Hi everyone! I hope you’re all well. Today is Friday, and it’s time for another review. This week, I’m reviewing Doctor Who: Shirley Jackson and the Chaos Box by Kalynn Bayron.
Doctor Who: Shirley Jackson and the Chaos Box was published on 12 June 2025 by BBC Books and is 112 pages long.
The Plot
Part of the Doctor Who: Icons novellas series, this entry pairs the Fifteenth Doctor and his companion, Ruby Sunday, with real-world horror writer Shirley Jackson, whom The Doctor has always wanted to meet. When he and Ruby encounter a sinister figure wielding a glowing “Chaos Box” that stokes crowds toward violence, they work with Shirley to figure out just what is going on.
Characters
The Fifteenth Doctor
In this story, the Doctor is fast-talking and unabashedly fanboyish about Shirley Jackson. He is charismatic, quick-witted, and as culturally curious as ever; however, at times, his characterisation feels a bit one-note, which could be down to the novella format.
Ruby Sunday
Ruby acts as an empathetic anchor and audience surrogate, reacting to the box’s effects and grounding the Doctor’s leaps of logic. Again, because of the medium, she comes across as competent but lightly sketched.
Shirley Jackson
Shirley is the star and a great guest character. We meet her in her earlier years (in 1937 at Syracuse University), before her major works, such as “The Lottery” were published.
She is shown as thoughtful, somewhat uneasy in her era (a woman with “big ideas” in 1930s America) and quietly powerful in her imaginative capacity.
Writing Style
Bayron brings a strong descriptive sensibility, providing the book with sensory detail in the locations and the period setting, which helps ground the story.
The format is accessible: the “Icons” series is aimed at younger readers who enjoy Doctor Who novels, so the story is compact, fast‑moving, and easily digestible.
With that being said, the short format and everything the book tries to accomplish, such as offering a good Doctor Who adventure with a compelling alien threat, while paying literary homage, doesn’t allow for some characters—including Jackson—to get as much internal exploration as one might hope.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Shirley Jackson and the Chaos Box is a commendable and enjoyable little novella. It has a strong concept, thoughtful idea fusion, and sympathetic characters. If you are a Doctor Who fan, or if you’re interested in Shirley Jackson’s work, or enjoy short imaginative genre crossovers, you’ll likely find it satisfying.
However, it stops short of being deeply memorable. The short length means there’s less room for deep character arcs or fully realised thematic sub‑plots; the pacing sometimes feels uneven; and for veteran Doctor Who readers, the alien threat may feel a bit simplistic.
I’m giving Doctor Who: Shirley Jackson and the Chaos Box a 5/10.
Have you read this, or any of the other Doctor Who: Icons novellas?
What did you think?
Thank you, as ever, for reading my review.
until next time,
George
© 2026 GLT
Categories: Book Reviews, Reading
GEORGE L THOMAS 
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