| THE MYTH MAKERS by Donald Cotton |
| Story 20 Synopsis: Earth, c. 1193 B.C. The TARDIS lands close to a party of advancing Greeks, whom mistake the Doctor for Zeus. Vicki remains in the Ship whilst it is dragged away to the nearby city of Troy. Steven is enlisted as a warrior. Odysseus tells the Doctor to devise a way for them to take the city. He suggests catapults, but the idea is rejected. He then suggests the Wooden Horse. Vicki falls in love with Troilus, and takes the names Cressida. Steven is injured in battle. The Wooden Horse succeeds. Vicki decides to stay behind with Troilus. A local handmaiden, Katarina, helps Steven reach the TARDIS, and travels on with him and the Doctor. |
| Review:- Following the curious one-off drama from the week before, the TARDIS arrives from the battle with the Drahvins, into a very crucial historical battle... the fall of Troy. The story works quite well, since there are two opposing sides to represent, and the Doctor and his companions are forced to join both sides. The Doctor's alliance with the Greeks puts him along the subtle hero figure of Odysseus, and suggests that the outstanding tactical coup of the wooden horse was not a mere leap of ingenuity, but devised with external help. It also allows him to be a central figure, whilst not physically exerting himself too much. Steven becomes almost a bystander, becoming part of historical battles unwillingly, and allowing for the eventual resolution with Katarina. In some ways, this is Vicki's big moment. She has had her ups and downs since being rescued in, er, The Rescue, but has generally been considered negatively compared to Susan, her predecessor. Certainly she has come off badly in books covering the period, but this seems to be more down to writer prejudice than character default. Sadly, her time was up, and she at least gets a romantic exit, entering history as the lover of Troilus, even though Troy itself is doomed to a violent and bloody defeat. Her brief replacement, Katarina, is hardly developed as a character, she just helps Steven when he needs it, and is taken away to a new destiny in the stars. Sadly, not for long. This story falls between two stools: on the one hand, the serious tone of early historicals (and the capture of Troy is not exactly LE) and the somewhat more amused take of some later historicals. The virtue of the lighter approach is that people depicted suddenly seem more human, more understandable. These are people with the same foibles and quirks as everyone, and it makes their interaction all the more watchable. Overall, this is a rich and engaging story, covering a major moment in history with care and attention. Worth making time for. |
| Disclaimer: I have read the book. |