White Darkness is the fifteenth installment in the series of New Adventure stories published by Virgin Publishing in the 1990s. The story is set in Haiti, 1915 and features the Seventh Doctor, Ace, and Bernice Summerfield. The book was written by David A. McIntee, who derived much of the story's material from Wade Davis' The Serpent and the Rainbow, a research into the practice of voodoo and zombification in Haiti, and also the Cthulhu Mythos created by H. P. Lovecraft. Lovecraft lent his name to one of the principal characters in the story, Dr. Howard Phillips, who at one point presents the Doctor with a copy of the Necronomicon, which was given to him by Aleister Crowley and written in the original Eocene language.
Publisher's summary
'We believe that death should always be part of life. '
The Doctor’s last three visits to the scattered human colonies of the third millennium have not been entirely successful. And now that Ace has rejoined him and Bernice, life on board the TARDIS is getting pretty stressful. The Doctor yearns for a simpler time and place: Earth, the tropics, the early twentieth century.
The TARDIS lands in Haiti in the early years of the First World War. And the Doctor, Bernice and Ace land in a murderous plot involving voodoo, violent death, Zombies and German spies. And perhaps something else -- something far, far worse.
Characters
- The Doctor
- Ace
- Bernice Summerfield
- Howard Phillips
- Nkome/Mait
- Captain Eugene Petion
- Leopard Chief
- Lieutenant Katze
- Henri
- Kapitan Weber
- Carrefour
- Dumarsais Leclerc
- Jean Vilbrun Guillame Sam
- Lecomte
- Tancred Auguste
- Francois Lacombe
- Claude
- Joseph
- Kapitan Reise Heinrich
- Professor Victor von Stein
- Dr. Ingrid Karnstein
- Lieutenant Klenze
- Colonel LV Mortimer
- Admiral Caperton
- General Charles Oscar Etienne
- Major Paul Richmann
- Charvius Dubois
- Captain Glen
References
Books
- Howard Phillips currently has a remaining copy of an Eocene Necronomicon, which was given to him by Aleister Crowley.
- Nkome/Mait possessed a copy of The Beginner's Guide to the Necronomicon and other related tomes.
Cultural references
- There are various James Bond references, including Q Branch and Dr. No.
- Given the Lovecraftian flavour of the story, the presence of a character called "Howard Phillips" must be a homage to Howard Phillips Lovecraft himself.
- The Doctor is compared to "our man in Havana" because of his linen suit which is the first time he's worn it.
The Doctor's Items
Earth Locations
Elements
Foods and Beverages
Gallifreyan Locations
Individuals
- Ace is familiar with a wide variety of firearms, following her training in the Spacefleet.
Minerals
Occult
Organisations
Poisons
Races and species
- The Doctor can read Eocene.
- Usurians
- Daleks
- Great Old Ones
- Petro Gods
- Rihanssu
- Veltroch
- Sphoeroides
- Diodon
Time Lords
- The Doctor learned hypnotism from the Master.
Humans
- The following historical figures (and other people of mention) are mentioned:
Stars
TARDIS components
Technology
Theories and Concepts
Timeline
- The following years / eras: 15 million BCE, 1744, 1750, 1908, 1913, 1934, 1986, 25th century, 27th century are referred to by various characters.
Weapons
- These weapons are used by various people throughout the novel:
Notes
- A prelude to this novel was published in DWM 201.
- This is the first novel to feature the Doctor wearing his new white linen suit, as seen on the cover.
Continuity
- In NA: All-Consuming Fire, the Great Old One Mait was trying to release is identified as Cthulhu.
Timeline
- This story takes place after NA: Lucifer Rising
- This story takes place before NA: Shadowmind