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 | Worst. Big. Finish. Adventure. Ever. |
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| What: | The Game (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Trevor Smith, Nottingham, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Thursday 28 April 2016 |
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| Rating: |   1 |
3 discs of utter tedium.
This story is so very good and so very clever. Michael Jayston and Bonnie Langford work very well.
I particularly love the way the Valeyard goes through the Doctor's past and does the opposite of what the Doctor had done! The Valeyard is wonderfully sarcastic and rude - what a wonderful actor - and his nastiness knows no bounds.
We also hear a very different Melanie Bush - and a very enjoyable change to her character for a one-off. She gives Ace a run for her money!
It's now for sale at such a cheap price - do consider this one. Truly brilliant.
| What: | Ghost Ship (Telos novellas) |
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| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
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| Date: | Monday 4 April 2016 |
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| Rating: | 3 |
"Ghost Ship" is an attempt at a traditional 19th-century or early 20th-century style horror story. Doctor 4 traveling alone lands on the Queen Mary in the early 1950s to find that there are ghosts lurking around the mysterious Cabin 672. In this respect, the story is not all that interesting since it adds nothing new to the genre and mostly just follows the cliches, down to the mad scientist at the heart of it all. What really brings down the story is having it narrated by The Doctor himself. Topping never gets the voice or character right. It is like having The Doctor wear a different skin, one that would be good for the narrator of a standard horror story. The mismatch between character and narrator is just too great to be overlooked.
The story is develop in this novel where the author does brilliantly. The title sounds plain old simple and still prefers the original title. Overall, a wonderful classic you should grab and read.
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| John Hurt is definitely sublime |
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Only The Monstrous has to be one of my favourite audio drama sets ever. It has it all:
1: The return of John Hurt as the War Doctor! And John is a brilliant actor, and as with every other actor to play the Doc, he instantly adds his own touch to the character which is immediately memorable and catching too. I love this Doctor's dry sarcasm and flat out rudeness that even tops the first Doctor in my opinion! His sarcastic quips made me wet myself! But he also has those moments that truly still say here is the man we all know and love. And I instantly love John as the War Doctor. He is such a brilliant actor and I'm glad he's come aboard the Doctor Who boat. And I'm glad he's been given a far better story than the TV anniversary show. For me it was only John who saved that from being totally forgettable!
2: The characters: Ollistra, played by Jacqueline Pearce is a wonderful time lord deviant creep. And Jacks Pearce is totally awesome in the role of the high up ponce of a time lady. He sparks with John Hurt are really riveting and made me smile a whole lot. Rejoice is a lovely character, for me rather in the line of Nyssa, in that she's not an overblown scheming or loud mouthed little minx. No, she's just a brilliant and instantly lovable character. I loved her character to bits. Her aiding and caring for the weary and injured Doctor makes for some moments of great pathos.
3: The production and sound design: this set sounds truly cinematic. The score is absolutely excellent, and gives the three stories such a breadth. Its like going to the cinema with your eyes closed!
Nick Briggs finest hour as a writer I think is presented here. The war themes are very strong and convincingly portrayed. The psychos are diverting and really nasty. Everything Doctor Who should be is encapsulated in this opener of the War Doctor on audio. I cant wait to get Infernal Devices! John Hurt IS the Doctor now along with every other one....
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| Slow Start Worth The Wait |
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As part of the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, Big Finish returns to 1963, when it all began. One of the key facts of British culture at the time was Beatlemania. So, Doctor Who takes on Beatlemania. Sort of. The premise is that the Doctor is taking Nyssa to witness the Beatles' famous arrival to screaming fans. However, it is not The Beatles getting off the plane, but instead a Merseyside trio called The Common Men. No one has heard of "The Beatles." Uh, oh. Someone is playing with time again. Part 1 is a bit slow, being mostly setup. By the end of Part 1, I was not sure whether I was getting into it. However, the story improves as it goes along. Some interesting aspects include separating Nyssa from The Doctor early in the story, so that each gets a separate adventure. Another is the jigsaw narrative that has the pieces scattered over a 13-year period, with quite a bit of jumping around. This might seem a confusing way to tell a story, but it works. There are a few lesser bits. One is some rather dodgy New York accents. Another is that it is hard to determine just what the villain is after and why he goes to such extraordinary lengths to get it. In sum: This story is not deep, but it certainly is entertaining.
| What: | Dying in the Sun (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
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| By: | Alexander Amos King-Grey, Campbell Town, Tasmania, Australia |
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| Date: | Wednesday 23 March 2016 |
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| Rating: | 9 |
There so many great ideas in the book!
Quiet tragic and dark in some places.
Only nickpick is Ben doesn't get to do much.
| What: | The Krillitane Storm (BBC New Series Adventures novels) |
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| By: | Alexander Amos King-Grey, Campbell Town, Tasmania, Australia |
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| Date: | Wednesday 23 March 2016 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
Let me just say, the Tenth Doctor is much better here than in "Sting of the Zygons". I found him more like himself.
Great stories, a really cool villain and a brilliant one off companion, Lucy, with an interesting back story.
I like the Krillitanes in this as their not the main threat until the end.
Overall, would sit perfectly in the 2009 specials, a great read, highly recommended for someone who wants an easy to read, not over-the-top sciencey. Good Luck with it!
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| Great Doctor! Great Story! |
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| What: | Engines of War (BBC prestige novels) |
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| By: | Alexander Amos King-Grey, Campbell Town, Tasmania, Australia |
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| Date: | Tuesday 22 March 2016 |
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| Rating: | 9 |
What a brilliant book! One of my favourites in fact. It just a shame that it took me a whole year to read. I think the reason was it was difficult to get into, nut once I got into the story, it was totally worth every penny!
Some lovely references in there, the best being from "The Five Doctors" [which is a great anniversary special].
I love John Hurt's doctor and George Mann really knows how to write the War Doctor, a battle-worn and grumpy-man. He is great in every scene he's in.
Great subsitute companion, Cinder, she just awesome and has a great character story; going from hard foot soldier to compassionate and hero companion, I like how her name is never revealed.
The Daleks are incredible and frightening when they show up; their plan to wipe out the Time Lords is believable, scarily insane and genosidle. Their only used for a few chapters but totally make an inpact to the reader and the universe.
The Time Lords are also great villains, you can just see how the Time War has change them for the worst, just like the Doctor says, they are like Daleks now and that the Doctor's own people he's talking, he's even talking about himself to a certain degree.
Overall, get this book! Highly recommended, Well done George Mann! I hope you do some more books soon.
| What: | Sting of the Zygons (BBC New Series Adventures novels) |
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| By: | Alexander Amos King-Grey, Campbell Town, Tasmania, Australia |
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| Date: | Tuesday 22 March 2016 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
Let me just say the Zygons are brilliant in this story, having pretty much taking over the entire countryside. I read this before watching "Terror of the Zygons" but it was easy to understand their biological make-up. I think I perffered this to "Terror of the Zygons" which I found slighty dissappointing!
A great example of a alien invasion story.
Great supporting characters and Martha is as brilliant as ever.
Only two criticsim with this book is the fact that it is, and this is purely trivial, Broton on the cover [of the original print; thankfully they cleared that up on the Monster Collection Edition], and the tenth doctor felt too much like the eleventh doctor for me.
Anyway that did not sway my opinion on this fantastic book.
Highly recomended if you're a fan of "Terror of the Zygon."
| What: | Foreign Devils (Telos novellas) |
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| By: | Alexander Amos King-Grey, Campbell Town, Tasmania, Australia |
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| Date: | Tuesday 22 March 2016 |
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| Rating: | 6 |
My only critisim of this book is the Jamie is poorly used because he gets written out in chapter 1 then does reappear until the second-last chapter! By which he is in a coma for the whole chapter.
Good short story from William Hope Hodgson with Caranaki at the end of the book.
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| Good Start, Boring Ending |
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| What: | EarthWorld (BBC Eighth Doctor novels) |
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| By: | Alexander Amos King-Grey, Campbell Town, Tasmania, Australia |
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| Date: | Tuesday 22 March 2016 |
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| Rating: | 5 |
The problem I had with this book was the over arching themes from the previous books and the fact that the Eighth Doctor has again lost his memory; he must have a severely damaged brain by this point in his life. Anji is a good reluctant companion; highly capble with the amneshaic doctor and supporting cast but Fitz I found highly annoying.
Good supporting characters, my favourite being the teenage terorist group. The three sisters are great physiopathic villians with a very tragic backstory.
Good references to "An Unearthly Child", "The War Machines" and "The Web of Fear" but are so under-used.
Alright book, but overall one of my least favourites.
| What: | The Justice of Jalxar (Fourth Doctor Adventures audios) |
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| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
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| Date: | Monday 21 March 2016 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
Yes, it really is 1978 all over again with this one. Doctor 4 and Romana I are on the trail of some alien tech that Earth people shouldn't get their hands on. They trace it Victorian London, where, or course, the Doctor meets his old friends Jago and Litefoot. The pair, well really just Litefoot, have become interested in the doings of an apparently superhuman vigilante called The Pugilist. Litefoot is also interested in several cadavers of people apparently cooked to death. It all works marvelously well in an entertaining way. The old hands really seem to be enjoying themselves. Romana gets much more to do than be a damsel in dsitress. Mary Tamm is simply great in this one. My only reservation is that the time constraint of two episodes so compresses the story that it all becomes rather obvious who The Pugilist is and how he got his powers. Not much is surprising, though it all is very entertaining.
| What: | The Butcher of Brisbane (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Andrew Shaw, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Sunday 13 March 2016 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
This was a great story best one in a while< I like going back to hear about TV characters and in my opinion this didnt disappoint, I recommend it and if you like Talons of Weng Chiang even better.
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| Awesome Sixie send off!!!! |
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These four stories produced to finally explain the circumstances of the sixth Doctor's parting from the series is absolutely excellent. Every single story is totally different, and all have a separate feel, but together they give Colin the send off he always deserved but never received on screen in 1986.
The End of the Line begins the story arc eerily. Its brilliant drama mixed with some atmospheric sound design and some great performances from the entire cast. There's only a cameo from the Valeyard in this story, but that's not a downer on the story as the build up is superb to the first cliffhanger on this set. And yet again, Miranda Raison makes a brilliant companion for the Doctor. The sound design like Ive said is particularly good here.
The Red House is a little bit more of a tongue in cheek story but it has its brilliant macabre moments. Michael Jayston too is superb again as the Valeyard, and the sound design once more lifts the whole story into another Alan Barnes cracker. And its great hearing India Fisher again as Charley. A real treat.
Stage Fright is absolutely brilliant in so many ways. First it brings back those two brilliant characters of Jago and Litefoot, who as always are welcome light humour and the performances of Trevor Baxter and Chris Benjamin need no introduction. And Michael Jayston sparks off Colin with such brilliance. And then theres one of my all time favourite BFP Companions, Flip, brought to life brilliantly by the wonderful Lisa Greenwood.
and to finish the set, The Brink of Death by Nick Briggs is superbly written. Colin really delivers an exceptional performance as the wonderful and totally underrated and under appreciated SIXIE. This set is absolutely brilliant and Im chuffed to own it. Great drama and a brilliant bow out for Colin. The ending he really deserves!!!
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| The Monochrome years back again |
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| What: | The Isos Network (The Early Adventures audio dramas) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Monday 29 February 2016 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
This story follows on from one of the very finest Doctor Who episodes of the 1960s, The Invasion. Its always been a favourite of mine. And Big Finish actually produce brilliant cybermen stories, and this follow on from the Invasion truly feels it could have been a simple follow on from the Invasion. Its vividly brought to life the black and white era. And now we have the brilliant classic Cyber controller back for another stab at the Doc and friends. Nick Briggs is brilliant on the voices, and yet again writes a decent story for the metal men from Mondas.
The feel of this story too really feels true to the era too. There's a feel of claustrophobia just as In the Invasion and The Web Of Fear. And there's a new alien species added to the mix for additional good measure. There is also some great character sections in this story, And there's some few decent comedy pieces sown between the seriousness too. Everything then that a Doctor Who story oughtta be.
And again Frazer Hines seriously evokes the late great Pat Troughton with ease, and he's great to listen to as Jamie too, who was always my favourite Doctor Who companion. And Wendy Padbury just slips back into the role of Zoe with consummate ease. And its also brilliant hearing exactly the same Invasion cyber voices again. To me one of the best and eeriest cyber voices ever done for the silver giants.
The Isos Network brings this second Doctor early adventures set to a brilliant climax. This is great stuff.
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| Name of the Rose Who Style |
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| What: | Asylum (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
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| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
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| Date: | Saturday 27 February 2016 |
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| Rating: | 6 |
I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I do not like all the extra stuff that is thrown in; on the other hand, I like all the things this book could have been. The main story involves Doctor 4 investigating a murder in a Franciscan monastery in Oxford. The murder involves Doctor Mirabilis, Roger Bacon. This part of the novel works very well. It is similar to "Name of the Rose" in that the murder involves books and the clash between the unbending Medieval view of the cosmos and a potentially new understanding. Intrigue, local politics, and fear all play their parts in driving this plot. Darvill-Evans has done his history homework, so that life in Medieval Oxford is realistic. I simply do not understand why Darvill-Evans could not have been content with that. Instead, he piles on numerous irrelevancies. The most baffling of these is having an older Nyssa (maybe in her early 30s) meeting Doctor 4 from before they meet in "Keeper of Traken." Why? This device serves no purpose to the story and builds needless complications. And the only out that Darvill-Evans comes up with for this is that the Doctor is just going to remember to forget the next time he meets Nyssa? Surely, a writer as intelligent as Darvill-Evans is, given the evidence of his postscript about historical fiction, would recognize how unsatisfactory that resolution is to this little complication. Why not have the novel be Doctor 5 and Nyssa if he really wants Nyssa in the story? That gets us to problem number two, which is that if he is so keen on using Nyssa, why does he not use her? Instead, she gets sidetracked into a hideaway in a castle converted into a garden, and spends almost the whole of her time in the novel saying "leave me alone." There is a whole side plot with a knight who falls madly in love with her, but only reminds her of the death and terror she has faced, causing panic attacks. Why? What purpose to the story does this serve? Apparently very little given how easily the murderer kills the knight and that Nyssa's only involvement in the main plot is to be threatened by the murderer and stab him instead. This PTSD Nyssa is frustrating because there is no clear rationale for her condition and for this secondary story. The third problem is that to get the Doctor and Nyssa to Oxford 1278, Darvill-Evans creates a flimsy contrivance that something is going wrong with timelines surrounding Roger Bacon's role in history. Surely, if one has a TARDIS one does not need this excuse to have the Doctor arrive at whatever setting one wants. Nothing in the plot actually relates to this time line foul up, no one messing with time machines, nothing of the kind that would warrant placing it in the story. The fourth problem is that there seems to be some sort of stranded alien bit involving Brother Thomas. Why? Unknown. The Doctor never discovers the stranded aliens not even that they exist, and they are not really needed for Darvill-Evans to explain Thomas's behavior. In short, had Darvill-Evans just stuck to his main plot idea and used straightforward means to get the characters there, this would have been a cracking novel. As it is, the novel has too many distracting side bits.
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| Problem of Big Ending with Small Cast |
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| What: | The Key 2 Time: The Chaos Pool (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
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| Date: | Wednesday 3 February 2016 |
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| Rating: | 6 |
By choosing The Key to Time quest as a sequel, Big Finish set up the requirement for, well, a big finish. Herein lies the problem for this episode. It has to provide the big finish, but the budget can handle only a small cast. This means there is quite a bit of bringing the major players together and have them give pompous speeches at each other. In fact, apart from giving speeches, the Doctor seems hardly in the big events of the story at all. Given also that the story requires all-powerful beings, or nearly so, there is quite a bit of magic going on. This is always a problem. If characters can suspend or break all the laws of nature at a whim, what is the point of the story? It is also like a Japanese anime in that many situations "require" a character to do this or that, but there has been no lead up to this requirement and characters simply "know" without any explanation that they are required to do this or that. Everybody is "using" the "power" of the segments or some other magical object, but how do they know how to use this power? The writer also works on the A.E. van Vogt model of writing, which is that at preselected intervals a plot twist must be introduced, and the twist must be "ironic" in a certain way.
The second part to the Key to Time, the sequel, is something of a refresher. It's a lighthearted retelling of the Ali Baba legend. The premise is that the Key to Time is decaying and this is affecting both the Black and White Guardians so that they get stuck in just five dimensions "like everyone else." Both have taken roles in the 9th-century Caliphate and have been waiting for decades for the Doctor to show up. The story has much fun with what we might call the Hollywood version of Arabia (actually the Sudan). The best fun of all is David Troughton's portrayal of the Black Guardian as a cheeky chappie. And wow does he sound like his father.
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| The Wit and Whimsy of Doctor Who |
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| What: | The Tomorrow Windows (BBC Eighth Doctor novels) |
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| By: | Leon Coward, Sydney, Australia |
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| Date: | Friday 29 January 2016 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
"The Tomorrow Windows" is a Douglas Adams-style romp with a murder mystery stretching across a number of planets. Each planet is memorable, as Morris forms it around a concept and magnifies it ten-fold: the planets, in their early histories, have also been visited by what appears to be a 'god' wishing to help their development. This mysterious character is integral to the plot. However, god's intervention results, for example, in one race inventing the internal combustion engine before fire (and so the race eventually reproduces itself by parts on a conveyor belt, waiting to be assembled like cars) - so you get the gist of how Morris finely balances comedy, wit, intrigue, with suspense and even horror.
There are also the politicians of Minuea, the warmongers of Valuensis, and the monks of the Shardybarn, who line their planet with atomic bombs to blow it up. (The faith of the planet?s inhabitants is waning, so to restore belief in their god, they want him to come at the end of the world and prove his existence. He doesn?t, and the planet does go boom).
(Those aren't really spoilers... and besides, there is a lot in the book!)
The various concepts provide a refreshing nod to the old Doctor Who series, and the ways in which alien races generally provided a somewhat allegorical representation of different facets of human behaviour and groups. Morris successful integrates the appealing style of the Tom Baker and Sylvester McCoy eras, with the freshness of contemporary science fiction.
A fast-paced story, filled with wit, imaginative concepts, and funny social parodies. Morris is ingenious at tying together all of these madcap concepts into a well-balanced and engaging storyline.
(This review is adapted from a review of "The Crooked World" and "The Tomorrow Windows" published by the reviewer in the February 2012 issue of "The Online Book Group" e-zine)
