Code of the Krillitanes by Justin Richards

Code of the Krillitanes by Justin Richards
Code of the Krillitanes by Justin Richards

The novella “Code of the Krillitanes” by Justin Richards was published for the first time in 2010.

The Tenth Doctor arrives in London in 2010. He quickly realizes that something strange is happening when he runs into some kids who seem normal, so much that they’re playing football, but show scientific knowledge out of the ordinary even for an adult human.

The boys explain to the Doctor that a new product called Brainy Crisps increases the intelligence of those who eat it. Suspicious, the Doctor goes to buy some for analysis. His tests show that the chips contain Krillitane oil: evidently it’s a new plan of the aliens but for what purpose?

The story told in this novella is set in the final part of the Tenth Doctor era in the period in which he’s traveling alone. The Krillitanes appeared in the episode of the new series’ second season “School Reunion”. It’s best to remember them from that vision because the length of this story is too limited to remind readers more than the basics about these aliens.

In “Code of the Krillitanes” the Doctor discovers a new Krillitane plan when the Tardis reports the presence of a strange virus on the Internet and especially when he notices the effects of a product called Brainy Crisps. He infiltrates the company that produces them and inevitably must face the aliens.

Justin Richards tells this story with a rather lighthearted tone. The Doctor’s behaviours are typically funny and readers can easily imagine David Tennant acting in the manner described and have a few laughs. He also has a sort of temporary companion who someway assists him at least in part of this adventure.

Readers can also have fun thanks to a certain satirical tone used in the development of the story. In particular the management of the society set up by the Krillitanes to produce Brainy Crisps and cover the rest of their activities is described with purely formal meetings and the presence of employees with limited skills who in fact are quite useless.

The development of the plot of “Code of the Krillitanes” is rather predictable and the length limits of the “Quick Reads” series don’t allow for an adequate character depth but at least it’s fun. Justin Richards is an expert author who started writing novels connected to “Doctor Who” in the ’90s and is able to work within those limits. The result is a sparkling novella that perhaps is the best story in this series.

“Code of the Krillitanes” is part of the “Quick Reads” series, consisting of very cheap books around 100 pages each. Buying those books connected to “Doctor Who” makes sense for fans who want to have anything related to the saga, for those who want to try to go beyond the television episodes and for those who want to just try to read a book that’s not too challenging.

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