Reviews

Doctor Who: The Genocide Machine by Mike Tucker

librarycobwebs's review

adventurous reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

corria's review

4.0

Fun and great to listen to while traveling for holidays. Would listen to it again.

lavender_ani's review

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

timelordash92's review

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

faiazalam's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

rjschwabe's review

2.0

I didn't care for this one. Convoluted and boring. The characters repeating ignorant actions only for the most selfish of reasons. Just blah. Was glad to be done with this one.

nwhyte's review

The Seventh Doctor and Ace visit a ginormous library and confront the Daleks. Excellent. I loved: the Daleks themselves; the concept of a library storing all knowledge in the galaxy (impossible though I know it to be); the duplicate Ace demonstrating the Sophie Aldred can act (something I have occasionally had cause to doubt); and especially the many many references to other Dalek series - jungle planet with unseen indigenous species (Daleks' Master Plan), Daleks modified by their own plan who turn against the leadership (Evil of the Daleks), the Doctor's references to the interests of the Time Lords and the Matrix (Deadly Assassin), and a slight nod forward to the Dalek absorbing all human knowledge in 2005's Dalek story. Was this the first time Nick Briggs did the Dalek voices? He's very good. My one quibble is that I found it difficult to tell apart Louise Falkner, playing Bev Tarrant (who I understand is a recurring Big Finish character) and Sophie Aldred as Ace. Probably my hearing.

meganmargoking's review

2.0

Wasn't a fan of this one at all. Way too much screaming and weird stereo dialogue. Wish I had enjoyed it more.

kateofmind's review

4.0

This is the best Seven story I've yet heard, with a first class take on the "what if this useful tool is actually a sentient life form" thang. The guest characters were good (though Elgin got tiresome) and Ace gets to blow up ALL THE THINGS, and be eeevil for a while, too!

kmccubbin's review

2.0

This reminds me of a televised Third Doctor story, The Day of the Daleks... without being a fraction as interesting. The Day of the Daleks was an interesting mystery about time-travel paradoxes and political intrigue in which the Daleks are shoehorned in at the last minute. All in all it survives the stretch and is pretty fun. The Genocide Machine simply FEELS like the Daleks were added later in the process and, as a result, feels incredibly awkward as a narrative. You can hear in these early Big Finish stories the production team desperately trying to deal with sound. They try and tame it. They try to use it as a character. In this story, they try to use it to set a mood. (Eventually they'll get all these things working together, mostly.) And the mood works, sadly against the narrative, but it works on it's own. But at the end of the day the cacophony of far too broad of ideas (The library that knows EVERYTHING! Information water!) neither holds together nor suits the Daleks.
On the plus side, Sylv and Sophie have really started to hit their groove and Lousie Faulkner as Bev Tarrant gives a valiant performance in a pretty thankless part.

The precursor to the "Dalek Empire" series of audio dramas.