David Lawrence (27) (1976–)

Of all the New Zealand Doctor Who Fan Club novelization writers, David Lawrence is the only one (as far as I know) not to write any subsequent Doctor Who books. This is quite a shame, as Doctor Who and the City of Death is clearly the best of the NZDWFC novelizations. On television, City of Death is sheer joy, simple bliss, possibly the pinnacle of Doctor Who (check out the Wife in Space for a convincing take), and though this book is not the pinnacle of Doctor Who, it does a fantastic job of reminding you of it. Not because it apes the episode, but because it recreates the episode's rambling, hodgepodge quality in prose forms, with diversions and good lines a-plenty.  Made me want to buy the DVD, though I'm obviously poor, otherwise why would I be grubbing around for free eBooks to put on my Kindle?… (altro)

http://nhw.livejournal.com/1107126.html

I think it is by some way the best of the New Zealand books. It helps that the original story is one of the best Who stories ever - the Doctor and Romana flirting in Paris, presumably about the time that the actors portraying them were falling in love; Douglas Adams at his best, concentrating on witty and sparkling dialogue rather than trying to write sf; a comic time-travelling plot about the Mona Lisa, the origin of life on Earth and the potential destruction of humanity. But Lawrence has managed a) to write it all down without sucking the life out of it and b) throw in a few extra original details which reinforce the story. So, for instance, we get an insight into that peculiar phenomenon, the marital life of the Scarlionis; he makes the Doctor/Romana relationship more Timelordish; and he has a wonderful run of opening scenes, including a moment with K'anpo on Gallifrey and a party at Leonardo da Vinci's where the guests include Mozart, William Blake, Shakespeare, Napoleon, Dickens and Homer. Strongly recommended for all Who fans.… (altro)