Gridlock (novel) Gridlock (novel) Gridlock is a 1991 novel by Ben Elton. The novel depicts a near-future London in which traffic congestion has reached almost critical levels, such that accidents in a few key places could bring the entire city's traffic network to a halt. The government is aware of the problem and plans a major new road-building program to relieve the pressure. The alternative, heavy investment in public mass transport systems such as railways, is ignored because it clashes with the government's ideology. The author argues that this is a highly misguided policy since, in his view, more roads have historically
Gridlock (Doctor Who) Nick Lyons compared the episode to "fine wine ... [it] gets better with age". Lyons wrote, "Not only does the episode contain stunning imagery (the Macra, the motorway), but 'Gridlock' also has some of the most touching scenes in "Doctor Who" history". In "Who Is the Doctor", an unauthorised guide to the revival of "Doctor Who", Graeme Burk interpreted "Gridlock" as an allegory that was not meant to be realistic, and commented that its strength was the "powerful" theme of the motorists being blind to the truth. He stated that the "fun, fast-paced story with lots of comedic set pieces"