June Books 5) The Time Travellers, by Simon Guerrier
A very neatly put together novel of the First Doctor, Susan, Ian and Barbara, set between Planet of Giants and The Dalek Invasion of Earth in a dystopian and devastated London of an alternative 2006, facing invasion from a South African army and disintegration as a result of the local boffins' time experiments; the last quarter of the book takes us back to 1972 (but a 1972 where WOTAN won, though only briefly) to try and put things right. Apart from the grimness of his militarised and failing future society, Guerrier has a lovely take on the Ian / Barbara relationship, and while his First Doctor isn't quite as consistent he still fills out some of the gaps in the character rather well (less so poor Susan, whose main characteristics are her skills in time-keeping and cooking). The time-paradox plot is not resolved with mathematical rigour, but is satisfying all the same. Good stuff.
