Midichlorians Before Midichlorians! - Patreon Exclusive #14

Episode Title: "Midichlorians Before Midichlorians!" - The Sorcerer's Apprentice Novel Review - Patreon Exclusive Sample

HOLIDAY GIFT TO OUR LISTENERS: The Doctor's Beard Podcast presents another special Patreon Exclusive - this time venturing beyond comics into the world of Doctor Who prose! Join John (the Apprentice) and Jim (the Sorcerer Supreme) as they discuss Christopher Bulis's The Sorcerer's Apprentice from the Virgin Missing Adventures line.

JIM'S BACKYARD: "I don't know from podcasting... but a good old fashioned book is my bailiwick." Jim reveals his Doctor Who origin story: reading Target novelizations in the late 70s/early 80s (American publisher reprints with Harlan Ellison introductions stating "My Hero, Doctor Who"), then driving to Windsor, Canada with his father to find British Target editions. He sold those collections years ago and now kicks himself regularly.

CHOOSING THE BOOK: Jim turned to Facebook Doctor Who groups for recommendations on First Doctor original novels. Two titles dominated suggestions:

• The Venusian Lullaby by Paul Leonard (First Doctor, Ian, Barbara - takes place between The Dalek Invasion of Earth and The Rescue)
• The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Christopher Bulis (First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara - takes place between Marco Polo and The Keys of Marinus)

Jim chose The Sorcerer's Apprentice because it comes chronologically first and includes Susan. The cover features the Doctor, Susan, and the TARDIS being breathed upon by a fire-breathing dragon - an actual scene from the book!

THE MISSING ADVENTURES SERIES: Virgin Books received the Doctor Who license after the 1989 "rest" (not cancellation). They launched:

• New Adventures: Continuing Sylvester McCoy/Ace stories with ongoing character development
• Missing Adventures: Original novels set during the first six Doctors' eras

DOCTOR WHO THE MISSING ADVENTURES: THE SORCERER'S APPRENTICE (1995) Writer: Christopher Bulis

The Setup: The TARDIS lands on an Earth-like world with a stereotypical medieval setting - knights, dragons, castles, a king and queen, princess and her fiancé. But there's also real magic. The core conflict: Science versus Magic - the Doctor representing science, the world representing magic.

The Twist: Outside this medieval world exists a solar system-spanning empire with spaceships and lasers. Legends and names derive from Arthurian mythology - the planet is called Elbyon (spelled differently from Albion, an old name for England).

CHARACTERIZATION - NAILED IT: Jim praises Bulis for capturing the actors' voices perfectly: "I'm reading this and I'm hearing William Hartnell, William Russell, Carol Ann Ford, and Jacqueline Hill. That's what really makes this come alive."

Character Rankings:

1. The Doctor - Spot on throughout
2. Ian - "Really strong... there's a particular way you have to have Ian talk"
3. Susan - Well-captured, gets meaty material
4. Barbara - Sadly underused, separated from the group early and relegated to a tangent storyline

CLEVER CONTINUITY TOUCHES:

Language Mystery: The Doctor and Susan speak to each other in an unidentifiable language Barbara has never heard before - a subtle nod to their alien origins without spelling it out.

The Ring Returns: The Doctor's ring (featured prominently in "The Web Planet") plays a significant part in the action. Jim appreciates the callback to their ongoing discussions about when the ring matters versus when it's forgotten.

Ian Learns Swordfighting: Ian explicitly states he doesn't know how to sword fight - perfectly placed between "Marco Polo" (where he wouldn't know) and "The Romans" (where he suddenly does). This novel explains where Ian learned!

Susan's Difference: Brief references to Susan being "different" from the humans, reinforcing her alien nature without heavy-handedness.

NO SMIRKING OR WINKING: Unlike some novelizations that project future Doctor knowledge backward, Bulis respects the 1964 timeline. Jim: "If you really want to be accurate, you have to write it from 'it's 1964 and that stuff hasn't happened yet.'"

LISTENER COMPLAINTS ADDRESSED: Jim found limited online reviews, mostly negative:

1. Splitting Up the Crew - Complaint: Early series constantly separated characters. John's defense: You couldn't fit this anywhere in the Susan timeline without that happening
2. Stereotypical Setting - Complaint: Bulis uses standard tropes. John's defense: "We say things like that, but when somebody does something different and out of the ordinary, we criticize them for that too"

Jim on fan expectations: "Obviously writers can't kill characters, have them get pregnant, lose limbs, or murder somebody... especially when they tell us exactly where these stories take place in canon timeline."

AVAILABILITY: Out of print for nearly 30 years but readily available on eBay and used bookstores for around $10. Jim found both Sorcerer's Apprentice and Venusian Lullaby from American sellers at reasonable prices.

JIM'S READING PLAN: Will eventually read The Venusian Lullaby, then plans to read one original novel per Doctor as the podcast progresses, soliciting recommendations from fan communities for each era.

LOVE WHAT YOU HEARD? This novel discussion is just one example of Patreon exclusive content! For $3/month:

• Deep dives into Doctor Who prose, comics, and audio
• Early access to episode reviews
• Memory TARDIS retrospectives
• Live watch parties
• And much more!

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Happy Holidays from The Doctor's Beard Podcast!

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