Review: Doctor Who: The Masters of Luxor

Doctor Who: The Masters of Luxor by Anthony Coburn
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Indeed this is a not to so good story of doctor who as other reviewers said. It's pretty straightforward story. The Tardis which was going to Ian & Barbara's time got stuck on a devoid planet. It became stuck of some sorts. Ian & Susan went to a strange building and found out some machines. After some investigation they learn that the power of the Tardis is being sucked into the building making the machines alive.

In the tower they find out several machines (all with their orders) and one machine that look more like an android... the Perfect One.

The Perfect one is trying to suck their life so he can became alive as his creator wanted. Ian and The Doctor escape and found out a man who had created the first machines but said that the Perfect One was not his creation but the creation of the machines.

Afterwards the Perfect One commited somekind of suicide because he could not conceive the idea not being created by his creator but by other machines (it's a bit strange)...

This tale is read by William Russell (who portrayed Ian in the series) and Carole Ann Ford (who portrayed Susan).

This story is nothing spectacular or good. It has some interesting points that thinking about it in 1960's were new. The Robots making other Robots. The Robots trying to have IA, The robots trying to make other robots. Fun questions...

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Review: The Daleks: The Destroyers

The Daleks: The Destroyers by Terry Nation
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

- The destroyers is a little short story that follows Sara Kingdom (IF anyone know, she is in the first story the Daleks appear with the First Doctor, Susan, Ian & Barbara. She appears in 8 of the 12 story episodes arc. Unfortunally most of those episodes dissapeared.

In this story the Doctor does not appear. For what I've search the internet this Lost Story was supposedly the pilot of an spin-off series focusing on the Daleks made by Terry Nation. Unfortunally that came not to be. This is most unfortunate because afterwards BBC took the Daleks out of Doctor Who but later in the series they returned.

This story is set in the future as a space exploration team guarding their dome are attacked by the Daleks. Several members of Special Space Security (SSS) are sent to investigate including Sara Kingdom - her brother David Kingdom was in the dome- presumbly dead), an android Mark Seven and the captain Jason.

After they arrived they learn that some of the personal were capture and they try to free them. The Daleks escape the Dome taking David with them. The ending sugests that this was the first phase of a master plan to attack Earth.


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Review: Doctor Who: Farewell Great Macedon

Doctor Who: Farewell Great Macedon by Moris Farhi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Good book / Audiobook. I really enjoy this story of how Alexander the Great fell. It was interesting to see some how the author did it. Besides the Doctor and his companions. We get to see Alexander and his 3 companions (and next in line to the throne). It was interesting to see the plot to assassinate them all.

One of the highlights was Barbara thoughts about changing history and most of the episode she had mix feelings about saving Alexander and at the same time, history should not be changed. In the end she says to Susan that story could not be changed and even if they do something "fate" or something like that would make that happen in other way.

What I did not enjoy?
Well, for one part is the liberty that was given to the maker of teleplay (book) and it changed dates (like the time of death of some protagonists). Other was the anachronisms that were in the play itself and most of all it was the Alexander the Great personality. Here is a champion of freedom and equality but for what I've read in history he was a Tyrant. I think he believed that all cultures had some interest and I also think he was one of the first to have a idea of a united world BUT under his belt, not free democratic system.

Can I advise you to read this story?
Unless you are a hard fan of Dr Who and saw every episode from th 60 until now, then I would advise you because this was supposedly to be a teleplay but they didn't film it. It's in the same vein of Marco Polo, Astects and The Crusades. It's slow paced and our protagonists have little part...

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Review: Dalek Empire IV

Dalek Empire IV
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I will make a combine review because honestly I can't rate this audiodrama without the rest becuase they are one big story...

1. The Fearless I
2. The Fearless II
3. The Fearless III
4. The Fearless IV

Some spoilers ahead...

Why the rating for this audiodrama?

This audiodrama follows not the last story (Dalek Empire III) but It is between Dalek Empire I (last episodes).

A planet is being forced to recruit man to fight the Daleks but they don't want it until the Daleks arrive and say they are all going to enslaved. So either the are enslaved by Daleks or enslave by other humans to fight the Daleks. A tough choice. But one man, Kade, convices the planet to help the rest of humans. General Landen begins to take a close interest on them and creates a special task force of fearless men to take suicide missions.

After an planet attack by the Daleks Kade wife wnd the rest of their planet population are killed. From this moment on Kade becomes a deranged person plagued by visions of his wife and daughter. After several sucecceful missions he begins to wonder everything and everyone, even General Landen who most of all he respects.

The last mission of Kade men is to kill Susan Mendes. The human empire thinks that because of her, slaves are working better and better making the Daleks superior. So, they must kill Susan Mendes ending the truce between the Daleks & their slaves.

Susan Mendes escape and Kade returns alone. After another depressing fit mix with rage he is given the rank of captain and his last mission is to stop a meteor shower to strike earth. That meteor shower is being controlled by the Daleks. At last minute Kade kidnaps Landen and makes her go in the mission as well. He is under the impression that she is responsabile of the attack that killed his wife and people and why does she sents him in suicide missions.

Kade and Lande talk to the Dalek Emperor that confines in them that he already know that Susan Mendes will betray the Daleks.

After completing the last mission he confronts Landen that says that had to be done. He was too valuable to be with his wife. His despair was used to attack others. After that he leaves the army which Landen accepts. He is last seen on his homeworld travelling never finding peace. The audiodrama ends with Susan Mendes speach "Death to the Daleks".

The first and last audiodrama are good. The second and third a little boring and they feel akward. The should be join to make only one. Too much fillers...


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Review: Dalek Empire III

Dalek Empire III
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I will make a combine review because honestly I can't rate this audiodrama without the rest becuase they are one big story...

1. The Exterminators
2. The Healers
3. The Survivors
4. The Demons
5. The Warriors
6. The Future

Some spoilers ahead...


After the war the humanity pass some difficult times called the Great Catastrophe and 20 centuries later ( I think) nobody knew who the Daleks were - which is kind of strange but... Afterwars humanity is plagued by a disease that kills most humans. The Daleks appear, kind of sneaky and convey a deal with one part of human leaders and say that they would help humankind supressing a plague that has ravaged most outer worlds but for that they would need test and unrestricted access. Susan Mendes is now the Emperor of the Daleks (de facto). Siy Tarkov with the help of Selestru & Galanar and later some Graxis Wardens try to warn the Galatic Union that the Daleks are evil. The story ends with the feeling that another series would be made but so far they haven't made the sequel. I think it will never come to be since this was 2004.

Interesting is that Galanar is David Tennant (before portraying the doctor).


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Review: Dalek Empire II

Dalek Empire II: Dalek War
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I will make a combine review because honestly I can't rate this audiodrama without the rest becuase they are one big story...

1. Dalek War 1
2. Dalek War 2
3. Dalek War 3
4. Dalek War 4

Some spoilers ahead...

The Second series of Dalek Empire the main characters pass from Susan Mendes to Kalendorf. Here this story is focus of the battle betweeen the humankind and the new daleks against the old evil daleks. From the very beginning we get the feeling that the new good daleks are not that evil but at the same their goodness is by total control of everything. I think this 4 audiodramas should be only 2. What's interesting is that finally Alby Brook mets with Susan Mendes. In the end Kalendorff is succefull in breaking the deal with the good daleks making them return to their own universe (since the war will be ever going) and with the un-wanted help of Susan Mendes, now link to every Dalek, send a shockwaves killing every dalek. 

We later understand that one Dalek Survived. IT was very interesting to see how Susan Mendes evolved and had to choose between the love of her life (Alby) and Kalendorf - not in a romatic way. And the meaning of to do the Right Thing.

The ending is quite good...

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Review: Dalek Empire I

Dalek Empire I
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I will make a combine review because honestly I can't rate this audiodrama without the rest becuase they are one big story...

1. Invasion of the Daleks
2. The Human Factor
3. Death to the Daleks
4. Project Infinity

Some spoilers ahead...

The Daleks attack a planet and they were enslaved. One of those slaves was Susan Mendes. After the initial attack they made the human work on the mines until exhaustion and afterwards getting more slaves from other planets. Susan Mendes confronted the Daleks and made an arragement with the Dalek Commmander (With the blessing of the Dalek Emperor)- if the Daleks would give them food and rest and they would work better and faster. As Susan Mendes continue to be a bridge between humans and the Daleks her word went throughout the conquered worlds and she became known as the Angel of Mercy.

Meanwhile, with humankind working hard for the Daleks they conquered most galaxy and even Earth. Only one thing remain to defeat the Daleks - Project Infinity. Inittialy this project infinity was a way of looking through other alternative realities and discover a way to defeat the Daleks. It seems this project took hundreds of years to be discover/created. But, The Emperor of the Daleks had other plans for it. In the last audiodrama we understand that the purpose was to bring forth from other reality more Daleks.

So, most of the 2, 3 and 4 audiodramas was about Susan Mendes life and of Alby Brook a spy that worked for Earth Alliance and at the same time the love affair of Susan. One other important character was Kalendorf a man capable of speaking with the mind; Mirana a police of some sort (Bounty hunter is the correct term) and Gordon (Alby's boss).

In the last audiodrama, as the Daleks conquerered Earth Susan Mendes was to broadcast the news but instead she brodcast "Death to the Daleks!" and a rebellion went viral throughout the galaxy with winning on both sides.

As the Dalek Emperor discussed with Dalek Commander we got the hint that was the plan of the Dalek Emperor all along. It seems that everything she plotted against the Daleks was only a way to the Dalek Emperor to learn more about the Human Factor. What makes humankind Human.

It seems, all the fightning, all the conquest and Death was a trial of some sorts.

In the end, the Daleks managed to bring forth the Daleks from an alternate universe but there, the Daleks were different. Their they were the keeppeacers/police of the Galaxy and they united all worlds (not by subjucation or extermination but by peace).

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Review: Doctor Who: Prison in Space

Doctor Who: Prison in Space by Dick Sharples
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This was a small novella about a world where women are dominant and man are imprisioned. Jamie & the Doctor (The second version :) ) are inprisionened and only Zoe can help them. Will she ally to other woman or her friends.

This story was read by Jamie & Zoe real actors. It felt I was hearing an episode... even the Doctor voice was very similar. As the tv series this episode doesn't have that much action and it's quite slow... Only read if you enjoy watching Jamie, the doctor and Zoe - or else you are going to find it boring. Even I that enjoy Jamie found it boring... but we will never know how would it turn out as a episode...

Should I advice you?
Again, as previous audiobooks, only to the most hard fan. To the rest you will be bored...

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Review: Doctor Who:The Fragile Yellow Arc of Fragrance

Doctor Who:The Fragile Yellow Arc of Fragrance by Moris Farhi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is 37m long. A short story about a world where you only love once. Either your love is retributed or else you die. After several days on it, the Doctor have everything to return ian and barbara to their own time. But unfortunally one men fell in love with Barbara but she doesn't understand what is going to happened. At the same time Susan is alerted that will happened and try to stop the Tardis to no avail. They all go and the boy died... Quite sad story in my opinion. I haven't read that many sad stories on the First Doctor "universe" if you will. This one has a sad ending... But it's too short ...

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Review: Doctor Who: The Dark Planet

Doctor Who: The Dark Planet by Brian Hayles
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Initially I didn't gave stars for this story because I was undecided... This story is on the first doctor, and if you know me, that's my favourite doctor. This story is set on a planet that has two great powers. Light and Dark. Light beings focus on light and Dark beings focusing on darkness. Which one is the good ones?

As anyone who is consideral a "normal" person, one associates light with good and dark with bad. Well I am a black metal kind of person and I don't believe in "God" or "Satan" and that kind of things - so to me there is more than that. There is good, bad and neutral. And good things can be bad at times and vice-versa. Sometimes the good guys most do a not so good thing to save the day. Or sometimes the only way to fight evil is with evil and so on. But on top of that Evil and Good are point of views. I agree with X doesn't mean that you too.

This story was to be an episode of Doctor Who and we are talking early 60th's... but I am getting of myself. The Doctor, Susan, Ian and Barbara arrive on a planet where the sun is dying. They also see some evidence of war. After being supposedly attacked they are saved Susan & Barbara are saved by light beings. Imagine them as angels if you will. But the Light beings have a purpose to rekindle the sun and vanquish the darkness. The Doctor and the rest of the companions excluding Susan meet the Shadow beings and they understand their point of view. The Doctor goes at great lenght to ensure that both sides should meet and make peace.

The Doctor says something that basically is the moral of this story. History is made by the winners and it's their point of view. There are always two sides on a coin and we have to think about our actions. Good for me may not be good for you. Good and bad are point of views.

This story was ahead of their time. Way ahead. Nevertheless a good tale. Really would love to see in play. Unfortunally as all previous doctor who it's slow as heck. Unless you are a hard fan of Doctor Who don't bothered. You won't enjoy it.

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Anime Review: Schwarzesmarken (Winter 2016)

This is a twelve episode series and I must say, for certain, it didn't need any more or any less. I just ended seeing and I really, really enjoy it.

I know, it is not the best looking anime or the best written or with the best characterization but I enjoy it. The last four episodes I watch them in one day (and for me that's hard to happen).

So, what is anime about?

For what I've read this is a shared world with other anime / manga where an alien beings called BETA invaded earth. There is no need to read anything previsouly or afterwards because it is self-contained. As I said before I did not know it until the very end.

Btw, this universe is called Muv-Luv.

The setting is East Germany in 1983. The BETAS have been fighting from Asia to Europe and East Germany is the last step before arriving to the rest of West Europe (aka Free Countries). East Germany is a communist state  (as in the real life it was) and there are some power struggle within the STASI (state police) (it existed btw, it was called in english Ministry for State Security or in germany Ministerium für Staatssicherheit).

So this tale focus on a squadron of Mechas called 666th TSF Squadron "Schwarzesmarken" (Black Marks) and we are introduced to several characters... We've got Theodor Eberbach he has a deep hatred for the stasi since they killed his parents and took away his sister.
You've got Irisdina Bernhard, the CO of the 666th. She is hero but most people distrust her because she sold her brother to the Stasi. You've got Gretel Jecklen a commissar attached to 666th and several other fights like Anett Hosenfield, Inghild Bronikowski, Sylwia Krzasińska, Walter Kruger (Irisdina officer), Pham Thi Lan and in the first episode they get one new recruit hailing from the West called Katia Waldheim.
After several episodes we met Lise Hohenstein the long lost adopted sister of Theodor.

Sylvia, Lise, Anett, Irisdina, Theodor, Katia, Gretel, Pham and Walter

Basically the history is about the East Germany deciding what to do. Some support the idea that they should fight with the West and others thing that East Germany should stand alone (with the convert support of URSS).

There is a lot of fighting in the episodes but nothing that overshadows the anime. The story focus not with one character but several. First Theodor who must train Katia to 666th standards, then the appearence of Lise (his adopted sister) and to assert if she is to be trusted or if she works with the Stasi. Irisdina's story is more focus on her decisions as a leader and how to evade the Stasi but at the same time work with some people who wants to see the Stasi fell and the Two germany united. Katia is the third story because she is not only a refugee from the West but a daughter of a Hero Military General from East Germany who had thoughts of unified germany and she wants that.

So, what makes this anime good?
First of all, the theme. For a historian enthusiast this anime is a good exemple of a military state with a state police. There is a lot of backstage action with all political interests. There is room for some character building and tense situations. Btw, there is no nudity. Apart from some tight shirts from Irisdina or Sylwia the only scene that you can consider nudity is when Lise is nude and seduces Theodor. It is said afterwards that they had sex but nothing is seen on screen


Some spoilers ahead before my conclusion...

One of the aspects I enjoyed was the character grow of Theodor and his relation to Irisdina, Katia and Lise. He is tasked by Irisdina to find out if Lise is Stasi informant or not. Lise sleeps with him and he thinks she is not Stais but afterwards, when a coup of the Stasi is revealed, Lise betrays theodor and capture the entire squad. Afterwards he fights with her (with Mechas) and still he could not kill her. Pham Thi Lan says she still believe in Lise but Lise kill her and in the next encounter Theodor kills Lise. 

All of them had one goal, they work with Irisdina in her convert operation one way or the other, even the political commisar. All of them died, with the exception of Theodor and Katia, as they accomplish their goals. The two Germanies where united (as in real life but several years before). 

End of Spoilers

So why did I enjoy it? 

Because everything I've said before. It has action, history, characterization and I enjoy Irisdina and Theodor and most other characters. I like Lise because she was brainwashed by the Stasis. I like Beatrix Brehmer a childhood of Irisdina and now a Stasis leader. She later on becomes the facto-leader when she shots the current leader when she founds out that he is a Moscow KGB officer. She is not evil per se. Well, she is but she acknowledges that and have mix feelings. She thinks she is doing the right thing. On of the last episodes she says that she believes only a State Police of total control can stop the Stasi. Only when everybody works for the common good can East Germany stop the invasion of the BETA. This is a great question of political, social and personal interest.