Etheria

"Sleepwalking here will get you killed."

Writer: Nick Wallace

Format: Audio

Released: September 2015

Series: Short Trips 5.09

Featuring: First Doctor, Vicki, Steven

Synopsis

Having escaped an ambush by pirates, the Doctor and Vicki are stranded on a strange world, in the shadow of vast rock formation and islands in the sky. The only way home is through the treacherous Etherlands, where the invisible Ether alters the perception of anyone who enters...

Verdict

Etheria was a very good little Short Trips audio! This was a fascinating adventure and a great way to spend 36 minutes on the train en route to the football. It flew by! That’s always a good sign and I liked how there was no time wasted into being thrust into action. Starting with Vicki dreaming of the Doctor and Steven arguing was very intriguing, with that not seeming like the most exciting of dreams! I really liked how there was no introduction to the Ether and how it was explained more and more as the story went on. It was enigmatic and could move which peaked by interest and Thalar as the TARDIS trio’s apparent informant or guide was a good character. Vicki was probably a little too trusting of him and I liked the characterisation of the First Doctor in him having his doubts. He was sceptical by nature which is always fun. I liked the description of the Ether being a substance and its invisibility obviously added an extra dimension to the issues it brought to the forefront of the adventure. I was impressed with the eery background music that accompanied the Ether and it really added to the atmosphere of the story. The nature of it magnifying sensations and making them feel richer was really good as it utilised the sights around everyone instead of altering them. That was a nice change. The whole nature of the TARDIS trio having escaped from pirates prior to the Ether events was interesting and it seemed that Steven hadn’t been so lucky with the escape. Thalar was told by Vicki that the trio were travellers and that really worried the Doctor, but she assured him the TARDIS hadn’t been mentioned. Nonetheless, the Doctor’s suspicions remained, and rightly so. I loved the name of the Etherlands as the part of village that its inhabitants never ventured to as if one did, they were lost forever. So that was a fun thing to stand between the Doctor and the TARDIS. Thalar’s talk of childhood explorations into the Etherlands and the temptation of going where is forbidden was very relatable. It’s just human nature isn’t it, everyone is curious by instinct. This was no childhood game anymore and the only thing to search for was escape. I thought that basis worked well. The metal tumbleweeds worked well as a final threat in the Etherlands and an attack LwYs has potential. The truth about Thalar was an excellent moment as he lied and turned out to be no guide! This was as far into the Ether as anyone had ever ventured and he was just hoping to use the Doctor and company as a means to escape. The Doctor’s doubts were proven right but he didn’t boast about that to Vicki which was nice. I think it might have been different if it was somebody like Ian! The Ether did exist, but the causes were amplified by the mysterious box found at the end. It went all the way back to the pirates which hadn’t even existed and it was all the machine as part of an alive atmosphere. The box was clever, but it still short circuited to set things right. Overall, a great little audio!

Rating: 8/10