martina]]
* [[Philip Jay]]
 
== Worldbuilding ==
* When the Cat-People are searching around the [[Sol System]], they see signs of a lost civilisation.
* Ben and Polly read [[Brian J Robb]]'s biography ''[[River Phoenix: A Short Life]]'' about the actor [[River Phoenix]] at [[W H Smith]].
* The Doctor terms the concept that interfering with one's own history having drastic consequences as [[chrono-chaos theory]].
 
=== Culture ===
* [[High Lord]] [[Rhukk]] wrote ''[[An Even Briefer History of Time]]''.
* [[Gregori Glasst|Glasst]], [[Proot]] and [[Lock (musical scholar)|Lock]] are noted musical scholars.
* [[Atimkos]] hears two women discussing a "trendy [[Iceland]]ic [[Björk|pop singer]]".
* Euterpians taught the [[Aborigine]] people about the [[dreamtime]] and the [[songline]]s.
 
=== Individuals ===
* Polly's uncle, [[Randolph Wright]], died during [[World War II]]. His brother, Polly's uncle [[Charles Wright]], was a supporter of [[Brett (The War Machines)|Professor Brett]] and [[WOTAN]], and got Polly her job at the [[Post Office Tower]].
* [[Karen Kuykendall]] created the [[Tarot of the Cat-People]] in [[1985]].
* George Smithers' son died of [[leukemia]] in [[1987]] while his wife died of [[Cancer|lung cancer]] in [[1991]].
* Polly mentions her friends [[Kitty (Invasion of the Cat-People)|Kitty]] and [[Brenda (Invasion of the Cat-People)|Brenda]], her cousin [[Bette (Invasion of the Cat-People)|Bette]] and her "old flame" [[Roger (Invasion of the Cat-People)|Roger]].
 
=== TARDIS ===
* The Doctor's [[regeneration]] caused [[The Doctor's TARDIS|the TARDIS]] to regenerate to some extent, shrinking fifteen [[centimetre]]s. The Doctor tells Ben that it will continue to shrink into his [[Fourth Doctor|fourth incarnation]]. The Doctor ties a knot in his hanky to remind himself to see about rectifiying the problem.
* Ben finds clothes in the [[TARDIS wardrobe]] which have pockets that are bigger on the inside, much like the Doctor's own coat pockets.
 
=== Time Lords ===
* [[The War Chief|Magnus]] was unconcerned about wasting regenerations and never listened to the Doctor, who advised him not to waste them.
* There were [[book]]s coated in [[reverse tachyon-chronon]]s (RTC) on [[Gallifrey]], but the [[Time Lord]] leaders decided that they were too dangerous and got rid of them.
 
=== Species ===
* The Doctor suggests that a Cat-Person could be one of the [[Kzinti]] warriors.
 
== Notes ==
* The novel is six "episodes" long, plus a prologue, to emulate a classic series TV serial.
* The story takes place between ''[[The Power of the Daleks (TV story)|The Power of the Daleks]]'' and ''[[The Highlanders (TV story)|The Highlanders]]''.
* At the beginning of this story, three weeks have passed since the Doctor's regeneration.
* This is the first story to use Polly's surname, Wright, which originated from Polly's original character outline and audition scrips for ''[[The War Machines (TV story)|The War Machines]]'' ([[REF]]: ''[[Doctor Who The Handbook: The First Doctor|The First Doctor Handbook]]'') but was ultimately never given on-screen. The name became universally used for the character. It was carried over into the [[BBC New Series Adventures]] novels ''[[The Murder Game (novel)|The Murder Game]]'' and ''[[The Roundheads (novel)|The Roundheads]]'', and eventually made its way into the [[Big Finish Doctor Who audio stories|audio stories]] by [[Big Finish Productions]]. The [[2009 (releases)|2009]] [[The Companion Chronicles|Companion Chronicles]] release ''[[Resistance (audio story)|Resistance]]'' was the first audio story to use Polly's surname. It also explores her uncle, [[Randolph Wright]], who was also first mentioned in this story.
* When commenting on the Cat-People, the Doctor mentions they are related to races with names not previously mentioned in the ''[[Doctor Who Universe|Doctor Who]]'' [[Doctor Who Universe|Universe]]. These included: {{iw|flashgordon|Lion Men|Lion-Men of Mongo}} (''Flash Gordon''), {{iw|memory-alpha|Caitian|Caitians}} (''[[Star Trek (franchise)|Star Trek]]''), {{w|Kzin}}ti (Larry Niven's ''Known Space'' series) and agents of the {{iw|memory-beta|Aegis}} (''[[Star Trek]]''). He also references [[Mercenary|mercenaries]] from [[Gin-Seng]] and the natives of [[Vedela]] and [[Capella (planet)|Capella]].
* As well as listing his preferred casting choices for an imaginary televised version of the novel, Gary Russell also notes his preference of [[Graeme Harper]] as the [[Director (crew)|director]], [[Mike Fillis]] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian_Jack Adrian Jack] working on the [[music]], and Michael Chapman as the [[producer]]. It would be a Virgin Films production.
* The [[Virgin Missing Adventures covers|front cover]] is the only one in the [[Virgin Missing Adventures]] to feature more than one other character alongside [[the Doctor]] on the left. In breaking this convention, it joins ''[[Time of Your Life (novel)|Time of Your Life]]'', which features the Doctor only.
* The characters of [[Proot]] and [[Gregori Glasst|Glasst]] are mentioned, first appearing in ''[[Audio Visuals (fan work)|Audio Visuals]]'' fan productions.
 
=== Errors ===
* It is repeatedly stated that the Euterpians arrived 40,000 years prior to [[1994]], however the chapter which depicted their arrive indicates a setting of 3978 BC.
* It is suggested that Earth's contintents were significantly different 40,000 years ago, while in reality the geological timescales of [[continental drift]] are in the millions of years.
* At [[Heathrow Airport]], [[Thorgarsuunela]] asks an attendant what the date is, and is given the date [[10 June]]. The story had previously established that the date was [[8 July]].
* In Baghdad, the Doctor claims at different times that they've travelled twenty-thousand and two-thousand years back in time.
 
== Continuity ==
* The [[Cat-Person|Cat-People]] are related to the [[Cheetah People]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Survival (TV story)|Survival]]'')
* An account of the Euterpians is present at the [[Braxiatel Collection]] ([[TV]]: ''[[City of Death (TV story)|City of Death]]'', [[PROSE]]: ''[[Theatre of War (novel)]], et al.) written by [[High Lord]] [[Rhukk]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Legacy (novel)|Legacy]]'') The book discusses the [[Galactic Federation]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Curse of Peladon (TV story)|The Curse of Peladon]]'')
* The [[War Machine]]s and [[WOTAN]], ([[TV]]: ''[[The War Machines (TV story)|The War Machines]]'') the smugglers in [[Cornwall]], ([[TV]]: ''[[The Smugglers (TV story)|The Smugglers]]'') the [[Cyberman|Cybermen]] ([[TV]]: ''[[The Tenth Planet (TV story)|The Tenth Planet]]'') and the Daleks ([[TV]]: ''[[The Power of the Daleks (TV story)|The Power of the Daleks]]'') are all mentioned.
* The Doctor has always told himself that he would like to buy himself [[Smithwood Manor|a little house in Kent]] to use as a home whenever he came to Earth. This wish was fulfilled by his [[Third Doctor|third incarnation]] ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Verdigris (novel)|Verdigris]]'') and used mostly by his [[Seventh Doctor|seventh incarnation]].
* The Doctor mentions several misdeeds of his [[First Doctor|previous incarnation]], suggesting that Ben ask [[Ian Chesterton|Ian]] and [[Barbara Wright|Barbara]] about the caveman [[Za]], whom he almost killed with a rock ([[TV]]: ''[[An Unearthly Child (TV story)|An Unearthly Child]]'') and mention the name "[[Anne Chaplet]]" to [[Steven Taylor|Steven]] ([[TV]]: ''[[The Massacre (TV story)|The Massacre]]'') and that even [[Dodo Chaplet|Dodo]] would have some stories to tell.
* The [[Time Vector Generator]] first appeared in [[TV]]: ''[[The Wheel in Space (TV story)|The Wheel in Space]]''.
* The Doctor says that he witnessed the [[Troy|Fall of Troy]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Myth Makers (TV story)|The Myth Makers]]'')
* The Doctor mentions his friend [[The War Chief|Magnus]] from the [[Time Lord Academy]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Flashback (comic story)|Flashback]]''
* Ben and Polly refer to their trip to the [[Snowcap]] tracking base in [[Antarctica]] in [[December]] [[1986]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Tenth Planet (TV story)|The Tenth Planet]]'')
* Ben and Polly discuss the Doctor's recent [[regeneration]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Tenth Planet (TV story)|The Tenth Planet]]'', ''[[The Power of the Daleks (TV story)|The Power of the Daleks]]'')
* A woman claimed that Polly looks exactly like her friend [[Michelle Leupi|Michelle]] in [[1966]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Faceless Ones (TV story)|The Faceless Ones]]'')
* The Doctor would again encounter a humanoid species resembling cats in his [[tenth incarnation]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[New Earth (TV story)|New Earth]]'')
 
== External links ==
{{dwrefguide|who_ma13.htm|Invasion of the Cat-People}}
* {{whoniverse|ma13|Invasion of the Cat-People}}
* [http://mysite.science.uottawa.ca/rsmith43/cloister/invascat.htm The Cloister Library: '''Invasion of the Cat-People''']
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20021212055911/www.gary.dircon.co.uk/StrangeCat.html Gary Russell's Strange Matter: '''Invasion of the Cat-People''', notes on the writing of the novel] via [http://www.archive.org/web/web.php Internet Archive: Wayback Machine]
* [http://doctorwho.org.nz/archive/tsv51/garyrussell.html Gary Russell: From Peladon to Placebos by Jon Preddle, Paul Scoones (Interview) - TSV 51]
{{MA}}
{{TitleSort}}


{{prose stub}}
[[Category:Second Doctor novels]]
[[Category:Second Doctor novels]]
[[Category:Virgin Missing Adventure Novels]]
[[Category:MA novels]]
[[Category:1995 novels]]
[[Category:1995 novels]]
[[Category:Stories set in Australia]]
[[Category:Stories set in Cumbria]]
[[Category:Stories set in Cumbria]]
[[Category:Stories set in London]]
[[Category:Stories set in Sydney]]
[[Category:Stories set in 1994]]
[[Category:Stories set in 1994]]
[[Category:Stories set in 1874]]
[[Category:Novels set on the Braxiatel Collection]]
[[Category:Stories set in 3978]]
[[Category:Stories set in Baghdad]]
[[Category:Stories set outside time and space]]

Latest revision as of 10:18, 13 April 2024

RealWorld.png

prose stub

Invasion of the Cat-People was the thirteenth novel in the Virgin Missing Adventures series. It was written by Gary Russell and featured the Second Doctor, Ben Jackson and Polly Wright.

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

"Explode the buoys? But that will destroy the Earth!"
"Oh dear, so it will. Pass on my apologies to the humans, won't you?"

Earth has been invaded. Twice. Thousands of years ago by a race searching for a new power source. More recently by the galactic marauders known as the Cat-People, who intend to continue the work done by the earlier visitors, with devastating results.

The recently regenerated Doctor, along with companions Ben and Polly, teams up with a group of amateur ghost-hunters and a mysterious white witch on a journey that takes them from twentieth-century Cumbria to the Arabian deserts of folklore and Australia 40,000 years in the past. Can the Doctor stop the invaders and disarm the bombs left buried beneath the planet's surface — or have the ancient Aborigines of Australia sung the seeds of their own destruction?

Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]

to be added

Characters[[edit] | [edit source]]

In brackets are the names Gary Russell lists as his preferred casting choices for if Invasion of the Cat-People had hypothetically been a TV story, and how he envisions each character's appearance. Not every character is assigned an actor.

TARDIS crew[[edit] | [edit source]]

Cat-People[[edit] | [edit source]]

Euterpians[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Grange Estate[[edit] | [edit source]]

Other humans[[edit] | [edit source]]

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

Culture[[edit] | [edit source]]

Individuals[[edit] | [edit source]]

TARDIS[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • The Doctor's regeneration caused the TARDIS to regenerate to some extent, shrinking fifteen centimetres. The Doctor tells Ben that it will continue to shrink into his fourth incarnation. The Doctor ties a knot in his hanky to remind himself to see about rectifiying the problem.
  • Ben finds clothes in the TARDIS wardrobe which have pockets that are bigger on the inside, much like the Doctor's own coat pockets.

Time Lords[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Magnus was unconcerned about wasting regenerations and never listened to the Doctor, who advised him not to waste them.
  • There were books coated in reverse tachyon-chronons (RTC) on Gallifrey, but the Time Lord leaders decided that they were too dangerous and got rid of them.

Species[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • The Doctor suggests that a Cat-Person could be one of the Kzinti warriors.

Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

Errors[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • It is repeatedly stated that the Euterpians arrived 40,000 years prior to 1994, however the chapter which depicted their arrive indicates a setting of 3978 BC.
  • It is suggested that Earth's contintents were significantly different 40,000 years ago, while in reality the geological timescales of continental drift are in the millions of years.
  • At Heathrow Airport, Thorgarsuunela asks an attendant what the date is, and is given the date 10 June. The story had previously established that the date was 8 July.
  • In Baghdad, the Doctor claims at different times that they've travelled twenty-thousand and two-thousand years back in time.

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

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

v • e
Virgin Missing Adventures
First Doctor
Susan, Ian, Barbara
Ian, Barbara
Ian, Barbara, Vicki
Vicki, Steven
Dodo
Second Doctor
Ben, Polly
Jamie, Victoria
Jamie, Zoe
Third Doctor
Liz, UNIT
Jo, UNIT
Jo, Yates
Sarah, Jeremy,
The Brig
Fourth Doctor
Sarah, Harry
Sarah
Romana I, K9
Romana II, K9
Fifth Doctor
Adric, Nyssa, Tegan
Nyssa, Tegan
Tegan, Turlough, Kamelion
Turlough
Sixth Doctor
Peri
Grant
Mel
Seventh Doctor
Chris, Roz
Other
Victoria, Sarah, The Brig
Second, Third, Seventh Doctors
with Dodo and UNIT
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