The Left-handed Hummingbird (New Doctor Who Adventures) [Mass Market Paperback]

I picked up "Hummer" again for the first time in years and years, after a recent viewing of "The Aztecs" -- a 1964 "Doctor Who" adventure which is partly the inspiration for Kate Orman's debut novel. Indeed, the parts of "Hummer" which return the 7th Doctor (and Ace) to 15th century Mexico display a marvelous combination of action and historical detail. The segment begins with the Doctor attracting attention to himself by juggling in the marketplace... and ends with a barrage of corpses. While "The Aztecs" is a prime representative example of early "Doctor Who" (and has a relatively low body count), "Hummer" was "Doctor Who' at its best 30 years later, and the high body count is suited to the novels of its day.

At the outset of her professional writing career, Orman established a rhythmic routine, introducing with both the Doctor and the villain (Huitzilin, the living Aztec god of war) in the very first scene. After a series of dramatic psychic attacks, the story steps back for some well-written exposition. This alternating pace escalates over the rest of the novel. After the Aztecs are left behind, the TARDIS travels to hippie London in late 1968, an overly-dirty New York City in December 1980, and finally, to the last hours of the Titanic.

Also pioneered here in the books is the old-time fanfic concept of "hurt/comfort", in which the lead character is alternately brutalized and cuddled. Here, Ace, by turns, stabs the Doctor in the chest, and gives him a back massage. I can't say this technique was well-used -- it would be taken to rather silly extremes a few books down the road -- but it works in its initial outing.

Another welcome feature in the prose is the author's own personal interests -- making this a rare example of a "Doctor Who" story that actually inhabits its 1993 setting. Characters watch reruns of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" -- in Spanish. There's more use of the Beatles than "Doctor Who" had seen before, or would see since. There's a strong gun-control argument made throughout, including a pointed barb at Ronald Reagan. There are continuity references to other "Doctor Who" TV stories ("Death to the Daleks", "The Pirate Planet") which aren't integral to understanding the book, but provide an extra frisson if you remember them.

And then there is, of course, the research. In another neat narrative trick, the Doctor and Ace's journey to Mexico is intercut with scenes of the Doctor's other companion, Professor Summerfield, sitting in a library researching Aztec culture. The library segments actually increase the tension in the companion historical scenes. This is not an easy trick to pull off. Similarly, the Titanic sequence is intercut with authentic scenes set in the Titanic's telegraph room. The Doctor carries on board with him a typed list of the names of those who survived the disaster -- a wonderfully human touch.

"The Left-Handed Hummingbird", with all of the above, is a comparatively short 264 pages. There's horrific violence and great small moments of humanity. The only "dip" in the book's comes after the first 100 pages, with the introduction of a Dooctor-hating UNIT lieutenant, interruping the frenetic Aztec segment and leading into the slightly less interesting London sequence.

However, this is a book told with real passion for the historical and the temporal. In spite of the body count, it's got a boatload (sorry) of images to remember. Feathers growing out of the possessed Doctor's hair. The child's doll that improbably survived the Titanic's sinking. And the stunningly well-placed quote from "Hotel California".

"Gritty", "realistic" and "intense" are the words that come to mind first when thinking about this book. The characters are certainly put through hell, but it never feels gratuitous or unnecessary. Their suffering isn't approached one-dimensionally, as the ordeals that our friends are put through actually reveal a lot about how their characters work. It's a bit of a cliché to say so, but we learn about fictional characters when we see them put through the wringer. It's not so much that we see people here who are scared, but that their fear is portrayed in a realistic way. There is no false bravado or boring heroism. When people stand up against the odds, it actually means something.

The story is relatively fast-moving. I was amazed at how much had happened before I had even got to page fifty. The plot is perhaps a little more complicated than it really needs to be, but I found that to be enjoyable, so I can't complain too much. It all fits together logically and satisfactorily. No cheap short cuts are taken, so despite the different timelines and detailed plot strands, everything fits together amazingly well.

There's not too much to complain about here. A few of the Beatles jokes get a little silly. Maybe the plot jumps about a bit too quickly at the end. Though when these are the biggest problems in a book you know you're reading a winner. If you never got around to reading this one on its initial publication, then you missed out on something special. This one's a keeper.