Download Doctor Omega - Collector's Edition fb2

"Doctor Omega" is an almost forgotten early (1906) French SF novel written as a sort-of response to HG Well's "First Men on the Moon".

What is unusual about it, is that the main character is in appearance an attitude very much like the first Doctor Who, played by William Hartnell. The Lofficiers, who has 'adapted and retold' the story, have made some minor tweaks to make that just a little more clearer. This has allowed other authors to use Doctor Omega to write new stories that hint at him being Doctor Who, interaction with others fictional and real characters in the "Tales of the Shadowmen" series.

Overall, the storyline is very similar to HG Wells. Set in Normandy, the narrator, a now retired musician, meets the odd and mysterious Doctor Omega and his handyman Fred. Doctor Omega is building his own bullet-shaped spaceship, sheathed in an unusual material called 'stellite', which protects the ship from space AND time. They are planning a trip to Mars. Doctor Omega hints his is estranged from his people, and wished to build his own ship so they can't monitor him.

We also learn that unlike the ships of Wells and Verne, this one will have wheels that can extend.

In traveling to Mars they also travel BACK in time millions of years. They land at the North Pole and start a journey south. Along the way they met various beings. They encounter an aquatic race in the seas of Mars. Then they are attacked by race of dwarfish creatures, menaced by dangerous predators. In a land plagued by snakes, they encounter a race that has created batwings to keep above the snakes. Finally, they encounter a race of technologically advanced creatures. Learning their language, they stay for awhile. Sadly, this race is soon engaged in a war with a group to the south for crop lands, and Doctor Omega and crew are pulled into it. When their stelite coating is found to be a good defense against the invaders, it is taken. But without it, their ship can't return to Earth!

Soon, however, Doctor Omega is able to erect a secret radio tower and send a message to his granddaughter on Earth, who passes this along with a colleague of his, Professor Helvetius (an unusual name), who is teaching in England. Thankfully, the message gets thru before the tower is destroyed, and Professor Helvetius comes in his own ship to rescue them. (how convenient that another of the Doctor's people is on Earth with this own ship). One of the Martians, Tiziraou, accompanies them.

All are returned home. But we learn at the end that the now 4 travelers are planning a new trip into the Cosmos!

This edition is the Collectors Edition, which includes 22 illustrations from the original 1906 French publication, and the cover artwork comes from a later reprinting of the story.

All editions of this work have a forward by Terrance Dicks, and an afterward with more info on the author.

'Doctor Omega' is a bit of a novelty, especially for 'Doctor Who' fans. A lost French scifi novel from 1906, it has some vague similarities to the later television show. Mostly due to some editions' illustrations that look a lot like the (First) Doctor (William Hartnell.)

The story is a fun, light, quick read. Typical turn-of-the-last-century style with a first-person narrative of Mars exploration - various weird flora and fauna along the way, and a few perils and escapes.

This novel was "adapted and retold" which means the translators (who are also 'Doctor Who' fans) took liberties to add additional ties to 'Doctor Who' - making it seem that perhaps Doctor Omega is an alternate or perhaps the Doctor himself in some form of exile. While that is enjoyable, I would still like to read a straight translation (I can't read French) so I could see the original similarities for myself.

I did enjoy it, and look forward to 'Doctor Omega and the Shadowmen' - a modern anthology of Doctor Omega tales from the same publisher (Black Coat Press.)

An adventure in a style similar to H. G. Wells, this is the story of Denis Borel and his uncommon meeting with the mysterious Doctor Omega. Borel has recently retired and settled in a small village in Normandy, France. He soon becomes curious about a neighbor whose inventions are the cause of explosions and excitation in his newly adopted home. His neighbor, Doctor Omega, is building a vessel that can traverse time and space with plans to explore Mars' past.

There are a number of similarities with this Doctor and that other Doctor of BBC fame. This includes a textual likeness between William Hartnel and Omega and a common relationship with a young niece. Omega is also the name of a time lord in the Doctor Who series but it's obvious that Omega and this one could not be the same. There are also references to a race of people of whom Omega is a member and allusions that he is in fact trapped and unable to use the more powerful vessels that his people have access to. All of this seems very similar to the newer doctor we know and love but it's hard to know how much of this is the invention of Arnould Galopin and how much has been added for interest by Randy Lofficier. Quarks, atomic relationships, and science that should have been unknown to Galopin makes it into this tale as part of Lofficier's update. Thus some of the exciting similarities between this and the Doctor Who series come off as less amazing given how many liberties appear to be have been taken with the source material.

While this edition may be more interpretive than interpreted, it's a fun story and well written.

A strange book, but so far so good.