Doctor Who: The Also People

The Also People follows the Doctor and his companions as they visit the Worldsphere - a massive artificial habitat created by godlike beings known as the People. The TARDIS crew arrives as guests in this advanced civilization where both biological and artificial intelligences coexist. The story centers on a potential murder investigation within the Worldsphere's seemingly perfect society. While the Doctor works to solve the mystery, his companions explore the strange customs and advanced technology of the People, leading to culture clashes and revelations. Events escalate as deeper conspiracies emerge involving the People's weapons and defenses. The Doctor must navigate complex politics and competing interests while preventing a catastrophe that could affect multiple civilizations. The novel examines themes of artificial intelligence rights, the responsibilities of advanced civilizations, and the price of utopia. Through its science fiction lens, it raises questions about the nature of consciousness and the boundaries between organic and synthetic life.

Most readers position this as one of the better New Adventures novels in the Doctor Who book series. Readers highlighted: - Complex world-building and sophisticated sci-fi concepts - The humor and witty dialogue - Strong characterization of the Doctor and his companions - Creative alien civilizations and technology - References to Iain M. Banks' Culture series Common criticisms: - Plot moves slowly in the first third - Too many characters to keep track of - Some find it overly cerebral and philosophical Ratings: Goodreads: 4.02/5 (108 ratings) LibraryThing: 3.85/5 (23 ratings) From reader reviews: "Captures Banks' style while staying true to Doctor Who" - Goodreads reviewer "The pacing issues in the first 50 pages almost made me quit" - LibraryThing reviewer "Best portrayal of Bernice Summerfield in the NA series" - Doctor Who book forum member

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🔷 The Also People features the highly advanced Worldsphere, a vast artificial habitat built around a sun, which was inspired by Iain M. Banks' Culture novels and their Orbital habitats. 🔷 Author Ben Aaronovitch went on to write the bestselling Rivers of London series, which blends police procedurals with urban fantasy in modern-day London. 🔷 The book explores themes of artificial intelligence and machine consciousness through the God-like beings known as the People, making it one of the more philosophically complex Doctor Who novels. 🔷 The story features companion Bernice "Benny" Summerfield, who became so popular she later received her own spin-off novel series and audio dramas. 🔷 This was Aaronovitch's final contribution to the Doctor Who New Adventures series, though he had previously written for the television show, including the notable serial "Remembrance of the Daleks."