The Doctor and his companions travel to Christmas Past, Christmas Present and those Christmases Yet to Come.
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Styre
on May 9, 2016 at 2:11 AM
SHORT TRIPS: THE GHOSTS OF CHRISTMAS
After “A Christmas Treasury” and “The History of Christmas,” Big Finish released its third holiday-themed anthology, “The Ghosts of Christmas,” the 22nd volume in the Short Trips range. Would it live up to the standards of its predecessors?
Faithful Friends: Part One — Cavan Scott & Mark Wright — While the characterization of the Brigadier as a lonely man with no life outside UNIT is well-portrayed, it adds an upsetting undertone to the Pertwee era. Fortunately, this is an uplifting tale that exhibits the relationship between the Doctor and the Brigadier like few others.
But Once a Year — Colin Harvey — Well-written to be sure, but almost too short! For a Christmas anthology, this entire volume is surprisingly downbeat, and this story of a monster abducting children from their family at Christmas and the resulting psychological effects fits well.
For the Man Who Has Everything — Dan Abnett — A cute story about the traditional assistant-secretly-loves-her-boss relationship, with the requisite Christmas theme. The final scene, however, elevates it to the sublime. Good stuff.
Tell Me You Love Me — Scott Matthewman — Heartbreaking. A race needing love to survive (echoes of “Fear Her”) impersonates missing or dead family members to get that love, causing terror and anguish in their victims. Interesting to get a major revelation about Barbara in a short story collection.
The Cutty Wren — Ann Kelly — An intriguing, if brief, take on the similarities between religion, magic, and advanced technology. The companions are superfluous; the interactions between the Doctor and Isiah make the story.
Do You Dream in Colour? — Gary Russell — Gorgeous. Russell has always been at his best writing character pieces, and this examination of the underrated Ben/Polly relationship after their travels in the TARDIS might be the best story in this collection.
The Nobility of Faith — Jonathan Clements — Presented as a translated version of the story of Aladdin (Ala ud-Din), here we see the fourth Doctor presented as the mythical genie and the TARDIS as his lamp. Amusing story written in an accomplished style.
24 Crawford Road — Ian Farrington — A competent but predictable story of time travel, connecting a future archaeologist with a mundane suburban family home at Christmas. There really isn’t anything more to say about it.
The Sommerton Fetch — Peter Anghelides — I love Pertwee in this: he’s pompous but self-aware, genial but not condescending. It’s easy to understand his relationship with Jo when you see the character interact with Casimer — this is some of the best Doctor Who writing Anghelides has done, if you ask me.
Faithful Friends: Part Two — Cavan Scott & Mark Wright — I’m really not sure why Scott & Wright are doing this to the Brigadier. In the first part, we saw him as a man for whom the military was life. Now we see him at home at Christmas with his family — and totally unable to relate to any of them and generally feeling uncomfortable. It’s a very good story, and a good setup for the finale, but don’t approach this looking for holiday cheer.
Dear Great Uncle Peter — Neil Corry — I like how Corry narrates this story, using the perspective of a little kid but putting the stylistic flourishes aside when it comes to dialogue or action scenes. It’s an unmemorable story, but the stars of the show are the fourth Doctor and Leela, who are at their most entertaining.
Do You Believe in the Krampus? — Xanna Eve Chown — Another brutal read, this story presents less advanced societies founded on perfectly understandable human interpretations of their surroundings as dangerously ignorant, ultimately leaving the Doctor to despair of the human race. Merry Christmas!
They Fell — Scott Handcock — Another story from a child’s perspective, and another good one — the changed family and the presence of the Doctor and Charley as stable factors makes for an effective combination and an impressive use of limited perspective.
The Christmas Presence — Simon Barnard & Paul Morris — Gorgeous. Barnard & Morris provide another nominee for “best in the collection” with this tale of a lifelong mystery revealed to be something beautiful. Great work with Troughton, too, something that isn’t easy to accomplish.
Snowman in Manhattan — John Binns — The epistolary style is becoming repetitive in this collection, but it’s nice to read a truly uplifting story in with the darkness. A man regains his lost confidence and stability with a visit from the Doctor and companions, tearing the depressing veil of retail work.
The Crackers — Richard Salter — I like the narration, and I like the way Evelyn is incorporated into the plot, but ultimately the resolution feels a bit too abstract for my taste. The image of the sixth Doctor as an awkward Santa Claus in a tattered costume more than makes up for it, however.
Jigsaw — Michael Abberton — Sneaky/clever, and you don’t realize it unless you check the dates at either end of the story. It’s the sort of thing that’s quite rewarding to figure out, but seriously, did we need the smug title and last line?
Dr. Cadabra — Trevor Baxendale — Far too rushed, as the story spends almost its entire length on the setup and barely remembers the resolution at the end. Fortunately, as with “The Crackers,” the sixth Doctor makes a great fish out of water, and his attempts to convince as a children’s entertainer are hilarious.
Far Away in a Manger — Iain McLaughlin & Claire Bartlett — As expected, Erimem’s creator knows the character — and the dynamic with the Doctor and Peri — better than anyone. The ending, however, jars, as the fifth Doctor is the last person I’d expect to have a manipulative plan running behind the scenes. Entertaining story, nonetheless.
All Snug in Their Beds — Scott Alan Woodard — It must be so much fun to write for the season 17 TARDIS crew — there’s a definite sense of joy that shines through those stories, and this one is no exception. This is another example of how well the fourth Doctor works with child characters, something I hadn’t really considered before.
Decorative Purposes — Eddie Robson — I love the way this is structured: you can’t possibly expect it to end where it does from the opening paragraps. This is Robson playing to his strengths with the characters he seems to know best, and it’s a fabulous read.
The Stars Our Contamination — Steven Savile — One of those unusually apocalyptic stories, here we see New York City reduced to a zombie-ridden wasteland by the passage of a comet. While stories like this always struggle to convince me, I love the end, with the Doctor releasing a cure in the effective form of snow.
Keeping it Real — Joseph Lidster — I wasn’t expecting anything like this. I like Joe Lidster, but he tends toward the bleak in his writing; it was a shock, then, to get a story written from Tegan’s perspective that was amusing and heartwarming in equal measure. Great stuff.
Christmas Every Day? — Mark Magrs — Cliched, yes — the seventh Doctor is inserted into a regimented future society and, within minutes, has toppled it from within — but it’s written well enough that it hardly matters. Fantastic job of satirizing the nightmare that is Christmas shopping, too.
Faithful Friends: Part Three — Cavan Scott & Mark Wright — And here’s the payoff to the previous two parts, an adorable story about the UNIT era reuniting for Christmas dinner. My reaction wasn’t anything deeper than “Awwwww!” but for the last story in a Christmas anthology, isn’t that exactly what you want?
Overall, “The Ghosts of Christmas” is another fine entry in the Short Trips series, with not a single subpar story to be found. It’s a bit unusual for a Christmas edition — it’s surprisingly downbeat throughout — but the spirit of the material shines through. In sum, it’s highly recommended.
SHORT TRIPS: THE GHOSTS OF CHRISTMAS
After “A Christmas Treasury” and “The History of Christmas,” Big Finish released its third holiday-themed anthology, “The Ghosts of Christmas,” the 22nd volume in the Short Trips range. Would it live up to the standards of its predecessors?
Faithful Friends: Part One — Cavan Scott & Mark Wright — While the characterization of the Brigadier as a lonely man with no life outside UNIT is well-portrayed, it adds an upsetting undertone to the Pertwee era. Fortunately, this is an uplifting tale that exhibits the relationship between the Doctor and the Brigadier like few others.
But Once a Year — Colin Harvey — Well-written to be sure, but almost too short! For a Christmas anthology, this entire volume is surprisingly downbeat, and this story of a monster abducting children from their family at Christmas and the resulting psychological effects fits well.
For the Man Who Has Everything — Dan Abnett — A cute story about the traditional assistant-secretly-loves-her-boss relationship, with the requisite Christmas theme. The final scene, however, elevates it to the sublime. Good stuff.
Tell Me You Love Me — Scott Matthewman — Heartbreaking. A race needing love to survive (echoes of “Fear Her”) impersonates missing or dead family members to get that love, causing terror and anguish in their victims. Interesting to get a major revelation about Barbara in a short story collection.
The Cutty Wren — Ann Kelly — An intriguing, if brief, take on the similarities between religion, magic, and advanced technology. The companions are superfluous; the interactions between the Doctor and Isiah make the story.
Do You Dream in Colour? — Gary Russell — Gorgeous. Russell has always been at his best writing character pieces, and this examination of the underrated Ben/Polly relationship after their travels in the TARDIS might be the best story in this collection.
The Nobility of Faith — Jonathan Clements — Presented as a translated version of the story of Aladdin (Ala ud-Din), here we see the fourth Doctor presented as the mythical genie and the TARDIS as his lamp. Amusing story written in an accomplished style.
24 Crawford Road — Ian Farrington — A competent but predictable story of time travel, connecting a future archaeologist with a mundane suburban family home at Christmas. There really isn’t anything more to say about it.
The Sommerton Fetch — Peter Anghelides — I love Pertwee in this: he’s pompous but self-aware, genial but not condescending. It’s easy to understand his relationship with Jo when you see the character interact with Casimer — this is some of the best Doctor Who writing Anghelides has done, if you ask me.
Faithful Friends: Part Two — Cavan Scott & Mark Wright — I’m really not sure why Scott & Wright are doing this to the Brigadier. In the first part, we saw him as a man for whom the military was life. Now we see him at home at Christmas with his family — and totally unable to relate to any of them and generally feeling uncomfortable. It’s a very good story, and a good setup for the finale, but don’t approach this looking for holiday cheer.
Dear Great Uncle Peter — Neil Corry — I like how Corry narrates this story, using the perspective of a little kid but putting the stylistic flourishes aside when it comes to dialogue or action scenes. It’s an unmemorable story, but the stars of the show are the fourth Doctor and Leela, who are at their most entertaining.
Do You Believe in the Krampus? — Xanna Eve Chown — Another brutal read, this story presents less advanced societies founded on perfectly understandable human interpretations of their surroundings as dangerously ignorant, ultimately leaving the Doctor to despair of the human race. Merry Christmas!
They Fell — Scott Handcock — Another story from a child’s perspective, and another good one — the changed family and the presence of the Doctor and Charley as stable factors makes for an effective combination and an impressive use of limited perspective.
The Christmas Presence — Simon Barnard & Paul Morris — Gorgeous. Barnard & Morris provide another nominee for “best in the collection” with this tale of a lifelong mystery revealed to be something beautiful. Great work with Troughton, too, something that isn’t easy to accomplish.
Snowman in Manhattan — John Binns — The epistolary style is becoming repetitive in this collection, but it’s nice to read a truly uplifting story in with the darkness. A man regains his lost confidence and stability with a visit from the Doctor and companions, tearing the depressing veil of retail work.
The Crackers — Richard Salter — I like the narration, and I like the way Evelyn is incorporated into the plot, but ultimately the resolution feels a bit too abstract for my taste. The image of the sixth Doctor as an awkward Santa Claus in a tattered costume more than makes up for it, however.
Jigsaw — Michael Abberton — Sneaky/clever, and you don’t realize it unless you check the dates at either end of the story. It’s the sort of thing that’s quite rewarding to figure out, but seriously, did we need the smug title and last line?
Dr. Cadabra — Trevor Baxendale — Far too rushed, as the story spends almost its entire length on the setup and barely remembers the resolution at the end. Fortunately, as with “The Crackers,” the sixth Doctor makes a great fish out of water, and his attempts to convince as a children’s entertainer are hilarious.
Far Away in a Manger — Iain McLaughlin & Claire Bartlett — As expected, Erimem’s creator knows the character — and the dynamic with the Doctor and Peri — better than anyone. The ending, however, jars, as the fifth Doctor is the last person I’d expect to have a manipulative plan running behind the scenes. Entertaining story, nonetheless.
All Snug in Their Beds — Scott Alan Woodard — It must be so much fun to write for the season 17 TARDIS crew — there’s a definite sense of joy that shines through those stories, and this one is no exception. This is another example of how well the fourth Doctor works with child characters, something I hadn’t really considered before.
Decorative Purposes — Eddie Robson — I love the way this is structured: you can’t possibly expect it to end where it does from the opening paragraps. This is Robson playing to his strengths with the characters he seems to know best, and it’s a fabulous read.
The Stars Our Contamination — Steven Savile — One of those unusually apocalyptic stories, here we see New York City reduced to a zombie-ridden wasteland by the passage of a comet. While stories like this always struggle to convince me, I love the end, with the Doctor releasing a cure in the effective form of snow.
Keeping it Real — Joseph Lidster — I wasn’t expecting anything like this. I like Joe Lidster, but he tends toward the bleak in his writing; it was a shock, then, to get a story written from Tegan’s perspective that was amusing and heartwarming in equal measure. Great stuff.
Christmas Every Day? — Mark Magrs — Cliched, yes — the seventh Doctor is inserted into a regimented future society and, within minutes, has toppled it from within — but it’s written well enough that it hardly matters. Fantastic job of satirizing the nightmare that is Christmas shopping, too.
Faithful Friends: Part Three — Cavan Scott & Mark Wright — And here’s the payoff to the previous two parts, an adorable story about the UNIT era reuniting for Christmas dinner. My reaction wasn’t anything deeper than “Awwwww!” but for the last story in a Christmas anthology, isn’t that exactly what you want?
Overall, “The Ghosts of Christmas” is another fine entry in the Short Trips series, with not a single subpar story to be found. It’s a bit unusual for a Christmas edition — it’s surprisingly downbeat throughout — but the spirit of the material shines through. In sum, it’s highly recommended.