Charles Darwin and the Silurian Survival

"Never be sorry for being enthusiastic about what you love."

Writer: L. D. Lapinski 

Format: Novella

Released: October 2024

Series: Icons 02

Featuring: Tenth Doctor

Synopsis

Some discoveries change the world.

Others could end it...

When Charles Darwin lands on the Galápagos Islands after a long voyage, he finds two things that really shouldn't be there. The first is a sunbathing Time Lord. The second is a Silurian skull...

As more Silurians – alive this time – are discovered by Darwin's crew, there is pandemonium. And when the island's volcano starts up, years ahead of schedule, it looks like all-out war.

The Doctor has his hands full. Can he keep Darwin – and his evolutionary theory – alive?

This time, the history of science is at stake.

Verdict

Charles Darwin and the Silurian Survival was a great little novella to continue my way through the Icons series! Whilst I very much did enjoy Frida Kahlo and the Skull Children to kick off the series, this was an iconic figure with whom I am much more familiar! I think it’s a brilliant idea to have Charles Darwin encounter the Silurians and so much so that this isn’t the first time it has happened! I think that’s a fun quirk of the vast depth of the Whoniverse but I loved that Bloodtide was referenced in the Doctor feeling multiple timelines. I thought his proximity to time and fixed points in particular was interesting and it really did showcase the power and burden of being a Time Lord. For the Tenth Doctor, I liked that it was established the events of The Runaway Bride were recent for him having defeated a giant spider and it was quite refreshing for this incarnation to be travelling alone not set during the 2009 Specials. It’s just a little thing but I like the nuance. I loved how Charles Darwin was referred to throughout as a naturalist and it’s a fine description. The title of the novella gives away the surprise in the first chapter but that’s absolutely fine. It’s still a terrific moment and I learned a lot about the scientist. I think it’s a fun quirk for someone who will be a founding father of evolution to have faith and the very existence of the Silurians counters everything religion teaches. The idea of a sentient species that roamed Earth before man is unfathomable to him but he slowly comes around. His dynamic with the Doctor is excellent and I like how inquisitive he is. He can see the potential to learn from the Doctor which is nice but his passion for exploration and learning was honestly infectious. On a much smaller scale, it’s exactly how I feel about the Whoniverse. I want to devour it all. My girlfriend is a huge Doctor Who fan but she won’t touch anything from media other than television, and she questions why I’m bothered about things like the Lady Christina series or Torchwood comics. They’re niche but I want to eventually cover everything even though I’m well aware I probably never will. Darwin having a thirst for knowledge and understanding was magnificent and I liked how even by the end the Silurians understood him. I thought the story itself was incredibly simple but it almost had to be to protect evolution and other Silurian appearances. The 1835 setting was interesting for a Silurian timeline and I thought it was great that the pair alive and kicking here were actually the protectorate of the rest of their sleeping species. So when the volcano started abruptly and threatened their systems, the entire species was under threat. That was quite a shock! The Doctor being on hand to use the TARDIS and his extensive supplies was a pretty simple resolution, but honestly it didn’t need to be anything more. At one hundred pages, this was a breeze to read but it didn’t feel too short which is a big positive. It flowed effortlessly and I liked the jeopardy that accompanied most chapter conclusions. The Silurians being prepared to sink the Galápagos Islands was quite a surprise when it came to their threats, but the secrecy of their species meant everything. Having Darwin swear that he wouldn’t speak a word of their existence was clever in explaining away why his theory stayed sound and I also thought it was good that the rest of the ship crew would just talk of the Silurians as more sailor talk. Nobody would believe them. Darwin offering himself as a hostage was not a big surprise but I admired his courage and my only criticism would be the cover. Why does he look old when it is established this is in his younger days? That’s annoying. It’s also a nice touch to have Darwin mention himself as being of Shrewsbury because that’s a town very close to where I was born and I have visited on countless occasions. Seeing his name as the birthplace on the welcome sign entering will now mean even more. Overall, a terrific little read!

Rating: 8/10