| CAMPAIGN by Jim Mortimore |
| Story ? Synopsis: The Doctor believes time and space have been destroyed, and all that remains is the contents of his Ship. Ian and Barbara are puzzled because each believe the other had died. Susan is also puzzled as she recalls giving birth. They recall visiting the time of Alexander the Great, but their memories of precise events conflict. After very many struggles, Ian finally finds a way through - they have all been playing a game called the Game of Me. Ian won. |
| Review:- Arguably the book series equivalent of Shada - but at least this stands up better. Whether a Mortimoresque epic set during the campaigns of Alexander would have done just as well is a moot point, and the lost Season 1 story Farewell, Great Macedon! might cover similar ground. This book, though, is less about Alexander, or history, and more about the people aboard the Ship. Slowly, over the course of many ponderous first-person pages, we get a picture of a troubled crew struggling to cope with each other, let alone the strange case of the end of civilisation as we know it. Ian has apparently become a warrior of distinction, Susan a mother, Barbara the jealous victim of radiation poisoning, and the Doctor... well, he's just befuddled. As the book progresses, through differing versions of the time travellers, clues are persistently slow in forthcoming. But at least the writing is fairly vivid and encouraging. Of particular note, is the section where Ian searches the Ship and finds a way out, but as many questions as answers. At length, thoughts turn to death, and Ian takes the plunge. Eventually, this leads to the end of the adventure, where Ian finds they've been playing a sophisticated computer game all along. It's tempting to suggest this is a cop-out, but the rest of the book doesn't really seem to be headed for any better solution. At least it's explicable. Should the BBC have published this? Well, their decision that Mortimore veered from the guideline of his proposal suggests a rigidity of conception. Against that, the finished book would probably have been far too confusing, even by the standards of the PDA range. And the ending would probably be a little bit too controversial to get away with. As it stands, independently available in a good cause, for those willing and able to take the plunge with it, it's a worthwhile, challenging book. Just not a very historical one. |
| Disclaimer: I've read this book. |