Killing Ground (novel)

Killing Ground
Doctor:	[[doctor::Sixth Doctor]]
Companion(s):	Grant Markham
Main enemy:	The Cybermen
Main setting:	Agora: 2191
Key crew
Publisher:	[[publisher::Virgin Books]]
Writer:	Steve Lyons
Release details
Release number:	23
Release date:	June, 1996
Format:	Paperback Book, ? Pages
ISBN:	ISBN 0-426-20474-3

Publisher's summary

'Imagine that you can live forever and life is totally free from pain. You can see all things with clarity, unblinkered by irrelevant details. You will never fear, never sicken, never lose control. That is what the Cybermen are offering.'

The Doctor takes his new companion, Grant, back home to Agora -- only to find a world in the thrall of some of his oldest and deadliest foes.

The Cybermen have taken control and set up a breeding colony to propagate their own race. While the Doctor languishes in a cell at the mercy of the sadistic Overseers, Grant joins up with a group of rebels and works on a desperate rescue bid.

With time running out, the rebels move into action. But will their solution prove more deadly than the problem itself?

Characters

• The Doctor
• Grant Markham
• Ted Henneker

rebel on Agoria

• Maxine Carter

Agorian scientist

ArcHivist Hegelia and Graduand Jolarr

• Timetravelers from the future
• aim to inteview the survivors of the Cyberman occupation

Overseers

• Madrox (overseer leader)
• Ben Taggart (former rebel who surrendered instead of sacrificing himself by detonating a bomb in population Control)

References

• Hegelia is from David Bank's Cybermen book.
• Reference is made to MA: Time of Your Life several times.
• The Bronze Knights' brutal crushing of Maddox's hands is a infamous reprise of Lytton's punishment in DW: Attack of the Cybermen.
• Grant comes face to face with his father in mid-conversion, a scene that brings to mind Natasha meeting her father as a glass Dalek in DW: Revelation of the Daleks and Lytton in DW: Attack of the Cybermen.
• A Selachian warship has been pioneered by the Cybermen (PDA: The Murder Game, The Final Sanction).
• The events of various Cybermen stories are mentioned. Namely DW: Attack of the Cybermen, NA: Iceberg, DW: Revenge of the Cybermen and DW: The Moonbase.
• Reference is made to the Valeyard seen in DW: Trial of a Time Lord.

Notes

• This book notes the second and final official appearance of companion Grant Markham in official media.
• The cover by Alister Pearson contains the only official image of Grant.

Continuity

• The Doctor exiled himself to Torrok after the events of DW: The Ultimate Foe and was forced to leave when the Time Lords revealed him to the Watchers in MA: Time of Your Life.
• The Cybermen here are that of the post-Cyber Wars variant seen in DW: Revenge of the Cybermen and BFA: Sword of Orion.

Timeline

• Killing Ground occurs after: MA: Time of Your Life
• Killing Ground occurs before: BFA: The Wormery

External links

• Killing Ground at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
• The Discontinuity Guide to: Killing Ground at The Whoniverse