As the anticipation builds for the 2011 series of Doctor Who, fans can get their fix with the return of the last Time Lord in audiobook form. Meera Syal, known for her role as Nasreen Chaudry in the Silurians two-parter from series 5, delivers an excellent performance, capturing the essence of every character with ease.
The story itself is reminiscent of the late great Douglas Adams, with a focus on a new anti-viral handwash named Gemini that has been laced with Meme-Spawn, a sentient microorganism that makes the user fluent in every universal language. However, the manufacturers failed to test it on humans, resulting in violent communication in every language at once. The Doctor and Amy find themselves on an Earth-bound cargo ship loaded with Gemini and an infected crew, with Amy facing infection herself. The Doctor must decide between saving Amy or the Earth.
The audio quality is impressive, and the story is so gripping that you’ll find yourself wishing it was an episode of the TV series. The only minor niggle is the believability of the manufacturer not testing the product on humans before selling it to them. But overall, this under-a-tenner audiobook is a great value and a must-listen for any Doctor Who fans craving a quick fix.
