Doctor Who: Silence in the Library...

[fajrdrako]

I have always loved libraries. Real libraries and fictional libraries. I have a mental list of special, magical libraries that I have read about: the library of Alexandria, the library of all the books never written that Morpheus keeps in The Sandman, the library of Ankh-Morpork with its orangutan librarian, the booby-trapped library in The Name of the Rose, the beautiful library in Checkmate where Lymond and Philippa have a showdown. Does anyone have others to suggest?

Add the Doctor's 51st century library to my list. A whole planet as a library - I have to love it! And it's beautiful. I couldn't disagree more with whoever it was in the Confidential - Phil Collinson, I think - who said that libraries were frightening and intimidating places, especially for children. As long as I can remember, libraries have been places of peace, comfort, refuge and excitement for me.

So... this story. I love the use of silence as a threat, and something to fear. More than darkness.

1. The most interesting thing to me was the relationship between Professor River Song and the Doctor. She seems to know an awful lot about him - the conversation about their sonic screwdrivers was particularly interesting to me. She calls him 'sweetie', she acts as if their relationship was long-term and intimate - she wasn't just another companion. She even has that book. Definitely a history with him. But she's not a Time Lord, or he'd have known. What is she? Will it remain a mystery to us? Or is she lying, to set him up for something?
   
   I like it that the Doctor meets someone from his future, though. We've seen him meet people from his past, usually in chronological order. This should happen more often.
   
   As for a connection between River Song and Captain Jack Harkness, seems to me the obvious things (like the squareness gun) are probably simply because they are both from the 51st century, and both written by Steven Moffat. The implication of ongoing intimacy and trust might apply to Jack (or so I hope!) but his current relationship with the Doctor is problematic, and his future relationship with him is still unclear - for example, the Doctor doesn't know for sure whether Jack will become the Face of Boe.
   
   I liked the role of River Song in the story, but I didn't like her as much as I thought I was supposed to. But she was interesting. I loved her use of the word 'spoilers' for his future and Donna's.
   
   
2. I liked the names: Doctor Moon, Proper Dave and Other Dave, Evangelista, and the child being nameless.
   
   
3. Doctor Moon was the most interesting character in the story. I see him as Merlin-like, Prospero-like, having a major role of knowledge at the fulcrum of the plot, while the little girl is the active protagonist and the Doctor is the viewpoint. Donna, then, is collateral damage.
   
   I hope Doctor Moon turns out to be a good guy.
   
   
4. Strackman Lux reminded me of Rickston Slade, and various other Doctor Who villains and demi-villains: money-grubbing, bureaucratic, un-humanistic. Loved the dig at 'intellectual property'.
   
   
5. As villains go, I really, really like the Vashta Nerada. No silly prosthetics, no bombastic dialogue, just whoosh clean bones. Scary.
   
   
6. The "Data Ghost" concept reminded me of the death of Astrid - fading away but not really there. Only remnants of her consciousness still alive, manifest in her voice.
   
   
7. Seems to me the "Data Ghost" concept is a clue as to what happened to the "saved" people in a situation with "no survivors". In order to save the people in the library from the Vashta Nerada, the library saved them as data in their near-infinite data banks. And the Doctor will figure this out.
   
   
8. I liked Donna's comment about biographies always ending in death.
   
   
9. I couldn't figure out when the little girl with Doctor Moon was living. The wikipedia article on the episode says she's in the 21st century - did I miss something that said so? On this show, the fact that she seems to have technology rather like ours doesn't indicate anything much about her time.

I nearly started this post by saying I had nothing to say about this episode till I saw the next part, as it's so much set-up for action and revelations still to come. Good thing I didn't embarrass myself by actually saying that.

Comments

[chatona.livejournal.com]

As far as fictional libraries go... There's a German book called Die Stadt Der Träumenden Bücher by Walter Moers. It literally translates to The City Of The Dreaming Books and that's pretty much what it's about. Living books. In a city full of books. Does that count as a library?

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

That sounds library-like to me. And it sounds fascinating! I don't imagine my German is good enough to read it; I'll look for a translation.

[aeron-lanart.livejournal.com]

the library of Ankh-Morpork with its chimp librarian

Don't let the librarian hear you call him a chimp. He will not be pleased.

Am looking forward to seeing part 2 next week!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Don't let the librarian hear you call him a chimp. He will not be pleased.


Oooh, good point, I will now fear the shadows of literary orangutans out to get me.

Am looking forward to seeing part 2 next week!

Me too - such good suspense!

[meret.livejournal.com]

Does anyone have others to suggest?

The Great Library in the Thursday Next novels. I thought of that immediately when I saw the library in the ep. :) If you haven't read the series I highly recommend them! I didn't care for the latest book, but the other are *brilliant!*
http://www.amazon.com/Eyre-Affair-Thursday-Next-Novel/dp/0142001805/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1212357993&sr=1-1

As long as I can remember, libraries have been places of peace, comfort, refuge and excitement for me.

ITA! I so want to go to that planet! Well, after the shadows have been fixed. *g*

http://thenonist.com/index.php/thenonist/permalink/hot_library_smut/
Are you familiar with this site? I've got the Trinity library picture on my screensaver slide show. :)

she acts as if their relationship was long-term and intimate

ITA. I kept expecting her to say she will be his wife.

I wondered how Song fits into the Ood telling the doctor that his song will end soon.

I have more thoughts on it here if you're interested.
http://meret.livejournal.com/733679.html

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

The Great Library in the Thursday Next novels.

I've read the first few - and thanks for the reminder.

I so want to go to that planet! Well, after the shadows have been fixed.

Maybe early in the 50th century, before the Shadows turned up.

I kept expecting her to say she will be his wife.

So did I. But she didn't. On the other hand, if he marries again, she wouldn't tell him about it, would she? For this reason I think they might leave it as a mystery.

I've got the Trinity library picture on my screensaver slide show.

Lovely site. (So are the books it cites, which I've seen in libraries.) I've been to the Trinity Library, and love it. Other favourites: the old British Museum library (which I used to study in, before it moved out of the British Museum); the Library of Parliament in Ottawa; the New York Public Library; the Main Branch of the Public Library in Vancouver; and my very own Rideau Branch (http://www.biblioottawalibrary.ca/images/rideau.gif) of the Ottawa Public library, which has been closed for a couple of months for much-needed renovations, but which has reopened. And I hardly noticed, because The Foot has kept me from making my frequent visits to it.

I wondered how Song fits into the Ood telling the doctor that his song will end soon.

Oh - interesting point!

I was thinking about River Tam from Firefly, since we know Russell T. Davies loves Joss Whedon's writing.

Thanks for your link - on my way.

Fictional libraries

[khavrinen.livejournal.com]

One of my favorites has always been from Robin McKinley's Beauty, a retelling of the "Beauty and the Beast" story. When first shown into the library in his castle, she says wonderingly, "I didn't realize there were this many books in the world." And he replies something to the effect of , "Well, actually, there aren't; some of these haven't been written yet."
It's always struck a chord in me: a library where you wouldn't have to wait (years) for an author to finish all the sequels.

Re: Fictional libraries

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

What a wonderful passage! I must read that book. As for that library - oh, yes! Can you imagine? We could find out who killed Edwin Drood, and what will happen to Jon and Dani and Tyrion and others in A Dance with Dragons (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Dance_with_Dragons).

[gillo]

I'm assuming the little girl is the library computer, thus the people have been "saved" as data. This makes her doctor even more interesting. Is he another part of the computer or an external figure?

I think Pratchett's "L-Space", which links all libraries and book collections over a certain critical mass really sums it up best.

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

I'm assuming the little girl is the library computer
me too *g*

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I'm assuming the little girl is the library computer, thus the people have been "saved" as data.

That makes a lot of sense to me. It's why they are in her head - and why the Doctor and River Song's crew appear as intruders - they aren't 'saved'.

This makes her doctor even more interesting. Is he another part of the computer or an external figure?

An embodiment of the library itself? Or a guardian of it? Or simply someone who knows what's going on?

Pratchett's "L-Space", which links all libraries and book collections over a certain critical mass really sums it up best.

Pratchett is brilliant. Yes. Oh, yes.

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

I find nothing intimidating about libraries - never have - never will do. Unfortunately they sometimes have an adverse effect on my stomach (you really do not want to know) especially if I am browsing amongst the older books.
River Song was more than a match for Ten and very like Donna in many ways, I thought.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately they sometimes have an adverse effect on my stomach (you really do not want to know)

Um. Well. Bookstores have a certain affect on my digestive system, requiring me to find a washroom - luckily, bookstores these days usually have them. As do libraries, but the bookstore-effect doesn't work their so much. This appears to be genetic, as my mother had the same problem.

Yes, River Song resembled Donna in various ways. Including that she liked or even loved the Doctor but didn't let him intimidate her, and saw him as an equal. Donna doesn't exactly see him as an equal, but she sees him as flawed and needing help with his problems. She is, of course, quite right.

[raissad.livejournal.com]

Seems to me the "Data Ghost" concept is a clue as to what happened to the "saved" people in a situation with "no survivors". In order to save the people in the library from the Vashta Nerada, the library saved them as data in their near-infinite data banks. And the Doctor will figure this out.

That's exactly what I was thinking. My theory is that the "little girl" is actually a personification of the main computer and that a glitch and/or the passage of time has caused the system to forget its true purpose and cling to this child personality. It's the only way I can think of for "her" actions and perceptions to correspond to computer functions.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

My theory is that the "little girl" is actually a personification of the main computer and that a glitch and/or the passage of time has caused the system to forget its true purpose and cling to this child personality.

This would explain the relationship. And Doctor Moon as some sort of - guardian of the knowledge? Overseer?

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

Does it have to be a public library? Because I would give my eyeteeth to peruse Vorkosigan House's library. And/or the one at the Vorthys' house.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

No, it doesn't have to be public - and yes, I'd love to read those books, too!

And I'd love to read the book by Aral that Tang so admired.

[devohoneybee.livejournal.com]

"The Library of Babel" is a short story by Jorge Luis Borges, and was mostly likely the basis, in some tropes at least, of the library in "The Name of the Rose" (which had a character named Jorge of Borges).

The library of Babel is infinite.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

"The Library of Babel" is a short story by Jorge Luis Borges, and was mostly likely the basis, in some tropes at least, of the library in "The Name of the Rose" (which had a character named Jorge of Borges).

And things come full circle, and all authors are influenced by other authors.

The library of Babel is infinite.

I love it already!

[lisanaterel.livejournal.com]

Doctor Moon was the most interesting character in the story. I see him as Merlin-like, Prospero-like, having a major role of knowledge at the fulcrum of the plot, while the little girl is the active protagonist and the Doctor is the viewpoint. Donna, then, is collateral damage.


I see him as Morpheus from The Matrix, but I think that might have been me being on a huge amount of sugar at time of viewing.

(Hello, wandered here from Who_Daily)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I see him as Morpheus from The Matrix

Well, yes, and that fits visually as well - a large, knowledgeable, hair-challenged black man. With glasses. And it's something of the same archetype, too.

Thanks for wandering by!

[sollersuk.livejournal.com]

On a purely mundane note, the interior of the library is part of my past. It's the old Swansea library that is to be demolished. In my childhood the chief librarian was a friend of my parents', and when I was about 7 he gave me a book that has had probably the most effect on me, continuing to this day, of any book I have ever read.

I thought the interiors gave me a specific deja vu feeling. I'm sorry it's going. Sic transit gloria mundi.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

On a purely mundane note, the interior of the library is part of my past. It's the old Swansea library that is to be demolished.

Why are they demolishing a library that looks so great? At least, in the version of it we see - !

I still have nostalgic love for the old Ottawa Public Library, a beautiful and rather sprawling place with stained glass and many rooms. They replaced it with a rather ghastly open-concept thing when I was in my late teens, and it's never been the same. (Hence my love of the Rideau Branch.) Now the new building is decrepit and needs replacement: I'm sure it wasn't well built, as well as being ugly. I have such happy childhood memories of the original library.

What is the book that the librarian gave you when you were seven?

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

I still get incredibly excited about libraries in fiction, even after devoting a large part of my life to libraries (you'd think I'd get sick of them!). Even in Eden, the library is central to many of the events that happen.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

you'd think I'd get sick of them!

Logically, maybe, but I wouldn't expect that. I know what woundrous places they are. Even if I worked in one, I don't think I'd ever be tired of them.

Even in Eden, the library is central to many of the events that happen.

That's wonderful!

[kk1raven.livejournal.com]

Have you seen The Libarian: Quest for the Spear and its sequel? The library in question is an archive of magical artifacts.

I haven't had time to watch the Confidential for that episode yet, so haven't heard the comment about libaries being frightening and intimidating, but I have never felt that way about a library. Perhaps that impression comes from being taken to a big library with a strict librarian as a child? The library was one of my favorite places when I was very young. (When I was 7 we moved to a place that didn't really have a public library. I missed the library from our old town.)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

That sounds like just my thing! I'll look for it.

Yes, maybe Phil Collinson was given a bad library experience that he doesn't even remember. Or maybe he was easily intimidated by large places? The library as a wonderful place to me, too - and from as far back as I remember (long before I learned to read myself) I adored the idea of reading.

I'd have hated to move away from a library when I was young.