Doctor Who, Sherlock Holmes and Lovecraft: Why this Nineties novel needs to be republished
By James Aggas
Doctor Who has given us many great novels that have come and gone over the years. But one novel in particular stands out. A novel so awesome, it’s hard to believe it even exists…
In many ways, “the Wilderness Years” was a dark time to be a Doctor Who fan. With no new TV stories from 1990 to 2004, (with the exception of the TV movie, of course), one of Britain’s greatest institutions had far less power and presence than it once did.
Still, Whovians still found ways of getting plenty of new stories. There were of course the audios made by Big Finish Productions, but even long before then, we had the novels. The range of novels featuring the Seventh Doctor by Virgin Publishing were particularly popular, and even today, these novels still have their fans.
Sadly, with just a few exceptions, these books are mostly out of print. This is understandable, especially considering how many were published.
However, having said that, there is one story that needs to be republished. It’s not Lungbarrow, a major book that explores the Doctor’s origins. It’s not even Cold Fusion, which features the Fifth Doctor meeting his future self.
No, if there’s a single book that needs to be republished, it’s got to be All-Consuming Fire. Why? Because it’s the book when the Doctor meets Sherlock Holmes.
The Doctor, Holmes and Old Gods
All-Consuming Fire is somewhat legendary to fans of the Doctor Who novels, and with good reason. It’s the only remotely official story in which the Doctor actually meets Sherlock Holmes. Two of the most iconic characters in British fiction, finally working together at last. And, by all accounts, it’s a very well-written story, too.
And if the Doctor meeting Holmes wasn’t already exciting enough, the story even ventures into the mythos created by H.P. Lovecraft! Doctor Who, Sherlock Holmes, and Lovecraftian mythology – that’s quite a combination!
I have listened to the audio adaptation that Big Finish Productions have given us. Certainly, it’s wonderfully fun hearing Sylvester McCoy’s Doctor against Nicholas Briggs’s Holmes.
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But, while I enjoyed it, I could tell that there must have been a great deal to cut out from the novel. The original book is a couple hundred pages long. While that’s not long compared to most novels, it’s still a lot to include in just two hours.
A hope of republication?
The chances of this novel being republished may be slim, but not impossible. After all, many novels that had originally been long out-of-print have been republished in the last decade. Initially, this was simply to cash-in on the fiftieth anniversary, but then more republications followed, this time with new themes, such as The Monster Collection or The History Collection.
In fact, even the original Human Nature – which the TV story was heavily based on, but featuring the Seventh Doctor instead of the Tenth – has been republished in the last few years. So there’s nothing to say that All-Consuming Fire won’t see the light of day once more.
Until then, I still recommend listening to Big Finish’s adaptation. It’s not the same thing as reading the original text, true, but it’s still a very enjoyable and well-made Doctor Who story, at least.
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Have you read All-Consuming Fire? Is it one of your favorites? Do you think the Doctor and Holmes should meet on-screen? Let us know in the comments below.