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Item - Search for the Doctor

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User Summary: You've recently received a mysterious box from Sarah Jane Smith, and soon you're involved in an adventure to rescue the Doctor from Omega with the help of K-9 and Drax....
Demian's Thoughts:

This really should have been a lot better. It's written by David Martin, who helped to create such memorable Doctor Who episodes as The Three Doctors and The Armageddon Factor, and it features a plot more complex than what is normally found in a gamebook. Unfortunately, it falls apart in all important areas. As a gamebook, it fails due to its uncomfortable past-tense style, its overlong sections and its pointless gameplay, which leads the reader by the hand, periodically inserting senseless (and largely irrelevant) puzzles and dice rolls for no apparent reason. As a Doctor Who story, it fails due to its surprisingly weak characterization, its excessive (almost fanfic-like) use of familiar elements from past episodes and its breaking with continuity. Fans could perhaps theorize that Omega's characterization here suggests that Mr. Martin was less than pleased with (or simply chose to ignore) the character's appearance in the episode Arc of Infinity.... Engaging in such speculation may in fact be more interesting than reading this book, which is a shame.

More reviews by Demian

Errata:Due to unfortunate formatting, the last choice in section 24 is wrapped around to the next page and is easily missed. This problem exists in all editions of the book.
Users Who Own This Item: Alatar001, AlHazred, Ardennes (US), Arkadia (US), bookwormjeff, Crazyscotsman, dave2002a, Demian (British edition), Eamonn McCusker, Ed, Erikwinslow (UK), Garrick Muttley, Gurvo (UK), hoops4ever, jdreller, JoshW, katzcollection, kinderstef, knginatl (US), Lullyph, Malthus Dire, marnaudo, mlvoss, Narananas, nelsondesign, plowboy (Australian ABC edition), Pseudo_Intellectual, Samus (1986), Sheridan77 (Uk), spragmatic (US), Von Scotty, waktool (UK 1st; US 1st; AU 1st)
Users Who Want This Item: dblizzard72, exaquint, NEMO (American &british), wonderfly
Users with Extra Copies: bookwormjeff - US version
Surcal

British edition





Series: Find Your Fate - Doctor Who no. 1
Item: Search for the Doctor
Author: Martin, David (Dave)
Illustrator: Bennett, Gail
Date: 1986
ISBN: 0727820877 / 9780727820877
Length: 33 sections
Number of Endings: 15 (not including death by bad dice roll)

Australian edition





Series: Find Your Fate - Doctor Who no. 1
Item: Search for the Doctor
Author: Martin, David (Dave)
Illustrator: Bennett, Gail
Date: 1986
ISBN: 0867700394 / 9780867700398
Length: 33 sections
Number of Endings: 15 (not including death by bad dice roll)

American edition


Series: Find Your Fate - Doctor Who no. 1
Item: Search for the Doctor
Author: Martin, David (Dave)
Illustrators: Bennett, Gail (interior)
Kukalis, Romas (cover)
Date: August, 1986
ISBN: 0345332245 / 9780345332240
Length: 33 sections
Number of Endings: 15 (not including death by bad dice roll)

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