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Doctor Who: The Audio Novels
Doctor Who: Emancipation of the Daleks
Bill Potts has an unexpected visitor: another Bill Potts from twenty years in the future. Bill summons the Doctor, who confirms that the other Bill is the genuine article. She has come to see her younger self for a reason... but she can’t say what it is without creating a paradox!
Moments later, the TARDIS Cloister Bell sounds. A damaged Dalek war saucer is travelling back through the time vortex on a collision course. The Doctor dematerialises the TARDIS to avoid it, only to cause the spaceship to crash-land in Earth’s recent past. When it re-materialises, the TARDIS is now in a world altered beyond recognition. The city of Bristol has been reduced to rubble, save for an interstellar rocket construction site and a top-security research complex. The complex is guarded by ‘Robomen’ and flying security drones piloted by Dalek mutants.
The Doctor quickly realises what has happened. History has been changed, and the Daleks have conquered the Earth, enslaving the human race.
He couldn’t be more wrong. And Bill is about to discover that her past, present and future are no longer her own.
Moments later, the TARDIS Cloister Bell sounds. A damaged Dalek war saucer is travelling back through the time vortex on a collision course. The Doctor dematerialises the TARDIS to avoid it, only to cause the spaceship to crash-land in Earth’s recent past. When it re-materialises, the TARDIS is now in a world altered beyond recognition. The city of Bristol has been reduced to rubble, save for an interstellar rocket construction site and a top-security research complex. The complex is guarded by ‘Robomen’ and flying security drones piloted by Dalek mutants.
The Doctor quickly realises what has happened. History has been changed, and the Daleks have conquered the Earth, enslaving the human race.
He couldn’t be more wrong. And Bill is about to discover that her past, present and future are no longer her own.
Audiobook
First published July 1, 2022
1 person is currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Morris
214 books71 followersJonathan Morris is one of the most prolific and popular writers of Doctor Who books, including the highly-regarded novels 'Festival of Death' and 'Touched by an Angel' and the recent guide to monsters, 'The Monster Vault'. He has also written numerous comic strips, most of which were collected in 'The Child of Time', and audios for BBC Audio and Big Finish, including the highly-regarded comedies 'Max Warp' and 'The Auntie Matter', as well as the adaptation of Russell T Davies’ 'Damaged Goods'.
Recently he has started his own audio production company, Average Romp. Releases include a full-cast adaptation of Charles Dickens' The Chimes', an original play, 'When Michael Met Benny', and three episodes of a SF sitcom, 'Dick Dixon in the 21st Century'.
For details visit www.averageromp.com
He also originated his own series, Vienna and script-edited the Nigel Planer series 'Jeremiah Bourne in Time'. He’s also written documentaries and for TV sketch shows.
Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Recently he has started his own audio production company, Average Romp. Releases include a full-cast adaptation of Charles Dickens' The Chimes', an original play, 'When Michael Met Benny', and three episodes of a SF sitcom, 'Dick Dixon in the 21st Century'.
For details visit www.averageromp.com
He also originated his own series, Vienna and script-edited the Nigel Planer series 'Jeremiah Bourne in Time'. He’s also written documentaries and for TV sketch shows.
Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 2, 2022
I already LOVED Dan Starkey reading the other BBC audiobooks as the 12th Doctor.
His 12th Doctor voice is great, and he is also amazing in showing off all the other character's voices.
Listening to him is like listening to a full cast story.
Plus, this is an enhanced reading, with added music and sound effects, so I forgot quite quickly that this was not full cast.
And we do get a great story, with good pacing and edge-of the seat listening.
Even if it features Daleks. Again.
However, they at least tried to do something different and this story comes close to "Jubilee".
And it gave me a laugh:
The symbol and coat of arms of the glorious Supreme Leader is the Warhammer Chaos Star.
As a Chaos player myself, I heartily approve.
We do have the best costumes.
In conclusion: This is amazing. The performance alone is fantastic.
His 12th Doctor voice is great, and he is also amazing in showing off all the other character's voices.
Listening to him is like listening to a full cast story.
Plus, this is an enhanced reading, with added music and sound effects, so I forgot quite quickly that this was not full cast.
And we do get a great story, with good pacing and edge-of the seat listening.
Even if it features Daleks. Again.
However, they at least tried to do something different and this story comes close to "Jubilee".
And it gave me a laugh:
The symbol and coat of arms of the glorious Supreme Leader is the Warhammer Chaos Star.
As a Chaos player myself, I heartily approve.
We do have the best costumes.
In conclusion: This is amazing. The performance alone is fantastic.
July 31, 2022
Last July, Big Finish launched the Doctor Who audio novels range. Combining the audiobook approach of narrator-read prose with the sound design and music that have become hallmarks of the company's audio dramas, it was an intriguing step, as debut outing Scourge of the Cybermen proved. Followed by the Fourth Doctor and Adric tale Watchers earlier this year, Big Finish's third entry into the range is the first to feature a Doctor from Modern Who, and to its credit, it makes the most of it.
Written by Big Finish and BBC Books veteran Jonathan Morris, Emancipation of the Daleks makes for intriguing listening. Following a very Twelfth Doctor opening scene during his university set portions of series ten, Morris kicks the novel off with a seeming impossibility: Bill Potts receiving a visitation by an older version of herself. It's a rather daring opening move, as Morris admits in the extras, given what fans will know what Bill's eventual fate later on with the Doctor. How such a thing is possible is just the opening move as Morris takes the Doctor and Bills along in an eventual encounter into an alternate timeline with a Dalek-occupied Earth.
Or is it?
Across six hours and three episodes (notionally making this into the equivalent of a three-parter on TV), Morris plays with expectations for both the characters and the listener alike. It's apparent with his treatment of the Daleks, for example. It's odd that Peter Capaldi's Doctor never quite had a proper Dalek story, with Into the Dalek dominated by the malfunctioning Rusty and The Magician's Apprentice/The Witch's Familiar focusing more on Davros and Missy (despite having so many past Dalek types present). Morris consciously kept that in mind while writing this, something that's apparent throughout with the evoking of tropes from several Dalek stories along the way. It's what Morris does with them that's intriguing, from Robomen to shades of Robert Shearman's 2005 episode Dalek.
That said, what Emancipation of the Daleks resembles most is the Big Finish predecessor to that 2005 episode: the 2003 audio Jubilee. That's especially apparent in the middle section of the story as the dystopian alternate present is fleshed out, filling in the gap as to how it has come to pass. Here, Morris puts a less satirical spin on the idea, which gives it a more prescient feel. Exactly why it occurs isn't entirely made clear, especially with the continuity references Morris drops along the way, which slightly undermines things, the path from our recent past to an alternative dystopia is still powerfully portrayed. Factor in a certain degree of time travel shenanigans, and you get the most Steven Moffat Dalek story that Steven Moffat never wrote.
It's also in Big Finish tradition exceedingly well-realized as a production. Dan Starkey, best known as Strax and a reader of Doctor Who audiobooks for BBC Books, serves as narrator to superb effect. His takes on the Doctor and Bill are instantly recognizable, conveying everything from Capaldi's switch between mischievousness or frustration and spot-on delivery of Pearl Mackie's "Wot?" that became almost a hallmark of Bill as a character. Morris gives Starkey some solid prose to read, including some emotional stuff in the back 2/3 of the narrative where Starkey has a chance to show off his range. He's given backing by Nicholas Briggs voicing the Daleks, bringing Skaro's finest to life yet again, including a new type or two. Steven Foxon, who did the sound design and music for Scourge of the Cybermen a year ago, returns as well, heightening the atmosphere without ever getting in the way of prose or performer.
Combining the audiobook approach of narrator-read prose with the sound design and music that have become hallmarks of the company's audio dramas, Emancipation of the Daleks is a palpable hit for Big Finish's Audio Novels. For fans of the Twelfth Doctor and Bill, or the timey-wimey nature of the Moffat era, it's the Dalek story you never knew you needed until you heard it. And trust this reviewer when he says you'll want to hear it.
Written by Big Finish and BBC Books veteran Jonathan Morris, Emancipation of the Daleks makes for intriguing listening. Following a very Twelfth Doctor opening scene during his university set portions of series ten, Morris kicks the novel off with a seeming impossibility: Bill Potts receiving a visitation by an older version of herself. It's a rather daring opening move, as Morris admits in the extras, given what fans will know what Bill's eventual fate later on with the Doctor. How such a thing is possible is just the opening move as Morris takes the Doctor and Bills along in an eventual encounter into an alternate timeline with a Dalek-occupied Earth.
Or is it?
Across six hours and three episodes (notionally making this into the equivalent of a three-parter on TV), Morris plays with expectations for both the characters and the listener alike. It's apparent with his treatment of the Daleks, for example. It's odd that Peter Capaldi's Doctor never quite had a proper Dalek story, with Into the Dalek dominated by the malfunctioning Rusty and The Magician's Apprentice/The Witch's Familiar focusing more on Davros and Missy (despite having so many past Dalek types present). Morris consciously kept that in mind while writing this, something that's apparent throughout with the evoking of tropes from several Dalek stories along the way. It's what Morris does with them that's intriguing, from Robomen to shades of Robert Shearman's 2005 episode Dalek.
That said, what Emancipation of the Daleks resembles most is the Big Finish predecessor to that 2005 episode: the 2003 audio Jubilee. That's especially apparent in the middle section of the story as the dystopian alternate present is fleshed out, filling in the gap as to how it has come to pass. Here, Morris puts a less satirical spin on the idea, which gives it a more prescient feel. Exactly why it occurs isn't entirely made clear, especially with the continuity references Morris drops along the way, which slightly undermines things, the path from our recent past to an alternative dystopia is still powerfully portrayed. Factor in a certain degree of time travel shenanigans, and you get the most Steven Moffat Dalek story that Steven Moffat never wrote.
It's also in Big Finish tradition exceedingly well-realized as a production. Dan Starkey, best known as Strax and a reader of Doctor Who audiobooks for BBC Books, serves as narrator to superb effect. His takes on the Doctor and Bill are instantly recognizable, conveying everything from Capaldi's switch between mischievousness or frustration and spot-on delivery of Pearl Mackie's "Wot?" that became almost a hallmark of Bill as a character. Morris gives Starkey some solid prose to read, including some emotional stuff in the back 2/3 of the narrative where Starkey has a chance to show off his range. He's given backing by Nicholas Briggs voicing the Daleks, bringing Skaro's finest to life yet again, including a new type or two. Steven Foxon, who did the sound design and music for Scourge of the Cybermen a year ago, returns as well, heightening the atmosphere without ever getting in the way of prose or performer.
Combining the audiobook approach of narrator-read prose with the sound design and music that have become hallmarks of the company's audio dramas, Emancipation of the Daleks is a palpable hit for Big Finish's Audio Novels. For fans of the Twelfth Doctor and Bill, or the timey-wimey nature of the Moffat era, it's the Dalek story you never knew you needed until you heard it. And trust this reviewer when he says you'll want to hear it.
September 5, 2022
Emancipation of the Daleks is definitely my favorite audio novel yet, at least one that's been released individually. (Terror of the Master, released as part of the limited edition box set for Masterful last year, is still my favorite overall.) There's a lot that I loved about this story.
First of all, Jonathan Morris has written an extremely solid Dalek story. After almost sixty years, it can be difficult for a new Dalek story to feel fresh. And indeed, Morris's story does borrow elements from some of the best Dalek stories, particularly The Power of the Daleks and Day of the Daleks. But it uses those elements in an extremely fresh way, exploring a different kind of alternate timeline story altogether. The result is a story that appeals with its familiar elements while still feeling brand new.
Another reason the story works so well is how Morris explores this world he's created, splitting the story across 3 parts. Each part not only contains many twists and turns but is also well-paced, taking the story in a different direction. It was certainly a great way of holding my attention for all 6 hours.
Lastly, I have to commend how good Dan Starkey is as a narrator. He tells the story with not only a great deal of energy and enthusiasm, but he also brings so much life to every character he reads. I was particularly impressed by his Twelfth Doctor voice. It's not perfect, but it does a great job of capturing the rhythms and energy of Capaldi's voice.
If you haven't tried the audio novels yet, then Emancipation of the Daleks is a great place to start. It's a strong Dalek story that combines the best of classic and new Who; it captures the unique era of Series 10 perfectly, and it's perfectly narrated. An excellent story that held my attention throughout.
First of all, Jonathan Morris has written an extremely solid Dalek story. After almost sixty years, it can be difficult for a new Dalek story to feel fresh. And indeed, Morris's story does borrow elements from some of the best Dalek stories, particularly The Power of the Daleks and Day of the Daleks. But it uses those elements in an extremely fresh way, exploring a different kind of alternate timeline story altogether. The result is a story that appeals with its familiar elements while still feeling brand new.
Another reason the story works so well is how Morris explores this world he's created, splitting the story across 3 parts. Each part not only contains many twists and turns but is also well-paced, taking the story in a different direction. It was certainly a great way of holding my attention for all 6 hours.
Lastly, I have to commend how good Dan Starkey is as a narrator. He tells the story with not only a great deal of energy and enthusiasm, but he also brings so much life to every character he reads. I was particularly impressed by his Twelfth Doctor voice. It's not perfect, but it does a great job of capturing the rhythms and energy of Capaldi's voice.
If you haven't tried the audio novels yet, then Emancipation of the Daleks is a great place to start. It's a strong Dalek story that combines the best of classic and new Who; it captures the unique era of Series 10 perfectly, and it's perfectly narrated. An excellent story that held my attention throughout.
November 28, 2022
This Big Finish audio drama was a good entry into the Doctor Who lore. For those who did not care for Capaldi’s Doctor because of his gruffness which sometimes came off as rude, it paints the Doctor in a new light. You see a bit of that carefree attitude usually associated with David Tennant or Matt Smith’s years as the time-traveling alien.
Through the writing, you also feel completely immersed in this adventure, with descriptions and dialogue that paint a world you can easily see in your mind’s eye. However, this is also a story that gets easily complicated if you get distracted from the story. This drama is almost seven hours long, which I would not recommend attempting to listen to in one sitting. instead, breaking it up into an hour or ninety-minute increments worked best for me and helped build the anticipation.
Read the full review at: https://www.thecosmiccircus.com/revie...
Through the writing, you also feel completely immersed in this adventure, with descriptions and dialogue that paint a world you can easily see in your mind’s eye. However, this is also a story that gets easily complicated if you get distracted from the story. This drama is almost seven hours long, which I would not recommend attempting to listen to in one sitting. instead, breaking it up into an hour or ninety-minute increments worked best for me and helped build the anticipation.
Read the full review at: https://www.thecosmiccircus.com/revie...
May 30, 2025
This one really had my attention. Dan Starkey should’ve voiced the Twelfth Doctor in The Doctor Chronicles. This particular story takes place after the first three episodes of series 10. Was a bit confusing when a future version of Bill showed up, given what we know of her fate, but then it made sense later on. It does still get confusing given the time travel nature of it all. But it’s handled poignantly. Were even reminded that this Doctor doesn’t trust huge. Also mentions of Star Trek and Back to the Future.
February 5, 2023
The story suffers from gentler pacing because of the episode breakdown, and while the world-building is interesting, it does come at the cost of sidelining the central characters, who don’t always sound like themselves. The approach to the Daleks is innovative, though the alt-history feels similar to the Monk trilogy at times. Starkey is a brilliant narrator.
August 16, 2023
Exceptional story. Brilliantly mimics the structure and storytelling style of Capaldi years. Very clever idea, striking characters. A paradox storyline that seems to work properly. Big thumbs up.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews