Zeta Major by: Simon Messingham

When it comes to writing a one and done author often refers to an author who only wrote one novel before calling it quits.  In Doctor Who circles, it refers to authors who wrote one novel for a range (and sometimes publisher).  Simon Messingham is an example of a one and done author who continued to write and eventually was able to publish for BBC Books, debuting with Zeta Major.  His Virgin New Adventure, Strange England, was in my opinion the worst Virgin New Adventure published with the intent of a story that for the Doctor was hopeless, but was meddled with resulting in an inferior product.  It was also the only Virgin New Adventure I gave a score of zero and one that I am unlikely to revisit.  This caused apprehension when going into Messingham’s first BBC Books effort, Zeta Major, compounded by the fact that it is a sequel to Planet of Evil which while a good story doesn’t have much sequel potential.  It bears the Anti-Man prominently on the cover, yet the digitally designed, time vortex themed cover of the Past Doctor Adventures acts as a red herring for the book as while the beings appear they are by no means the main villains of the piece.



Zeta Major is an examination of the Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, and Tegan dynamic by telling a tale where the Fifth Doctor, the Doctor most often calm in a crisis and looking for another way, is put in a situation which he has already stopped once, only for time to have made the Doctor’s work on the planet of Zeta Minor to be undone.  Messingham’s portrayal of the Fifth Doctor shows an excellent grasp on the character, attempting to stop the impending disaster of experimentation with antimatter and the antimatter universe which can be found through Zeta Minor.  The Doctor is also put through the ringer as this is one of the few novels where the Doctor becomes susceptible to dreams, in this area vague nightmares which rock the character to his very being.  The death of Adric in Earthshock still haunts the Doctor and much of his motivation is not just the necessity of saving the day, but also the fear that Tegan and/or Nyssa could end up dead because of his actions.  Messingham makes the Doctor become incredibly distant and the dreams and hallucinations stop the Doctor from keeping track of his companions throughout the novel.  The Doctor’s confidence in himself is in question internally, perhaps unfairly, but this is not an issue as Messingham shows just where the Doctor’s flaw in logic comes from.  The climax of the novel does an excellent job at resolving this little narrative arc that is present throughout the novel.  One of the major villains, Krystyan Fall, works to foil against the Doctor and makes the novel all the better for his inclusion.  If one character is not necessarily explored to the novel’s detriment it’s Nyssa, who’s characterization is just as limp as many of her television appearances.  Messingham portrays her as one-note with only a few mentions of her emotions about her father being taken over by the Master making her come across as a cold character, much less than the caring friend she is usually characterized by.  There is an attempt to make her interesting by turning her into an Anti-Man, and that is harrowing, but the companion being turned into a monster has been done better elsewhere.



That is not the problem with Tegan Jovanka who is overflowing with her harsh Australian personality.  Luckily, Messingham sets this novel after Arc of Infinity so she is no longer looking for Heathrow, and gives Messingham the opportunity to show her vulnerabilities in the novel.  Once the Doctor shows signs of being taken over and not being himself, she immediately wants to help yet is afraid to get involved as she may get in the way with her limited knowledge of the universe.  However, while much of Zeta Major can be described as going over the fallout from Planet of Evil Messingham adds to it by entrenching the novel with a plot where the Doctor is a mythic figure and Sarah Jane Smith as a handmaiden.  The Morestran Empire has built their entire religion about the Doctor as a mystic, with interestingly having a contrast with a scientific sect present in the Empire.  Tegan’s harsh nature is able to dismantle the organized church, much a commentary on churches like the Roman Catholic Church and the political power they have and still hold, into what religion is.  Religion in the book is a game of telephone where things started out with a grain of truth, but has spiraled out of control.  Messingham’s novel overall is a pleasant and welcome surprise showing just how far he has come creating a book with deep themes and an engaging plot while having a few unnecessary characters and some pacing issues.  8/10.