The Stuff of Nightmares

"I was about to encounter a living ghost."

Writer: Paul Magrs

Format: Audio

Released: September 2009

Series: Hornet's Nest 01

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Yates

Synopsis

Wanted: retired army Captain for light household duties and fireside companionship. Must tolerate mild eccentricity and strong scientific advice. Knowledge of Giant Maggots, Super Intelligent Spiders and Prehistoric Monsters a positive boon.

Responding to an advert apparently worded for him alone, Captain Mike Yates (retired) is reunited with a ghost from the past. But why has the Doctor, that mysterious traveller in time and space, sent for his former UNIT acquaintance? Trapped by a horde of vicious creatures in an apparently innocuous English country cottage, the two old friends are on the brink of an enormous adventure. As the Doctor relates his recent escapades, it becomes clear to Mike that they – and the Earth at large – are facing an enemy of unimaginable power and horrific intent. The nightmare is only just beginning...

Verdict

The Stuff of Nightmares was quite an intriguing audio to kick off the Hornet's Nest anthology of Doctor Who audios! It's quite staggering to think that this is Tom Baker's return to the role of the Fourth Doctor because this rather a barmy tale! I liked how we started with Yates and the advert that adorns the synopsis to attract his attention was magnificent with the references to the Giant Maggots and Spiders. The idea of the Master being the one to place the advert by Mrs Wibbsey was fun and she was a great little character who had a strong introduction, even if she wasn't actually around for much of the audio. The concept of the Doctor owning a little house is a lot of fun and that's the case here with Nest Cottage which I am sure will be good as the series rolls on. The reference to Invasion of the Dinosaurs with Yates having lost his captainship at UNIT was nicely done and I enjoyed his talk of the the timelines for the Doctor and how any old version of him could show up at any time. I like having an older Yates as it's an original and unique dynamic, with unique being the operative word for this adventure. A weasel seemingly emerging from the Doctor's throat and being shot before he then calmed and soothed a loose owl. It was all rather strange as we learned the Doctor needed to concentrate and we would learn the link to museums no longer wanting stuffed animals was a big one and something of a rampage. It was slightly ludicrous but fun at the same time. Percy Noggins was a good character and the Doctor soon hunted after him as he was the one to deal with the dead animals. The Doctor wanting answers and going to the source via a corpse-filled lorry was a startling image but I must admit that I loved the idea of stuffed animals being reanimated and filled with hate. Unique doesn't begin to cut it! The Doctor suspecting that Noggins was not the puppet master was good and he came to that conclusion by thinking him a pathetic man which actually seemed in line with the fourth incarnation. Things did get a bit too silly for my liking when the badger infiltrated the cottage but the continued references to the lingering smell of preservatives was good. It kept us guessing but pointing in a direction. The Hornets emerging from the brain of the badger was an unexpected development but it did seem a bit too weird and strange. Maybe that's the intent? Perhaps it's still too early for me to have a full grasp. The Doctor mentioning he was fond of Dodos was nice but I didn't think it was right for him to say he kept one in the form of his First Doctor companion. The insect mentions of the Zarbi and Wirrn were much welcomed and I liked how Noggins was clearly being controlled from within. His masters being seething with the Doctor was good and their beliefs in them merely being empty vehicles was terrific. The Hornets having the ability to take possession of human minds is a dangerous one and I liked that they can alter size at will. Their talking through Noggins was a bit sudden but their comments about not liking being all skeleton and mankind having a lot of flesh to burrow in and provide food and warmth was very disturbing. The mention of the hive was good, although I couldn't understand why such a big deal was made of the revelation that the insects were alien. Wasn't that obvious all along? The Doctor appealing to Percy within himself and the hive was very good and allowed Tom Baker to shine and he realised that all of the stuffed animals contained a shard of the hive mind within. This required a pied piper in the form of Percy which was great and I liked how them all needing to be together explained the stuffed animal 'artwork' throughout the cottage. The cottage contained a force-shield with some TARDS help, although that wasn't around which was intriguing. The Hornets claiming to have met the Doctor before was interesting and with them wanting his mind at their centre, I thought the concept of him having fought them time and time again as he sought brief respite to be really good and it has kept me interested for the next story. The way the Doctor told the story to Yates was delightful and I liked how his cellar brought similarities to his UNIT set up, but now things are ready for the mystery of the dead shoes which sounds just as barmy as this one was. Overall, a decent story that did venture into being too silly on times. Still, a good listen!

Rating: 7/10