Harvest of Time

Alastair Reynolds writes Doctor Who. If that line alone doesn't make you want to read this book, then it probably isn't for you anyway.

As an Alastair Reynolds book, this is probably worth no more than 4 out of 5; he's inevitably constrained by the setting in a way that isn't so when he can do his own Revelation Space books or whatever. That he has chosen the Third Doctor and the UNIT years arguably makes this even more true. As a Doctor Who book, on the other hand, this is about as good as it gets.

The characterisation is particularly good, especially the look at the Master, who has a role here that's more than simply being the villain. The supporting characters are great too, well-rounded and believable, grounding the scenes set on Earth in reality. Much of this really evokes the feel of the 3rd Doctor's era, even though a few characters, such as Benton, are pushed to the background to make way for those more relevant to the plot.

But it's mainly the scenery, something that's a strength of Reynolds' in his regular novels, that makes it stand-out. The way that UNIT has chosen to imprison the Master is both memorable and perfectly sensible (although, obviously, it doesn't actually work). The spaceship and alien planet that occupy much of the latter part of the story also have that grandiose Reynolds flair... as does the dark secret that the spaceship contains.

Of course, this is a UNIT story, so aliens have to invade Earth. The aliens in question are also a pretty clever concept. For once, the Brigadier gets his wish and encounters invading aliens that are vulnerable to bullets. And it does him no good at all.

Put together, this is a remarkably good story. It's quicker than Reynold's usual fare, to be sure, what with a tighter word count, but is absolutely captures the era it's trying to evoke, while still bringing the author's own trademarks to the fore.

To me, this is really a story focusing on the Master, and our protagonist plays a subdued role. I would have liked this book more had it been marketed that way.