A Letter from the Doctor (DWM 4 short story)
A Letter from the Doctor was a short story printed in DWM 4, and was the fourth in the A Letter from the Doctor series. It was structured as a letter "written" by the Fourth Doctor to the readers of Doctor Who Weekly.
The story was actually written by Dez Skinn, a fact he kept concealed for many years until he revealed it on his website.[1]
Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]
The Fourth Doctor muses that one thing that continues to amaze him about Earth-folk is their strange delight over ritual events. Looking at a calendar, he notes one such event is coming up, Bonfire Night. The Doctor explains some of the history of 5 November, specifically the plot by Guy Fawkes to blow up the Houses of Parliament. He closes by saying it's not the fireworks or bonfire which is celebrated but the prevention of people being hurt by explosives, appealing to his readers to stay safe by following the firework code.
Characters[[edit] | [edit source]]
Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]
- James I was King of England in 1605.
- Guido (or Guy) Fawkes was an inhabitant of York.
- The Doctor claims that thousands are hurt and maimed every year by dabbling with fireworks.
Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]
- This instalment was the first in the series not to feature letter formatting which revealed either the date on which it was sent or from where. The first had contained only the former while the second and third had both.
- The story misspells calendar calender.
Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]
- The Doctor had previously become embroiled in the Gunpowder Plot in PROSE: The Plotters [+]Loading...["The Plotters (novel)"] during his first incarnation and would become so again during his eleventh and thirteenth incarnations in GAME: The Gunpowder Plot [+]Loading...["The Gunpowder Plot (video game)"] and PROSE: Black Powder [+]Loading...["Black Powder (short story)"] respectively.
Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]
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