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?

[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]

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.

[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!

[chatona.livejournal.com]

<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_City_of_Dreaming_Books</a>The City Of Dreaming Books</a> I love Walter Moers' writing and the other books in that particular 'verse are absolutely amazing. And possibly even better than this one. But you don't have to read them to understand it at all :D

[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

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.

[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.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

That sounds delightful. My library has a copy, too. Yay! When I'm going to libraries again, I'll read it.

[chatona.livejournal.com]

Wow, I fail at html tonight. You should definitely read it - and let me know what you think of it! ♥

[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]

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.

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

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

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).

[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.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I'll make sure to make a post about it. Won't be soon, though. Heal foot first. Read book second.

[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.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

It makes sense that only the library computer could throw books from the shelves onto the floor. Surely that's a no-no in every library we've ever seen in real life?

If I was there with the Doctor and Donna, Shadows or no Shadows, I'd want to browse!

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

Bookstores have a certain affect on my digestive system
New books don't have early the same level of effect on me but OMG you are the only other person I have come across that has a problem! Normally I just get really weird looks.

She is, of course, quite right
She is *nods*

[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.

[gillo]

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'.

Which offers interesting possibilities next time I'm approached by evangelists, come to think about it. (Yes, I have been saved - I back everything up regularly...)

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

Hmm. If he's external to the library is he a manifestation of the Doctor sent back? Or is he simply a sophisticated firewall device?

Pratchett is brilliant. Yes. Oh, yes.

Always. So often he verbalises what I've always thought was the case. Especially L-space.

Do you know Thursday Next? If not, I suspect you'd like

The Eyre Affair

...

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

Also simple things like she always referred to it as 'MY' library - never 'the' as far as I noticed. And Dr Moon telling her the real world *wasn't* and the dream world *was* (I can't remember the exact words now...)

Shadows or no I'd have grabbed a few volumes of something to browse - if only to keep my mind off the creepy goings on in the dark :D

[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?

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

OMG you are the only other person I have come across that has a problem!

While my mother is the only other person I ever knew who had it. Of course, it isn't something people are likely to talk about generally.

I wonder if there are other people who love books and have this reaction?

Rose Reference

[raissad.livejournal.com]

Yes.

There's a potential Rose reference, btw.

First, there's the clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXubajdouic

Here's the clip with close-up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUn-zZr_RdQ