From TARDIS Index File, the free Doctor Who reference.

Synthespians™
Series:	Doctor Who - BBC Past Doctor Adventures
Release Number:	67
Doctor:	Sixth Doctor
Companions:	Peri
Enemy:	Walter J. Matheson, Nestene Consciousness
Setting:	101st century, New Earth Republic
Author:	Craig Hinton
Publisher:	BBC Books
Publication:	July 2004
Format:	Paperback Book, 277 Pages
ISBN:	ISBN 0563486171
Previous Story:	The Eleventh Tiger
Following Story:	The Algebra of Ice

Summary

In the 101st century, nostalgia is everything. Television from the 20th century is the new obsession, and Reef Station One is receiving broadcasts from a distant Earth of the past, transmitting them to a waiting audience.

When the Doctor and Peri arrive on Reef Station One, they find a fractured society, totally dependent on film and television. They also discover that the Republic’s greatest entrepreneur Walter J. Matheson is in league with one of the Doctor’s oldest enemies.

As the alien influence spreads its tentacles throughout the Republic, the Doctor and Peri must unravel the link between Walter J. Matheson’s business empire and the invaders. Because, if they don’t, they’ll end up in the deadliest soap opera of all time.

Characters

• The Doctor
• Peri Brown
• Walter J. Matheson

References

Races and species

• Khorlthochloi
• Reverent Pentiarchs of Loorn
• Selyoid

Locations

• Ant Nebula
• Cramodar
• New Earth Republic
• Reef Station One
• Polymos
• Plovak 6
• Wolf-Lundmark-Melotte

Technology

• Skin Deep™
• Laserson probe

Notes

First Cover

Second Dynasty Cover

Third 'pulped' Cover

• The cover for this novel went through several permutations, mainly related to the design of the cover.

• This can be described as the first cover it was created by James Gent for Craig Hinton as a proof of concept (like Spearhead from Space crossed with Dynasty).
• Unfortunately Black Sheep (the cover designers for BBC Books' range throughout the PDAs they interpreted him directly. This image has basically the cast of Dynasty but as Autons (which was several breaches of copyright).
• The third cover was approved for publishing, however, the background and the two female Autons are both mirrored, necessitating the entire batch to be pulped. ^[1]

Continuity

to be added

Timeline

• Synthespians™ occurs after: ST: House
• Synthespians™ occurs before: DWM: Work is Hell

External Links

• Doctor Who Reference Guide - Detailed Synopsis - Synthespians™
• The Whoniverse - The Discontinuity Guide to: Synthespians™

External Sources