The Silent Stars Go By (novel)
The Silent Stars Go By is a hardcover book that marked the return of the Ice Warriors. It was the last novel to feature Amy Pond and Rory Williams.
Publisher's summary
2011 BBC Books edition
"Things have to get worse before they can get better. Trouble is, I think they're about to get a lot worse. As worse as worse can be. And then some."
For centuries the Morphans have worked. With no help from other worlds, they subsist on the food they can grow and that's little enough. But their purpose, their whole life is to maintain the machines that will one day make their world as habitable as old Earth.
Life used to be hard. Now as their crops fail, livestock sickens, and the temperature drops, it's becoming impossible. This year's winter festival won't be the usual celebration. It's not a time for optimism or hope – and it's not a time to welcome unexpected guests. The Doctor, Amy and Rory find a society breaking apart under the strain. Tensions are mounting, old rivalries are coming to the fore, people are dying...
And then the Doctor's old enemies the Ice Warriors make their move. With the cold-hearted threat of invasion, the real battle for survival begins. Or does it? The Doctor begins to suspect that behind everything lies a deadlier, and even more chilling danger...
2013 BBC Books edition
The winter festival is approaching for the hardy colony of Morphans, but no one is in the mood to celebrate. They're trying to build a new life on a cold new world, but each year gets harder and harder. It's almost as if some dark force is working against them. Then three mysterious travelers arrive out of the midwinter night, one of them claiming to be a doctor. Are they bringing the gift of salvation or doom? And what else might be lurking out there, about to wake up?
Characters
- Eleventh Doctor
- Amy Pond
- Rory Williams
- Arabel Flurrish
- Harvesta Flurrish
- Samewell Crook
- Ice Warriors
- Bill Groan
- Winnowner Cropper
- Jack Duggat
- Sol Farrow
- Transrats
- Transhumans
References
- The Doctor tries unsuccessfully to get Rory and Amy to sing "I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In".
Notes
- This is the second book in its format. PROSE: The Coming of the Terraphiles is the first.
- Dan Abnett's last story for Doctor Who was part of PROSE: The Story of Martha.
- This story was also released as an ebook available from the Amazon Kindle store.
- The title is a quotation from the Christmas Carol, "O Little Town of Bethlehem". All the chapter titles are also quotations from Christmas carols.
- The book was reprinted with a whole new cover in 2013 to celebrate the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary.
Continuity
- The Ice Warriors last appeared in COMIC: Cold Blooded War!.
- When associating snow with Scotland, the Doctor recalls his companion Jamie. He also recalls Victoria when discussing the Ice Warriors. Both were companions of the Second Doctor and were present when the Doctor first encountered the Ice Warriors. (TV: The Ice Warriors)
- Rory remembers seeing Cybermen marching. He first encountered a damaged Cyberman in TV: The Pandorica Opens, and later stormed a full Cyber force in TV: A Good Man Goes to War.
- The Doctor mentions the Jagrafess (TV: The Long Game) and Castrovalva (TV: Castrovalva).
- The Doctor mentions having a fur coat. (TV: The Abominable Snowmen, TV: The Five Doctors, TV: Time and the Rani)
- Amy describes the Daleks as "Ras-py voiced a-liens who talk like this and yell ex-ter-mi-nate". Amy met the Daleks in TV: Victory of the Daleks.
Audio release
- The story was released as an audiobook on 6x CD read by Michael Maloney.
- The audiobook is also available as a download from the AudioGo website.
External links
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