Doctor Who: The Silent Stars Go By

By: Dan Abnett

Narrated by: Michael Maloney

For centuries the Maintainers have worked. With no help from other worlds, they subsist on the food they can grow and that’s little enough. But their purpose, their whole life, is to maintain the machines that will one day make their world as habitable as old Earth. Life used to be hard. Now as crops fail, livestock sicken, and the temperature drops, it’s becoming impossible. This year’s Winter Season Feast won’t be the usual celebration. It’s no time for optimism or hope – or to welcome unexpected guests. The Doctor, Amy and Rory find a society breaking apart – and then the Doctor’s old enemies the Ice Warriors make their move. With the cold-hearted threat of invasion, the real battle for survival begins. Or does it? The Doctor suspects that behind everything lies a deadlier, even more chilling danger... A thrilling adventure featuring the Doctor, Amy and Rory, as played by Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill in the spectacular hit series from BBC Television.

Critic reviews

Like a hunting Martian ploughing remorselessly, effortlessly through freshly fallen snow of an ice world, the novel skilfully establishes its target and never fails to relinquish it; intrigue, scares, uncompromising adventure and all important character development. (Matthew Walter)

Does not capture the doctor

What made the experience of listening to Doctor Who: The Silent Stars Go By the most enjoyable?

I liked the way the narrator portrayed Amy's Scottish accent.

How could the performance have been better?

Michael Maloney really does a terrible job at voicing the Doctor. It is no where close to the 11th Doctor.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I really enjoyed this story. This is the first story I've encountered with the Ice Warriors besides the recent Dr. Who episode "Cold War."

Any additional comments?

I got a good deal on this audiobook because I purchased the Kindle book. I feel like I got a good deal even though the "Doctor" is not captured in the least. It is also hard to tell the Doctor and Rory apart in the narration. Otherwise it is a very good narration. Once again I like the story.

Doctor Who as it should be!

Would you listen to Doctor Who: The Silent Stars Go By again? Why?

Yes, I have already listened to this book twice now as I found 'The Silent Stars Go By' an entertaining and enjoyable Doctor Who story.

What other book might you compare Doctor Who: The Silent Stars Go By to and why?

This book is a lot longer than most of the other BBC Eleventh Doctor novels, being the second of the Doctor Who Eleventh Doctor 'special releases' written by known authors and aimed at an older audience. However, it is a lot more traditional than Michael Moorcock's Eleventh Doctor novel that preceded it, and this book is definitely more like classic Doctor Who.

What three words best describe Michael Maloney’s performance?

Good, but not great.

I didn't think Michael Maloney captured the liveliness of the Eleventh Doctor. Other than that his narration was good enough to bring life to the characters and immerse me in to the story.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

As a fan of classic era Doctor Who the appearance of those (not-so) jolly green giants was a nice moment when it arrived. Although as two of the Martians are featured on the cover, it wasn't actually a surprise!

Any additional comments?

This is a well written Doctor Who novel from Dan Abnett, who captures the essence of the Eleventh Doctor and his companions Rory & Amy, and tells a great story with lots of atmosphere. For me this was a better Doctor Who adventure than a lot of the Eleventh Doctor's TV outings. It's not the most original Doctor Who story ever, but it is very entertaining.

Highly recommended for fans of The Doctor. This book will not disappoint.

new doctor,old enemy

If you could sum up Doctor Who: The Silent Stars Go By in three words, what would they be?

Fun, nalstalgic, clever

What does Michael Maloney bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Character. He brings to life the Doctor, Amy, the Ice Warriors and all the new people unique to this story.

Plot & Character Driven EXCELLENT Doctor Who Audio

Geromino! I bought this purely on the basis of the author - and was not disappointed. Excellent Eleventh Doctor novel, with Amy and Rory Ponds/Williams. The Doctor is aiming to get the Ponds back to Leadworth for Christmas - but ends up on the wrong planet at the wrong time. Rory is quickly separated from the others. Abnett really clearly brings out the personalities of the Ponds, especially Rory, and the narrator particularly nails that personality. This books was as good as some of the recent TV episodes - actually better really as the length allows ideas and suspense to develop. Expect cliffhangers at the end of chapters. And cool monsters. And some nice classic Who references. Well worth the download. Suitable for adults, and older young readers.

A very good supplement to the show

I love watching Doctor Who, but I haven't enjoyed the Eleventh Doctor as much as I had hoped I would. I think part of the problem is the show isn't quite as character-driven as it once was. But I think that's why I enjoyed this book so much. It fills in a lot of the gaps I feel the show has left, character-wise. The Doctor and Amy banter with each other and you finally get the sense that they really are best friends. You can see their relationship grow within the book and I really enjoyed that.

The story is also a very good one. Little revelations are had throughout so you're never quite sure exactly what's happening until the very end. I also really enjoyed how the language shifts depending on the point of view the story is being told from. The language is old-fashioned when told from the Morphans' point of view and more casual when told from Amy's or Rory's. I especially enjoyed listening to Amy's inner monologue and counting the number of times the word "stupid" came up.

Michael Maloney's narration was also very good, although the voice he uses for the Doctor seems off to me and ended up sounding unintentionally silly.