The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)

The Coming of the Terraphiles was the the forty-third novel and first special release published by BBC Books in the BBC New Series Adventures. It was written by Michael Moorcock and featured the Eleventh Doctor.

Publisher's summary[[edit] | [edit source]]

There are dark tides running through the universe...

Miggea - a star on the very edge of reality. The cusp between this universe and the next. A point where space-time has worn thin, and is in danger of collapsing... And the venue for the grand finals of the competition to win the fabled Arrow of Law. The Doctor and Amy have joined the Terraphiles - a group obsessed with all aspects of Earth's history, and dedicated to re-enacting ancient sporting events. They are determined to win the Arrow. But just getting to Miggea proves tricky. Reality is collapsing, ships are disappearing, and Captain Cornelius and his pirates are looking for easy pickings. Even when they arrive, the Doctor and Amy's troubles won't be over. They have to find out who is so desperate to get the Arrow of Law that they will kill for it. And uncover the traitor on their own team. And win the contest fair and square. And, of course, they need to save the universe from total destruction.

Characters[[edit] | [edit source]]

• Eleventh Doctor
• Amy Pond
• Captain Cornelius
• Peet Aviv
• Frank/Freddie Force
• Urquart Banning-Cannon
• Enola Banning-Cannon
• Jane Banning-Cannon
• Hari Agincourt
• Bingo Lockesley
• N'hn
• Bubbly Boys
• W.G. Grace
• Captain Abberley
• Old Bill Told
• Uff Nuff O'Kay
• H'hn'ee
• N'hoo
• DikMik Aaak
• Masher Dubloon

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

• The Daleks are mentioned.
• Nukeball is a sport popular among Judoon, but it is forbidden on their planet so the population is not wiped out.
• There is a narrative mention of a Twelfth Intergalactic War.
• Amy does not know who Tom Mix is.

Foods and Beverages[[edit] | [edit source]]

• The Doctor likes Pop-Tarts. He is a member of the Desperate Dan Pie Eater's Club.
• Amy has coffee and muesli for breakfast.

Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

• The novel is subtitled Pirates of the Second Aether.
• According to an interview with the author, Captain Jack Harkness was to appear in this novel, meeting the Eleventh Doctor and Amy Pond for the first time.^{[source needed]}
• The novel is the first one of its format, although it is quite similar to other Eleventh Doctor novels. The font is the same, as is the style for chapter numbering and the first few words of each chapter. The differences include the book's greater length, titles given to each chapter, a dust jacket and the main cast not appearing on the front cover.
• This novel takes place not only in the Doctor Who universe but also in Moorcock's broader fictional multiverse. Jerry Cornelius appears as Captain Cornelius, and the Doctor is implied to be another aspect of the "Eternal Champion" character that appears in many or all of Moorcock's other stories. The novel as a whole acts as a prequel to Moorcock's 1995-1996 Second Ether trilogy.

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

• This novel features the Eleventh Doctor being able to travel to other parts of the multiverse freely, despite TV: Rise of the Cybermen establishing that inter-dimensional travel had become virtually impossible after the Last Great Time War.
• The Eleventh Doctor and Amy previously saw a Judoon in PROSE: The Forgotten Army.
• New Venus was mentioned in TV: The Long Game.
• The Doctor reminds Amy that he is a "madman in a box". (TV: The Eleventh Hour)

Releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

• The hardback edition was released on 14 October 2010 (ISBN 978-1-84607-983-2)
• A paperback version was released on 4 August 2011 with a different cover. (ISBN 978-1-84990-140-6)
• This story was also released as an ebook available from the Amazon Kindle store.

Editions published outside Britain[[edit] | [edit source]]

• Published in Russia by AST in 2015 as a hardback edition, it was one of eight books published in the 2010's.
• Published in Germany by Bastei Lübbe in 2018 as a paperback edition, it was one of three books published by them in the 2010's.

• 

  Russian edition

• 

  German edition

Audiobook[[edit] | [edit source]]

• This novel was released, in the UK, on 11 January 2011 complete and unabridged by BBC Audio and read by Clive Mantle.
• This novel was also released, in Germany, on 25 May 2018 by Lübbe Audio and read by Tobias Nath.

• 

  UK Audiobook

• 

  German Audiobook

External links[[edit] | [edit source]]

• Official The Coming of the Terraphiles page at Penguin Books
• The Coming of the Terraphiles at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
• The Discontinuity Guide to: The Coming of the Terraphiles at The Whoniverse
• The Cloister Library: The Coming of the Terraphiles