The Doctor and Sam travel to London, 1894, so the Doctor can pick up a copy of the Strand Magazine. However they get caught up in a Zygon plot. They team up with Professor George Litefoot to investigate the plot.
Tropes present in The Bodysnatchers include:
- Dirty Coward: Jack throws an old woman to a Skarasen so he can escape while it eats her.
- Disproportionate Retribution: When someone implies Jack Howe was drunk when he saw the Zygon and Skarasen Jack beats him up and rips their tongue out.
- I Need a Freaking Drink: Jack Howe after he sees a Zygon and Skarasen has this reaction. Until someone insults him (see above).
- Living Ship: Apparently Zygon ships are like this.
- Music Soothes the Savage Beast: The Doctor sends out a sound wave to make the Skarasen harmless and lure them into the TARDIS.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: The Doctor slipping an anaesthetic into the Skarasen lactic fluid kills nearly all the Zygons.
- Organic Technology: The Zygons have this with their ship, locks, even radios.
- Taking You with Me: The Zygon Warlord Balaak attempts this, stinging the Doctor and releasing the Skarasen to destroy the world.
- Would Hurt a Child: It is mentioned Jack once beat a child to death for begging.
- Year Inside, Hour Outside: The Doctor returns to Litefoot at the end of the book just after he left while looking for a copy of the Strand, and reveals Sam has left by now.
