Save the Earth

"Death by fashion."

Writer: Beth Axford

Format: Short Trips

Released: October 2025

Printed in: The Adventures After 08

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor

Synopsis

Discover what happened after...

A remarkable collection of new Doctor Who short stories that give a glimpse into the moments just after the Doctor saves the world, and the credits roll.

The Doctor has had many adventures, visited many planets and made a whole host of friends (and some enemies). 

But if you thought it was all over after the TARDIS doors closed, and the time ship dematerialised, onto the next adventure, you'd be very much mistaken.

From Earth's past, present and future, to the furthest reaches of the universe, here are eight tales that give us a glimpse into the worlds the Doctor left behind. Sometimes triumph, sometimes tragedy (and always chaos) these are stories you'll never forget.

Verdict

Save the Earth was a great story to conclude The Adventures After collection of short stories! Whilst this was a very strong adventure as my rating suggests, I must say it felt like a bit of a stretch to call this a sequel to Kill the Moon. It's clear it takes place immediately afterwards from the Doctor's perspective with Clara not currently travelling with him as she was rightfully hurt and outraged at his actions in putting her in a position that could have resulted in disaster. He did seem a little apologetic internally here which was good and I liked the link back to him still feeling new in this incarnation following his regeneration in The Time of the Doctor and still proving himself to Clara by having his previous self call her in Deep Breath. That was really good but all of this came in the first page and then the story was bookended by him thinking that Clara might have forgiven him. All of the while an entirely different story took place! That was no problem I just find it amusing to consider this a sequel when it really isn't. A sequel would be a story set on Earth just after the events of the Moon laying an egg and dealing with any consequences of the action that Clara helped take. This was just a follow on in terms of feelings for the Doctor and as I say, this was still a terrific little story it is just perhaps in the wrong collection. I think the idea of the story is actually quite similar to Becky's Impossible Day also by Beth Axford in The Adventures Before collection as a Rose sequel. That dealt with colour in a similar way to which fabric was used here. I like the concept a lot and the threat posed by something consuming itself within the fabrics of the planet is incredibly strong because it really is everywhere! That's a frightening concept. I enjoyed Simi as the stand in companion for the story and I thought the characterisation of the Twelfth Doctor was captured really well when she was trying to return the map that he had dropped. He wasn't even acknowledging her but when she pointed out she had experience of the spot marked X and Ed going missing, the Doctor was all ears. I liked that a lot and it was also lovely to read how much Simi was basically in awe of him as everything was materialising. The Ethanes were pretty funky as a threat but I liked that what they were doing wasn't intentional. In a short story I feel like that actually works well because it takes the stakes down a little. Sure, the Doctor was pretty blunt about Ed being dead and the way it happened with the build up of the Ethanes transferring and they needed to be stopped, and that was something that Simi was keen to prevent further. No more deaths. She had a purpose and I liked that she was able to help the Doctor. Providing the suggesting of sending them back through the tear in which they had arrived was good and utilising the Doctor's pockets as being dimensionally transcendental was pretty amusing I must say! The Shoreditch focus was good and harking back to An Unearthly Child with the Foreman references of the location was lovely. I'm always a sucker for that. Simi helping in a big way to save the planet and help the Doctor with the jacket and drawing the Ethanes in was good but I wasn't expecting her to be hospitalised by the process and the effect! Overall though, a really strong story with a very good concept at its heart.

Rating: 8/10