Prelude Human Nature (short story): Difference between revisions

{{title|''{{PAGENAME}}''}} <!--If this title is disambiguated with (short story), replace this with {{title|#sub:{{PAGENAME}}|(|-13|}}'' (short story)}} -->{{real world}}{{Infobox Short Story

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|series        =

|doctor        = none

|year          = near [[Hulton College]], [[Farringham]]

|writer        =[[Paul Cornell]]

|illustrator    =  

|publication    = [[DWM 226]] <!--Enter the anthology in which the story appears on this line-->

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}}'''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' was, as the name suggested, a prelude to ''[[Human Nature (novel)|Human Nature]]'' by [[Paul Cornell]]. It was a short scene which did not appear in the published novel. and featured [[Alexander Shuttleworth]] and [[Joan Redfern (novel character)|Joan Redfern]]. It was notable for introducing the character of [[Wolsey]], a [[cat]] who travelled with the [[Seventh Doctor]] in the [[Virgin New Adventures]] series.

==Summary==

[[Alexander Shuttleworth]] has come to give a lecture to [[Joan Redfern (novel character)|Joan Redfern]]'s [[WI]] group in [[Farringham]] on the subject of [[bronze age]] [[archaeology]]. Before he does so, however, he enjoys a bit of cake, and a bit of scrutiny, provided by the other women in the group. Meanwhile, an off-hand comment by one of the women about Joan's widowhood sends Joan into deep thought about her lost husband. This then triggers another thought — one of a dream she had about her new colleague, the mercurial Dr. [[John Smith (Seventh Doctor)|John Smith]].

==Characters==

*[[Alexander Shuttleworth]]

*[[Joan Redfern (novel character)|Joan Redfern]]

*Several unnamed women of the [[WI]]

*[[Wolsey]] the [[cat]]

==References==

==Continuity==

*Shuttleworth knows [[Wolsey]] by name, and the cat displays affection for him.

*It's here, and not in the [[Human Nature (novel)|the main book]] itself, that we find out that [[Joan Redfern (novel character)|Joan]]'s husband died in the [[Boer War]].

*We directly find out here that Joan hates being a science teacher.

*Cornell's depiction of [[John Smith (Seventh Doctor)|John Smith]] refers to his "charmingly mobile face" — a valid way of describing an obvious trait [[Sylvester McCoy]] gave the [[Seventh Doctor]].

Though called a "prelude", the events actually take place ''during'' [[NA]]: ''[[Human Nature (TV story)|Human Nature]]''

==External link==

*[http://www.drwhoguide.com/whona38p.htm The entire text of the piece] at the Doctor Who Reference Guide

[[Category:DWM prose stories]]