Doctor Who: Emotional Chemistry [Paperback]

The story takes place in at least 3 time zones and 2 worlds, sometimes simultaneously--it's easy to get confused if you're not careful! In pursuit of the recent 8th Doctor metaplot, our trio find themselves in the middle of a robbery that results in the Doctor being catapulted to the distant future (a little after the time of Greel, incidently, from "The Talons of Weng-Chung), while Fitz & Trix are left to fend for themselves. Soon these two are seperated as well, and all three end up in different time zones from each other. How these three times end up being connected makes for some fascinating reading, and the story takes on a surprisingly sentimental tone at times.

Some characters are introduced who know the Doctor from another time, which confuses the Doctor about as much as it confuses the readers, but in a good way--it hints at a either a future unlived, or a story untold; either way it's a nice air of mystery. If there's one problem with this story it's that there's no real antagonist--there are some bad guys, but they end up being bit players for the most part, background for the love story that ends up taking center stage. Still, it ends up being an enjoyable, if complex, ride to take, though if you're looking for advancement of the metaplot, you'll be disappointed--it's barely present as a bookend at both ends of the novel. However, the next novel (Sometimes Never) gives you all the metaplot you could handle, so that's all right then.

EMOTIONAL CHEMISTRY is an intricately constructed book that wraps a simple core. It's to Simon A. Forward's credit that he manages to keep his various plates in the air. There's certainly a lot going on: a plot that takes place over three time zones, a largish number of important characters, etc. But not only does it work, but it works extremely well. This is one of the best stories that the EDAs have given us.

First of all, EMOTIONAL CHEMISTRY is a treat to read. It comes across as a novel that was crafted with care and attention to detail. Its prose has obviously been labored upon and gives it a strong, powerful voice. And this is true for the book as a whole. It's engaging, and fascinating. Its characters come alive and there's an epic feel to the story which is effectively done considering how simple the heart of the story is.

Enough with the clichéd praise phrases. How did I like the book? Well, as far as readability goes, I simply hated putting it down. I, unfortunately, haven't had much time for reading lately, so I was forced to partake in small chunks at a time. Although I loathed having to set the book aside, I think this was a good thing in the long-term. This is a novel to be savored, not devoured, regardless of how readable it is.

Forward's prose is certainly impressive. There are neat observations, clever turns of phrase and amusing jokes all contained within superbly written sentences. This is not hastily written hackwork, or even quickly flowing, enjoyable narration; this is prose that begs appreciation in its own right. This is good writing.

And what is equally impressive is that it works on the macro as well as the micro level. Stand back from the phrases and sentences, and you'll see a complicated but logical story unfolding. A lot of what the author is doing is quite clever. Splitting the action between three time periods (past, near-present, and far future) allows him many fun comparisons. Effectively handled are the different ways in which love and war are portrayed. The relationships that crop up throughout the story make for an effective lead-in to the main "romance".

Given that there are three main time zones and that each setting has its own cast of characters, it would be very easy for the author to mush things together creating bland, one-dimensional characters. But he fails to fall into that trap. Even the bit players are given life and credibility. I'm also impressed by his depiction of Trix who, after an extremely shaky start, looks to become an extremely interesting companion (as an aside, I've begun visualizing her as blogger Wonkette).

Is there anything really to criticize here? Well, it's nitpicking to be sure, but I didn't care for the quick cutting between scenes. I realize it's a common feature of TV tie-in books; that doesn't mean I have to like it. Come on! I have an attention span! I can follow a scene for more than a page without getting bored! Forward is clearly better than others at this form of pacing, but it's still not something I enjoy.

Also, the sections taking place in the future seemed a bit vague to me. I suppose all the reader needed to know is that there was a war taking place, but I never really got a handle on who was fighting and why. I realize that this story takes its cue from the throwaway hints in TALONS OF WENG-CHIANG, yet that didn't really seem helpful as far as filling in the how's and why's. Perhaps the mere existence of the future war was enough to drive the plot, but I couldn't help but feel that it paled in comparison to the scene setting that took place in the other two sections.

Minor flaws aside, there is really much to enjoy here. And I'm at the point where I'm going to stop myself from simply listing out plot-points that I liked. EMOTIONAL CHEMISTRY contains a combination that has been lacking in the BBC novels of late -- both style and substance. It's a grand tale told over multiple time zones, and different levels of reality, yet ultimately concerning one simple romance. It's the sort of thing that one would think Doctor Who could do well, but very often doesn't. I am very impressed with Simon A. Forward's talents as demonstrated in this novel. His other two books have suddenly made great gains on my To-Read list.