The Slow Empire (novel)

The Slow Empire
Doctor:	Eighth Doctor
Companion(s):	Fitz Kreiner, Anji Kapoor
Main enemy:	Vortex Wraiths Collectors
Main setting:	Planets within The Slow Empire: Shakrath Thakrash Goronos
Key crew
Publisher:	[[publisher::BBC Books]]
Writer:	Dave Stone
Release details
Release number:	47
Release date:	2 July 2001
Format:	Paperback Book, 256 Pages
ISBN:	ISBN 0-563-53835-X
BBC Eighth Doctor Adventures
← Previous	The Year of Intelligent Tigers
Next →	Dark Progeny

The Slow Empire was the forty-seventh novel in the BBC Eighth Doctor Adventures series. It was written by Dave Stone. It featured the Eighth Doctor, Fitz Kreiner and Anji Kapoor.

Publisher’s summary

Enter, with the Doctor, Anji and Fitz, an Empire where the laws of physics are quite preposterous — nothing can travel faster than the speed of light and time travel is impossible.

A thousand worlds, each believing they are the Centre, each under a malign control of which they themselves are completely unaware.

As the only beings able to travel between the worlds instantaneously, the Doctor and his friends must piece together the Imperial puzzle and decide what should be done. The soldiers of the Ambassadorial Corps are always, somehow, hard on their heels. Their own minds are busily fragmenting under metatemporal stresses. And their only allies are a man who might not be quite what he seems (and says so at great length) and a creature we shall merely call... the Collector.

Characters

• The Doctor
  • The bizarre properties of space-time in the Empire cause him to have flashbacks to previous selves
  • The Doctor is stabbed in the chest, which heals by plugging himself into the TARDIS medical bay, capable of regenerating tissue.
  • The stabbing leaves his clothes shredded, bloodsoaked, and ruined. This prompts the Doctor to change his wardrobe. He dons dons a simple dark suit and a long black greatcoat.
• Fitz Kreiner
  • Fitz has a Fender Telecaster, which he obtained on their last trip outside the TARDIS
• Anji Kapoor
  • Anji's eyes colour is green-flecked almond.
• Axon Miribilis
• Emperor
• Jamon de la Rocas
• Jarel
• Morel
• The Collector

References

• The Doctor finds in the TARDIS a yellow-umbrella with a question mark handle which contains a concealed sword blade.
• The TARDIS contains a big red button with a sign next to it saying "DO NOT PUSH!" which if pushed will cause the TARDIS to disappear up its own pocket singularity.

Television series from the real world

• Anji was forced to watch Quantum Leap. She has watched Independence Day and Star Wars.
• There is a mention to The X-Files and The Abyss.

Notes

to be added

Continuity

• Anji believes that when a person undergoes molecular transport (transmat, teleport, matter transmission), they’re committing suicide. This idea known as teleportaphobia is explored in detail in PROSE: Down.
• The Fourth Doctor also once briefly encountered Collectors. (PROSE: Heart of TARDIS)
• The Doctor has told Fitz about the Vortisaurs. (AUDIO: Storm Warning)
• Anji is reminded several times of the events of PROSE: The Year of Intelligent Tigers.
• Fitz comments that he has the memories of someone anywhere between a year and several hundreds of years old. (PROSE: Interference - Book Two)
• Fitz recalls having spent some discontinuous time in the late sixties Earth. (PROSE: Revolution Man)

External links

• The Slow Empire at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
• The Discontinuity Guide to: The Slow Empire at The Whoniverse