Review by Daniel Mansfield

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The Short Trips range returns with six stories written by faces (mostly) new to Big Finish! The boxset opens with Dark Watchers of California by Riley Silverman, a brooding story set in the mountains of Big Sur, where dark forces are roaming. Silverman’s script deals with the persecution of LGBT+ people in 1960s America, following a young woman called Susie as she wrestles with the guilt she has been made to feel simply for being who she is. It’s a tough listen at times, but stories like this need to be told, especially at moments like this when homophobia and transphobia continue to rear their ugly heads across the world.

Narrated by Rebecca Root, who plays Doctor Who‘s first transgender companion, Tania Bell, and featuring Bill Potts, TV Who’s first lesbian companion, this story is not only an exploration of the struggles of the LGBT+ community, but a celebration of their place in Doctor Who, and indeed the world. Hard-hitting and with a righteous fury at its heart, Dark Watchers of California is a bold, thought-provoking way to open this boxset.

When I Say Run by Ben Tedds is an altogether lighter tale, read in the second person by Clare Corbett. This makes the listener really feel part of the adventure, with Corbett’s narrator addressing us as if we truly are meeting the Doctor and fighting monsters. While it falters slightly towards the end, this story is delightfully creative, with Tedds introducing us to a race of aliens plotting to drain humanity’s electricity through a motivational running app. It’s such an offbeat idea, but it really works and is one of those stories that could really only be told on audio. Without a doubt the highlight of the set.

Rise of the Eukaryans by Daniel Hardcastle is a similarly light affair, seeing the life of health and safety-obsessed Jean turned upside down when her own face appears burnt into her morning slice of toast and the Doctor comes to call. There’s are people made of dough, a sentient croissant and a very important lunch bag in the fridge – Doctor Who doesn’t get sillier than this, or more creative, and Laura Aikman brings the story to life perfectly, even if her impression of Matt Smith‘s Eleventh Doctor is a little wobbly. Funny, quirky and even a little emotional at one point, this is another gem of a story.

Paul Booth‘s Ahead of Time has a great idea at its heart – paradoxical gemstones that let people travel in time – but doesn’t quite stand up to the other stories in this set. India Fisher narrates beautifully, but the story itself isn’t very memorable, nor are the characters who inhabit it. Emerald Isle by Christian Markham suffers from similar problems, giving us a Caribbean-set adventure on the island of Montserrat which, despite some good ideas, falls short of greatness. Despite a nice twist and evocative narration by Kaye Brown, there isn’t much story to this one, even with some of the revelations it gives us about Ace’s family.

The set ends on a high note with Dark is the Devil that Walks by Mags L Halliday, a story about fossil hunters who find themselves plagued by a dark figure. This is a lovely piece, narrated by Janet Fielding, with a touch of melancholy and a heartwarming ending, though the third act is notably weaker than the rest of the story.

There’s a story for everyone in Tales from the Vortex, whether you like your Doctor Who funny, serious, emotional, silly, historical or futuristic. Recommended.

Tales from the Vortex is available as a download from http://www.bigfinish.com