Only Human was the fifth Ninth Doctor novel released.
Publisher's summary
2005 BBC Books edition
Somebody's interfering with time. The Doctor, Rose and Captain Jack arrive on modern-day Earth to find the culprit -- and discover a Neanderthal Man, twenty-eight thousand years after his race became extinct. Only a trip back to the primeval dawn of humanity can solve the mystery.
Who are the mysterious humans from the distant future now living in that distant past? What hideous monsters are trying to escape from behind the Grey Door? Is Rose going to end up married to a caveman?
Caught between three very different types of human being -- past, present and future -- the Doctor, Rose and Captain Jack must learn the truth behind the Osterberg experiment before the monstrous Hy-Bractors escape to change humanity's history forever...
2013 BBC Books edition
Reports of a time disturbance lead the Ninth Doctor to modern-day London, where he discovers a Neanderthal Man, twenty-eight thousand years after his race became extinct. A trip back to the dawn of humanity only deepens the mystery: who are these strange humans from the far future now living in the distant past? The Doctor must learn the truth about the Osterberg experiment before history is changed forever.
Characters
- Ninth Doctor
- Rose Tyler
- Captain Jack Harkness
- Das
- Chantal Osterberg
- Weronika
- Jacob
- Lene
- Tom
- T. P. Quilley
- Tina
- Reddy
- X01
- Hy-Bractors
- Jackie Tyler
- Stephanie
- Ka
- Sakka
- Sakka's Mate
- Sakka's Daughter
- Neanderthal Midwife
- Gual
- Nan
- Tillun
- Anna Marie O'Grady
- The Priest
References
- The Doctor's TARDIS has a swear filter.
- When Das was telling the Doctor, Rose and Jack, he mentioned "a strange tree" that brought him to 2005. This might be a reference to Doctor Who's first episode, An Unearthly Child, where Kal describes the TARDIS in the same manner.
- Rose gets married to a prehistoric human. Her married name is "Rose Glathicgacymcilliach". This would make her a widow as Tillun lives out his natural life in his own time.
Story notes
- Later reprints of this book removed the image of Billie Piper from the cover, presumably due to use-of-likeness issues after she had left the programme.
- This story was also released as an ebook available from the Amazon Kindle store.
- This book was reprinted in 2013 with an entirely new cover to celebrate the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary.
Continuity
- The Doctor mentions that he has previously met Neanderthals. (TV: Ghost Light; PROSE: Timewyrm: Genesys)
- Rose reflects on her encounter with Gwyneth in Cardiff on 24 December 1869. (TV: The Unquiet Dead)
- Rose recalls meeting Jack during the Blitz on 20 January 1941. (TV: The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances)
- The Doctor uses the fast return switch. (TV: The Edge of Destruction)
- The Doctor refers to the destruction of Gallifrey in the Last Great Time War. (TV: The End of the World)
Audio release
- The story was released as an audiobook read by Anthony Head.
Gallery
Original cover
Finnish edition
Audiobook cover
The 2013 reprinting
