''Beautiful Chaos'' is a

BBC Books BBC Books (also formerly known as BBC Publishing) is an imprint majority-owned and managed by Penguin Random House through its Ebury Publishing division. The minority shareholder is BBC Studios, the commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasti ...

original novel written by

Gary Russell Gary Russell (born 18 September 1963) is a British freelance writer, producer and former child actor. As a writer, he is best known for his work in connection with the television series ''Doctor Who'' and its spin-offs in other media. As an a ...

and based on the long running science fiction television series ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

''. It features the

Tenth Doctor The Tenth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the main protagonist of the BBC science fiction television franchise ''Doctor Who''. He is played by David Tennant in three series as well as nine specials. As with previous incarnations of the ...

and

Donna Noble Donna Noble (later Donna Temple-Noble) is a fictional character in the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Portrayed by British actress and comedian Catherine Tate, she is a former companion of the Tenth Docto ...

. It was published on 26 December 2008, alongside ''

The Eyeless ''The Eyeless'' is a BBC Books original novel written by Lance Parkin and based on the long-running science fiction television series '' Doctor Who''. It features the Tenth Doctor. It was published in December 2008, alongside '' Beautiful Chaos' ...

'' and ''

The Story of Martha ''The Story of Martha'' is a BBC Books anthology with a framing device written by Dan Abnett. David Roden, Steve Lockley and Paul Lewis, Robert Shearman and Simon Jowett write the stories presented. It features the Tenth Doctor and Martha Jon ...

''.

Summary

Donna Noble is back home in London, catching up with her family and generally giving them all the gossip about her journeys. Her grandfather is especially overjoyed — he's discovered a new star and had it named after him. He takes the Tenth Doctor, as his special guest, to the naming ceremony. But the Doctor is suspicious about some of the other changes he can see in Earth's heavens. Particularly that bright star, right there. No, not that one, that one, there, on the left... The world's population is slowly being converted to a new path, a new way of thinking. Something is coming to Earth, an ancient force from the Dark Times. Something powerful, angry, and all-consuming...

Continuity

* The novel features the return of the Mandragora Helix and is a sequel to the 1976

Fourth Doctor The Fourth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Tom Baker. Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien Time Lord from the ...

serial ''

The Masque of Mandragora ''The Masque of Mandragora'' is the first serial of the 14th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 4 to 25 September 1976. The serial is set in the fi ...

''. The Doctor not having had a decent Italian meal "since 1492" is, in itself, a reference to the serial. Reference is also made to the Past Doctor Adventure ''

The Eleventh Tiger ''The Eleventh Tiger'' is a BBC Books original novel written by David A. McIntee and based on the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It features the First Doctor, Ian, Barbara, and Vicki. Synopsis It is China ...

'', the ''

Doctor Who Magazine ''Doctor Who Magazine'' (abbreviated as ''DWM'') is a magazine devoted to the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Launched in 1979 as ''Doctor Who Weekly'', the magazine became a monthly publication the followi ...

'' comic strip '' The Mark of Mandragora'', and the Big Finish audio drama '' Sarah Jane Smith: Buried Secrets'' in which fragments of the Helix previously returned. * Several references are made to Park Vale, the school which features in ''

The Sarah Jane Adventures ''The Sarah Jane Adventures'' is a British science fiction television programme that was produced by BBC Cymru Wales for CBBC, created by Russell T Davies, and starring Elisabeth Sladen. The programme is a spin-off of the long-running BBC sc ...

''. The Tycho Project telescope from ''

'' serial ''

The Last Sontaran ''The Last Sontaran'' is the first serial of the second series of the British science fiction television series ''The Sarah Jane Adventures''. The first part of the two-part story aired on BBC One on 29 September 2008, with the second part prem ...

'' is also mentioned. *The Doctor says that astrology dates from the "Dark Times", and is shared by every species in the universe. This was also the basis for the ''Sarah Jane Adventures'' serial '' Secrets of the Stars''.

Critical reaction

The novel was previewed and later reviewed in ''

'' and was well received by critics,Doctor Who Magazine, no. 403, January 2009 leading to one review to call for Russell to be allowed to script an episode of the TV series. The novel was chosen to represent the Tenth Doctor in the special Anniversary reprint set from the BBC in 2013.

Outside references

*The Doctor says he saw the

1969 Moon landing Apollo 11 (July 16–24, 1969) was the American spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo Lunar Module ''Eagle'' on July 20, 1969, at 20:17 UTC, and ...

at the Royal Planetary Society, having been invited by "Bernard and Paula". This is a reference to

Bernard Quatermass Professor Bernard Quatermass is a fictional scientist, originally created by the writer Nigel Kneale for BBC Television. An intelligent and highly moral British scientist, Quatermass is a pioneer of the British space programme, heading the Brit ...

and his daughter. Quatermass is also referred to by Malcolm in "

Planet of the Dead A planet is a large, rounded astronomical body that is neither a star nor its remnant. The best available theory of planet formation is the nebular hypothesis, which posits that an interstellar cloud collapses out of a nebula to create a young ...

" and a Bernard implied to be Quatermass is mentioned by Rachel Jensen in ''

Remembrance of the Daleks ''Remembrance of the Daleks'' is the first serial of the 25th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. The serial was first broadcast in four weekly episodes from 5 to 26 October 1988. It was written by Ben Aaronovi ...

''.

Audiobook

An abridged audiobook was released on April 9, 2009, read by

Bernard Cribbins Bernard Joseph Cribbins (29 December 1928 – 27 July 2022) was an English actor and singer whose career spanned over seven decades. During the 1960s, Cribbins became known in the UK for his successful novelty records " The Hole in the Groun ...

who played

Wilfred Mott Wilfred "Wilf" Mott is a recurring fictional character in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', played by Bernard Cribbins. He is the grandfather of the Tenth Doctor's companion Donna Noble, and father of her mother, Sylv ...

in the TV series.

References

External links

* 2008 British novels 2008 science fiction novels New Series Adventures Tenth Doctor novels Novels by Gary Russell {{DoctorWho-stub