| THE TIME OF THE DALEKS by Justin Richards |
| Story 32 Synopsis: The Doctor makes an allusion to Shakespeare, and finds Charly has never heard of him. Worried, he discovers a time fissure, and traces its path to Earth, in the early part of the 21st Century, leading back 500 years. Inveigling themselves with British dictator General Learman, they are perplexed that the loss of Shakespeare is a national issue, and that Learman is experimenting with time travel, Plus, she's being helped by the Daleks. They claim to venerate Shakespeare. During an experiment to see a production of Julius Caesar, the Daleks create a time corridor. Learman is being opposed by rebels, and the Daleks help control these. The Doctor is forced to help calibrate the time corridor. The Daleks have become stranded, and are trying to enter the Vortex, to become masters of time. The rebels determine to explode a nuclear device in the building, which combined with the active time corridor, will destroy the Dalek fleet of 16000 ships, and totally destroy the fabric of time. The Doctor manages to save the reactor, and trap the Daleks in a time loop. Learman gets turned into a Dalek. Shakespeare had disappeared from history, having been scooped away as a young lad, and brought forward in time. He is restored. But what about the Web of Time? |
| Review:- The saga continues, and what better way to bring things to a real crisis htna by involving the Doctor's greatest enemies, possibly the most advanced aliens trying to conquer time - the Daleks! The key angle that grabs most attention is Shakespeare-quoting Daleks. In a way, this is to the detriemnt of a pretty nifty thriller, and believably high stakes, particularly the nuclear chain reaction. If previous time-tampering seemed small-scale, here we have a real dilemma, and a wholly desperate position. Also, this is semi-billed as Dalek Empire part 4 - following on from The Mutant Phase, and with reference to Kar-Charrat (from The Genocide Machine) and Gallifrey (as in The Apocalypse Element). Also, we get an explanation for the rogue appearance of a Dalek in part 1 of Seasons Of Fear. The Doctor has loads to do, and really comes into his own, wheedling his way through mirrors, sneaking aluminium (bacofoil?) sheets past the Daleks, stealing onto their ship to rumble the plot, and keeping one eye on Shakespeare at all times. Charly has some sub-plot, but mostly seems to be getting imperilled, and then rescued in the nick of time. Her holding the vital clock is a good trick, as it prompts the Doctor to realise what has been distracting those who believe the clock works. Charly's status and involvement with time cannot be ignored any longer, and will get solved. But later! Learman is sadly a wholly dreadful character. Her "female leader of Britain in the early 21st century" is alas, too similar to the scenario in The Fearmonger, and like that, the anti-Thatcher overtones are too sledgehammer subtle to work. Her love for Shakespeare blinds her to a degree that makes Star Trek captains seem rational and free-thinking, and all I can say about her ultimate "just desserts" fate, is that it makes me sympathise with the Daleks who would be stuck with her. Plus, the actress sounded so like Fiona Shaw, it was distracting, particularly after seeing her effort at promoting Shakespeare as greatest of the Great Britons. The 3rd cliffhanger is a gem, and the eventual resolution works slightly better than that of The Mutant Phase, although must all Dalek stories end this way? All in all, an entertaining romp, and a nice set-up for the big finish, Neverland... |
| Disclaimer: I own a copy. |