| FRONTIER WORLDS by Peter Anghelides |
| Story 28 Synopsis: The TARDIS is drawn to Drebnar by a high level of Tuckson-Jacker radiation. The planet is home to the Frontier World Corporation, an unscrupulous galactic food producer, who have developed a desperate last chance project to overthrow their business rivals at Reddenblak. A Raab, a huge creature that landed on the planet by chance has prompted new DNA directions for FWC, but at the cost of genetic restructuring. CEO Temm Sempiter believes he can use the Raab for the good of the company, but the Doctor knows the Raab will take over - and by introducing alien DNA into the food chain, it will bring devastation to the galaxy. Fitz and Compassion try to neutralise FWC, but instead unleash the top secret Darkling crop, causing the dangerous spores to enter the atmosphere. The Doctor uses the weather control facility to bring it back to Earth, then supervises Reddenblak's takeover of FWC. Sempiter, now controlled by the Raab influence, heads off to release the remaining Raab spores, which will devastate Drebnar. After a long chase, he collapses through the ice of a lake, and is eaten. The Doctor admits to Fitz that Reddenblak may be little better than FWC were, but the Raab will be destroyed. |
| Review:- Genetic modification comes under the microscope, as an alien infection proves a double-edged sword for the eager scientists at Frontier Worlds Corporation. In some ways, this is hardly ground-breaking stuff, with incursive vegetable life being reminiscent of the Krynoid from The Seeds of Doom, and ruthless corporations using terrible new ideas to feed the galaxy is reminsicent of Davros' ideas in Revelation of the Daleks. But the effect is still worth pursuing, and the cast and situation ensure the book soars instead of stumbling. The regulars spend some time under false identities, and with a lot of the book recounted from Fitz' first-person narrative, there is room for deception that would only work on the printed page, where a reader has to decide what to take at face value (usually everything). Why Fitz and Compassion need new identities is unexplained, though her name is an oddity, and given their names still don't match the Direks and Nadalys of the place, it seems merely a cue for the punning chapter titles, and the odd Sinatra in-joke (eg quoting High Hopes). But when Fitz cannot spot that falling for a girl called Alura Trebel might bring A-lot-of-trouble, then perhaps it doesn't matter. Whilst his companions deal with the common workers, the Doctor deals with the boardroom. It is easy to understand the tragedy of Shar Mozarno, and the living horror for Klenton Dewfurth. So when Temm Sempiter proves so determined and intransigent, he proves a memorably villainous foe. Lackeys like the dopey Griz Ellis, and the malevolent security boss Kupteyn, also come over as real, credible people who make life miserable for Fitz and Compassion. The Raab make a useful vague presence, being otherwise pretty non-descript. Their usurping of Sempiter doesn't really provide a voice for them, just an articulation of his already clear-cut problem. One worthy aspect of the book are the action set-pieces. Often these stink in books, but here there are several worthy examples that give a real visual sense to the adventure, whether it's the Doctor landing on a cable car, or Fitz's struggle with Kupteyn over the combine harvester. By the time the Doctor is crash-landing small planes, the book is really making its mark. Yet there is also ample space for smaller-scale intrigue, whether it's Compassion's info-raids, the shenanigans on Floor 10, or the trek through the forest/jungle. There are also a few hints about the changes Compassion is going through, which will become all too clear in the next-but-one book... Sempiter's ultimate demise is one of several such grisly deaths for the bad guys, allowing some sense of justice to prevail, though the open-ended suggestion that Reddenblak may be little better is merely a footnote than a plea for a sequel. Overall, this is a triumph to read, entertaining and thought-provoking at the same time. |
| Disclaimer: I own a copy. |