Caged is the seventy-second novel in the BBC New Series Adventures range by Una McCormack, published by BBC Books in hardback and audiobook formats on 27 June 2024.[1][2][3][4]
It saw the Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Sunday visit a new planet and investigate sinister abductions.
Publisher's summary[[edit] | [edit source]]
Are aliens ever abducted by aliens? And if they were, would anyone believe their story? When the Doctor and Ruby arrive on Cavia, they meet a gentle local who is certain that she has been taken for study by creatures from the stars. The Doctor is concerned to find mysterious meteors appearing in the sky, while strange robotic creatures crowd the forests, watching everything and waiting for...what? Who is interested in Cavia, and why? What is the sinister truth of the abductions? The Doctor and Ruby must discover the secrets of this mysterious world – and those who would seek to destroy it...
Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]
Prologue[[edit] | [edit source]]
Ruby struggles to break free of a chamber. She gets her bearings, running a finger along the surfaces. In the darkness, she feels for something to turn on light. Thinking it might be voice operated shouts to the same effect. She hears a hiss, as if the air was being let out, or if something was being let in. Allowing herself a moment of panic, she bangs on the door.
"Doctor!"
Chapter One[[edit] | [edit source]]
to be added
Characters[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Fifteenth Doctor
- Ruby Sunday
- Chirracharr
- Sheekshirrip
- Pirrishirrir
- Thittisharr
- Tixlel
- Laxelil
- Axelal
- Raxlil
Referenced only[[edit] | [edit source]]
to be added
Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]
- The Ixites are native to Ix Prime, Chirracharr's World is located within a pocket universe.[5][6]
- The Doctor mentions IMAX.
- The Ixites are octopods. Chirracharr's people resemble big guinea pigs.
- The rollers resemble small metallic armadillos, whilst the Flyers resembled much larger armadillos. There were versions that were as big as a moon that were used to destroy all flora and fauna on a planet.
Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]
- An extract of this story was published on the doctorwho.tv website on 2 July 2024.[7]
- Although the back cover gives the name of Chirricharr's homeworld as "Cavia", it is never used in the story itself. Furthermore, the front cover shows the Fifteenth Doctor wearing one of the Mavity gloves. However the gloves do not appear in the story itself.
Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Ruby recalls toppling kings, as seen in TV: The Church on Ruby Road [+]Loading...["The Church on Ruby Road (TV story)"], shouting at an ambulance, as occurred in TV: Boom [+]Loading...["Boom (TV story)"], and holding space babies, as occurred in TV: Space Babies [+]Loading...["Space Babies (TV story)"].
- Ix Prime was located in the Seven Systems. Gallifrey was located in its own, different "Seven Systems", with the Tenth Doctor telling Martha Jones and Jack Harkness that Gallifrey was known as the "Shining World of the Seven Systems". (TV: The Sound of Drums [+]Loading...["The Sound of Drums (TV story)"]) With the Ixites sending out numerous probes over many generations but failing to find any intelligent life, it is clear that this "Seven Systems" is not the same.
- Cavia was created and stored in a pocket universe, much like the pocket universe that was created by the stasis cube to store Gallifrey in its final day. (TV: The Day of the Doctor [+]Loading...["The Day of the Doctor (TV story)"])
Audiobook[[edit] | [edit source]]
An audiobook was released by BBC Audio concurrently with the print version.[1][3][8] It was narrated by Bonnie Langford.[8]
Gallery[[edit] | [edit source]]
Caged promo image
Promotional image for all three novels
Promotional wallpaper
Audiobook cover
External links[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Official Caged page at Penguin Books
- Excerpt of Caged on the Official doctorwho.tv website.
Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Doctor Who (18 April 2024). Coming soon - three original Fifteenth Doctor novels. doctorwho.tv. Archived from the original on 18 April 2024. Retrieved on 18 April 2024. “Caged is out in hardback and audiobook on 27th June.”
- ↑ Penguin Random House (18 April 2024). DW Original 2 (Hardback). penguin.co.uk. Archived from the original on 18 April 2024. Retrieved on 18 April 2024. “Imprint: BBC Books. Published: 26/06/2024.”
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Penguin Random House. Doctor Who: Caged (Hardback). penguin.co.uk. Retrieved on 18 April 2024. “Imprint: BBC Books. Published: 27/06/2024”
- ↑ Aevitas Creative (27 June 2024). Happy Publication Day to DOCTOR WHO: CAGED by @unamccormack ! DOCTOR WHO: CAGED is out today from @BBCBooks. Aevitas Creative Management UK @AevitasUK on Twitter. Retrieved on 15 August 2024.
- ↑ Matthew Vernon (16 December 2024). So, in relation to Ix Prime, where is Chirricharr's world spatially? Is it in the same system or in a pocket universe? Is it a silly question? Really enjoyed myself either way. Matthew Vernon (@matthewvernon3.bsky.social) on Bluesky. Retrieved on 16 December 2024.
- ↑ Una McCormack (16 December 2024). I think it’s a pocket universe!. Una McCormack (@unamccormack.bsky.social) on Bluesky. Retrieved on 16 December 2024.
- ↑ Doctor Who (2 July 2024). Read an extract of original Fifteenth Doctor adventure 'Caged'. doctorwho.tv. Retrieved on 15 August 2024. “To celebrate the novel's release, you can read an exclusive extract from the latest adventure below.”
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Amazon. Doctor Who: Caged: 15th Doctor Novel. Audible Audiobook – Original recording. amazon.com. Retrieved on 15 August 2024. “Narrator Bonnie Langford. Audible release date June 27, 2024.”