The Big Hunt

Bernice Summerfield Novels #6

by Lance Parkin

Professor Bernice Summerfield is enjoying a break. A break from work, a break from the rebuilding of the Braxiatel Collection and a break from Jason, Adrian and even her beloved Peter.

She feels she's entitled to a bit of downtime. So, why won't anyone leave her alone? Before long, she's being sent off after an old space artefact only to crashland on a planet apparently devoid of life. Devoid of life, that is, except for the robotic animals, big game hunters and ruthless corporate administrators of the type she's learned to know and mistrust.

Benny realises that to survive she must join in on what might be the most dangerous 'game' she's ever played…

Genres: Doctor Who, Science Fiction, Audiobook

176 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2005

About the author

Lance Parkin is an author who has written professional Doctor Who fiction since the 1990s. He is one of the few authors to write for both the 1963 and 2005 version of the programme — though much of his fiction has actually been based on the 1996 iteration. Indeed, he was notably the first author to write original prose for the Eighth Doctor in The Dying Days. He was also the author chosen to deliver the nominal 35th anniversary story, The Infinity Doctors, and the final volume in the Eighth Doctor Adventures range, The Gallifrey Chronicles. More recently, he has written for the Tenth Doctor in The Eyeless.

He is further notable for his work with Big Finish Productions, where he is arguably most known for writing the Sixth Doctor adventure, Davros.

Outside of Doctor Who, he has written things like Warlords of Utopia and (with Mark Jones) Dark Matter, a guide to the author Philip Pullman.

Reviews

[Jacob Licklider · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over the past two years, Big Finish Productions have been rereleasing their out of print Bernice Summerfield books as audiobook readings for the low price of $10 a book with the first five full length novels already being released (interestingly they haven’t done any of the anthologies or novella collections yet). A surprise December 2020 announcement gave listeners the opportunity to add three new Benny books to their audiobook collections: The Big Hunt, The Tree of Life, and The Two Jasons, all set for release in 2021 and 2022. The Big Hunt by: Lance Parkin leads these audiobooks, released this month and available for download right now. Now, it is important to note that this is not a new release, nothing has been changed from the text of the 2005 book release, just put into an audiobook reading with Benny herself, Lisa Bowerman. Perhaps listeners were spoiled by Terror of the Master in Masterful, but going from that right into The Big Hunt, the lack of music and sound effects in the audiobook may detract. Potential listeners shouldn’t go in expecting them in any way as this is a release. The Big Finish website shows this as being recorded completely remotely in November and December which is confirmed by the Q&A included. Bowerman, as always, is an excellent narrator using her impressive range to bring to life several characters, only one of which actually appeared previously (that being Benny).

The Big Hunt’s description is perhaps a bit misleading, ending with the line “Benny realizes that to survive she must join in on what might be the most dangerous ‘game’ she’s ever played.” “The Most Dangerous Game” is a short story by Richard Connell about a shipwrecked big game hunter gets forced to be the prey for another hunter, Zaroff, who hunts humans for the fun of it. This premise has been used many times, especially as the story is in the public domain, but outside of having hunting and a shipwreck, The Big Hunt really isn’t all that inspired by “The Most Dangerous Game,” with the absolute best parts of Parkin’s novel has nothing to do with hunting. The real idea behind The Big Hunt is a colony built by artificial intelligence and robots which can evolve, not in the Darwinian sense, but in the Lamarckian sense (that is changing within a lifetime to suit their needs). This is an absolutely fascinating premise and it kind of makes this book feel like Benny does Jurassic Park where everything goes wrong and it is intelligence which eventually falls into the solution. Parkin’s prose is, as always, silky as the book relishes in exploring how Benny deals with the aftermath of Death and the Daleks away from Jason and the Braxiatel Collection. That context is by no means necessary for enjoying this book, though it does enhance some of the novel especially early on when Benny is just on vacation. An archeological dig is a way to relax, though her initial standoffish interactions with her assigned assistant, Noelle Flynn, is excellent.

The mystery aspect of the book is where it really does shine. Parkin puts Benny in the pilot seat as the detective to discover just why these robots first can evolve and second just why they have kept this uninhabited planet clean, including the potential colony aspects of the story which eventually builds up as a brilliant conclusion to the book. Now this isn’t the perfect book: it is a slow start and the final chapter in particular drags. There is also a problem with Parkin not fleshing out every idea he introduces, making me wonder if he intended to follow this book up. Overall, The Big Hunt is a great novel and releasing the audiobook gives it a new opportunity to shine to a brand new audience. 8/10.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dopo gli eventi dell'occupazione, Bernice decide di staccare, così tanto che questo libro non fa neanche riferimento a quello che è successo e potrebbe benissimo essere preso come stand-alone.
Benny è in un villaggio turistico, ma si stufa presto di stare in spiaggia e decide di esplorare. Viene poi trovata da un dipendente di Orlean Wolvencroft, un ricchissimo collezionista (un altro?) che la assume per cercare una sonda spaziale del 21° secolo andata perduta. Prendendo con sé due inesperti membri di equipaggio, si mette alla ricerca della sonda, solo che la sua nave si schianta su un pianeta (ho perso il conto di quante volte le sia successo. Credo non abbia mai fatto un vero atterraggio).
Ma questo pianeta-giungla ha una fauna molto particolare: è fatta interamente di robot, con un loro ecosistema. Il problema è che molti di questi animali meccanici sono letali, ma un gruppo di cacciatori è intenzionato a catturarli.
A parte un paio di cliché all'inizio, come l'introduzione di un ulteriore collezionista, oppure l'ennesimo schianto, per il resto ho trovato il libro molto originale e intrigante.
La cosa che mi piace di più è appunto la fauna robotica. Non solo abbiamo dei robot animali che possono assimilare la tecnologia ed evolversi, ma formano un intero ecosistema autosufficiente, con gli animali “erbivori” che si nutrono con pannelli solari e assimilando minerali dalle rocce, mentre i predatori si nutrono di loro. È un concetto che ho trovato molto affascinante, anche per come questi robot si sono sviluppati in primo luogo. La pericolosità di queste creature è palpabile e la prosa ricca di azione tiene sempre il lettore sul chi vive. Ma anche gli umani possono essere altrettanto pericolosi, e la resa dei conti finale è una vera lotta per la sopravvivenza.
C'è solo una cosa che mi disturba un po', ovvero la premessa: davvero Benny dopo Death and the Daleks decide di prendersi una vacanza da sola invece di stare con i suoi cari? Capisco il bisogno di cambiare aria, ma perché non portare con sé anche Jason e Peter, dopo che non li ha visti per mesi e ha quasi rischiato di perderli? Sembra fuori luogo e anche un po' egoista, dato che non è l'unica ad aver sofferto...
Considerazioni personali a parte, questo libro è davvero ottimo per essere letto anche da solo.

[Debra Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Benny is hired to find a piece of 21st century history but ends up getting hunted by metal animals.

[Joseph S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sorta boring and the stakes Seem low