Review: Doctor Who, move over! Reality is dawning!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 2, 2014
I honestly can’t remember the last time reading a book was this much fun. About a year ago, Kate Genet mentioned that a reader had wished there were a lesbian Doctor Who, and that she (Kate) had just about finished the second novella in such a series. I thought the idea sounded fantastic (pun pretty much intended). I had previously thought of a female Doctor, and this just seemed a logical extension. Turns out, the realization is much better than even the idea itself. To wit:Reality Dawn has everything I’ve come to expect and admire from Kate Genet: intriguing premise, logical plotting (within context, it is SF, after all), interesting twists, very likable characters, a decent-sized serving of humor, very proficient writing, technically, and fluent narrative style.One of Genet’s greatest strengths is her characters, and Reality Dawn is no exception. The women who populate her tales are always strong (though they don’t always realize it, at first), likable, down to earth, loyal to their friends and implacable when there’s evil-doing to undo, Sounds like the perfect set-up for a Mary Sue type, right? Not in Genet’s capable hands: that down to earth quality, plus, maybe, some slight character quirk, even a certain vulnerability, keep them from ever becoming so over-the-top. As I’ve written elsewhere, they could be someone you bump into at the grocery.Well, not so much Reality Dawn, which is the character’s name as well as the novella’s. RD. if you’re up on your Doctor Who stuff, is a recognizable type, mostly, to me, anyway, Tom Baker’s fourth and maybe Christopher Eccleston’s ninth Doctor. Pompous enough, not as much as Colin Baker’s or William Hartnell‘s interpretations, and, like Tom Baker and Eccleston, Reality’s pontifications are softened by that infectious, half-jest-but-full-earnest grin. There’s also the quality of being totally in charge and aware of what’s going on at all times but with a background whisper of “At least, I think I am.“ However, this is not Doctor Who fanfic. Not at all.  Genet simply takes the various Doctor Who personae and molds them into a unique character all her own. The idea of a Doctor Who type is simply the jumping-off place that ignites her imagination.Reality coaxes the story’s other principal, Rae, into joining her on the quest to rescue Morgan (see blurb) by suggesting it will be a fun adventure, sensing that neither fun nor adventure is exactly Rae’s daily fare. Yes, Rae does want to get her sister’s wife back, but it’s that promise of excitement that tips her over the edge into going along. Heretofore, Rae’s been mostly drifting through life, and the events of the story bring on a dawning (pun definitely intended) self-awareness. Not only is this quest/adventure/rescue stuff fun, but it gives her purpose and shows her she has qualities and strengths she wasn‘t aware of. This idea of a young woman’s blossoming is a common one in Genet’s stories, and watching these characters realize their potential is one the real pleasures of heading her work. It’s this character development that keeps this from being a mere Doctor Who pastiche, though it’s an terrific one, and turns it into a compelling story.Despite the similarities, there’s a huge difference between Reality Dawn and Doctor Who: since the beginning of the TV series, the main focus has always been on the Doctor. Sure, some of the companions have had important roles to play, but, with the exception maybe of Rose, they’re always secondary, by design.  The only one who could have stood toe to toe with any of the various Doctors and come out ahead, perhaps, was the haughty, and gorgeous,  Romanadvoratrelundar. (Yeah, coulda just said Romana Number One, but I really, really, really wanted to write that.) In Reality Dawn, RD the character moves the action along, provides almost all the humor, and does all the problem solving, but Rae’s the one who holds our interest. Oh, we like Reality well enough because she’s such fun, but we care about Rae in a way we don’t Reality, who, when this is all over, will just charge off after another Grail, or Golden Fleece, as adventurers do. We want to see the changes in Rae actually come to fruition, learn if they become permanent. And, of course, we want to be sure that Reality and Rae are still together at the end.But…while an interesting story with engaging characters is all well and good, it’s Genet’s narrative style which brings everything together. I’ve previously called that style “spare”. What I mean by that is that there simply aren’t any wasted words. If this implies that Genet’s writing is dry and uninteresting, nothing could be further from the truth. There’s plenty of descriptive prose evoking both place and mood, there’s just no fluff. In short, unlike so many authors, Genet doesn’t fall in love with her words. She never, ever overwrites, save occasionally for emphasis; the words are there simply because they’re the ones that should be there. Though the writing is quite expressive, it’s never ornate or flowery. The words exist to tell the story, not to show off how many pretty words the author can use.An example or two should show you what I mean: “Rae looked away and continued her perambulation of the room.” A lot of words could replace “perambulate” (saunter, amble, stroll, to name only a few), but “perambulate” suggests that Rae’s examining and inspecting the room as she moves though, it gives purpose to her actions. Likewise, “”It was probably just a clearing Reality stood in, but the idea that the trees had shambled out the way was a notion that had stuck in her mind.” On our world, of course, trees don’t move about, but if they did, we’d more likely expect them to lumber or stomp about than to shamble. Ironically, it’s that use of “shambled” which makes us take the idea seriously, reminding us we’re not on our world.There are plenty of other examples; Genet has a knack for hitting on the mot juste: the right word(s) at the right time. Another favorite line is “…Rae said, the words falling over themselves in their hurried exit from her mouth.” Personification becomes cloying if overused, but here, it fits perfectly with the style, as well as showing us how Rae’s (and Kate’s) mind works.Hyperbole is used somewhat sparingly, but to good effect, and often humorously: “The spider had been big enough to eat her for dinner.”There’s no shortage of Genet’s wit in this novella. I doubt you’ll guffaw till your sides ache, but, that sort of humor vanishes in a hurry anyway. What you’ll find, if you have a reasonable acquaintance with the Who-niverse, is that your lips will continually be quirking up into a warm smile, several times a page even, with a pleasant feeling of familiarity. You can almost feel the author winking at you as if you’re sharing an inside joke.To sum up, repeating my earlier comment, Kate Genet’s Reality Dawn, the first in a series of novellas, features an interesting concept, a well-plotted, fluent narrative, plenty of chuckles, and great characters. It’s a deliciously fun, thoroughly entertaining romp, and a joy to read. Try it. I think you’ll agree.