Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
The Doctor it seems is never happier when in the path of strange goings-on and confronted by fearful indigenous people, whether that is in the realms of unseen space or taking in the view across Sydney in Australia. The bigger the mystery, the more involved he becomes; even if at times he is coerced into the situation by those he may fondly think of as friends and when the situation calls for the biggest of cons.
In long time Doctor Who contributor Gary Russell’s Big Bang Generation, the Doctor is reintroduced in the novel form to noted archaeologist Bernice Summerfield and her ever growing family and associates and it is a meeting fraught with danger, subterfuge and the odd glimmering touch of cinematic and literary association that makes a story such as this a delight to grasp and savour beside the cosiness of a Winter’s fire.
The end of the world might end with a crunch, a fireball of white heat or perhaps indeed with slow, mind numbing decay, what arguably should not happen is the appearance of a centuries old pyramid placing its burden upon the inhabitants of Sydney, nor detract the sightseer from getting a good hard look at the glamour surrounding one of Australia’s more tourist- friendly outposts.
What Gary Russell brings to the world of Doctor Who is legendary, like many a fan who respects the past of the show but to whom has embraced what has happened since the return of the long running popular show. In Big Bang Generation he neatly weaves together many elements of the show’s success and even manages to make the twelfth incarnation of The Doctor live without Clara, a seemingly impossible task at times, and rely on old friends and new enemies to sort out the issue of Time.
A fantastic way to finish off the Glamour Chronicles, Big Bang Generation is one of constant surprise, of finding that the reader is asking more questions than usual and without the aid of a natural companion, a story that delves just that little further into the mind of the mad man in the blue box.
Doctor Who: Big Bang Generation is available to buy now.
Ian D. Hall