Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time!

"THE ROBOT REVOLUTION – UNA MCCORMACK POWERS UP A FIERCELY PERSONAL UPRISING"

Una McCormack makes a strong debut in the Doctor Who Target range with The Robot Revolution, the first of three novelisations from Season 2. Adapting Russell T Davies’ bold and timely TV episode, McCormack transforms it into something more introspective and textured—a slow-burning takedown of toxic masculinity and coercive control that thrives on added character depth, quiet world-building, and a clearer sense of purpose behind the story’s uprising.

BEFORE BELINDA: THE WORLD OF MISS BELINDA CHANDRA ONE

The novel smartly opens not with Belinda herself, but with those who inhabit the gleaming world of Miss Belinda Chandra One. These early chapters flesh out the society that will soon be turned upside down, with McCormack spending time on the lives of its citizens and the hushed arrival of the Fifteenth Doctor. We see him prowling the periphery, investigating strange patterns and laying groundwork for what’s to come, long before Belinda even appears on the scene.

This opening stretch takes its time, but it adds tremendous weight to the story’s central upheaval. Rather than simply reacting to events, we understand the complex systems in place that make revolution not only inevitable but necessary.

BELINDA’S JOURNEY: FROM DOUBT TO DEFIANCE

When Belinda finally steps into the narrative spotlight, McCormack enriches her character immeasurably. Her past relationship with Alan is explored in far more depth, showing the controlling behaviours and subtle manipulations masked behind charm. Alan is revealed to be an archetype of toxic entitlement—affectionate when it suits him, quietly undermining when it doesn't.

We also gain much better insight into Belinda’s life before her abduction: her work at the hospital, her friendships, and her inner doubts. Importantly, the novel places greater emphasis on her relationships with her flatmates and family, expanding on characters who were only briefly seen on screen. These scenes help contextualise Belinda’s emotional landscape—how she moves through the world, how she’s been shaped by those around her, and what kind of support system she’s left behind.

Crucially, McCormack reveals that Belinda’s wariness of the Doctor is rooted in how certain aspects of his personality—especially his charisma and quicksilver intensity—remind her of Alan. It’s a compelling touch, one the TV episode only hinted at, and it makes Belinda’s eventual trust in the Doctor feel hard-earned and sincere.

REVOLUTIONARIES AND RESISTANCE

Among the revolutionaries, Sasha 55 and Manny are brought vividly to life. McCormack gives Sasha in particular a strong emotional journey, showing the strain of servitude, the cost of loyalty, and the fierce determination to be something more. Manny shares a close bond with Sasha that underpins much of the resistance movement’s emotional core.

The society’s rebellion isn’t sparked by economic oppression or class warfare, but rather by ideological rot—an ingrained belief system that demands service, silence, and conformity. The Robot Revolution isn’t about class struggle or capitalist critique; it’s about what happens when one man’s entitlement infects an entire society. The uprising is a rejection of coercion disguised as kindness, of control masked as care.

THE DOCTOR IN THE SHADOWS

McCormack writes the Fifteenth Doctor with a breezy charm and quiet solemnity. He watches from the wings in the early chapters, careful not to intervene too soon. His presence becomes more central as events spiral, and his understanding of both the problem and its emotional undercurrents is deftly captured.

The connection between the Doctor and Belinda, too, gains a new layer. She isn’t immediately swept away by his energy—she’s cautious, even distrustful. And through her point of view, we understand why. Her reluctance is never framed as irrational; it’s born of experience.

📝THE BOTTOM LINE:

The Robot Revolution is a thoughtfully expanded retelling that reframes one of Doctor Who’s sharpest 2025 episodes with emotional clarity and thematic purpose. By grounding the revolution in the personal and enriching the narrative with greater insight into Belinda’s flatmates, family, and community, Una McCormack turns a simple uprising into a powerful reckoning with toxic masculinity and the quiet courage it takes to resist. Though the early pacing may test some readers’ patience, the payoff is a novelisation that feels not just faithful to the screen, but essential in its own right.

Rating: 8/10

So much added to this book it’s amazing like there’s so much extra character moments and Belinda doesn’t even reach the planet till chapter 8 that’s how much is in this book