Return of the Living Dead

This is one of the few original Doctor Who novels I have read that actually surpased the TV show in quality. I realize that this is high praise, but with this book Ms. Orman achieves a level of excellence rarely reached in Doctor Who fiction. The book deals with long time companion Benny finding her long lost father displaced in time in late 20th century England.While on Earth, her father has set up a motley band of aliens and science fiction fans who work at returning stranded aliens to their homes. However, not long after the Doctor and company arrive, strange things start to happen, so to speak. When all is said and done, we are left with a book that takes fantastic characters and treats them in such a way that if we try hard enough, we can easily think of two or three people we know in real life who are like them. As an extra special treat, we get a mastermind villian (for lack of a better term since he really isn't) who has truly original motives for what he is doing. This is a rarity in Doctor Who stories. The only downside to the novel is when the Doctor's life flashes before his eyes, and he is haunted by the "ghost" of his former self. However, this is a small quibble compared to the overall excellence of the book. Unfortunately, this book is out of print, but it is well worth the search if you can find it.