The schoolboy whose twin brother vanished in the night. A woman whose house teems with alien refugees. The dad who dies every evening… All through space and time live people, ordinary people, whose lives have been turned upside down.
The schoolboy whose twin brother vanished in the night. A woman whose house teems with alien refugees. The dad who dies every evening… All through space and time live people, ordinary people, whose lives have been turned upside down.
SHORT TRIPS: HOW THE DOCTOR CHANGED MY LIFE
Back in 2007, Big Finish held what was, at the time, a unique competition: novice writers were invited to submit short story proposals, following the theme of “how the Doctor changed my life,” with one lucky winner selected for publication in an upcoming Short Trips anthology. The winner, Michael Coen’s “Homework,” was published in the 23rd volume, “Defining Patterns.” But Coen’s was not the only successful submission: indeed, there were so many successful entries that editor Simon Guerrier was commissioned to assemble 25 of them into a full Short Trips anthology. This became the 26th volume, appropriately named “How the Doctor Changed My Life” – and it ably demonstrates that, just as in the days of the NAs, there is a wealth of Doctor Who writing talent waiting to be discovered.
Homework – Michael Coen – I love the style here, presenting the story as a child’s school paper on his summer vacation, including corrections and comments from the teacher. It’s also surprisingly heartfelt, despite the early comedic overtones — certainly Big Finish’s new writers competition can be deemed a success for producing a story like this. (taken from my review of Short Trips: Defining Patterns)
Change Management – Simon Moore – Touching little story about a middle-management type caught in the trap of “just following orders.” The Doctor and Mel give him a rare shot at a second chance, and he gamely takes it. Simple and elegant.
Curiosity – Mike Amberry – It’s a bit obvious, what with people literally afraid of shadows shown the errors of their ways by the innocence and curiosity of a child – and Nyssa has exactly three lines, the most complete of which is “Doctor, where are we?” Decent enough for what it is, though.
Potential – Stephen Dunn – Interesting work that posits its unreliability right at the start and proceeds to distill the concept of the anthology down to one line from the Doctor. The brevity of the story is one of its most effective features, and that’s not at all intended as criticism.
Second Chances – Bernard O’Toole – One of the best character studies in the anthology, switching effortlessly between humor and poignancy. The ending is somewhat forced, but I like the idea. Good stuff.
Child’s Play – LM Myles – Cute! Love how easily the Doctor/Romana relationship is captured, and the teddy bears had me smiling. Not sure I like the switch to third person to resolve the plot, though – takes away from the theme of the anthology when the central character is left out.
Relativity – Michael Montoure – I like how it captures the misunderstood “madman,” but I think the best writing here is for Rebecca, who accepts Evan’s apparent madness for no reason other than love. The conclusion is great, but the story would have been excellent even without it.
Outstanding Balance – Tim Lambert – Hilarious. It’s harder than it seems to present an amusing alien culture without seeming forced, but it certainly works here. “Excuses! Excuses!” Good work with the second Doctor, too, probably the hardest of the group to write.
The Last Thing You Ever See – Richard Goff – The clash of tones is a bit too much to take. The story veers from joking with an unfailingly-polite android killer to visceral body horror with Harry, then switches to melancholy at the conclusion to apply the anthology’s theme to Harry himself. The writing is fine, but the sum of the parts sits uncomfortably.
The Shopping Trolleys of Doom – Caleb Woodbridge – Not nearly as funny as it thinks, totally predictable, and about as subtle as a sledgehammer to the temple. I’m guessing this is partly intended as satire of the politicking of the McCoy era, but it didn’t work at all for me.
The Final Star – Chris Wing – Touching. I think one of the strengths of Evelyn as a companion is that she makes it easier to tell stories like this, and it’s good to see the author understanding that. The relationships here are captured very well, a hallmark of a good story.
The Man on the Phone – Mark Smith – I like the idea of the Doctor being stuck on the phone with a telemarketer, but trying to spin that into an alien-invasion story is necessarily a bit eye-rolling. Nonetheless, it’s worth it just to hear the Doctor gladly order every kitchen the company has for sale.
The Monster in the Wardrobe – James C. McFetridge – It’s somewhat contrary to the general ethos of Doctor Who, in that freeing someone trapped in a fictional reality is painted in no way as a good thing, but that certainly doesn’t invalidate the story. In fact, it makes it more interesting – it seems like an obvious idea, but how often do we really see something like this? Great stuff.
Suns and Mothers – Einar Olgeirsson – Good writing of the characters and their relationships, but the resolution is forced, feeling as though the Doctor was crowbarred into the story. There’s little sense that the conclusion arose organically from the alien conflict.
Taking the Cure – Matthew James – The best part of this story is that the narrator never comes out and explicitly states that he’s part of a minority group. This seemingly minor detail gives the story an intelligent layer of subtlety that experienced writers often fail to capture, never mind first-time authors.
Those Left Behind – Violet Addison – It’s easy to believe that every Doctor returned to Totters Lane at some point, and stories like this make that belief even easier to hold. I also like that the conflict here has nothing to do with an alien invasion, just the Doctor returning home someone that was lost.
£436 – Nick May – I enjoy stories that observe the Doctor from the perspective of an ordinary person, and this is a fine example, featuring a cab driver who (rightly) perceives events as a particular brand of uncontrollable craziness. I especially like the ending, and how he deals with his newfound “fame.”
Time Shear – Steven Alexander – The random act of violence from the con man seems unnecessary and drags the story out longer than necessary, but the excellent capturing of Tom Baker papers over the story’s flaws. I especially enjoy how the narration and the Doctor’s thoughts seem to blend together.
Running on Empty – JR Loflin – A bit emotionally overwrought, but ultimately this is an affecting little vignette. Again, the seventh Doctor works better than his counterparts in scenarios like this, and it’s always enjoyable to see him emerge from the shadows to interject.
Swamp of Horrors (1957) – Viewing Notes – Michael Rees – Fantastic! A great conceit, showing the Doctor and Mel appearing in the middle of a sci-fi B-movie and how real-life events were incorporated into the film itself. The format makes the story, too. Always enjoy stuff like this.
Insider Dealing – Dann Chinn – I like the central idea here, but the execution left me cold. It’s overwritten, for one thing, and the Doctor – even his Season 18 persona – rings false. I also don’t think the use of second-person perspective adds anything particularly effective to the story. Nonetheless, there’s an intriguing emotional core here.
The Andrew Invasion – John Callaghan – The Doctor doesn’t even appear in this one, and it ends up being one of the best stories in the anthology. Love the idea, love the execution, love the humor, and especially love the last line, which had me laughing out loud. Great stuff.
Stolen Days – Arnold T. Blumberg – I like this story’s use of memory, how it evokes thoughts of time travel stories and changing history but cuts out the middle man. I also love the characterization – the relationship between Alex and Alison sings, without ever feeling forced. Thumbs up.
Lares Domestici – Anna Bratton – A fine conclusion that elegantly captures the theme of the anthology. I like Vivian, and I like how we learn about her in ways that arise organically from the story. The Doctor is great in this one, too, flitting in at the edges of the narrative to push it along.
Overall, “How the Doctor Changed My Life” is a fantastic display of the writing talent lurking throughout Doctor Who fandom. Sure, there are some missteps, but there are some home runs as well – and even the missteps are produced at professional standard, a testament to the skill of all involved. Some would dread the prospect of an anthology of Doctor Who material produced entirely by new writers, but there is no need – this deserves its place on the shelf next to every other volume in the series.