N.B. there might (or might not) be spoilers in this article!

Although the skeletons in spacesuits (even if they do look like the Space Kook) are perhaps the most visually memorable scare in Silence in the Library / Forest of the Dead, the “ghosting” – the idea that the space suits can hold a snapshot of someone’s consciousness after death – remains the most disturbing thing about Steven Moffat’s Series Four contribution to Doctor Who.

“That was the most horrible thing I’ve ever seen.”

Donna, Silence in the Library

Truth be told, the supposedly happy ending isn’t too far behind. Evidently, the Moff has not taken Stephen King’s “sometimes dead is better” to heart. (Or perhaps less morbidly, the writer’s maxim to “kill your darlings”.)

There’s something quite disconcerting about the Doctor saving River Song only for her to live forever(?) inside the library mainframe. Given her supposed future importance to the Doctor’s life, I think it would be far more powerful if she had died the first time the Doctor met her. For me, the episode should have ended with the shot of River’s sonic screwdriver on top of her diary.

“Hey, who turned out the lights?

“Proper” Dave, Silence in the Library

Still, there’s plenty of good stuff. The Scooby Doo spacesuits are fun, Donna’s parallel existence in the mainframe ends up being quite powerful (even if using Lee’s stammer – as a barrier to his calling out her name from the teleport – is a bit crass) and of course, Silence in the Library / Forest of the Dead being the story that introduces us to River Song means its importance in Doctor Who lore is assured.

Clearly though — given that things are obviously not happening in strict chronological order for the Doctor and River — it seems the Moff was always a fan of Audrey Niffeneger’s The Time Traveler’s Wife.

These are my potential Target Library titles for Silence in the Library / Forest of the Dead:
— Doctor Who and the Forest of the Dead
— Doctor Who and the Library of the Dead
— Doctor Who and the Shadows of Death