Aw. It's just that I *had* to pretend to want the things to be canon or I'd have been eaten alive in my first fandom incarnation, on adwc and radw back in 95-98. I am so, so relieved that this is no longer the case, and I can raise the issue of "Aren't they a bit, you know, bleak in places?" "Aren't some bits, erm, sort of incredibly continuity driven?" and "Do you have to go round killing off, divorcing and generally giving all the old companions hopelessly miserable lives?" without that meaning that I was one of those boring people who think the TV show was better than these so-much-better, deeper, more meaningful books?

I loved many of the NAs, but I will never get over the fandom scarring. Oh, the shame of not getting the references! I had to take about DWM's offer when selling them off in 1996 just to hold my head up online.

However, I love the mix and match attitutde to canon that now applies, so I can still say, "And isn't Benny marvellous, and canon?"

So, yes, the relief that I don't have to pretend that I think the NAs were the best DW ever got, and they are the only canon and new Who we still have makes me very happy and relieved. I love them, but I love the freedom I now have to throw some of them through a window with joyous abandon and not get lectured by every other fan I know for being dumb. :-D