Doctor Who: Harvest of Time (3rd Doctor Novel)

By: Alastair Reynolds

Narrated by: Geoffrey Beevers

Length: 11 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's Summary

After billions of years of imprisonment, the vicious Sild have broken out of confinement. From a ruined world at the end of time, they make preparations to conquer the past, with the ultimate goal of rewriting history. But to achieve their aims they will need to enslave an intellect greater than their own...

On Earth, UNIT is called in to investigate a mysterious incident on a North Sea drilling platform. The Doctor believes something is afoot, and no sooner has the investigation begun than something even stranger takes hold: the Brigadier is starting to forget about UNIT's highest-profile prisoner. And he is not alone in his amnesia.

As the Sild invasion begins, the Doctor faces a terrible dilemma. To save the universe, he must save his arch-nemesis... the Master. Geoffrey Beevers reads this brand new adventure featuring the Third Doctor, from award-winning science fiction writer Alastair Reynolds, with original sound design.

©2013 Alastair Reynolds (P)2013 AudioGO Ltd

Excellent Third Doctor Story

Would you listen to Doctor Who: Harvest of Time (3rd Doctor Novel) again? Why?

If I have time, certainly. It's very much like one of the better series on TV, one of those things I might enjoy every now and again.

What did you like best about this story?

The characterizations were spot on and in perfect synch with the Third Doctor eps.

Which scene was your favorite?

Attacking cows.

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

Tons of nostalgia, remembering my days as a kid, watching Doctor Who on my local PBS station on Saturday nights.

Any additional comments?

Here is a book that is not only a stellar Doctor Who novel in its own right, but does a superb job of capturing the atmosphere of the classic BBC series, from the cheesy cheeky characters to the weird alien stuff (like alien possessed attack cows!) to even the bad special effects. I’ve read several Who novels and this is the only one that I feel truly captures the essence of what makes the old series so unique and special, stories that weren’t built on special effects but used stellar writing and a talented cast to rise above the cheap sets, the goofy costumes, and sometime silly “Britishness” of the series (and I mean that in the fondest possible context, I truly do). You can literally picture the knock-off effects and bad costumes in the writing. This is every bit a Third Doctor story, from the Doctor’s exile on earth and his time with UNIT. There are several Third Doctor series on Netflix, I strongly encourage any reader who hasn’t seen the Third Doctor in action to watch a Third Doctor series or two before reading this book. Being able to put faces and personalities with the characters really brings this story to life.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Masterful Doctor Who Adventure!

What made the experience of listening to Doctor Who: Harvest of Time (3rd Doctor Novel) the most enjoyable?

'Harvest of Time' is more like an expanded novelisation of a Jon Pertwee TV story than a typical Alistair Reynolds novel. The author obviously knows his Doctor Who, as everything is spot on.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Doctor Who: Harvest of Time (3rd Doctor Novel)?

The dialogue between The Doctor and The Master is brilliant, you could almost hear Pertwee and Delgado sparring with one another.

What about Geoffrey Beevers’s performance did you like?

Geoffrey Beever's did a great job narrating this book. He has a very creepy voice, perfect for The Master. Although I was so immersed in the story that all of his voices must have fitted in well.

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

It made me very nostalgic!

This book perfectly captures the era of Doctor Who in which it is set. (Somewhere between The Daemons and The Sea Devils.)

Any additional comments?

'Harvest of Time' is a Third Doctor novel set when the Doctor was exiled on earth, and it ticks every box that a fan of that era would want; The Doctor, Jo Grant, Bessie, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, UNIT and of course The Master... then we've North Sea oil rigs, dodgy Government officials, plus the obligatory alien invasion of Earth. So everything is here, including the kitchen sink!

This book is well written and jolly good fun.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

times of change

What made the experience of listening to Doctor Who: Harvest of Time (3rd Doctor Novel) the most enjoyable?

The narrator was so good at doing all the voices. I didn't have to worry about keeping the characters straight as the were instantly recognizable.

What other book might you compare Doctor Who: Harvest of Time (3rd Doctor Novel) to and why?

This book was similar to most of the Doctor Who books, so if you are a fan you know what to expect in the way of quality and content. The characters are mostly known to fans. The Master and the Doctor remember their shared childhood which is interesting.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favourite scene involves The Master seeing many versions of himself. I can't say too much or it will mess up the surprise in the storyline for you.

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

I'm not a big fan of books that feature The Master but this book shows him in a different light. At least at times. There is one scene in particular when the Doctor and the Master are alone in the TARDIS that is very memorable and could have changed everything. SPOILERS. So I won't say anything.

Any additional comments?

A solid Doctor Who novel that wad improved by a great narrator.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Whovians will enjoy this book

An updated story for Whovians that need to read/hear Doctor Who escapades to constantly get their fix for the operations of the Doctor and companions.

Good but difficult to follow

i found this book enjoyable, though i had a difficult time following the story itself due to the nature of the intertwined stories and had to restart the book and many chapters multiple times. the doctor who series is a difficult one to read and understand without the sound effects and varying voices. overall good but requires full attention.

Stands out in my memory

Where does Doctor Who: Harvest of Time (3rd Doctor Novel) rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is one of the best unabridged audiobooks -- as opposed to radio plays or audio dramas (such as those by Big Finish) -- that I have listened to. It is one of the top two or three Audible books I have listened to.

What other book might you compare Doctor Who: Harvest of Time (3rd Doctor Novel) to and why?

If you listened to Wheel of Ice (a Second Doctor book), that's the one that is most like it that I have listened to. However, the scope of Harvest of Time is greater, and overall, the story appealed to me more. At some point, I mean to read it in its non-audio format, I liked it so much. Both stories, though, do a good job of capturing the eras in which they are set but without being overly restrained by them. Harvest of Time is more complex and less action-oriented than Wheel of Ice.

Which character – as performed by Geoffrey Beevers – was your favorite?

Beevers did an especially excellent job as the Master, a role he performs regularly for Big Finish, and I've thought it a pity that he wasn't able to play the Master more back in the television series -- and not just the moldering version of him. He also did a very creditable Third Doctor, with no jarring imitations of Pertwee.

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

When the Master is honest with the Doctor, and the Doctor doesn't believe him -- and then the Doctor regrets it because the Master was, for once, being sincere and truthful. Don't want to say much more than that -- no spoilers!

Any additional comments?

Geoffrey Beevers really is a fabulous narrator. He set a very high bar for other audiobooks I've since listened to. I don't think there's another who has done better, though a very few have just about measured up, and many others have disappointed me.

Good Story and Great Performance

Good story, love it when the doctor and the master are pitted against one another. The narrator nailed this one. Each character was identifiable by accent, tone and delivery was perfect. A real pleasure listening to it.

One of The Best

It has time travel. It has some of the back story of the Doctor and The Master. It has some of the most memorable characters from the T.V. series. It has a cosmic, sweeping story that plays a wonderful movie in the imagination. The best of all, though, is narrator Geoffrey Beavers and his superlative performance. He goes very easily from Scottish brogue to one of the best imitations of Roger Delgado that I have ever heard. Easily one of the best Doctor Who audibles you are likely to find.

Captures to essence of Dr Who

Harvest of Time took me back to my childhood watching John Pertwee playing the Dr on TV.
The characters are very much from that era although there's nothing in the story to date it precisely in earths history other than similarities with events happening at that time.
Reynolds captures the style of those old TV shows perfectly, fair departure from his other books.
This is a typical 'Radio Drama' style of story, but was great fun, the sort of story that you can dip into between other things without losing track of where you are.
All in all a great, fun read.

Best Who and Reynolds I've Read

What made the experience of listening to Doctor Who: Harvest of Time (3rd Doctor Novel) the most enjoyable?

The rich thematic parallels and the way some very plausible alien enemies and tech issues grounded the more fantastic elements.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The manager of the rig, because of her poignant backstory and power as a non-companion human lead.

Which character – as performed by Geoffrey Beevers – was your favorite?

Performance-wise, I loved the sild most.

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

The sild are an amazing menace, not super-beings or death-mechs, but a physically weak species that has found a couple of really potent technologies and perfected their use. They are a devestating army that regards seagulls as eldritch horrors.

Great dr who book

If you could sum up Doctor Who: Harvest of Time (3rd Doctor Novel) in three words, what would they be?

Classically dr who

What was one of the most memorable moments of Doctor Who: Harvest of Time (3rd Doctor Novel)?

The sill sound terrifying

What about Geoffrey Beevers’s performance did you like?

Good narrator easy to listen to

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Too long

Any additional comments?

Thoroughly enjoyed this classic

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Great Story

Would you consider the audio edition of Doctor Who: Harvest of Time (3rd Doctor Novel) to be better than the print version?

Yes I would. The story came to life with the brilliant story telling.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Definitely the master! Wow the mixture of pure evil and cruelty really came over very well.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

I liked the part where the crabs first landed and obtained their first human!! It was really edge of the seat stuff.

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

No not really - just made me feel nostalgic for John Pertwee!

Any additional comments?

A great story!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Good not great

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Yeah, if they were a Doctor Who fan.

Any additional comments?

Good story, cleverly written, though probably won't offer much to non-fans of the classic serials. Geoffrey Beevers is very good at the performance.

like being back in the 70's again great fun

it surprised me how much the narrator sounded like Patrick Troughton it was like being told a Doctor Who story by Doctor Who

Fantastic Listen

For an borderline obsessive Dr Who audio book listener and book reader I am so glad i chose to listen to this not read it as it gave me hours of pleasure, well written and well read it its a classic Master story that is not to be missed

A good story, but not well told

I was very much looking forward to reading this, after having read A Wheel of Ice, by Stephen Baxter, I had hight expectations of a Doctor Who story written by another giant of Sci-Fi.
However, it didn't really work for me. The basic story is a good one, but for me it was lost in the telling. Some of the blame must lay with the author, but the most 'damage' was done by the performance here. The problem for me was the Geoffery Beevers sounds far to much like the 2nd Doctor and not the 3rd one. I know this shouldn't make much difference, but I couldn't get around the voice. In my head, unless I really focused on it, I kept on seeing the 2nd Doctor and he doesn't fit in to this sort of story.
Also all of the UNIT characters in the story, do not sound anything like they ever did in the series. I'm pretty sure this was just the performance, but the authors words. Alastair Reynolds does get the Doctor and Jo right, but the performance is all wrong.
I'm blaming the reader here, I just think he was the wrong choice for this story.

0 of 1 people found this review helpful