The Lucius Flux: Dalek

Flux Reviews: The Dalek Generation by Nicholas Briggs

9:53 pm

Title: The Dalek Generation
Author: Nicholas Briggs
Publication Date: April 2 2013
Publisher: Broadway Books
Format: Paperback
Price: ₱--- (Philippines) - $7.95 (Amazon)

Plot Synopsis:

"The Sunlight Worlds Offer You A Life of Comfort and Plenty. Apply now at the Dalek Foundation."

Sunlight 349 is one of countless Dalek Foundation worlds, planets created to house billions suffering from economic hardship. The Doctor arrives at Sunlight 349, suspicious of any world where the Daleks are apparently a force for good – and determined to find out the truth. The Doctor knows they have a far more sinister plan – but how can he convince those who have lived under the benevolence of the Daleks for a generation?

But convince them he must, and soon. For on another Foundation planet, archaeologists have unearthed the most dangerous technology in the universe...

The Review

"The Sunlight Worlds Offer You A Life of Comfort and Plenty. Apply now at the Dalek Foundation."

Pffft, "life of comfort and plenty" my time-travelling arse. We all know that the only good Dalek is a dead Dalek--with the exception of Rusty, Rusty's cool. (and not even then)

Yes, from what you can see in the cover it's another fantastic adventure featuring the 11th Doctor played by Matt Smith in the BBC series! :D unfortunately/fortunately he doesn't have Amy, Rory, Lady Vastra, Clara or any of his usual companions with him, which would've been nice since that's when we usually see his funny and eccentric side. But his having a companion is a nice break from the show.

If you don't know who the Doctor is (Come onnnn, go and watch it NOOOW! :D ) He's this time-travelling sociopath-like Time Lord who travels through time and space in a big blue police box called that T.A.R.D.I.S. that's bigger on the inside than in the outside. He also likes to meddle in people's crap.

Here you'll see more of the Doctor's toned-down (yet still wacky), less hyper-y-not-really personality, there weren't a lot of his iconic weird-ass parts that you see in the show but eh, but his protective, caring side also shows as he tries to protect a bunch of children from a crashing ship and police custody which really makes you go "Awwwwwwwwww".

Certainly fast paced and you can really imagine this being an episode with David Tennant or Matt Smith during the latest seasons, would've been nice if the author added some ambiguity in describing things like the Daleks or the Doctor or the TARDIS even though we know exactly what and who they are, kind of like some kind of novelty in the writing style, eh?

A very ancient monument in a cruel planet whose use is unknown: destruction, or creation? Daleks running planets preceding to be good, and the Doctor just "happens" to land in said planet with the monument, and really? Daleks running worlds and doing good? Sorry, still can't get over that.

Plays out very well, could even be an episode in Doctor Who! The pacing and action and eccentricity is similar to the show and it shows us all the good morals in the show. Like the fact that all your liked characters die and it basically becomes an emotional roller coaster. Very Doctor Who. So Get this book while you wait for series 9 this September, because all I can say is: "You can't have too many Daleks, eh?"

The Doctor nodded. Time travel did this kind of thing to him all the time. That was the nature of it. A twisty-turning thing that would tangle your hearts in barbs if you let it.

In the control room of the ship, the Doctor was screaming. The Ship was vibrating like it was the end of the world, every circuit seems to be blowing and everything not welded to the spot was rattling, crashing and smashing to the deck.

"Geeeerrronimooooooooooo!”

My Rating:

5 out of 5 Fallen stars

#LuciusFlux

Captain's Log #7: The Doctor and the Possible Dalek Genocide Opinions

3:50 pm

WARNING!

Lots of ranting and talking and talking and digressions and throughly explained and discussed topics ahead. Do NOT read if you get bored or disinterested easily.

SPOILERS

Season 12: Genesis of the Daleks Part 6: The Doctor is faced with the decision of destroying the Dalek incubation room, by touching the two wires linked to explosives, he can prevent the Last Great Time War, the invasions and destruction of countless worlds and species. But just when he's about to commit a the deed, he is faced with a moral dilemma.

Sarah Jane Smith: Well, what are you waiting for?
Doctor Who: Just touch these two strands together and the Daleks are finished. Have I that right?
Sarah Jane Smith: To destroy the Daleks? You can't doubt it.
Doctor Who: Well, I do. You see, some things could be better with the Daleks. Many future worlds will become allies just because of their fear of the Daleks.
Sarah Jane Smith: But it isn't like that.
Doctor Who: But the final responsibility is mine, and mine alone. Listen, if someone who knew the future pointed out a child to you and told you that that child would grow up totally evil, to be a ruthless dictator who would destroy millions of lives, could you then kill that child?
Sarah Jane Smith: We're talking about the Daleks, the most evil creatures ever invented, you must destroy them! You must complete your mission for the Time Lords!
Doctor Who: Do I have the right? Simply touch one wire against the other and that's it. The Daleks cease to exist. Hundreds of millions of people, thousands of generations can live without fear, in peace, and never even know the word Dalek.
Sarah Jane Smith: Then why wait? If it was a disease or some sort of bacteria you were destroying, you wouldn't hesitate.
Doctor Who: But if I kill, wipe out a whole intelligent lifeform, then I become like them. I'd be no better than the Daleks.

My Views On This:

I can see the Doctor's reluctance at genocide, having experienced/will have experienced it firsthand in the future, seeing millions and billions of lives destroyed and ruined, he doesn't want to stoop to the level of the bastardly, dastardly Daleks. You yourself would fear to become father who hits your own child when you received the same treatment in your early years, you would recoil and be appalled at what you did or almost did.

From what we see in the New Who-era of Eccleston, Tennant, Smith, and Capaldi, they have gone through the Time War and 'seen' Gallifrey and the Daleks 'burn', he has that in his conscience, the sheer weight of the deed and he never wants that to happen again (which he can prevent by killing all the Daleks, but more of that laterrr), he became more peace-keeping and an advocate of non-violence confrontations to a higher degree because of his experience.

The morality of killing them all, to stoop to the level of a Dalek, killing machines without remorse traveling through the cosmos killing millions of lifeforms, his most dedicated and formidable enemy, it simply won't do. He won't have him being compared to a machine devoid of emotions committing genocide even if it's for a noble cause (which is of an abstract concept depending from person to person and is relative to societies and so on and so forth, which I will explain in a later date, and not here). To the Daleks, the extermination of all life that is not Dalek is their most noble and central goal, to the Doctor the saving and preventing of deaths and all things bad is noble to him, but not to others, etc etc, it's very relative.

BUT! To the main body of this argument/opinion/thing is that if the Doctor touched the two wired and destroyed the incubating room therefore destroying the Dalek race forever, he would have saved multiple planets, billions and even trillions of lives throughout the Universe, the Last Great Time War would never have happened, Gallifrey would still be there. But as he said "You see, some things could be better with the Daleks. Many future worlds will become allies just because of their fear of the Daleks." and indeed many good things would sprout from the evil of their abominable race, alliances formed, friendships strengthened, technology developed for the greater good etc etc, which is all very similar to the famous argument "What would happen if WWII didn't happen?". He does not want to change the future for fear of fucking it up in the process, things could very well change, the Daleks could be replaced with an even more bastardly race of super Nazis. It is possible that he wants this timeline/Universe to stay as it is because he knows what the future is, what kind of destruction it will bring and there's a kind of certainty, like would you rather have a toy that you're absolutely sure will be like the toy you want, or would you rather have a Kinder Surprise and a random toy, you won't know if it will be shit or if it will be good. You obviously play safe and pick the badass 11th Doctor Sonic Screwdriver and not the blind-bag pack.

Aaaand, he could see a spark, perhaps a vision of them doing good, he's giving them a second chance, he doesn't want to kill them all and then it turns out "Whoops! Turns out in the 420th century they help the Humans in their habitation problems blah blah blah" He wants to know if there is a possibility of them being nice (Which, if you've watched enough Who you'd know is complete bullocks).

In my honest opinion, he should've killed all these buggers, would've saved him lotsa time and effort, lotsa lives and planets and collateral damage and emotional trauma. It would've been a better world without them but the same could also be said of humans being gone from the 21st century, with all our pollution and making animals extinct and all.

"The end justifies the means." Says Niccolo Machiavelli, which in this case is peace throughout the Universe. If you have a strong sense of conviction or an ideology that is not confined to that of society, then this action could've been carried out smoothly.

WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK?

Genocide or GeNOcide?

COMMENT DOWN BELOW :)