Daleks! Genesis of Terror

"It seems even the dead have a part to play in this war."

Writer: Terry Nation

Format: Audio

Released: May 2023

Series: Lost Stories 7.02

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane, Harry

Synopsis

In a paved garden outside time, the Doctor is presented with an awful prophecy: the conquest of all time by the Daleks. To prevent this terrible fate, the Time Lords have decided on a radical course – to weaponise time themselves, and destroy the Daleks before they were ever created. And they want the Doctor to carry out this extraordinary task! 

Soon, he and his companions Sarah and Harry are on the battle-ravaged planet Skaro, where a war has been raging for centuries. The war is now waged by teenagers using the last surviving weapons. Everything is desperate. But the Kaled's chief scientist has a new weapon that he things might just change everything...

Verdict

Daleks! Genesis of Terror was an intriguing Lost Story, if that is what it even could be described as. I remember being a little surprised when this was announced and released a few years ago and after seeing that it was just part one that was retold in full cast version, I decided against purchasing. I don't think the reviews were all that favourable and I think that was mainly down to the marketing. It wasn't clear that this wasn't a full release in the same vain as The Ark was in its alternate version of The Ark in Space as part of the same Lost Stories series and I do think that criticism is fair. I've still been fascinated what this story would be like to experience though and with this being reduced to less than £4 as part of a recent clearance sale at Big Finish, it was time to dive in and explore. It's unique that's for sure and is unlike any other Big Finish release, but I'm not convinced it really constitutes being within this series. I mean, the story was made! And it's an absolutely revered classic. It's talked about as one of the all time greats and whilst I don't quite hold it on such a high pedestal, I know it's excellent. So this being an early version of the story isn't something I would constitute as being 'lost'. The story just evolved like any other script does with early drafts. So I'm not sure this actually needed to be released and I imagine the decision to keep stage directions in as read by Nicholas Briggs was to help differentiate it from Genesis of the Daleks. This version of part one did work well and I liked the retelling of the concept. The stakes feel a little darker and the Time Lords a little shadier than what we saw on screen which was good. I also liked how the image in my mind of the barren landscape and the mines on Skaro was reminiscent of what we saw on screen in The Magician's Apprentice/The Witch's Familiar. It's good to have those modern visuals now and apply them backwards to stories like these. I thought Nyder was glorious and he's such a strong character so any new content with him is welcomed in my book. And even though it was just a glimpse, getting to hear Davros is always a delight. The first insight into the creator of the Daleks here is terrific. I love the concept behind the Thousand Year War between the Kaleds and Thals and just being on Skaro at a time where the Kaleds are in play is exciting. I think it helps that I've not long read Dawn of the Daleks where that was prominent so revisiting the televised story in alternative means was a nice delve into nostalgia. I wouldn't say all that much was altered on a grand scale and the gist of the story is still very much there, but it is fun to explore the description of the early Daleks and the first sight of them as primitive and without their sucker. That's not quite the Daleks we know and it's certainly not what we saw of them in Destination: Skaro! I thought the guest cast did a fine job here but I do think the flow was somewhat interrupted by the stage directions even if they were really fascinating to hear. I do think the decision to have cast readings of the subsequent five parts was a little strange as I'm not sure what benefit they were to the release. It just felt like a huge jump ahead after a strong opening part and then wham, ten minutes later and we've reached the end of part six! I think if this was sold as just part one but an extended and earlier draft version, then it would have been much better received. Thankfully I'm listening three years after release and fully aware of what it entails. I enjoyed it and it was certainly different, even if I'm not convinced it was needed! Overall, a good little listen.

Rating: 7/10