The Ancestor Cell (novel): Difference between revisions

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== Notes ==
== Notes ==
* This is the ''first'' time Gallifrey is destroyed (but not the last).
* Both the "current version" of [[Fitz Kreiner|Fitz]] ([[Kode]]) and the original ([[Father Kreiner]]) appear in this novel. Father Kreiner is killed during the novel.
* Both versions of Fitz appear in this novel, the "current version" and the original who became [[Father Kreiner]]; Father Kreiner is killed during the novel.
* This novel's version of Gallifrey has been twisted by the [[Edifice (TARDIS)|Edifice]]'s temporal damage into a parody of the Gallifrey glimpsed in ''[[Alien Bodies (novel)|Alien Bodies]]'' and ''[[The Taking of Planet 5 (novel)|The Taking of Planet 5]]''.
* This novel's version of Gallifrey is notably parodic of the glimpses seen in [[PROSE]]: ''[[Alien Bodies (novel)|Alien Bodies]]'' and [[PROSE]]: ''[[The Taking of Planet 5 (novel)|The Taking of Planet 5]]''; it is mentioned that the Edifice's temporal damage is affecting and twisting not only Gallifrey's history, but its culture as well.
* ''The Ancestor Cell'' saw the culmination of [[War in Heaven|the War]] arc, which had begun in ''[[Alien Bodies (novel)|Alien Bodies]]''. That novel's author, [[Lawrence Miles]], criticised ''The Ancestor Cell'' for its revelations about [[the enemy]] (suggested to be primordial [[ancestor cell|cell]]s irradiated by temporal interference and energised by a leaking [[bottle universe]]) and [[Grandfather Paradox]] (a future version of the Eighth Doctor).<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050127140324/http://www.planeteleven.co.uk:80/features/lmia/ancestorcell.php Lawrence Miles' ''The Ancestor Cell'' review]</ref> In ''[[The Gallifrey Chronicles (novel)|The Gallifrey Chronicles]]'', [[Lance Parkin]] retconned Grandfather Paradox to appear as everyone's potential future, rather than a specific future version of the Eighth Doctor. ''[[The Book of the Enemy (anthology)|The Book of the Enemy]]'' would later establish that [[the enemy]] had more than one "true" answer for its identity.
 
* This novel marked the "end" of the [[War in Heaven]] for the [[BBC Eighth Doctor Adventures]]. However, after leaving the Eighth Doctor, Compassion became a recurring participant in the War in the [[Faction Paradox (series)|''Faction Paradox'' series]].
=== Criticisms ===
''The Ancestor Cell'' saw the culmination of [[the War]] arc, which had begun in ''[[Alien Bodies]]''. That novel's author, [[Lawrence Miles]], had already begun plans for the ''[[Faction Paradox (series)|Faction Paradox]]'' series, which continued the storyline; independently, he criticised ''The Ancestor Cell'' for its revelations about [[the enemy]] (suggested to be primordial [[ancestor cell|cell]]s irradiated by temporal interference and energised by a leaking [[bottle universe]]) and [[Grandfather Paradox]] (a future version of the Eighth Doctor). According to Miles, Stephen Cole claimed that both revelations were not definite answers.
 
=== Other recontexualizations ===
* Despite this novel being the "end" of the War for the Eighth Doctor, Compassion, specifically following her travels with the Doctor, would become a recurring character in the ''Faction Paradox'' series.
* [[Lance Parkin]]'s novel ''[[The Gallifrey Chronicles (novel)|The Gallifrey Chronicles]]'' later specified that ''The Ancestor Cell''<nowiki/>'s Faction Paradox fleet is a devolved and militaristic sect, come to the [[Eleven-Day Empire]] and invading Romana's Gallifrey from 292 years into the War. Parkin also retconned Grandfather Paradox to be everyone's potential future.
* Though ''The Ancestor Cell'' states Romana is [[War Queen]] of the [[Nine Gallifreys]] (with hers being the original and sire of the eight cloneworlds) and asserts all nine are destroyed, ''[[The Book of the War (novel)|The Book of the War]]'' implies "nine" is actually a misnomer, with every cloneworld believing itself to be the original and creating even more tertiary worlds of their own. ''The Book of the War'' mentions some of the cloneworlds having a "War Queen." Previous novels ''[[Alien Bodies (novel)|Alien Bodies]]'' and ''[[The Taking of Planet 5 (novel)|The Taking of Planet 5]]'' had both mentioned a Gallifrey being destroyed early in the War. [[Obverse Books|Obverse Books']] ''[[The Brakespeare Voyage (novel)|The Brakespeare Voyage]]'' carries this assumption forward, mentioning several being destroyed throughout the course of the conflict.
* According to Obverse Books' ''[[Spinning Jenny (novel)|Spinning Jenny]]'', set after ''[[The True History of Faction Paradox]]'', there are different versions and conflicting accounts of Faction Paradox's destruction.
* The idea of [[the enemy]] having more than one "true" answer for its identity is a major recurring theme of Obverse Books' ''[[The Book of the Enemy (anthology)|The Book of the Enemy]]''.  


== Continuity ==
== Continuity ==
* The 'ghost' of the [[Third Doctor]] who features here is intended to be a manifestation of the Doctor who would have existed before the Doctor's unintentional interference in [[PROSE]]: ''[[Interference - Book One]]'' erased the events of ''[[Planet of the Spiders (TV story)|Planet of the Spiders]]''.
* Each of the [[Nine Gallifreys|duplicate Homeworlds]] created during the War believed themselves to be the original, had their own [[War Queen]]s, and created their own duplicates. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Book of the War (novel)|The Book of the War]]'')
* [[PROSE]]: ''[[Alien Bodies]]'' was the first novel to feature both the Faction Paradox and the first mention of the future War, the Enemy and sentient TARDISes similar to Compassion.
* [[Nine Gallifreys|A Gallifrey]] was destroyed early in the War. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Alien Bodies (novel)|Alien Bodies]]'', ''[[The Taking of Planet 5 (novel)|The Taking of Planet 5]]'', ''[[The Brakespeare Voyage (novel)|The Brakespeare Voyage]]'')
* [[PROSE]]: ''[[The Taking of Planet 5]]'' debuted the war-TARDISes.
* The 'ghost' of the [[Third Doctor]] who features here is intended to be a manifestation of the Doctor who would have existed before the Doctor's unintentional interference in [[PROSE]]: ''[[Interference - Book One (novel)|Interference - Book One]]'' erased the events of [[TV]]: ''[[Planet of the Spiders (TV story)|Planet of the Spiders]]''.
* [[PROSE]]: ''[[The Shadows of Avalon]]'' started the Time Lords chasing the Doctor, Compassion and Fitz.
* [[PROSE]]: ''[[Alien Bodies (novel)|Alien Bodies]]'' was the first novel to feature both the Faction Paradox and the first mention of the future War, the Enemy, and [[103-form|sentient TARDISes]].
* Fitz knows who the Faction Paradox are from his encounter with them in either/both [[PROSE]]: ''[[Unnatural History]]'' and ''[[Interference - Book One]]''.
* [[PROSE]]: ''[[The Taking of Planet 5 (novel)|The Taking of Planet 5]]'' debuted the [[War TARDIS]]es.
* Compassion drops the Doctor on Earth which leads into [[PROSE]]: ''[[The Burning]]''.
* [[PROSE]]: ''[[The Shadows of Avalon (novel)|The Shadows of Avalon]]'' started the Time Lords chasing the Doctor, Compassion and Fitz.
* Compassion also delivers Fitz on Earth a hundred years later in time to meet the Doctor, which he does in [[PROSE]]: ''[[Escape Velocity]]''.
* Fitz knows who the Faction Paradox are from his encounters with them in [[PROSE]]: ''[[Unnatural History (novel)|Unnatural History]]'' and ''[[Interference - Book One (novel)|Interference - Book One]]''.
* [[PROSE]]: ''[[The Gallifrey Chronicles (novel)|The Gallifrey Chronicles]]'' sorts out and re-interprets many of the events seen in this novel.
* Compassion drops the Doctor on Earth, leading into [[PROSE]]: ''[[The Burning (novel)|The Burning]]''.
* Romana mentions the Dalek incident. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Apocalypse Element]]'')
* Compassion also delivers Fitz on Earth a hundred years later in time to meet the Doctor, which he does in [[PROSE]]: ''[[Escape Velocity (novel)|Escape Velocity]]''.
* Romana remembers challenging [[Flavia]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Goth Opera]]'')
* [[PROSE]]: ''[[The Gallifrey Chronicles (novel)|The Gallifrey Chronicles]]'' sorts out and re-interprets many of the events seen in this novel. For instance, it specifies that ''The Ancestor Cell''{{'}}s Faction Paradox fleet was a devolved and militaristic sect, come to the [[Eleven-Day Empire]] and invading Romana's Gallifrey from 292 years into the War.
* Father Kreiner mentions the [[T'hiili]] ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Dominion (novel)|Dominion]]'') and [[Vega Station]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Demontage]]'') Fitz retaliates with tales of [[Drebnar]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Frontier Worlds]]'')
* Romana mentions the [[Etra Prime incident|Dalek incident]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Apocalypse Element (audio story)|The Apocalypse Element]]'')
* Romana remembers challenging [[Flavia]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Goth Opera (novel)|Goth Opera]]'')
* Father Kreiner mentions the [[T'hiili]] ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Dominion (novel)|Dominion]]'') and [[Vega Station]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Demontage (novel)|Demontage]]'') Fitz retaliates with tales of [[Drebnar]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Frontier Worlds (novel)|Frontier Worlds]]'')
* [[PROSE]]: ''[[Spinning Jenny (novel)|Spinning Jenny]]'' states that there are different conflicting accounts of Faction Paradox's destruction.


== External links ==
== External links ==

Revision as of 00:59, 1 August 2018

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prose stub

The Ancestor Cell was the thirty-sixth novel in the BBC Eighth Doctor Adventures series. It was written by Peter Anghelides and Stephen Cole, released 3 July 2000 and featured the Eighth Doctor, Fitz Kreiner and Compassion. It marked the end of Stephen Cole's role as editor of the BBC Books ranges.

Publisher's summary

The Doctor's not the man he was. But what has he become? An old enemy — Faction Paradox, a cult of time-travelling voodoo terrorists — is finally making him one of its own. These rebels have a mission for him, one that will deliver him into the hands of his own people, who have decreed that he must die. Except now, it seems, the Time Lords have a mission for him too...

A gargantuan structure, hewn from solid bone, has appeared in the skies over Gallifrey. Its origin and purpose are unknown, but its powers threaten to tear apart the web of time and the universe with it. Only the Doctor can get inside... but soon he will learn that nothing is safe and nothing sacred.

Shot by both sides, confronted by past sins and future crimes, the Doctor finds himself a prisoner of his own actions. With options finally running out, he must face his most crushing defeat or take one last, desperate chance for salvation...

Plot

to be added

Characters

References

  • The Faction Virus which infected the Doctor during his paradoxical regeneration on Dust continues to affect him.
  • Fitz knows of the Faction Paradox either from his encounter on Earth in San Francisco 2002 or on Earth in 1996, or when he was part of the Remote prior to his re-remembering by the TARDIS.
  • The Edifice which hangs over Gallifrey is revealed to be the Doctor's TARDIS, which he thought was destroyed. It exists in the form of a Gallifreyan Flower of Remembrance.
  • The Panopticon should have six sides, but due to the Faction Paradox's interference it keeps losing sides until it's a circle.
  • Romana is about to celebrate her 150th year as Lady President of Gallifrey.
  • Romana is a Prydonian.
  • It took the Time Lords many generations to accept TARDISes as ships of exploration and scientific research, now they are accepted as weapons of war.
  • Cherantrin V is a planet where the Doctor, Fitz and Sam saw a double sunrise.
  • The founders of Time Lord society include Rassilon, Omega, Pandak, Apeiron and the Other.
  • The Penansulix Structure is a building on Gallifrey.
  • Greyjan was president for three days, between 2 September and 14 September 1752.
  • Greyjan is "remembered" into existence by the Faction Paradox.
  • After the TARDIS transforms into the Edifice, the 'ghost' of the Third Doctor manifests in the console room, generating bone spiders to protect the ship, he and the Eighth Doctor admitting that spiders are important to them in a manner that they cannot define, referencing the Third Doctor's original regeneration (TV: Planet of the Spiders) before history was changed.

Notes

Continuity

External links

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