Iris Wildthyme and the Celestial Omnibus by Cody Quijano-Schell

Iris Wildthyme (Obverse Books) #1

by Paul Magrs

What is there left to say about Iris Wildthyme –- transtemporal adventuress extraordinaire, metafictional explorer of texts and subtexts, double-decker-dwelling interstellar bag-lady, amnesia-prone political and sexual revolutionary, writer of wrongs, wronger of rights (especially copyrights), all-round champion of freedom, occasional nightclub singer and frequent bar-room floozy?Well, there's always something.A collection of brand new stories, taking the transtemporal adventuress and her trusty companion Panda all the way from snowy Darlington to the literal end of the universe (and beyond!), visiting friends old and new on the way. With an introduction by Iris' alter-ego, Katy Manning, original artwork by legendary Doctor Who artist June Hudson and new stories from Paul Magrs, Philip Purser-Hallard and Steve Cole amongst many others. There really is always something new in the headlights of Iris' trusty number 22 bus to Putney Common! * Introduction by Katy Manning * A Gamble with Wildthyme by Steve Lyons * Sovereign by Mags L Halliday * The Unhappy Medium by Mark Wright and Cavan Scott * Living Legend by Stuart Douglas * Battleship Anathema by Phil Purser-Hallard * The Dreadful Flap by Paul Magrs * Not A Drop by Steven Wickham * Iris Wildthyme y Señor Cientocinco contra Los Monstruos del Fiesta by Cody Schell * Why? Because We Like You by Jonathan Dennis * The Scarlet Shadow by Stewart Sheargold * Only Living Girls by Steve Cole

Genres: Doctor Who, Short Stories, Science Fiction

Unknown Binding

First published April 30, 2009

Reviews

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Iris Wildthyme is a sort of a fun-house mirror reflection of the Doctor. Like him, she's an eccentric traveller in time and space. However, in so many other respects, she's completely the opposite: bawdy, boozy, and, of course, female. She travels in a Number 22 London double-decker bus, and her faithful companion is a stuffed panda. A walking, talking, stuffed panda.

If you like your Doctor Who fiction smart, silly, camp, and self-referential, you'll love this book. If you don't, you've probably been avoiding anything remotely associated with Wildthyme-creator Paul Magrs for years, anyway.

I'd describe the stories in this volume as good solid fun rather than groundbreaking. In fairness, I find the short story length a bit awkward for Doctor Who and related fiction, and tend to prefer longer lengths. If you're the sort of fan who's collected every Decalogue and Short Trips anthology, I think you'll be very happy with this book.

Favorite stories in the volume included: "Why? Because We Like You" by Jonathan Dennis - a wonderfully bizarre tale set at Disney World (or a close equivalent), which includes the line, "You reversed the polarity of the moron flow." Phil Purser-Hallard's "Battleship Anathema", which is basically a piece of Battlestar Galactica crossover fanfic, but somehow rises above its premise. (I say this as someone who isn't particularly a Battlestar fan.) And Mags L. Halliday's Sovereign, which is a nicely moody and touching piece in an anthology that otherwise tends towards the comedically over-the-top. Honorable mention goes to Cody Schell's "Iris Wildthyme and Senor Cientocinco contra Los Monstruos Del Fiesta", which pairs Iris up with a Mexican wrestler, who I think will become a recurring character in the Iris-verse.

I don't think there are any real clunkers in the book, though a couple of pieces are really just amusing vignettes.

This is definitely one for the hardcore fans, and a particular type of hardcore fan at that. Also, be warned: this book will make you want to drink gin and tonic.

[Richard Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

Iris Wildthyme, a transdimensional time traveller who journeys universes and histories, drinking gin and having adventures, in a red double decker bus that's... erm... slightly smaller on the inside than it probably should be. She has had companions on her travellers, some of whom still tolerate a visit from the mad old bat, and her current partner in crime is a sentient stuffed panda, called Panda. She might sound like a twisted version of another fictional time traveller, and indeed, was first introduced to the world as a character in some of his adventures. She's also spun off into her own audio series, and here she has a stunningly designed hardback short story collection to call her own. Most of the stories are as strange and silly as the premise sounds, which is not a bad thing, as they bounce by very entertainingly, though many strike a similar one-note chord. The best point at where her future may lie, if she is to establish a hint of the longevity of her illustrious predecessor, at least in my opinion. Sovereign, The Scarlet Shadow, and Only Living Girls are bursting with the energy and anarchy an Iris story should have, while at the same time telling stories that transcend the title character without betraying her, full of ideas and heart. There's a universe of adventure waiting for Iris, and it's in the exploration of stories like these, that talk about something truthful, that I most enjoy her company.

[N · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very nice collection of stories. I especially enjoyed the ones that generously reference other Who lore: highlights include a sequel to "The Two Irises" that ties into the Forge arc, a Torchwood send-up about aliens in Darlington (not quite as glamorous as Cardiff), an adventure most definitely not about the Master, and a beautiful bit at the end that felt like an homage to "This Town Will Never Let Us Go" and stars Fi— ahem, Fritz.

[The Master · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid first collection of Iris Wildthyme stories by Obverse Books. She runs the gamut here, from brash and clever, to loyal and loveable, to tipsy train wreck -- often all within the same story. Standout stories with lots of depth (or just loads of LOLs) by Mags L Halliday, Paul Magrs, Steven Wickham, Jonathan Dennis and Stewart Sheargold.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice mix of Iris Wildthyme stories, some good and some not so good.

[Valermos138 · Rating 5 out of 5]

For those who don't know, Iris Wildthyme was originally a character who appeared in the Doctor Who novel The Scarlet Empress. Whilst most would presume this book to be the first novel of a Doctor Who spin off series, Iris Wildthyme and the Celestial Omnibus shows that Iris is capable of shouldering an independant series of her own.

The links to Doctor Who are present in the anthology, but it will take a trained eye to spot the references as you read through the wonderful selection of short stories. I found the book fun to spot these references, which hint at Iris' past fictional appearances without being too overt.

The highlight of this collection for me was The Scarlet Shadow, which introduced Iris' equivalent to the Master, in the shady form of the Archduke of Autumn. With the Master being my favourite character in Doctor Who, it was wonderful to see how a character as vibrant as Iris would react to having an arch nemesis.

I've mentioned a lot about Doctor Who in this review, but I'd like to point out that in no way is Iris Wildthyme and the Celestial Omnibus reliant on a knowledge of Doctor Who, and I would hazard to say may even appeal to those who aren't fans of Doctor Who.

So to summarise, Iris Wildthyme and the Celestial Omnibus is an amazing start for Obverse Book's range of Iris Wildthyme fiction, and a must read for any fan of science fiction of fantasy writing.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do love Iris. She's just brilliant. Who wouldn't want to be a female "temporal adventuress" drinking gin and saving the universe. The short story collections are quite fun, not all the stories are the same quality but overall they are enjoyable enough to make it worthwhile buying. My favourites in this one were the very silly ones about the Dogs Playing Poker and the Battlestar Galactica spoof. I also loved the slightly more serious ones that built upon folklore stories, like the owl and the gypsey girl caught in the painting (with Bonus Marlene Dietrich). The only story that I didn't like very much was the last one. It just really bothers me when male writers use fat shaming among women characters. I think it's just totally unnecessary. But apart from that I did enjoy this collection and will definitely be buying more.

[Kristina Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

An eclectic mix of tales making light-hearted fun of a long running, popular British sci-fi show. Iris is a character with enough personality to virtually walk off the page. There's plenty of tongue in cheek references and nothing is taken too seriously.
That said, some of the stories seem to have more weight and meaning than you might expect from such a collection. It's inevitable that some will appeal more than others and I certainly found a couple of favourites. Conversely, others seemed to drag and not even Iris could buck them up sufficiently. Then again I suppose that is all just a matter of taste.

[Chris Wing · Rating 3 out of 5]

Iris Wildthyme is one of those characters. I can see how she's not the cup of tea for some readers.
I for one adore her and love Panda just as much.

It's hard to rate an anthology with an overall score as there are so many stories of varying degrees of enjoyment.
For the most part, the authors 'got' Iris' and Pand's voices (which, in my mind, are dictated by their characterisations in the Big Finish audios), which is a big plus.

A solid first release for Obverse Books and I am looking forward to starting the next one.