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Doctor Who: Missing Adventures #33.5
Time's Champion
IT SEEMS THAT WE HAVE FINALLY FOUND EACH OTHER, DOCTOR. A PITY. I HAD HOPED TO AVOID THIS REUNION; I'VE BEEN DISAPPOINTED ENOUGH ALREADY.
2008: John Benton is celebrating his birthday by having a few friends round to his house at Hilsley Halt. But the monsters are lurking.
1908: Writer George Mackenzie-Trench is suffering from writer’s block unable to foresee the ending of his novel, Time’s Champion, nor the consequences of its completion.
9908: The planet Caliban is under attack from Cyber-forces, and governor George Mackenzie-Trench intends to save their world by unleashing Abaddon, a powerful computer virus. But Abaddon has other instructions.
Meanwhile Gallifrey is under attack and the Keeper is seeking answers within the Matrix. President Romana is helpless: no-one is who they seem and the conspiracy goes even deeper than she can imagine. She needs the Doctor...
But the Doctor is on Earth in 2008, fighting to save the life of a child who must survive at all costs.
As Gallifrey is attacked by ghosts from the past, the Doctor, Mel and Benton find themselves in the middle of an epic and final battle as the ancient Gods choose their Champions and allow chaos to reign across all of time and space.
2008: John Benton is celebrating his birthday by having a few friends round to his house at Hilsley Halt. But the monsters are lurking.
1908: Writer George Mackenzie-Trench is suffering from writer’s block unable to foresee the ending of his novel, Time’s Champion, nor the consequences of its completion.
9908: The planet Caliban is under attack from Cyber-forces, and governor George Mackenzie-Trench intends to save their world by unleashing Abaddon, a powerful computer virus. But Abaddon has other instructions.
Meanwhile Gallifrey is under attack and the Keeper is seeking answers within the Matrix. President Romana is helpless: no-one is who they seem and the conspiracy goes even deeper than she can imagine. She needs the Doctor...
But the Doctor is on Earth in 2008, fighting to save the life of a child who must survive at all costs.
As Gallifrey is attacked by ghosts from the past, the Doctor, Mel and Benton find themselves in the middle of an epic and final battle as the ancient Gods choose their Champions and allow chaos to reign across all of time and space.
- GenresDoctor Who
404 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
2 people are currently reading
92 people want to read
About the author
Craig Hinton
25 books7 followersCraig Paul Alexander Hinton was a British writer best known for his work on spin-offs from the BBC Television series Doctor Who. He also wrote articles for science fiction magazines and was the Coordinator of the Doctor Who Appreciation Society. He taught mathematics in London, where he was found dead in his home on 3 December 2006. The cause of death was given as a heart attack.
Hinton first was known for his articles about science fiction television programmes, including Doctor Who and Star Trek. These brought him to the attention of the editor of Marvel UK's Doctor Who Magazine, who offered him the job of reviewing merchandise for the magazine's Shelf Life section. Whilst writing for the magazine, Hinton had his first novel published. The Crystal Bucephalus was part of Virgin Publishing's Missing Adventures range. The book - which Hinton often jokingly referred to as "The Crystal Bucket" - was originally submitted for Virgin's New Adventures, and 50,000 words of this version were written before the change was made.
This novel was followed by a further Missing Adventure, Millennial Rites in 1995, and then by Hinton's only New Adventure in 1996, GodEngine, which features the Ice Warriors as well as oblique appearances by the Daleks.
Following Virgin's loss of their licence for Doctor Who merchandise, Hinton began submitting proposals to BBC Books. In 2001 they published his novel The Quantum Archangel as part of their BBC Past Doctor Adventures range. This was followed in 2004 by Synthespians™. This had started life as a proposal for the Eighth Doctor before being adapted to a previous Doctor. An image of the television show Dynasty was used on the cover: the cover's creators had arranged for permission to use the copyrighted image, but had neglected to get permission to alter it. At the last minute a replacement cover had to be produced. It is this that appears on the cover.
Hinton's Doctor Who novels often contain references to or explanations of elements of past continuity. He claimed to have been the originator of the term "fanwank", which he applied to his own work.
Hinton continued to work with Virgin, writing pseudonymously under the name Paul C. Alexander for their Idol range. He wrote three books in the range: Chains of Deceit, The Final Restraint and Code of Submission. These titles were a major departure from his science fiction. They explored aspects of his sexuality only suggested in his other works.
Hinton wrote for Big Finish Productions' Audio Adventures. The play Excelis Decays was produced in 2002 for their Doctor Who range and The Lords of Forever in 2005 for their The Tomorrow People range. Hinton also wrote short stories for their short fiction collections.
Outside of the science fiction world Hinton was a noted IT journalist in the UK. He edited magazines in the mid-1990s for VNU Business Publications in London and moved on to ITNetwork.com shortly afterwards.
Hinton first was known for his articles about science fiction television programmes, including Doctor Who and Star Trek. These brought him to the attention of the editor of Marvel UK's Doctor Who Magazine, who offered him the job of reviewing merchandise for the magazine's Shelf Life section. Whilst writing for the magazine, Hinton had his first novel published. The Crystal Bucephalus was part of Virgin Publishing's Missing Adventures range. The book - which Hinton often jokingly referred to as "The Crystal Bucket" - was originally submitted for Virgin's New Adventures, and 50,000 words of this version were written before the change was made.
This novel was followed by a further Missing Adventure, Millennial Rites in 1995, and then by Hinton's only New Adventure in 1996, GodEngine, which features the Ice Warriors as well as oblique appearances by the Daleks.
Following Virgin's loss of their licence for Doctor Who merchandise, Hinton began submitting proposals to BBC Books. In 2001 they published his novel The Quantum Archangel as part of their BBC Past Doctor Adventures range. This was followed in 2004 by Synthespians™. This had started life as a proposal for the Eighth Doctor before being adapted to a previous Doctor. An image of the television show Dynasty was used on the cover: the cover's creators had arranged for permission to use the copyrighted image, but had neglected to get permission to alter it. At the last minute a replacement cover had to be produced. It is this that appears on the cover.
Hinton's Doctor Who novels often contain references to or explanations of elements of past continuity. He claimed to have been the originator of the term "fanwank", which he applied to his own work.
Hinton continued to work with Virgin, writing pseudonymously under the name Paul C. Alexander for their Idol range. He wrote three books in the range: Chains of Deceit, The Final Restraint and Code of Submission. These titles were a major departure from his science fiction. They explored aspects of his sexuality only suggested in his other works.
Hinton wrote for Big Finish Productions' Audio Adventures. The play Excelis Decays was produced in 2002 for their Doctor Who range and The Lords of Forever in 2005 for their The Tomorrow People range. Hinton also wrote short stories for their short fiction collections.
Outside of the science fiction world Hinton was a noted IT journalist in the UK. He edited magazines in the mid-1990s for VNU Business Publications in London and moved on to ITNetwork.com shortly afterwards.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 25, 2021
Craig Hinton is a Doctor Who author who infamously coined the term fanwank in fandom and wrote books where that term was often a criticism. He was first published with a Virgin Missing Adventure, The Crystal Bucephalus, and would publish a further five Doctor Who novels for Virgin and BBC Books along with several short stories. He had proposed a Sixth Doctor novel to BBC Books which would have seen an explanation for the Valeyard and the Sixth Doctor’s regeneration in Time and the Rani, however it was rejected and could not be completed before his untimely death in 2006. Telos Publishing, who from 2001-2004 published Doctor Who novellas, would eventually publish this proposed novel, completed by Doctor Who fan Chris McKeon for charity publication in 2008. McKeon would go on to found Black Glove Studios which would produce fan Doctor Who audios and Time’s Champion quickly went out of print. It was virtually unreadable for a number of years as the second hand market put the book up for exorbitant prices, until 2020 when Telos Publishing commissioned a special limited reprint, once again donating proceeds going to the British Heart Foundation (as Hinton died of heart problems). It is this 2020 edition which I was able to acquire, though sadly that too has gone out of print.
Time’s Champion is a beast of a novel. Hinton provided an outline and the first chapter before his untimely death and even that was enough to give McKeon space to fill a full length novel. The book starts simply: Sergeant Benton is having a birthday party inviting the UNIT family as well as characters from Hinton’s The Quantum Archangel, a novel which I haven’t read, Paul and Arlene Kairos. Arlene as a character is perhaps too flat, but Paul is incredibly interesting as the host for the Chronovore, Kronos, from The Time Monster. Arlene serves the purpose of plot device, sending the party guests and Mel 100 years in the past to the manor of Madame Clacice Beauvier. Beauvier becomes a secondary and then tertiary antagonist as the many layers of this book bring in the Valeyard (as expected) and eventually the six Eternals who are set up as the gods of Gallifrey. Beauvier does eventually get an explanation which constitutes one of the books very best twists and allows Death’s plans to go forward, but there are long stretches of the book where she disappears for a while. Her reveal ties heavily into Millennial Rites. Outside of this there is an author, George McKenzie-Trench who is trying to complete the manuscript to Time’s Champion, a novel which will be his magnum opus. This character does not seem to be an author insert for either Hinton or McKeon, especially as there are several versions of the character who pop up throughout this rather complex book.
The first third or so of the novel is incredibly slow, only really picking up pace once the Valeyard enters the picture. This is after the Doctor goes to Gallifrey, meaning that Romana, K9, and Vansell all appear as major forces in the novel. The computer virus Abbadon is unleashed and the Keeper of the Matrix simply needs the Doctor’s help. Once the Valeyard appears Hinton and McKeon clearly are having a ball writing the interactions with the Sixth Doctor. The entirely complex plot is all a foil just so Death can make, in this order, the Valeyard, Mel, and the Doctor her champion, which is what eventually leads to the regeneration. The regeneration scene itself is an incredibly emotional one, lasting most of the last chapter from the Doctor’s perspective. The Doctor reflects on each of his past regenerations, meets his final incarnation, and eventually finds a way to trick Death, giving himself to Time, and allowing the Seventh Doctor to take over with the Valeyard defeated, but not dead. It becomes an incredibly poignant sequence and this entire novel could be considered canonical as McKeon includes Spiral Scratch (and retroactively The Sixth Doctor: The Last Adventure) into the possibility. The Valeyard is then sent off to Matrix (and most likely his other Big Finish appearances) Overall, Time’s Champion is a book which needs a run that lasts longer than two months. There are definitely two hands at work here as the second chapter onward has a similar but distinct style to what came before, though it is mired in the Doctor Who universe to almost a backbreaking degree that it is slightly held back, especially as some of the characters come across as paper thin while others are complex. 8/10.
Time’s Champion is a beast of a novel. Hinton provided an outline and the first chapter before his untimely death and even that was enough to give McKeon space to fill a full length novel. The book starts simply: Sergeant Benton is having a birthday party inviting the UNIT family as well as characters from Hinton’s The Quantum Archangel, a novel which I haven’t read, Paul and Arlene Kairos. Arlene as a character is perhaps too flat, but Paul is incredibly interesting as the host for the Chronovore, Kronos, from The Time Monster. Arlene serves the purpose of plot device, sending the party guests and Mel 100 years in the past to the manor of Madame Clacice Beauvier. Beauvier becomes a secondary and then tertiary antagonist as the many layers of this book bring in the Valeyard (as expected) and eventually the six Eternals who are set up as the gods of Gallifrey. Beauvier does eventually get an explanation which constitutes one of the books very best twists and allows Death’s plans to go forward, but there are long stretches of the book where she disappears for a while. Her reveal ties heavily into Millennial Rites. Outside of this there is an author, George McKenzie-Trench who is trying to complete the manuscript to Time’s Champion, a novel which will be his magnum opus. This character does not seem to be an author insert for either Hinton or McKeon, especially as there are several versions of the character who pop up throughout this rather complex book.
The first third or so of the novel is incredibly slow, only really picking up pace once the Valeyard enters the picture. This is after the Doctor goes to Gallifrey, meaning that Romana, K9, and Vansell all appear as major forces in the novel. The computer virus Abbadon is unleashed and the Keeper of the Matrix simply needs the Doctor’s help. Once the Valeyard appears Hinton and McKeon clearly are having a ball writing the interactions with the Sixth Doctor. The entirely complex plot is all a foil just so Death can make, in this order, the Valeyard, Mel, and the Doctor her champion, which is what eventually leads to the regeneration. The regeneration scene itself is an incredibly emotional one, lasting most of the last chapter from the Doctor’s perspective. The Doctor reflects on each of his past regenerations, meets his final incarnation, and eventually finds a way to trick Death, giving himself to Time, and allowing the Seventh Doctor to take over with the Valeyard defeated, but not dead. It becomes an incredibly poignant sequence and this entire novel could be considered canonical as McKeon includes Spiral Scratch (and retroactively The Sixth Doctor: The Last Adventure) into the possibility. The Valeyard is then sent off to Matrix (and most likely his other Big Finish appearances) Overall, Time’s Champion is a book which needs a run that lasts longer than two months. There are definitely two hands at work here as the second chapter onward has a similar but distinct style to what came before, though it is mired in the Doctor Who universe to almost a backbreaking degree that it is slightly held back, especially as some of the characters come across as paper thin while others are complex. 8/10.
February 17, 2025
The one and only regeneration story. There has never been a stronger case for the best Doctor send-off until after this unofficial book by Hinton and McKeon. I haven't seen such heartfelt passion, devoted love, and complete understanding of the Doctor's character and all that he encompasses, like it's displayed here. A story that is so layered with brilliant prose, incredible side characters following the wonderful book that was ‘Quantum Archangel,' and the further exploration of what is one of the best dynamics in the series: 6th and the Valeyard. One in the same, yet totally different, the rigid dichotomy representing everything that is deeply etched in their separate entities, the desire to heal and save opposed to the desire to obtain and conquer. It was so refreshing to see this dynamic fully delved into, just how important it is for the Doctor's whole foundation moving forward. The constant battle for the control of their shared will, wish, and want and how it ties into the interference of the Six-Fold Gods ultimately represents their difference in approach and conclusive action. The gods, needing to survey who is worthy to be their respective champion in all of the cosmos, came across the Ka Faraq Gatri, also called the Bringer of Darkness, and chose him to champion their cause, while this behind-the-scenes detail shows how the existence of the Valeyard came to be because of the gods wish to test their future needed champion in the Doctor.
This book is the benchmark of how incredibly beautiful something has the capability to be with the right person, idea, and intention behind the helm, a written testimony for the late Craig Hinton, who understood the 6th Doctor better than anyone ever has, with McKeon fulfilling the tribute to his friend. A line mentioned in the book that really stuck out to me personally was, "You, my sixth incarnation, are the strongest link of us all." If one could define 6th in one line, it would be with this one line spoken through the lens of himself. He has always been the incarnation that struggled the most and faced the worst, but most importantly, he persevered through it all regardless of the circumstances, which marks a defining step for him and, ironically, me as well. The more I experience a variety of different 6th-centered content, the more connected I become to him and in turn genuinely want to express myself as freely as him - seeing him fighting on his own terms to get what he has always wanted, more than any other version of the Doctor, simply balance. In tune with himself, in tune with his companions, and in tune with the joyous thing that is life and the dreaded end of the tunnel as death always will be.
My tied favorite Doctor Who story of all time, which is most deservedly fitting for my favorite Doctor of all time as well. The story that encapsulates everything he and I want to be, at peace.
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝟏𝟎/𝟏𝟎
This book is the benchmark of how incredibly beautiful something has the capability to be with the right person, idea, and intention behind the helm, a written testimony for the late Craig Hinton, who understood the 6th Doctor better than anyone ever has, with McKeon fulfilling the tribute to his friend. A line mentioned in the book that really stuck out to me personally was, "You, my sixth incarnation, are the strongest link of us all." If one could define 6th in one line, it would be with this one line spoken through the lens of himself. He has always been the incarnation that struggled the most and faced the worst, but most importantly, he persevered through it all regardless of the circumstances, which marks a defining step for him and, ironically, me as well. The more I experience a variety of different 6th-centered content, the more connected I become to him and in turn genuinely want to express myself as freely as him - seeing him fighting on his own terms to get what he has always wanted, more than any other version of the Doctor, simply balance. In tune with himself, in tune with his companions, and in tune with the joyous thing that is life and the dreaded end of the tunnel as death always will be.
My tied favorite Doctor Who story of all time, which is most deservedly fitting for my favorite Doctor of all time as well. The story that encapsulates everything he and I want to be, at peace.
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝟏𝟎/𝟏𝟎
June 2, 2023
So here we are at the end of the 6th Doctor's journey that was planned out by Craig Hinton but helped out by Chris McKeon in bringing it to life. This final novel, unfortunately, came out a couple of years after Craig Hinton's death which is a shame considering he never got to see how it turned out, but at least this novel came out for a really positive charity that helps research into the human heart and our understanding of it.
The Doctor and Mel have been contacted to attend Sergeant Benton's 70th birthday which is to have many guests from both The Doctor and Benton's past. However, when Arlene, the wife of Paul Kairos is about to give birth to a beautiful child, time itself starts to split in half endangering not only the baby but the entire cosmos. Soon The Doctor finds himself in the midst of a battle throughout history, Gallifrey with many old friends and enemies, and the return of his future but darker self - The Valeyard. The truth of his existence will finally be revealed and The Doctor will become Time's Champion.
This is by far the most intriguing and fascinating story that Craig Hinton came up with, considering it's his take on how the 6th Doctor became 7 and honestly it's brilliant. Fan wank to the maximum but not without merit, it's understandable why this didn't make it as a BBC book when you consider just how massive of a story it is with plenty of references and appearances of characters from the Virgin New Adventures. It's an intense, bleak, and grandiose epic that ties up the 6th Doctor's era at the time in a truly spectacular way. If there was a way to satisfactorily finish the show completely, I'd love for it to be like this.
Overall: An outstanding and incredibly underrated novel (understandable because it was released twice but in only limited copies), Chris McKeon has truly surpassed himself here, considering it was his first contribution to the world of Doctor Who and he honors the imagination and sheer insanity of Hinton's mind brilliantly! 10/10
The Doctor and Mel have been contacted to attend Sergeant Benton's 70th birthday which is to have many guests from both The Doctor and Benton's past. However, when Arlene, the wife of Paul Kairos is about to give birth to a beautiful child, time itself starts to split in half endangering not only the baby but the entire cosmos. Soon The Doctor finds himself in the midst of a battle throughout history, Gallifrey with many old friends and enemies, and the return of his future but darker self - The Valeyard. The truth of his existence will finally be revealed and The Doctor will become Time's Champion.
This is by far the most intriguing and fascinating story that Craig Hinton came up with, considering it's his take on how the 6th Doctor became 7 and honestly it's brilliant. Fan wank to the maximum but not without merit, it's understandable why this didn't make it as a BBC book when you consider just how massive of a story it is with plenty of references and appearances of characters from the Virgin New Adventures. It's an intense, bleak, and grandiose epic that ties up the 6th Doctor's era at the time in a truly spectacular way. If there was a way to satisfactorily finish the show completely, I'd love for it to be like this.
Overall: An outstanding and incredibly underrated novel (understandable because it was released twice but in only limited copies), Chris McKeon has truly surpassed himself here, considering it was his first contribution to the world of Doctor Who and he honors the imagination and sheer insanity of Hinton's mind brilliantly! 10/10
February 11, 2021
It was the Telos Publishing copy of this book - I don’t know how different it was to the other versions ?
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews