Dimension 13

"None of this is real."

Writer: David Llewellyn 

Format: Audio

Released: January 2026

Series: Audio Novellas 1.02

Featuring: Third Doctor, Liz, Brigadier

Synopsis

The Doctor, Liz and the Brigadier investigate disappearances and strange time phenomena at Shackleton Base in Antarctica. But when the Doctor discovers the source of the temporal problems, he realises the only solution might be the ultimate sacrifice...

Verdict

Dimension 13 was another decent story to conclude my listening of the first series of Audio Novellas! This was another intriguing story that kept with a similar theme to the opener of The Time-Splitters in that it dealt with different dimensions. The previous release was all about time and this was more about stepping sideways which was exciting. I really liked the mystery that came from the Doctor, Liz and the Brigadier experiencing a world that was mirrored. That sounded like it would be incredibly disorienting and it's such a good concept. I just wish it might have happened in a format that was more visual! It was good to get the Antarctica setting and I was almost hoping we would have had a reference to The Tenth Planet given how traumatic this continent is for the Doctor as the sight of his first regeneration. That didn't come but it was still good to explore the Shackleton Base as it's not a usual setting by any means. It was also good to basically have the Brigadier isolated from the rest of UNIT apart from on his communication device. The lead trio were really strong and it's clear that the events of Doctor Who and the Silurians are still a touchy subject amongst them as when the Brigadier ordered a nuclear strike here the Doctor wasn't best pleased. The military answer for everything! I thought the creatures in this story were a little strange in that they were somewhere between a human and an emperor penguin which was pretty difficult to imagine. It was a fun thought though for a humanoid waddling along! I thought the discussion on different dimensions was really good and it's always something that intrigues me. How might we be viewed by beings of more than three dimensions? Would we be seen in the same way we see two-dimensional things? It's a fun concept that can become a little difficult to comprehend at times which I like in terms of the mental challenge. The story perhaps goes a little far in reaching the thirteenth dimension but I can understand why that number was chosen when it came to its beings constantly barraging and barging there way into other dimensions. That was fun to think about and I liked the idea of being dimensionally menacing. I thought Jon Culshaw did a pretty good job with the narration but I must say I think it was perhaps a little long for his impressions of both the Third Doctor and the Brigadier. I don't want to say they overlapped, but it would have been beneficial to have another actor present to break things up a little as even his narration just sounded like the Brig. I thought the story started really strong and perhaps fizzled out by the last half an hour or so which was a shame. Delving into memories was good and particularly harking back to the Doctor's thoughts on The War Games and how things were being forcibly remembered not as they happened was good and allowed Culshaw a brief go at impersonating Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor too. The Doctor was never going to lose a battle of the minds internally no matter what he was up against across any number of dimensions. The Brigadier going gung-ho and wanting nuclear strikes is always a good contrast to the Doctor wanting to use his mind. The dynamic between them was good and it's a shame that Liz felt a little lost at times. It's probably more so the nature of the format. I thought the concept at the heart of the story was a strong one but like the other story in the range, it just didn't feel like it maintained momentum which was a shame. This was still a good listen with a fun premise at its heart, but I just know it could have been more too! A good listen regardless and I certainly hope the range continues! 

Rating: 7/10