Conundrum (novel)

For the short story of the same name, see Conundrum.

Conundrum is the twenty-second novel in the New Adventures series. It was written by Steve Lyons, and was published by Virgin Books in 1994. It features the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Bernice. It featured a return to the Land of Fiction, introduced twenty-six years earlier in the Season 6 Patrick Troughton television story The Mind Robber.

Publisher's summary

'Doctor, we’re talking about an old man who used to dress up in a skintight white jump suit and fly around New York catching super-villains. Don’t you think there’s something just a bit unusual about that?'

A killer is stalking the streets of the village of Arandale. The victims are found one each day, drained of blood. And if that seems strange, it’s nothing compared to the town’s inhabitants.

The Doctor, Ace and Bernice think they’re investigating a murder mystery. But it’s all much more bizarre than that. And much more dangerous.

Someone has interfered with the Doctor’s past again, and he’s landed in a place he knows he once destroyed. This time there can be no escape.

Plot

to be added

Characters

References

Energy and radiation

McAllerson's Radiation, does exist, but does not give people super powers as the Land of Fiction suggests.

Games

The Doctor plays scrabble whilst in prison against the Master of the Land of Fiction.

Supposed deities

The Gods of Ragnarok originally built the Land of Fiction but grew bored with it and abandoned it.

TARDIS

Ace knows how to operate the chameleon circuit.

Theories and concepts

Ace dreams of a woman in red and a door she can't open.
Bernice dreams of Ace strangling her while the Doctor watches saying "it's for the good of the universe.".

Notes

In the Land of Fiction library, Ace sees novels of several of her own adventures including Love and War, Dragonfire and Deceit.
This is part of the 'Meddling Monk' pentalogy, also known as the 'Alternate Universe Arc'.
The destruction of the Silurian Earth and the Althosian system continues to put a strain on relationships within the TARDIS.
A prelude for this novel was published in DWM 208.

Continuity

This is a sequel to DW: The Mind Robber.
NA: Head Games is a sequel to Conundrum.
The Master of the Land of Fiction turns up at Benny's wedding in NA: Happy Endings.

Timeline

This story takes place after NA: The Left-Handed Hummingbird
This story takes place before NA: No Future

External links