In today's world, The Dying Days has become a topic of great importance and interest for people from different backgrounds and cultures. Since its emergence, The Dying Days has caught the attention of numerous experts and enthusiasts, who have dedicated time and effort to exploring its different facets and ramifications. In this article, we will delve into the fascinating world of The Dying Days, exploring its origins, evolution, and its impact on modern society. Along the following lines, we will analyze its relevance in various contexts and its influence on the daily lives of millions of people around the world. Get ready to immerse yourself in the exciting study of The Dying Days!
Author | Lance Parkin |
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Series | Doctor Who book: Virgin New Adventures |
Release number | 61 |
Subject | Featuring: Eighth Doctor Bernice, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart |
Set in | Period between The television movie and "The Night of the Doctor" |
Publisher | Virgin Books |
Publication date | April 1997 |
ISBN | 0-426-20504-9 |
Preceded by | Doctor Who (broadcast) Lungbarrow (novel) |
Followed by | So Vile a Sin (publication) Oh No It Isn't! (Bernice only NAs) |
The Dying Days is an original novel written by Lance Parkin and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was last of the New Adventures range to feature the Doctor and the only one of that range to feature Paul McGann's Eighth Doctor. Thereafter the series centred on the character of Bernice Summerfield. The Dying Days features the classic series monsters, the Ice Warriors and is strongly influenced by The War of the Worlds.
The Conservative MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, Tim Collins, was reported to have read the book in one sitting on the night of the 1997 General Election so that he could claim to have read the whole New Adventures series whilst the Conservatives were in government. (In the event, the postponed novel So Vile a Sin was finally published later that month, thus frustrating Collins' claim.)
The Dying Days is one of a number of the New Adventures which is hard to obtain and is often seen on auction websites such as eBay at prices many times the original cover price. When the book was originally published in April 1997, it sold out before its official release date and a reprint was not practical with Virgin losing the Doctor Who license, leading to this scarcity. A new version of The Dying Days with additional material, author's notes and an artwork gallery was presented as an e-book on the BBC website, and was available there from 2002 through 2010.
In the year 1997, Bernice Summerfield is recovering from the breakdown of her marriage at the Doctor's house on the fictional Allen Road near Adisham in Kent. To her surprise, when the TARDIS arrives it is the Eighth Doctor that steps out. Before Benny can come to terms with the change, a helicopter crash lands nearby, carrying soil samples from Mars and a prisoner, astronaut Alex Christian, who has been incarcerated since he killed the crew of a British Mars mission. Or so everyone thought. In reality, his crew were killed by Ice Warriors and his imprisonment was part of a deal negotiated between the British government and the Martian authorities. Since then, there have been no further missions to Mars, but now Britain has sent a new mission back to the planet. British astronauts land on Mars where they intrude on the tomb of an Ice Lord. The Ice Warrior Xznaal arrives on Earth with the pretence of vengeance, but is secretly in league with the British Science Minister, Lord Greyhaven. When the Eighth Doctor interferes with their plans, Xznaal releases a deadly weapon known as the Red Death. This apparently kills the Doctor, leaving Bernice and the Brigadier to deal with the invading Ice Warriors…