The Crooked World (novel)
The Crooked World was the fifty-seventh novel in the BBC Eighth Doctor Adventures series. It was written by Steve Lyons, released 3 June 2002 and featured the Eighth Doctor, Fitz Kreiner and Anji Kapoor.
Publisher's summary[[edit] | [edit source]]
The people of the Crooked World lead an idyllic existence.
Take Streaky Bacon, for example. This jovial farmer wants nothing more from life than a huge blunderbuss, with which he can blast away at his crop-stealing nemesis. And then there's Angel Falls, a racing driver with a string of victories to her name. Sure, her trusted guardian might occasionally put on a mask and menace her for her prize money, but that's just life, right? And for Jasper the cat, nothing could be more pleasant than a nice, long nap in his kitchen — so long as that darn mouse doesn't jam his tail into the plug socket again.
But somebody is about to shatter all those lives. Somebody is about to change everything — and it's possible that no one on the Crooked World will ever be happy again.
The Doctor's TARDIS is about to arrive. And when it does... That's all folks!
Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]
to be added
Characters[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Eighth Doctor
- Fitz Kreiner
- Anji Kapoor
- Angel Falls
- The Masked Weasel
- Jasper the Cat
- Squeak (the mouse)
- Boss Dogg, Sheriff of Zanytown
- Streaky Bacon
- Whatchamacallit
- Scrapper Dogg
- Baby Stork
- Dirty Duck
- Green Ghost
- Gruenwald
- Grumper
- Harmony Looker
- Mike Leader
- Repugna
- Sir Percival
- Thelma Brains
Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Anime City is a city on the Crooked World.
- Jolly Jungle is located on the Crooked World.
- Stoneville is a village on the Crooked World.
Objects[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Anji's TARDIS key looks like a Yale key.
- The Doctor uses a deliberately imagined custard pie gun to rescue Fitz.
People[[edit] | [edit source]]
- The Doctor has met Mark Twain.
- Jasper the Cat commits the first murder in Zanytown; he bites Squeak's head off.
- Angel Falls decides to marry Mr Weasley.
- Fitz introduces sex to the world, confusing them slightly.
Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]
There are many likenesses / similarities throughout The Crooked World to cartoon worlds / characters:
- The Skeleton Crew (Mike Leader, Harmony Looker, Thelma Brains, Tim Coward and a dog called Fearless) who travel in a van to solve mysteries, are a parody of Mystery, Inc. from Scooby Doo.
- Jasper the cat and Squeak the mouse are allusions to Tom and Jerry (Tom was called Jasper in their first appearance).
- The Whatchamacallit bears resemblance to the Road Runner, and Streaky Bacon to Elmer Fudd.
- Jasper's horror over killing Squeak bears similarity to a real scene in Tom and Jerry's Jerry and the Lion, where Tom is genuinely concerned and rushes for a first aid kit when he mistakenly thinks he's wounded Jerry. The Bugs Bunny cartoon also had a similar running gag with Elmer.
- The Masked Weasel, who repeatedly attempts to kidnap the racing driver Angel Falls so that he can steal her fortune and poses as her guardian Mr Weasley, are allusions Sylvester Sneekly / The Hooded Claw and the titular character from The Perils of Penelope Pitstop.
Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Fitz tries to introduce himself to Angel as "Fitz Fortune". (PROSE: The Taint, EarthWorld)
- The morphic planet from PROSE: Grimm Reality is compared to the Crooked World planet.
- The Doctor only has one heart. (PROSE: The Adventuress of Henrietta Street)
- Anji recalls EarthWorld. (PROSE: EarthWorld)
- The Crooked World's original form - populated by blank slates, with no form of their own - may be the same as the world of the "Gods" from Salvation, also written by Steve Lyons.
External links[[edit] | [edit source]]
- The Crooked World at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
- The Discontinuity Guide to: The Crooked World at The Whoniverse
- The Cloister Library: The Crooked World
- Interview: Steve Lyons
