AustLit

'From Neolithic Earth to the furthest reaches of the universe in the far future, Short Trips brings together established Doctor Who authors and first-time writers in a collection of stories exploring the ever-changing worlds of the Doctor and his friends.

Witness the last days of the siege of Masada with the First Doctor and meet the Fourth Doctor's extraordinary 'old flame'. An evil enemy makes life difficult for the Seventh and Third Doctors, and while the Fifth Doctor is under attack on a sinister ship shrouded in fog, the Second may soon be guilty of a grave error of judgement... The Sixth Doctor's hopes of a holiday are dashed when he discovers a pleasure planet is hiding a shocking secret, and the Eighth Doctor is caught up in a deadly drama played out during the construction of Stonehenge.

And of course, that just the beginning...'

Source: drwhoguide.com (http://www.drwhoguide.com/whotrip1.htm). Sighted 20/5/11

'Take a TARDIS trip through the constellations, as the Doctor travels to twelve thrilling tales inspired by the mystical zodiac.

Telepathic fish, miniature lions and twin planets are the least of his problems, as the Doctor -- all eight of him -- faces the Capricorn Killer, endures a mindswap with the Machiavellian Master, and dances with Death herself.

And that's not the half of it -- as the two K9s can attest.'

Source: drwhoguide.com (http://www.drwhoguide.com/whotrip7.htm).

Sighted: 2/6/11

'There are many places that most of us can never see: places that are sheltered, locked away, cordoned off from the outside world. But to the Doctor, and those who travel with him in his TARDIS, there is no such thing as a locked door. Anywhere in space and time is open to them to visit -- even if sometimes it might be better to leave such places well alone.

Steel Skies is a collection of stories based in enclosed and artificial environments: places constructed to keep the dangers of the universe outside, perhaps, or to keep their inhabitants locked in. It is divided into four sections, each exploring a different kind of confinement:

Section One, Flight, comprises four tales of travellers who left their homes for far-away destinations -- to explore, to start a new life, or to fight for the survival of their species.

Section Two, Frontiers, explores the corridors, living quarters and ventilation shafts of four futuristic environments -- designed to shelter men, women and children from harsh natural forces, or from the threat of nuclear war.

Section Three, Incarceration, tells four stories of punishment and imprisonment, from San Francisco's infamous Alcatraz, to the cage of a flightless angel in the dilapidated ruins of Heaven.

Section Four, Isolation, deals with the loneliness and despair of being cut off from the world outside, by physical or mental incapacity, by the ravages of war, or caught between destinations aboard the TARDIS itself.

A recurring theme in all four sections is the effect of the Doctor's arrival in these enclosed environments -- sometimes positive, sometimes less so.'

Source: drwhoguide.com (http://www.drwhoguide.com/whotrip8.htm). Sighted 20/5/11

'Tell me, O Muse, of that many-aspected hero who fled his home world to travel every corner of time and space. Tell me, daughter of Jove, of his battles and his tragedies, of the strangers he encountered and the evil plots he foiled. Speak with laughter, with tears, through songs and visions of the Doctor, the hero and champion of this world and many more.

The nine Muses have since ancient times brought inspiration to those willing to receive it. Nine authors have received the inspiration of the Muses, to speak of the mysterious Time Lord known only as 'the Doctor'. They will tell tales of History, of Dancing, of Comedy and Tragedy, of Sacred Poetry, Epic Poetry and Love Poetry, of Music and Astronomy. May they speak to your hearts.'

Source: drwhoguide.com (http://www.drwhoguide.com/whotrip7.htm).

Sighted: 2/6/11

'Doctor Who began in 1963 with a remit to teach its audience about the past. One of the regular characters was a history teacher -- and the intention was that the series would regularly explore bygone centuries, meet historical figures and interact with our ancestors.

Soon, the TARDIS was making visits to the Roman era, the time of the French Revolution and the pre-Cortez Aztec culture; the Doctor and his companions met cavemen, Marco Polo, Richard the Lionheart and Wyatt Earp.

But just as the Doctor is an alien visitor, so other interlopers from other worlds have found themselves in Earth's past -- some with the intention of changing history.

Past Tense features seventeen tales set on Earth in days gone by. The Doctor finds himself and his fellow travellers in a variety of times and places: involved in international espionage with British and German spies, at the annexation of the Transvaal, watching an Ashes cricket match and mixing with the late-Sixteenth Century theatrical set.

Seeing history happen, learning about its nuances, trying to prevent its corruption, or simply enjoying its atmosphere, our heroes find themselves in exciting adventures wherever -- or whenever -- they go.'

Source: drwhoguide.com (http://www.drwhoguide.com/whotrip9.htm). Sighted 19/5/11

There are monsters everywhere. Sometimes, they are barbaric creatures -- all fangs and claws and teeth. Sometimes, they are surreptitious, subtle, sneaky. They aim to destroy, to scare, to create havoc, to kill.

Monsters can be found in unusual places -- a museum in turn-of-the-century Rome, a convalescence home deep in the English countryside, media organisations -- and in a variety of forms. They're not all slobbering, rampaging beasts -- most attack their prey with means more cunning than violence.

The Doctor and his companions come up against them constantly: they help the victims and defeat the monsters. Most of the time.

Monsters features eleven stories that look at the concept of 'monster'. In this collection, we meet aliens who take delight in manipulating the populace, a creature who lives for eternity, a monster who lives inside marble and monsters who live inside our heroes...

Source: drwhoguide.com (http://www.drwhoguide.com/whotrip12.htm). Sighted: 19/5/11

'From the very beginnings of DNA itself, the essence of life has been renewal and change. As genetic data mutates, replicates, replaces its forerunners and adapts to its environment, the diversity of life is ever-changing, ever-growing. And as we discover more about the processes that make us what we are, so we also gain the power to change them -- and even to create life in new and unfamiliar ways.

With the Doctor, this new world of scientific frontiers opens up into a whole universe of possibilities -- some horrific, some mysterious, some beautiful. A robot discovering its capacity to dream. A living language, expanding to control and subjugate the human population. A life form that connects one universe and another, lurking in the London Underground. Virtual-reality people, living a not-so-virtual life of their own. An auctioneer of body parts, developing his own new life forms from the remains of others. A sentient android, whose form and thoughts have grown from a telepathic link with the occupants of the TARDIS.

The Doctor himself, of course, is not immune to change, and the passage of time takes its toll on his body and his soul. But even as he sees his friends and enemies age and die beside him, his own life is somewhat different -- and every now and again, he becomes an entirely new man...'

'The world is changing for the better, so we're told, and we must change to keep up with it. In 2040, the human race has broken out of Earth's confines, with bases on the moon and manned missions to the furthest planets of our solar system. The terrorist threat is being contained by ever-larger military alliances, crossing the old national boundaries. Wars are fought increasingly without the risk of human error, as military vehicles and weapons learn to think for themselves. Large corporations are increasingly working as the partners of government; the largest of them, Perseus, is leading mankind's struggle to find new sources of energy, and its expansion into outer space.

Meanwhile, though, there are individuals and communities who find their own ways of living through this uncertain age. An artificial intelligence that doesn't want to fight the war it was built for; a special agent with a penchant for catsuits and old-fashioned cars; an isolated community who find meaning in advanced mathematics; an ageing conservationist who lives for his memories of Antarctica. Still worse, there are dissidents and extremist groups intent on sabotaging the cause of expansion, urging governments to "pull back to Earth," and spreading bizarre rumours that Perseus is the advance guard of an alien invasion.

For the most part, these two worlds can coexist in 2040. But there are times and places where they come into conflict, and it's here that the real interest lies. It's also, of course, where we find the Doctor: a frequent visitor, in various guises and with various companions. But is there any pattern or purpose to his visits? And is he here just to observe our future, or to change it?'

Source: drwhoguide.com (http://www.drwhoguide.com/whotrip13.htm). Sighted 20/5/11

'All across the universe, the Doctor is hailed as a hero, a benevolent force, the man who fights the monsters, topples the dictators and frees the oppressed. Repercussions demonstrates an alternative side to this. What if, whilst doing these good, even great, deeds, the Doctor is unwittingly changing the Web of Time. Giving people knowledge they're not supposed to have. Empowering races that should have remained in the dark ages. Overthrowing the evil that, had it continued to flourish, might ultimately have brought together a greater force of good to eradicate itself.'

Source: drwhoguide.com (http://www.drwhoguide.com/whotrip11.htm)

'In the early hours of the morning, a rock star gives a one-off comeback performance within a virtual-reality dreamscape... Over breakfast, a woman waits for the love of her life to walk through the doors of a café... The afternoon sees vital peace talks between two warring factors... A new UNIT recruit faces a terror at dusk on his first day on the job...

A Day in the Life features seventeen stories whose total 'running time' adds up to a single twenty-four-hour period: a fictional 'day in the life of the universe' made up of fragments from throughout time and space.

As we leave one story and join the next, we switch location and era - but not the hands on the clock...'

Source: drwhoguide.com (http://www.drwhoguide.com/whotrip16.htm). Sighted: 19/5/11

'Christmas is a time for many things. For family and old acquaintances. For giving, for receiving, for feasts and celebration. For huddling round the warmth of the fire, sheltered from the dark and the cold outside.

And the monsters.

It's also the busiest time of year for the mysterious Doctor, whether he's caught-up in the violence of ancient Rome, taking Leonardo da Vinci on a day-trip to the stars, or popping in on the very first Christmas on the moon.

Spend Christmas with the Doctor. If you dare.'

Source: drwhoguide.com (http://www.drwhoguide.com/whotrip18.htm). Sighted 20/5/11

'Christmas is a time for festivities, family and fun. It's also a time for action, adventures... and aliens. Spend Christmas with the Doctor as he joins the celebrations around the globe, from the pagan past to the distant future, taking in the frozen waters of the Arctic, the rainforests of Papua New Guinea and even a trip to the planet Gloricious. Christmas is an interesting time of year when the Doctor's about. In fact, it's out of this world.'

Source: drwhoguide.com (http://www.drwhoguide.com/whotrip30.htm).Sighted: 20/5/11

'There is nothing special about Edward Grainger.

His life is much like any other - full of family and friends, love and passion, incidents and turning points. He travels, works, laughs and cries. He has parents, a wife, a child, a grandchild. He lives life to the full.

There is nothing special about Edward Grainger.

Except... from the day he was born, until the day he will die, he keeps meeting the Doctor. Sometimes a different Doctor, sometimes the same Doctor.

There is nothing special about Edward Grainger.'

Source: Publisher's summary, via TARDIS Index File (http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Short_Trips:_The_Centenarian). Sighted: 20/5/11

'Prague has its demons - a city saved from the ravages of war and the Third Reich because of its beauty, it is home to Rabi Loew's Golem, Rudolph II's obsession with finding the elixir of youth, scientific genius in the form of Kepler and Tycho Brahe, and the alchemical obsessions of Magister Kelly.

It is believed that there are magnetic energies whose lines intersect in Prague at several spots. Astronomy, astrology, numerology and magnetic forces have all played a role in building the city - but how will they influence its future?

This is the city rich in history, and full of potential - how will it adapt over the centuries to come? Will it have a glamorous rebirth or wallow in a dystopic nightmare? And what will be the role of the old superstitions in the new world?

For the Doctor and his companions, the answers to these questions are only just the start of further mysteries...'

Source: drwhoguide.com (http://www.drwhoguide.com/whotrip23.htm). Sighted: 20/5/11

'The known universe is home to countless trillions of lives, all interweaving with each other and affecting the line of history. When someone makes a decision, no matter how significant or seemingly irrelevant, they cause unknown effects throughout the ages ...

Perhaps other, unreachable, factors at are play too: does the universe have a destiny? Are we all predetermined to follow a particular path? Do we reap what we sow or is it a case of what will be will be? Are coincidences really just that, or do we miss their deeper meanings?

Everywhere he looks, the Doctor sees the same patterns - the same events, decisions and actions cropping up again and again. Look at the bigger picture, however, and maybe - just maybe - you'll see how the universe works. How the universe lives...

But, as the Doctor and his companions discover, are these patterns really there? Or do we, by the very nature of seeing them, define them?'

Source: drwhoguide.com (http://www.drwhoguide.com/whotrip26.htm). Sighted: 20/5/11

'If you lost the ability to communicate, what would your life be like? Messages, and the media we use to convey them, surround us every minute of every day. Some are meant for us alone, while others are intended to reach the widest possible audience. Some transmissions are intercepted by unintended recipients and never reach their destination. Others get corrupted along the way.

The Doctor knows how important it is to be understood. Whether he is striving to cure a disease that turns words into gibberish, responding to an SOS from the end of time, or unravelling secret messages encoded into the genetic sequences that make up life itself, this is one Time Lord who always knows how to make himself heard.

Listen up. Get the message. Keep this frequency clear.'

Source: drwhoguide.com (http://www.drwhoguide.com/whotrip28.htm). Sighted: 20/5/11

'The schoolboy whose twin brother vanished in the night. A woman whose house teems with alien refugees. The dad who dies every evening...

All through space and time live people, ordinary people, whose lives have been turned upside down.

People who've lost jobs and loved ones, or seen their homes destroyed, or found themselves on whole other planets. They've nothing in common with one another except that their lives can never be the same. Because they're people who've met the Doctor.'

Source: drwhoguide.com (http://www.drwhoguide.com/whotrip29.htm)

Sighted 3/6/11

This is the final anthology in the Short Trips series, and contains one work from each of Big Finish's preceding twenty-eight Short Trips anthologies. Unlike the other anthologies, it does not have a unified theme.