The Wonderful Doctor of Oz [PROSE/2021.6.10]

★★★★☆

  Jacqueline Rayner, I could kiss you. She's such a wonderful writer, someone who never ever disappoints, and someone who frequently brings in a level of empathy and kindness to Dr. Who (two elements of the show -- and the mythos at a larger scale -- that are sometimes understandably forgotten because different writers want to do different things). In the case of The Wonderful Doctor of Oz, an absolutely delightful novel that's a breeze to read, Rayner uses the character of Dorothy to present one of the most positive messages to transgender people (and especially to trans kids) ever presented in Dr. Who. It's so very important that these milestones be recognised and appreciated, and I'm glad that The Wonderful Doctor of Oz is a fantastic novel to boot. The story simply glides off the pages, enveloping you in this warm, cosy and at the same time eerie world of L. Frank Baum's, with sprinkles of Who charm here and there (Cybermats and Cybermen, winged Ogrons being quite stupid as all Ogrons are). It's a fantastic book full stop, but it's even better if you're particularly attached to the Thirteenth Doctor era and her first batch of companions; this book has them all lose a part of themselves (to mirror the Scarwcrow, the Tin Man and the Lion of the Oz book) and act out of character, and yet the Doctor's undying devotion to all of them and the fam's interactions written throughout the novel still manage to prove that they're a strong collection of time-and-space travellers. I love them to bits.

  The book is a must-read for fans of either the Wizard of Oz film (highly recommended), the actual Baum books, the Thirteenth Doctor era or of good Dr. Who novels in general. I know Missy's on the cover and everything (honestly, it could've been Thirteen on the cover and it wouldn't have made any difference), but she doesn't have as big a role as the book implies. She's extremely fun, though -- Rayner gets her manic incarnation of the Master on point. Just don't expect her to be a huge imposing figure or anything; to be honest, the Land of Fiction (which this story is based on) is talked about and explored much more prominently. I'm not complaining, I'm all for more Land of Fiction stories! Here we go, then -- my first foray into the Penguin range of Dr. Who books heavily influenced by classic works turns out to be a hugely enjoyable one, and one with a beating, caring heart that shines so brightly as a positive trans story (the main character apart from the TARDIS fam is a trans girl). Then again, this is Jacqueline Rayner we're talking about here, so I'm not the least bit surprised. So incredibly fun, so relaxing to read and so uplifting at the end of the day.