The Book of the Still (novel)
- You may be looking for the titular book.
The Book of the Still was the fifty-sixth novel in the BBC Eighth Doctor Adventures series. It was written by Paul Ebbs (with the title page saying it is "from a story by Paul Ebbs and Richard Jones"), released 6 May 2002 and featured the Eighth Doctor, Fitz Kreiner and Anji Kapoor.
Publisher's summary
The Unnoticed are bound to keep themselves isolated from all history, or face a complete collapse from existence.
The Book of the Still is a lifeline for stranded time travellers — write your location, sign your name and be instantly rescued. When the Unnoticed learn that within the book someone has revealed both their existence and whereabouts they are forced into murderous intercession to find it.
Fitz knows where it is, but then he's the one who stole it. Carmodi, addicted to the energies trapped in frequent time travellers, also knows where it is. But she's the one who's stolen Fitz. Anji, alone on a doomed planet, trying to find evidence of a race that has never had the decency to exist, doesn't know where anybody is.
Embroiled in the deadly chase, the Doctor is starting to worry about how many people he can keep alive along the way...
Plot
An unknown figure falls through the skies of Lebenswelt, falling towards "The Library of Closed Books". Using a stasis field, they tunnel through the various floors of the Library until they reach the exhibit for The Book of the Still. Once they reach it, they use a nanovirus that simulates dysentery to take out the robotic guards and prepare to escape the Library using the same stasis field. Unfortunately, one of the robotic guards has survived and jams the stasis field. Guards surround the figure - who is revealed to be the Doctor.
A young native of "Sirius One Bee" named Rhian Salmond (who declares that she is DEFINETLY NOT the kind of girl to be thrown in prison) is brought to a Lebensweltian prison. While waiting to be brought to her cell, she sees a prisoner being brought into the prison in a bag. After being processed and fed (an extremely meager gruel), Rhian is brought to her cell. Unfortunately, the prisoner in the bag (who seemingly scares the guards at the prison) is also in the cell. Rhian is thrown into the cell with the prisoner, who reveals himself to be the Doctor.
Shortly before the Doctor's attempt to steal the Book of the Still, he (along with Fitz and Anji) arrived on Lebenswelt. Almost instantly, Anji was disgusted with the planet due to its filth. The Doctor notices an observatory tower (purposefully built to give the appearance of falling apart to thrill those who use it) and with his companions in tow, rides an elevator to its top. Once on the top, the Doctor spots the Museum of Locks (which the TARDIS' map of Lebenswelt has highlighted) before he has an epileptic fit. Fitz and Anji are just barely able to save the Doctor from falling off the tower. Once the Doctor recovers, he reveals that he could feel a "presence" in his mind and then demands that Fitz and Anji return to the TARDIS while he stalks off with the map.
Shortly after the Doctor tries to break into the Library of Closed Books, he is dragged before a court. Though the Doctor tries to escape, his escape attempt is stopped by a security droid. To try to get the Doctor out of jail, Anji tries to buy him out (using a new movement that tries to deal with overcrowding in Lebensweltian prisons by letting prisoners be released if sufficient funds are raised) but discovers that the "funds" are actually certain vital organs. While meeting with Anji in prison, the Doctor reveals that he only has fragmentary memories of the break-in.
Meanwhile, in an attempt to "learn the local culture", Fitz takes a job from a newspaper advert that turns out to be a rather shady escort gig - one that uses fast-chain memory acids. In a simulation created by the runners of the escort gig (Svadhistana, Darlow, and Darlow's hired muscle Gimcrack), "Fitzgerald" saves a damsel named Carmodi Litlan from being married off to the evil Duke Doctori. Though Carmodi is nearly slain by Doctori, the duo are saved in the nick of time by Fitz's jetpack-wearing adjutant Connery. Darlow soon discovers that Fitz - along with the real Carmodi Litlan - have gone missing, along with a large chunk of his money (presumably swiped by Carmodi). In an attempt to find this missing money, Darlow looks through Carmodi's memories but soon stumbles onto something so horrible that it makes him throw up and destroys the equipment he is using.
Still in their cell, the Doctor and Rhian begin talking. It is here that the Doctor learns that Rhian is a non-linear anthropologist. He also learns that the Book of the Still is a lifeline for stranded travellers and that the Museum of Locks (which the Library of Closed Books is a part of) is a museum for elaborate security systems which just so happens to have the Book as the "bait" in one of its exhibits. As the Doctor and Rhian stand in the yard (and after talking to two ex-phDs), a sentinel crashes into a Warderbot. While in the hospital, the governor of the prison interrogates the Doctor and (not believing that it is a coincidence) sentences him with death. The attempted execution is stalled by a power failure long enough for the Doctor and Rhian to escape the prison. Once outside of the prison, Rhian slaps the Doctor and reveals that she did not want to escape.
After rooting through Fitz's room, Anji is able to find the advertisement for Svadhistana and Darlow's operation. She travels to their base and sneaks up on them but is attacked by a rat and screams - leading her to be shot at by Darlow. She runs from them, but is cornered by the two. She escapes after kicking Svadhistana.
Characters
Worldbuilding
- Time travel causes many types of exotic particles including bockatrons, harminum and artron oxidants.
- The Doctor learns to dance.
- In an effort to bring the Book of the Still onto Lebenswelt and into the Museum of Locks, the entire planetoid that it was previously on was bought.
People
- Albrecht was a "non-linear anthropologist" who wrote about the culture of "Seekers" and "Finders" that revolves around the Book of the Still. While trying to reach the Dream Time on the planet of Hej, he accidentally erased three of his own ancestors after crossing song-lines. He was saved due to his forethought, having time-coded his later life decisions.
Locations
- Lebenswelt is an extremely wealthy Earth colony which, despite its extreme wealth, is filled with filth and grime due to nobody actually wanting to clean up the filth and grime of the streets. The largest city on the planet is also called Lebenswelt and has a Gothic aesthetique. Red, bat-like creatures tear each other to shreds in the atmosphere as the people of Lebenswelt mindlessly party.
- The planet Porconine is uninhabited.
- Sirius One Bee (presumably Sirius 1B) is a human colony world. Rhian Salmond is a native of the planet.
Notes
to be added
Continuity
- The Doctor tells Rhian about his amnesia and one hundred years spent trapped on Earth. (PROSE: The Burning)
- Fitz happily thinks about Lebenswelt's lack of clockwork people. (PROSE: Anachrophobia)
External links
- The Book of the Still at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
- The Discontinuity Guide to: The Book of the Still at The Whoniverse
- The Cloister Library: The Book of the Still
- Outpost Gallifrey - Interview: Paul Ebbs (archived)
