Kursaal was the seventh BBC Eighth Doctor Adventures featuring the Eighth Doctor and Samantha Jones. Kursaal was author Peter Anghelides' first full length contribution to Doctor Who; his previous contribution was the short story Moving On in 1996.
- You may be looking for the titular planet.
Publisher's summary
Kursaal is a pleasure world, a huge theme park for the Cronus system — or rather it will be if it isn't destroyed during construction.
Eco-terrorists want the project halted to preserve vital archaeological sites -- areas containing the last remains of the long-dead Jax, an ancient wolf-like race whose remains are being buried beneath the big-business tourist attractions.
Sam falls in with the environmentalists, and finds her loyalties divided. Meanwhile, the Eighth Doctor's own investigations lead him to believe the Jax are not extinct after all.
Cut off from the TARDIS, separated from his companion and pursued for murder, the Doctor discovers Kursaal hides a terrible secret — and that Sam is being affected by events more than anyone would guess...
Chapter Titles
- "There are no protected species on this planet"
- "Kursaal security forces remain baffled"
- "Sorry about the language"
- "I'd value your opinion"
- "Something here doesn't smell right"
- "Bad intelligence"
- "I thought I'd lost her"
- "Manipulation skills are jolly useful"
- "I thought you were the expert"
- "No deals, Doctor"
- "The commander will see you now"
- "Show me where you are"
- "Sometimes the obvious is staring right at you"
- "Not the kind you want to consort with"
- "She's already dead"
- "Give me the moonlight"
Plot
to be added
Characters
- Eighth Doctor
- Samantha Jones
- Security Chief Paul Kadijk
- Professor Amy Saraband
- Maximilian Gray
- Bernard Cockaigne
- Claire Johnson
- Porlock
- Bandros
References
- In Latin, "Alius" means "other".
- The Doctor refers to Kursaal as a cross between Disneyland and Babylon 5.
Biology
- When Sam's mind is controlled, she desires the Doctor as her consort.
The Doctor
- The Doctor isn't fond of hospitals because of his 'birth trauma'. (This probably refers to his regeneration, which happened at Walker General Hospital, rather than his literal birth.)
- The Doctor mentions the Mars-Venus run.
The Doctor's items
- The Doctor has a box of everlasting matches.
Individuals
- Samantha Jones failed year 7 biology. She kills Paul Kadijk while controlled, though doesn't remember it. However, she still agonises over the Tractite she killed, which she does remember.
- Professor Amy Saraband is the leader of the archaeological dig on Kursaal, hired by Maximilian Gray
- Maximilian Gray is the owner of GrayCorp. He is attacked by the Jax and is infected whilst he was alive, resulting in him becoming the Jax leader.
Organisations
- HALF are a protest group. (Their name stands for Helping All Life Forms.)
- Bernard Cockaigne is the leader of the protest movement, HALF.
Species
- Geomyde are rat-headed humanoids with fluffy brown cheeks.
- Caballans are long-faced and have horse-like nostrils.
- Haxalians rotate their forehead antennae as a sign of agitation.
- Fodorans have yellow hair and blue skin.
- Brascan hermaphrodites look like orangutans in boiler suits.
- Emorgans are humanoid.
- Some other visitors to Kursaal are Alpha Centurians and Ogrons.
- When Sam is taken over by the Jax, her eyes glow green rather than her natural blue.
- Maximilian Gray is attacked by the Jax and is infected whilst he was alive, resulting in him becoming the Jax leader.
- Claire Johnson, a HALF activist, gets killed by the Jax and becomes a Jax Drone.
Notes
- In The Eight Doctors Sam's eyes are blue, in Alien Bodies they're green, in this novel they're green when she's possessed and blue when she's not.
Continuity
- A virus like werewolf appears in TV: Tooth and Claw.
- TV: The Greatest Show in the Galaxy also features a werewolf affected by any moon (not necessarily Earth based).
- AUDIO: Loups-Garoux and PROSE: Wolfsbane both feature Earth based werewolves.
- The Doctor dislikes hospitals because of his 'death' in one in TV: Doctor Who.
- Sam thinks of the Tractite she killed in self defence. (PROSE: Genocide)