Doctor Who: The Guardian of the Solar System

The Companion Chronicles #5.01

by Simon Guerrier, Jean Marsh (Narrator), Niall MacGregor (Narrator)

Space Security Agent Sara Kingdom is dead, her ashes strewn on the planet Kembel. But, in an old house in Ely, Sara Kingdom lives on…

Now joined in the house by her confidante Robert, Sara recalls her travels in the TARDIS with the Doctor – and a particular adventure when the ship appeared to land inside a giant clock, where old men are caught in its workings…

And behind this nightmare is an old enemy: Mavic Chen, Guardian of the Solar System.

Then and now, Sara's past is catching up with her. The cogs have come full circle…

Genres: Doctor Who, Science Fiction, Audiobook, Fiction

1 pages, Audio CD

First published July 31, 2010

About the author

Simon Guerrier is a British science fiction author and dramatist, closely associated with the fictional universe of Doctor Who and its spinoffs. Although he has written three Doctor Who novels, for the BBC Books range, his work has mostly been for Big Finish Productions' audio drama and book ranges.

Guerrier's earliest published fiction appeared in Zodiac, the first of Big Finish's Short Trips range of Doctor Who short story anthologies. To date, his work has appeared in the majority of the Short Trips collections. He has also edited three volumes in the series, The History of Christmas, Time Signature and How The Doctor Changed My Life. The second of these takes as its starting-point Guerrier's short story An Overture Too Early in The Muses. The third anthology featured stories entirely by previously unpublished writers.

After contributing two stories to the anthology Life During Wartime in Big Finish's Bernice Summerfield range of books and audio dramas, Guerrier was invited to edit the subsequent year's short story collection, A Life Worth Living, and the novella collection Parallel Lives. After contributing two audio dramas to the series, Guerrier became the producer of the Bernice Summerfield range of plays and books, a post he held between January 2006 and June 2007.

His other Doctor Who work includes the audio dramas, The Settling and The Judgement of Isskar, in Big Finish's Doctor Who audio range, three Companion Chronicles and a contribution to the UNIT spinoff series. He has also written a play in Big Finish's Sapphire and Steel range.

Guerrier's work is characterised by character-driven humour and by an interest in unifying the continuity of the various Big Finish ranges through multiple references and reappearances of characters. As editor he has been a strong promoter of the work of various script writers from the Seventh Doctor era of the Doctor Who television series

Reviews

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another surreal adventure with Sara Kingdom, or at least with the spirit (soul?) of Sara Kingdom. I’ve not been particularly impressed with these Companion Chronicles. They’ve been well designed and developed, I just haven’t cared for this particular narrative perspective.
And in this particular case, I wasn’t rather taken with the whole clockworks motif. So it didn’t really work for me.

[Paulo "paper books only" · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great story. This trilogy is undoubtly one of the very best I've heard so far. I have yet to hear a lot but this one is full of sadness, nostaligic moments that make you cringe and wanna cry a little for Sara Kingdom... well for a house.

This tale begins eleven years after the last one. Sara saved the little girl and Robert as promised stay at the house. But at 21 the daughter of Robert wanted to leave and Robert stay alone with the house, never getting old, never waning... But one day he said to Sara that he wanted to leave and she asks him if he could hear a last tale and he said he would.

She tells him of a tale about a time when traveling with the Doctor they went back in time (one year to be precise) and met his older brother, the one she killed and the man who ordered it. This tale deals with time travelling consequences and the old question if you go back in time could you kill your grandfather? What would happened. In this tale Sara Kingdom realizes that all that his happened was because of her. It seems there was a clock worked by prisoners that made travelling between galaxies possible and only with it the human empire could exist, the man who would betray to the Daleks didn't want the human empire to depend on anyone. But Sara, Doctor and Steven didn't like the idea of the clock enslaving people so Sara (mostly Sara, because the Doctor and Steven were caught on the clock) destroyed it - catalysing Mavic Chen making a pact with the Daleks.

Inbetween this story we have the story of Sara Kingdom (House) and Robert. In the midst Robert who wanted to leave the house transfered his body to the House making Sara Kingdom live again and she left the house but after 2 days with no means to leave the island she returns. As Sara unfolds the story, I've told previsouly she cames to realization that what she wants was absolution or peace and then the House (now Robert) makes the Doctor appear on the Tardis and asks Sara... So are you ready to face him? Leaving an open ending on this tale...

[Nicolas Lontel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Une belle fin pour cette "trilogie" autour de Sara Kingdom (dont je n'ai évidemment jamais vu les apparitions télévisuelles). Ça fait probablement quelques années que je n'avais pas écouté les précédents, mais après un bref moment de confusion, j'ai tout de suite accroché et pu continuer l'écoute sans problème.

Comme dans les autres "companion chronicles" et les autres audio de ce cycle, la narration de l'aventure est introduite comme narration à l'intérieur même de l'histoire et cette fois-ci, Sara a un peu plus de place pour parler d'elle-même et de ses choix de vie. Il y a deux retournements de situation intéressants pour faire évoluer le personnage de Sara, un au milieu et un à la toute fin, et l'histoire racontée est assez intéressante, très imagée et métaphoriques par moment (grosso modo: il y a un horloge géante dans laquelle il est impossible de s'échapper) et effectue un bon parallèle pour l'évolution psychologique du personnage. Robert, dans cet épisode, sert vraiment plus de miroir qu'il agit sur la narration ou la reflète d'une quelconque manière ce qui n'est pas si grave non plus, on voit vraiment que tout est concentré sur le personnage de Sara.

Cette trilogie (Doctor Who: Home Truths, Doctor Who: The Drowned World & The Guardian of the Solar System) est un très bel hommage au personnage de Sara Kingdom avec une présentation originale (la maison hantée) et une atmosphère vraiment unique. Ça fait définitivement parti des bonnes séries Doctor Who de Big Finish Productions à écouter.

[Nicholas Whyte · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the third of the series of audio plays by Simon Guerrier produced by Big Finish as part of their Companion Chronicle series, bringing back Jean Marsh as the short-lived Sara Kingdom, who originally appeared in Doctor Who for a few weeks at the end of 1965 and start of 1966, paired with Scottish actor Niall MacGregor as Robert, a constant visitor to the far-future house in the fens which appears to be haunted by Sara's ghost.

The first two stories took the established Sara story from The Daleks' Master Plan and twisted it slightly sideways. Here the story is definitely twisted backwards, and we get a lot more illumination not only into Sara's character - she must always bear the guilt of killing her own brother - but also into the motivations of Mavic Chen, the eponymous Guardian of the Solar System, and one of the most effective villains ever to appear in Doctor Who.

There's also a fantastic image of elderly prisoners forced to maintain a gigantic clock - I thought this might be based on Aldiss's Wheel of Kharnabar from Helliconia Winter, but it turns out to be inspired partly by The Hudsucker Proxy (which I haven't seen) and partly by John Noakes cleaning Big Ben on Blue Peter. (This is revealed by Guerrier in the extras track, where we also find out that Jean Marsh never actually saw her own episodes due to a) not having a television at the time and b) being very short-sighted.)

It doesn't all make perfect sense, and the three stories will probably confuse listeners who know nothing of The Daleks' Master Plan. But I enjoyed it.

[TheTimeScales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of classic, essential Sara Kingdom trilogy.
OVERALL TRILOGY RATING 5/5.

Again, like the previous installment in the Sara Kingdom Trilogy, things really gel in the second episode. A rather perfect balance between framing story and individual story, yet more of an expansion of the former and of course the trilogy conclusion.

It’s also a balance or mixture somewhat between the styles of Home Truths and The Drowned World in this regard, making this story a fine solution and all releases and excellent set.

Once you can truly embrace Home Truths, I recommend making your way forward to this release for a deservedly classic audioplay trilogy. The element to really appreciate or savor in Guardian is Jean Marsh’s amazing performance in maintaining her unique character Sara Kingdom all these decades latter. The final moment is perfection.
This was 4/5.

Director: Lisa Bowerman
Writer: Simon Guerrier

[Mikael Kuoppala · Rating 4 out of 5]

The concluding tale in the innovative Sara Kingdom trilogy, “The Guardian of the Solar System” explores the same ontological questions already presented in “The Drowned World”. Simon Guerrier writes with confidence, bringing Sara’s fate to a fascinating conclusion. Everything comes together and Sara is confronted with her past as well as the question of her very own existence.

[Billy Martel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The “Darth Plagueis” of Dalek Masterplan. Sadly the one Sarah Kingdom fannon entry that I’ve liked so far. Still very confused by the framing device but I’m sure there’s probably some other big finish context I’m missing for it.

[Joseph S · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not know this was part of a trilogy until reading the reviews before establishing mine.

The story was fine. Good even. But it was just the one voice for almost the duration of the story.

[Steven Shinder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably my favorite out of these Sara Kingdom Companion Chronicles.

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Guardian of the Solar System is the third audio in the Doctor Who Sara Kingdom First Doctor Trilogy. The audio is performed by Jean Marsh as Sara and Niall MacGregor as Robert. I also listened to it about a week ago and this is the first chance I've had to sit down and write my review.
Anyway, Sara and Robert have switched places and now Sara is alive and Robert is the spirit of the House - and even though Sara was able to leave the house she still cannot leave the Island of Ely because there are no boats or other ways off the Island. So again, Sara must tell Robert a story.
Sara tells Robert how she, Steven, and the Doctor landed on her Earth, a year or two before she originally met the Doctor. On Earth, there is a massive Grandfather Clock that is the balance to the hyperspace lanes - it keeps the entire system going and the Earth Empire depends on it for trade and commerce. The hyperspace lanes are essential to Earth. However, the Clock is fed old men - grandfathers, literally. The men work the Clock, and the Clock balances the system. The ticking of the clock underpins the CD, and the sound had started at the end of the previous volume.
Sara does try to change things at first, especially trying to warn her brother, Bret Vyon, but he of course doesn't believe her. Sara also gets an "audience" with Mavic Chen, who explains the importance of the Clock. Sara realizes that, even though the Clock is a great evil, she can't destroy it - because that will lead to the greater evil of Chen throwing in with the Daleks. But she also sees the inevitability of it all. Sara goes to stop the Doctor and Steven - but she is too late, and they are assisting the old men in their sabotage of the Clock. In the end, the Grandfather Clock is destroyed and the Doctor, Steven and Sara escape in the TARDIS.
Back at the house, Robert asks what Sara wants ... what she wishes for. Then we here the sounds of the TARDIS landing in the House. And the story ends open-ended, with Sara needing to decide - Will she open the TARDIS door?
I enjoyed this story, and, in fact, the entire trilogy. It's was wonderful to see a story with Sara Kingdom (especially as "The Daleks' Masterplan" is one of those stories that no longer exists). The third volume brings in lines and situations from the previous two volumes, sometimes reversing them. In a sense, the entire story is a circle - and I liked that as well. The trilogy is highly, highly recommended, especially for Classic Doctor Who fans.

[Jamieson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably the weakest of this trilogy, though by no means a bad story. The TARDIS arrives in a giant clock that keeps the Earth Empire running on time a year before Sara Kingdom met the Doctor. The main story gives a reason for Mavic Chen to enter into an alliance as seen in The Daleks' Master Plan and shows some of Sara's character growth. The framing story is the more interesting for me and I really wish that they'd picked up the thread that ended the story in which Sara is released from the house and leaves with an unspecified incarnation of the Doctor. It's a good story, though I enjoyed Doctor Who: Home Truths and Doctor Who: The Drowned World more. All together, they make an excellent trilogy set between episodes 7 and 8 of The Daleks' Master Plan.

[Jamie Revell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A First Doctor story from the perspective of the late Sara Kingdom.

This is the last part of Simon Guerrier's "Sara Kingdom" trilogy of Companion Chronicles, and it might be the weakest... but only because it's up against some remarkably stiff competition. Here, Sara recounts a tale of the TARDIS arriving on a space station just a year before she met the Doctor. The space station takes the form of a giant mechanical clock, maintained by slave workers, and somehow responsible for Earth's FTL technology.

The clock, however, is a metaphor for predestination, and this is the theme that runs through the story. Sara is understandably keen to reverse her past mistakes before they happen, but the world just keeps on ticking inexorably forward. "I had no choice" is a common refrain, reflected in the framing device for the story. This time there's no real sense of the world outside, as in the previous two parts, but that only emphasises how trapped Sara and her interlocutor are.

This does make the story somewhat grim, although it's worth noting that the ending is intentionally left open, in counterpoint to the main theme.

[Juan Fernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic ending to the Sara Kingdom trilogy. The ‘timey wimey’ plot is clear and makes good sense, giving Sara the closure she needs around murdering her brother, Bret, in the TV story. Though, of course, she never really achieves the closure she thinks she craves……It also lends fuel to the backstory around why Mavic Chen sold himself out to the Daleks. The tying up of these threads adds to the sheer wonder and scale of ‘The Dalek Masterplan’. The original features of the story are stunning too - the clock that powers the hyperspace links and holds people prisoner; Sara’s fate and her exchange with Robert; the appearance of the Tardis, opening up the possibility of more stories - all of it is plausible and engaging. A great story, beautifully read by Jean Marsh. Sara Kingdom lives on!!!!! 😘

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely conclusion to this series. Without giving too much away the twist that came half way through the episode made it really interesting. The ending was sublime. I admit I've not seen Sarah's episodes but I still managed to follow along the storyline just fine. The clock full of old men was really visually stunning especially for an audio. It was a lovely character piece and really such lovely developments and themes.

[Anne Barwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really liking the tone and set up behind these Sara Kingdom stories - they're a story behind the stories she tells of her travels with The Doctor and Steven. Jean Marsh does a great job reprising the role. Looking forward to hearing more.

[Sara Habein · Rating 5 out of 5]

As much as I love the Eighth Doctor audio adventures, this (along with its first 2 parts) is the best storyline I've heard from Big Finish... And not just because of my undying love for Jean Marsh. The writing is great, the sound, all of it. Beyond recommend all three for any Doctor Who fan.

[Debra Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

This had a very interesting ending to this trilogy. It was also a great story in its own.

[Luiz Santiago · Rating 1 out of 5]

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