Space Babies

"You are alone in this place, and you are scared."

Writer: Alison Rumfitt

Format: Novel

Released: August 2024

Series: Target 182

Featuring: Fifteenth Doctor, Ruby

Synopsis

In space, something can hear you scream. And that something is coming. 

On her first adventure in outer space, Ruby learns that the universe is bigger, more colourful, and crazier than she could ever have imagined. She also learns that even the Doctor can feel afraid – and that certain nightmares are all too real...

Verdict

Space Babies was a really fun novelisation of the Fifteenth Doctor's first series opener! I definitely enjoyed this version more than what we got on screen and ironically given the title of the story, I think that's because I didn't have to see the babies. They were a little freaky on screen with their moving mouths seeming just a little bit too much CGI and unrealistic, but in a novel there were no such problems. As mentioned in the Doctor Who Magazine review of this release, all the author had to do really was retell the story and she'd be onto a winner. And she absolutely was. But I was so impressed with how the book started. You could tell that the author was a fan of Doctor Who because she really grasped that this was the first trip for Ruby as a companion in the TARDIS. All the wonder of the Doctor was there as she realised the TARDIS was bigger on the inside, she could travel not only in space but through time, and she encountered dinosaurs! I thought the open with Ruby stepping on a butterfly was a little forced on screen, but it felt much more fleshed out in this novelisation which was terrific. I have a three-year-old son who is absolutely dinosaur crazy so seeing the names of brachiosaurs and pterodactyls in print is very familiar to me and something that made me smile. I can certainly see why this would appeal to the younger viewers. I thought the book did a stellar job as well throughout of highlighting Ruby's inner thoughts. She had to park a lot of detail like the Doctor being a thousand years old and his planet Gallifrey having befallen to a genocide. It was powerful stuff. I had heard how the Sugababes song of 'Push the Button' was supposed to be included on screen but was sadly cut, so to have it restored here was an absolute treat. Ncuti Gatwa would have just excelled with this on screen I'm sure but thankfully he was just as infectious in prose here. I liked how the theme of pushing the button was fleshed out throughout the book too. It was really good stuff. I don't remember it being the case on screen, but crikey the Doctor doesn't half say the phrase 'space babies' a lot! It was almost in every chapter! It was fun but even I was finding it slightly tiresome by the end. The novelty had certainly worn off. I thought the format of the book was strong and I really liked trying to inject the fear factor with the prologue and epilogue. They sounded scary which was good. The Bogeyman revelation feels much more obvious in print but I guess knowing the truth will also aid there. It was a strong threat and I liked how it felt more important that it was literally built to inject fear. The space station had put the babies in a story and this was the threat which explained why even the Doctor was scared. The space babies themselves are quite adorable and the truth about them not having a hug is heartbreaking. Jocelyn as the Nanny is also good and I do think her role in the conclusion feels more rushed on the book than the time it was given on screen. That was particularly felt with the Bogeyman being in the airlock as that felt like it was an eternity in the televised version! Eric being brave because of Ruby was a big moment and I liked how her guilt was presented. She was just being nice and here he was taking on the Bogeyman to tell it to be nice. The Doctor explaining to Ruby about the snow being a connection and a potential warning was good knowing how the series will pan out, and I like how his one condition to his new companion is that he can never go to Ruby Road on the night her mother left her. That's heartbreaking for Ruby, but she understands. Overall, I think the story itself is never going to be a higher rating than this and with the addition of some inner thoughts and extended scenes, this definitely trumps the televised version for me which is tremendous! A great little read. 

Rating: 8/10