| TIMEWYRM : GENESYS by John Peel |
| Story 1 Synopsis: Ace finds that the Doctor has lost her memory. Whilst getting it back from the TARDIS, he discovers a warning from his past. He restores Ace, then goes to Earth, c.2800 BC, to see Mesopotamia. Falling in with Gilgamesh, the Doctor finds that Uruk's neighbouring city, Kish, is in thrall to the Goddess Ishtar. Whilst investigating, the Doctor learns that Ishtar is a fugitive criminal from Anu, called Qataka. He sends Ace off to find Utnapishtim, who also came from Anu, to see what can be done to stop Ishtar. In the meantime, the Doctor learns that Ishtar has a huge bomb at the ready, which will deactivate if she should die. Ace finds Utnapishtim, and brings him bck to Kish, where a virus is unleashed that attacks Ishtar. To stop the bomb detonating, the Doctor takes her to the TARDIS, with the bomb, which spares Earth. Making a meal of stopping her, the Doctor allows her to take parts of the TARDIS into herself, and she becomes a gestalt being, the Timewyrm. He tries to destroy her with a Time Ram, but she pushes off. The Doctor knows he must follow her, to stop her. |
| Review:- So, having theoretically just left Horsendon Hill, the Doctor and Ace set out into the wide turquoise yonder, putting the Universe to rights. This book set a useful tone for many. After this, it seemed, things could only get better. As my synopsis omitted all mention of sex, you'd be forgiven for not realising the furore caused by the appearance of prostitutes as characters, let alone scenes in a brothel. Of course, flash forward 10 years, and The Adventuress Of Henrietta Street is arguably a stronger book in this respect, but is being acclaimed the best of all time. Timewym : Genesys is nearer to being acclaimed as the worst of all time. In actual fact, it's a simplistic story entertainingly told. I suppose the literary allusions of the Epic Of Gilgamesh put this story alongside such shows as The Androids Of Tara, for adaptation along a Doctor Who theme. The bit-part characters, such as Avram and Enkidu charm because they are not forced to seem important. As Utnapishtim and Dumuzi struggle to affect plot power, it's the bystanders who shine. The "Happy Endings" scene is thoughtful, allowing a reader to realise that events in DW do not happen in a vacuum. That Avram and En-Gula are suggested to be the only ones to survive happily ever after makes intriguing points about drama in general. To take a DW example, whilst Lethbridge-Stewart will always get the bulk of the action, it is Benton who is the more likely to find happiness. The Timewyrm is introduced gradually and cleverly, and allowed a motivation. The story segues into the following book, and interest is held. All in all, this is a well-written grown-up romp. ADDED - Having re-read the book, the allusions to the Epic are more subtle than I thought, and it helps to imagine Gilgamesh' lines spoken by Brian Blessed. Given the later direction of the books, it's weird to see Ace described as muscular already. But the Doctor's efforts with Time Ram contrast with his planned use in The Time Monster - here, there's no qualms, it's just what has to be done, and if Ace dies too, well, too bad. |
| Disclaimer: I own a copy. |