Goth Opera (novel)

Goth Opera was the first novel in the Virgin Missing Adventures series. Written by Paul Cornell, it featured the Fifth Doctor, Tegan Jovanka and Nyssa. It built on the narrative in the novel Blood Harvest, which was deliberately crafted to build interest in this novel.
== Publisher's summary ==
:"The time of humanity on this world has come to an end. The long night is starting. The age of the undead is upon us."
Manchester, 1993. The vampires of Great Britain have received a message: the long-awaited arrival of their evil messiah is imminent. It's time for a recruitment drive.
On holiday in Tasmania with Tegan and the Fifth Doctor, Nyssa is attacked by a demonic child. She escapes unharmed — except for two small wounds in her neck.
Why are the descendants of the Great Vampire so desperate to obtain the blood of a Time Lord? And what is their connection to a forbidden ancient Gallifreyan cult?
== Plot ==
to be added
== Characters ==
* Fifth Doctor
* Tegan Jovanka
* Nyssa
* Romana II
* Ruath
* Yarven
* Flavia
* Spandrell
* Jake Hedges
* Madelaine Worth
* Eric
* Jeremy Sanders
* Victor Lang
* Matthew
* Child
* Sabalom Glitz
* Dibber
* Pogarel
* Agonal
== Worldbuilding ==
=== The Doctor ===
* The Doctor is a contributor to the Wisden cricket magazine.
* The Doctor brushes up on his batting skills in the cricket nets.
* The Doctor uses his cricket bag.
* The Doctor also uses a bowling machine.
=== Individuals ===
* Tegan thinks cricket players sneak off for a tinnie of beer during a match.
=== Gallifrey ===
* Romana II's political rise on Gallifrey is chronicled here.
* The Doctor and Ruath were classmates at the Prydonian Academy on Gallifrey with the Monk.
== Notes ==
* In the original cover artwork for the novel, there was much more blood on Nyssa's clothes. This was considered too graphic a cover image by W H Smith, the UK's largest book retailer, so the image was altered to be less graphic before publication."Jade Pagoda" post by Craig Hinton
* The plot for the novel was originally developed from an unproduced comic strip for Doctor Who Magazine, which would have featured the Fourth Doctor in a fight against Dracula. Cornell revised the story to use the Fifth Doctor for this novel. (REF: I, Who)
* Paul Cornell once called the experiencing of writing this novel "most unpleasant", but did not elaborate."Four Writers, One Discussion", Time-Space Visualiser #43 He later called the book obvious pastiche.
* The back cover indicates this story takes place between the television stories Snakedance and Mawdryn Undead.
* In one line, Ruath lists the Doctor's fellow students at the Time Lord Academy under Borusa to have later become "scoundrels": "Mortimus, the Rani, that idiot Magnus… and you, Doctor". This context makes it clear that "Magnus" here refers to the Master, as it would be unthinkable for such a list not to include the Master. This followed the implication and original intent of Flashback, which featured a "Magnus" who lived on Gallifrey with the First Doctor prior to the latter's departure. However, to avoid conflict with The Dark Path's contention that the Master's original name was instead Koschei, Gary Russell later claimed in Divided Loyalties that Magnus was a different Time Lord.
== Continuity ==
* Tegan is still recovering from her second battle against the Mara on Manussa. (TV: )
* Following Adric's death, the Doctor swears that he will not allow another of his companions to die during his current incarnation. (TV: )
* The Doctor refers to the Xeraphins. (TV: )
* Ruath was introduced meeting Romana in Blood Harvest, a passage which reappears in this novel.
* Tracking the journeys of the Fifth Doctor, Ruath notes that he has travelled to a deserted planet, (TV: ) Monarch's ship in deep space in 1981, (TV: ) Deva Loka, (TV: ) Earth on several occasions, (TV: , PROSE: , , AUDIO: , TV: , , ) Gallifrey (TV: ) and Manussa. (TV: )
* Ruath sees a point in the future in which Gallifrey does not exist. (PROSE: )
* Ruath takes Yarven to the time stream/possible future of the Haemovores. (TV: )
* Romana refers to the Minyans. (TV: )
* Ruath traps Romana in a Miniscope containing Drashigs. (TV: )
* Melanie Bush is no longer travelling with Sabalom Glitz aboard the Nosferatu II. (TV: ; PROSE: )
* Flavia complains about the decor of the presidential suite. (TV: )
* The Black Guardian and the White Guardian play chess on Gallifrey. (TV: )
* The Doctor, Nyssa and Tegan would visit Manchester again in August 1819. (AUDIO: )
* The Doctor has encountered vampires before in TV: . He would encounter vampires again in TV: .
== External links ==
* 
* Doctor Who Bewildering Reference Guide to Goth Opera
* The Cloister Library: Goth Opera
* Beyond the Book: Goth Opera by Paul Scoones (Article) - TSV 43
== Footnotes ==
Category:Fifth Doctor novels
Category:MA novels
Category:1994 novels
Category:Novels set on Gallifrey
Category:Time Lord novels
Category:Stories set in Manchester
Category:Stories set in Australia
Category:Stories set in 1993
Category:Romana II novels