The Clockwise Man (novel)
The Clockwise Man was the first novel in the BBC New Series Adventures series. It was written by Justin Richards and featured the Ninth Doctor and Rose Tyler.
Publisher's summary
In 1920s London, the Doctor and Rose find themselves caught up in the hunt for a mysterious murderer. But not everything is what it seems. Secrets lie behind locked doors and inhuman killers roam the streets.
Who is the Painted Lady and why is she so interested in the Doctor? How can a cat return from the dead? Can anyone be trusted to tell — or even to know — the truth?
With the faceless killers closing in, the Doctor and Rose must solve the mystery of the Clockwise Man before London itself is destroyed...
Plot
In the shadow of the Crystal Palace, footman Peter Dickson reminisces about his mother's superstitions regarding black cats. He encounters a mysterious black cat with a white patch under its chin, dismissing old tales as he readies himself for the guests at The Great Exhibition.
Inside the TARDIS, Rose Tyler and the Ninth Doctor prepare for their journey to the 1924 British Empire Exhibition. Rose questions the authenticity of her 1920s attire, while the Doctor remains engrossed in TARDIS controls.
The Doctor and Rose materialize in a seemingly ordinary scrapyard in London. Simultaneously, Peter is drawn towards an eerie, mechanical sound emanating from Gibson's Yard, unaware of the lurking danger.
As Peter stands on the brink of an encounter with an enigmatic mechanical menace, the Doctor and Rose intervene, revealing themselves and saving Peter from potential harm. They find themselves at the center of an unfolding mystery.
Rose sustains minor injuries during the encounter. They discover that Dickson, a servant at Sir George Harding's residence, was attacked after hearing unusual noises and questioned about an upcoming event and its guests. Upon returning Dickson to the Harding household, Rose and the Doctor meet Sir George and his wife Anna Harding, along with various guests including Colonel Oblonsky, Lord Chitterington, and Anna's relatives, Count Alexander and Countess Nadia Koznyshev. Freddie, Anna's son, secretly guides Rose through hidden passageways to overhear a conversation in the library. They learn of a mysterious "noble cause" and a boy's plight, discussed by Sir George, Repple, and Major Aske. Rose, after rejoining the guests and making brief introductions, senses a tense atmosphere, feeling that the presence of her and the Doctor is inhibiting the guests. Deciding to leave, they find the gates locked again. Upon unlocking them, they face a shocking realization: the TARDIS has vanished, presumably stolen by the same entity responsible for attacking Dickson.
Summarised up until Chapter 1, more to be added
Characters
- Ninth Doctor
- Rose Tyler
- Shade Vassily
- Sir George Harding
- Peter Dickson
- Lady Anna
- Freddie
- Edward Repple
- Aske
- Melissa Heart
- Crowther
- Colonel Oblonsky
- Beth
- Matty Black
- Ronald Cheshunt
- Count Alexander Koznyshev
- Countess Nadia Koznyshev
- Lord Chitterington
- Wensleydale
- Ranskill
- Coleridge
- Dilys
Worldbuilding
- The Doctor and Rose are accused of turning up "like a Bad Wolf".
- Wagner and Tchaikovsky are mentioned.
- Shakespearean characters Hamlet, Horatio, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are mentioned.
- The Doctor guesses that the grapes in Sir George Harding's 1921 claret came from a small vineyard just outside Briançon.
Food and Beverages
- The Doctor appreciatively drinks 1921 claret at Sir George's house and later drinks brandy with Wyse.
- Rose has bacon and eggs for breakfast at the Imperial Club.
Technology
- Wyse's ship runs on ion cells that require hydrogen extraction. Hence a large hydrogen supply is needed. One possible way is to ionize water.
Notes
- As the first novel in the BBC New Series Adventures line, this book ushered in a new publication format for BBC Books. It released exclusively this and all future New Series Adventures featuring the Ninth and Tenth Doctors, as well as BBC Torchwood novels in hardcover format. The Quick Reads novellas were paperback releases and some limited-edition promotional paperback issues of Ninth and Tenth Doctor books would occur outside the UK. The Clockwise Man is the first Doctor Who novel to be released in hardcover since Target Books discontinued hardcover editions of its novelisations in the 1980s. It is the first original Doctor Who novel ever issued in the format.
- Later reprints of this book removed the image of Billie Piper from the cover.
- This story was also released as an ebook available from the Amazon Kindle store.
Continuity
- Clockwork men also appear with the Tenth Doctor in TV: The Girl in the Fireplace, the Eighth Doctor in PROSE: Anachrophobia and AUDIO: Time Works, the Second Doctor in TV: The Mind Robber, and the Twelfth Doctor in TV: Deep Breath.
- There is a mention of Rose "dressing up" while the Doctor only has a "new shirt". (TV: The Unquiet Dead)
- Rose has a conversation with one of the servants in the Imperial Club, who makes her think of Gwyneth in TV: The Unquiet Dead.
- In the club, the Doctor looks at a painting of the French Revolution and says, "That's not right." In the first episode of Doctor Who, An Unearthly Child, the Doctor's granddaughter, Susan Foreman, reads a book about the French Revolution and says the same words.
- The Doctor mentions to Rose at the end of the Season 2 episode TV: Tooth and Claw that Queen Victoria's descendants suffered from a condition called Haemophilia. This was also mentioned when the Doctor and Rose visit the British Empire Exhibition.
- The Doctor mentions his second regeneration and his exile to Earth. (TV: The War Games, Spearhead from Space)
- Both the Doctor and Rose note the absence of the London Eye in 1924 and recall their adventure in the area. (TV: Rose)
Additional cover images
Alternate cover without Rose
Editions published outside Britain
- Published in Finland by WSOY in 2006 as a hardback edition.
- Published in Denmark by DR in 2006 as a hardback edition.
- Published in the Netherlands by Memphis Belle in 2006 as a hardback edition.
Finnish edition
Danish edition
Dutch edition
Audiobook
- This novel was released as an audiobook in November 2007 by the RNIB and read by Glen McCready.
- This novel was released again as an audiobook in June 2012 by BBC Audio and read by Nicholas Briggs. The audiobook was exclusive to the AudioGo website before the company went into administration.
Audiobook cover
External links
- Official The Clockwise Man page at Penguin Books
- The Clockwise Man at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
- The Discontinuity Guide to: The Clockwise Man at The Whoniverse
- The Cloister Library: The Clockwise Man
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