A letter from the Master (short story)
A letter from the Master was a special edition story that formed part of A Letter from the Doctor series. It was printed in DWM 311.
The short story was a comedic exploration into the Master's recollections of attempts to have a presence in Earth's popular culture, albeit not entirely successfully. The story also referenced material from TV Comic, namely the Sabre-Toothed Gorillas.
Summary[[edit] | [edit source]]
The Master is asked to write in for Doctor Who Magazine...
Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]
On the thirteenth floor of Plasmaton House, in Krasis & Hippias Passage, located T'nnbrrrj Swells, Cptn Dent, the Master reminisces that he had disintegrated the editorial team when they asked him to write an introduction to their "tawdry periodical" devoted to himself, Doctor Who Magazine.
After he says that he isn't all bad, he admits that his life as the megalomaniac's megalomaniac isn't all "murder, miniaturisation, and mercenary acts", as he recalled that "just the other decade" he had spoken to Rupert, who organised his media interests on Earth in the late 20th century and the early 21st century, saying that his "charity work" goes unnoticed, which he doesn't actually like to talk about (lest to garner the negative attention of the Time Lords).
Characters[[edit] | [edit source]]
Referenced only[[edit] | [edit source]]
Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]
- "Megalomaniac's megalomaniac" was a title that the Master had received sixty-eleven years running by the readers of Dictator's Digest.
- The Master mentions that the Time Lords wouldn't look favourably upon him if they found out about the work placements he had given to a group of jobless Earth colonists in Sabre-Toothed Gorilla House of the Galactic Zoo, in part to the Master's definition of "humanitarian aid" involving the feeding of humans to the gorillas.
- Rupert's brain had been swapped out by the Master for that of a Bandril's.
- Sales of Bendalypse Post had been "soaring in it's new tabloid, wipe-clean form".
Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]
- The date in which the Master wrote his introduction, Novrimber Vivteenf 20001, is a play on the actual date DWM 311 was published: 15 November 2001.
- Unlike other entries in the A Letter from the Doctor series, the l in letter in the story's title is not capitalised. This was repeated in the subsequent A Letter from the Doctor stories released in the Doctor Who Storybooks.
- "Rupert" is clearly intended to be media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, with the joke about his brain being swapped with a Bandril's being at his expense. In addition, the letter implies that Murdoch's company, News Corporation, is ran by him on behalf of the Master.
Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]
- In his second incarnation, Dr. Who, John, and Gillian encountered the sabre-toothed gorillas on an unnamed planet; (COMIC: The Sabre-Toothed Gorillas) the Tenth Doctor later warned Martha Jones that the sabre-toothed gorillas could've been one of the creatures outside the TARDIS on Myarr. (TV: The Infinite Quest)
- Cptn Dent appears to be named after Captain Dent. (TV: Colony in Space)
- Krasis & Hippias Passage appears to be an homage to Atlantis-native humans Krasis and Hippias. (TV: The Time Monster)
- The Doctor (PROSE: A Letter from the Doctor 1, A letter from the Doctor 2007, etc.) and Peter Capaldi had both also written letters in for Doctor Who Magazine. (PROSE: A Letter from the Doctor 464, A Letter from the Doctor 500)
- Plasmaton House was seemingly named after the Plasmatons. (TV: Time-Flight)
- Bandrils first appeared in TV: Timelash.
- Doctor Who Magazine later published an email that they intercepted from Malcolm Taylor about the possibility of Missy's survival after cyber-converted Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart seemingly killed her. (PROSE: The Secret Diary of the Master)
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