Walking to Babylon
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{{Doctorwhobook|
|title=Walking to Babylon
|series=[[Virgin New Adventures|The New Adventures]]
|number=10
|featuring=[[Bernice Summerfield]]
<!-- Commented out because image was deleted: |cover=NA71.jpg -->
|writer=[[Kate Orman]]
|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]
|isbn= ISBN 0-426-20521-9
|set_between=
|pages=
|date=February 1998
|preceding=[[Tempest (Bernice Summerfield)|Tempest]]
|following=[[Oblivion (Bernice Summerfield)|Oblivion]]
|}}
'''''Walking to Babylon''''' is a 1998 novel by [[Kate Orman]] in the [[Virgin New Adventures]] series featuring the fictional archaeologist [[Bernice Summerfield]] (known as Benny).
The New Adventures were a spin-off from the long-running [[United Kingdom|British]] [[science fiction on television|science fiction television]] series ''[[Doctor Who]]'', but after the publisher [[Virgin Books]] lost the licence to do ''Doctor Who'' stories from the [[BBC]], the New Adventures continued, centred around the character of Benny and further characters and settings created for the series. ''Walking to Babylon'' is the tenth Benny-led New Adventure.
Orman had previously written several ''Doctor Who'' New Adventures, but this was her first for the post-''Doctor Who'' series. As characterises her work, the novel mixes [[hard science fiction]] with strong characters. The book also contains some scenes of a sexual nature, reflecting Virgin's willingness to include more adult content than the BBC had allowed for the ''Doctor Who'' New Adventures.
The story features the People, an alien race were created in the ''Doctor Who'' New Adventure ''[[The Also People]]'' and subsequently appeared in many of the Bernice Summerfield New Adventures. The novel also indirectly refers to the [[Time Lord]]s, a race from ''Doctor Who''; this was to avoid any copyright disputes with the BBC.
The book opens by positing the conduct of a war between two super-powerful, [[time travel|time-travelling]] groups. A similar idea was being developed by fellow New Adventure author [[Lawrence Miles]] (which eventually saw its fullest exploration in his [[Faction Paradox]] stories), although Orman has said this was purely by coincidence. Miles has said his later New Adventure ''[[Dead Romance]]'' was in part inspired by his dislike of elements of ''Walking to Babylon''.
==Plot==
Bernice Summerfield travels back in time to ancient [[Babylon]] to try to prevent the powerful race known only as the People from destroying the city with a singularity bomb.
==Audio adaptation==
{{Bigfinishbox|
|title=Walking to Babylon
|series=''[[Bernice Summerfield]]''
|number=3
|featuring=[[Bernice Summerfield]]
|cover=Walking to Babylon.jpg
|writer=[[Kate Orman]] adapted by [[Jacqueline Rayner|Jac Rayner]]
|director=[[Gary Russell]]
|producer=Gary Russell
|executive_producer=[[Jason Haigh-Ellery]]
|production_code=
|set_between=''[[Beyond the Sun (Bernice Summerfield)#Audio adaptation|Beyond the Sun]]'' <br/> and ''[[Birthright (Doctor Who)#Audio adaptation|Birthright]]''
|length=1 hr 50 mins
|date=November 1998
|}}
In 1998, ''Walking to Babylon'' was adapted by [[Big Finish Productions]] into their third audio drama. The drama stars [[Lisa Bowerman]] as Bernice, but also features actor [[Elisabeth Sladen]], better known for playing [[Sarah Jane Smith]] in the ''Doctor Who'' television series.
The adaptation was by Jac Rayner, who had also adapted the first release in the series, ''[[Oh No It Isn't!]]''.
===Cast===
*[[Bernice Summerfield]] — [[Lisa Bowerman]]
*Ninan-ashtammu — [[Elisabeth Sladen]]
*[[Jason Kane (Doctor Who)|Jason Kane]] — [[Stephen Fewell]]
*[[List of Bernice Summerfield characters#John Lafayette|John Lafayette]] — [[Barnaby Edwards]]
*WiRgo!xu — [[Nigel Fairs]]
*!Ci!ci-tel — Anthony Keetch
*The Drone — Steven Wickham
*Miriam — Louise Morell
*Babylonian Child — Alex Canini
==Trivia==
{{refimprove|section|date=February 2008}}
{{trivia|date=February 2008}}
*Nigel Fairs, who performs in the audio adaptation by Big Finish, had previously worked on the [[Audio Visuals]] series of ''Doctor Who'' [[fan fiction|fan]] audio dramas.
==External links==
==='''''Walking to Babylon''''' New Adventure===
*{{Doctor Who RG | id=who_na71 | title=Walking to Babylon}}
*[http://members.lycos.co.uk/cloisterlibrary/walk.htm The Cloister Library - ''Walking to Babylon'']
==='''''Walking to Babylon''''' New Adventure reviews===
*{{DWRG | id=walk | title=Walking to Babylon}}
*{{OG review | id=bennyv-10 | title=Walking to Babylon}}
==='''''Walking to Babylon''''' audio adaptation===
*{{Doctor Who RG | id=benny03 | title=Walking to Babylon (Audio)}}
==='''''Walking to Babylon''''' audio adaptation reviews===
*{{DWRG | id=walka | title=Walking to Babylon (Audio)}}
*{{OG review | id=bennya-3 | title=Walking to Babylon (Audio)}}
[[Category:Virgin New Adventures]]
[[Category:Bernice Summerfield audio plays]]
[[Category:1998 novels]]
[[Category:Novels by Kate Orman]]