The novel “Autonomy” by Daniel Blythe was published for the first time in 2009.
Hyperville is a new complex devoted to 24/7 fun. You can go shopping but also visit the various sections devoted to entertainment. Hyperville uses the state of the art technology, maybe too much, and some suspect that behind it there’s something strange.
The Tenth Doctor appears in Hyperville to do his investigation and finds himself quickly in trouble because his use of the sonic screwdriver is detected immediately. Surveillance within the complex is very tight, officially for the sake of customers but is actually used to the Nestene Consciousness for its plans.
“Autonomy” is part of a series of novels connected to the new “Doctor Who” series. They’re targeted to a wide audience by being linear enough to be appreciated even by very young readers but sophisticated enough to interest more mature readers.
In “Autonomy” the Doctor is traveling alone in one of his adventures in the course of the last part of the life of his tenth “incarnation”. In this novel he investigates Hyperville, a huge complex that is part mall and part amusement park.
The story is set in a period that in 2009 was the near future and thus in many ways a direct projection of the present. From the beginning it’s said explicitly that there’s a close surveillance and that it’s taken for granted because it’s done for people’s own good.
The Doctor clarifies his position quoting the famous Benjamin Franklin phrase: “Those who would give away the essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”. There’s a very clear message about an issue very delicate today given that in the years after the publication of “Autonomy” much was revealed about mass surveillance ordinary people but also politicians are subjected.
Daniel Blythe shows a future in which new generations are raised with the idea that mass surveillance exists for their own good. Inside Hyperville it’s not managed by British intelligence but by the Autons. However, almost no one asks questions because almost everyone got used to be under surveillance.
The result is that the Nestene Consciousness can go on with its plans and can easily neutralize the very few who see something strange inside Hyperville. Or at least until the arrival of the Doctor, who once again clashes with his old enemies.
The Auton and the Nestene Consciousness that controls them are among the most classic enemies in the “Doctor Who” saga. In “Autonomy” there are several references to previous adventures in which the Doctor clashed with them. Fans of the saga can have fun in recognizing them.
In “Autonomy” there are also other kinds of references to the past. When the Doctor meets a young investigative journalist, he makes a reference to Sarah Jane Smith. Those are the details that enrich a novel for “Doctor Who” fans showing that it was written for them as well and not just for young readers who might not understand those references.
The novel also contains other references to the world of entertainment. In particular, among the characters there are a famous footballer married to a pop star. The parody of real characters also serves to add more elements for the discussion on the problems of the society of the near future, which by now is the present.
“Autonomy” isn’t a novel focused specifically on political and social issues but by the standards of this series of books these themes are examined deeply. The story is in other ways typical of this series, an adventure with a linear plot with a fast pace. The fun can come from the references contained in the novel but also in the Doctor’s behavior, more than ever hectic and witty.
The story of “Autonomy” is a bit derivative containing elements from the previous ones with the Autons but I think Daniel Blythe is good at adding some other elements and especially to include important themes that recall the best tradition of the classic series. It’s primarily for these reasons that I loved this novel and I recommend reading it.
