"They are aggressive. Actually, the Pescatons are like a cross between two fish species which are similar to those found on this planet: the shark...and the piranha... It's a charming combination, isn't it?"
Author: Victor Pemberton
Format: Novel
Released: September 1991
Series: Target 153
Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane
Synopsis
An invasion of meteorites and an environmental crisis!
A scientific expedition has disappeared from the bed of the Thames Estuary, where a giant meteorite had landed years previously.
Having landed the TARDIS in the same vicinity, the Doctor and Sarah Jane are attacked at night by a vast, roaring creature.
Something reminds the Doctor of his encounter with the marine denizens of the planet Pesca, but before his worst fears are confirmed: strange meteorites are landing all over the world, and the Pescatons invasion has begun.
Verdict
The Pescatons was a very intriguing read and it was a rather nice story to do with being based on an audio adventure that I'd never even heard of prior to purchasing the novel at a local market for a bargain price of £2. That's 50p cheaper than when it was first released back in 1991! It's always good to do a Fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane story and the relationship between them throughout the novel was magnificent as it always was on screen. I think the Fourth Doctor could have done with a bit more humour but instead we got to see the serious side of one of, if not the most, popular Doctors. With the Doctor genuinely worried for the safety of the planet he so dearly loves, along with his fearsome tone and comments, made the Pescatons sound like a real threat which was fantastic. The picture of the enemy on the front cover doesn't really look all that scary or domineering but with some great descriptions in the book they were made out much better than they looked. This story proved why some stories are suited to some formats as I just couldn't see this working well at all on television but in novelised form, and I can imagine on audio, this works really really well. I was intrigued to learn more about the Doctor's past relationship with Professor Emmerson. Just how had the pair met and what made them so close that the Doctor constantly referred to him as "bud" when in conversation. It was really interesting seeing the Fourth Doctor be so friendly with a fellow human, but I guess the pair's shared love of the stars is a major factor in that. The representation of Sarah was brilliant and the fact that she was utterly petrified of the Pescatons again enhanced the fear factor behind the debuting villains. The statement she made about her and the Doctor never encountering something quite like the Pescatons was quite a compliment! In her travels she'd come up against the likes of Daleks, Cybermen, Zygons and Sontarans! Could the Pescatons really be thrown into a category of villains of that standard? I still have my doubts. The use of 'meteorites' was very good throughout with them actually being the arrival of the Pescatons, in their absolute masses, across the planet. Mike and Helen were terrific characters and I really like the relationship they had together and then with the Doctor and Sarah. The scenes in the underwater spacecraft between the guest pair were a highlight of the novel! The use of green slime and cocoons that were undoubtedly impenetrable were excellent and again showed how much of a threat the Pescatons really were. I can imagine on audio that their ability to replicate the voice of whom they were speaking to was extremely frightening. It would certainly be uncomfortable! I was intrigued from the synopsis, and multiple references in the story, of when the Doctor had previously met these Pescaton invaders. Now obviously I knew they hadn't appeared on television but I found myself worried that I was reading a sequel to a story I hadn't done. Thankfully that wasn't the case and the flashback chapter of the Doctor's visit to Pesca was outstanding. Now, of course in the audio it would have been Tom Baker voicing the encounter with Zor but I was struggling to work out just when the Fourth Doctor had been travelling alone, seeing as Sarah was the companion in the story. For the novelised version, I like to think that it was the Third Doctor who visited Pesca. But hey, continuity impossibilities in Doctor Who thrive! The encounter with Zor setting up the resolution which literally occurred on the penultimate page was tremendous. Zor was the power supply behind the entire race, he was the one providing the thoughts of each and every Pescaton. If the Doctor destroyed him then the much publicised invasion was over. The zoo scenes were good and the use of giant lights to disintegrate the leader was pretty good. The lead up was better than the actual destruction I thought. The descriptions of the Pescatons' disintegrating into powder across the planet was fantastic and the threat was over. Martin was safe, Mike and Helen had survived and now the governments had a mass cover up to deal with whilst the Doctor and Sarah quickly left. Overall, a good and intriguing read!
Rating: 8/10
I remember hearing the audio.
ReplyDeleteMy bro and I presume the Pescartons were dinosaurs before learning they be sharky.
The 4th Doctor tickle me; the way he trip on his scarf, the way he dance and sang to decoy one of the scary monsters thus bringing humour to a horror scene and proving more able though he seems daft, and the way he got the better o some other with a picolo.
Sarah J rock on it. She was nice with a baby, got sassy about humanity's ignorance in only believing when they see, and figuring out the sonic waves hurt the Pescartons.
The Pescarton I took more seriously was Zor, the chief one. A psychic. And also a puppeteer. And his lack of mercy or remorse, seeing humans as lower forms to hunt and devour. Zero wounder the Doctor refuse, coz he saw Zor's real colours and knew he'd oppress the humans instead of treating them as equals.
Nice London Zoo moment. London Zoo was the first zoo I went to.
This got me ideas:
ReplyDelete1. Pete's World can meet Pescartons. One scene can be Rose and Shan trying to convicne Zor his peole can co-ekyst with humans only to see his cold soul and his arrogance. I see them more sicken by his soul such as how he treats other speciess as lower forms.
2. On Pete's World, one Pescarton would be weakn and fall in some zoo. And he gets soak, revive, by some cheeky punks. He gets tick when the punks make fun of him, ignoring Rose and her team trying to stop their taunting. The Pescarton would go 'Did yu call me a cowardly guppy' and get violent out of rage. He would also use the lead punk's own taunting on him before butchering him.
3. Davros would mention the Pescartons revealing Sarah J help cause their ektinction. Saying how she help commit genocide, the crime she accuse him and the Daleks of. Imagine ehr team's shock. And Sarah's guilt on hwo Dalek she was becoming.
4. Pete's World Clara would do sylly dancign and singing to lure some mosnter away from kids. Some would think she'd gone bonkers. But Rose and her team would praise her on her intellgience and how rbave she was tro risk her lfie for the kids.