Doctor Who: The First Sontarans

The Lost Stories #3.6

by Andrew Smith, Colin Baker (Narrator), Nicola Bryant (Narrator)

1872. After finding a strange signalling device on the moon, the Doctor and Peri travel to the depths of the English countryside to track down the source of its transmissions. But they're not the first aliens to arrive on the scene.

Old enemies of the Doctor are drawing their battle lines in the forest and the local humans will be lucky to escape the conflagration unscathed.

For hidden within this village is a deadly secret - a secret that could destroy the entire Sontaran race... and reveal the terrible mystery of their creation.

Genres: Doctor Who, Audiobook, Science Fiction

Audio CD

First published July 1, 2012

About the author

There is more than one author with this name

Andrew Smith wrote the Doctor Who television story Full Circle and its novelisation. At the time of initial broadcast, he was the youngest writer to contribute to the TV series.

Smith submitted his work to more than one Doctor Who script editor. They replied with "positive criticism". Finally he sent The Planet that Slept, which became Full Circle.
Shortly afterwards, he became a police officer, spending a long time in that career.

Smith was approached by Big Finish and displayed interest in writing for them. Because he had started the trilogy with Full Circle, they asked him to write a Companion Chronicles story set in E-Space. The Invasion of E-Space was released in October 2010.

Reviews

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

6 and Peri face the Sontarans in Genesis of the Sontarans. Overall this is a decent story but the death fake-outs make it a little boring.

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s a lot going on in this one. A LOT. To be brutally honest, The (Sixth) Doctor and Peri are probably my least favorite pairing, but this one is still entertaining, and filled with excitement and loads of fun and chaos.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this might be the best of the lost stories that I've heard and definitely the best Peri and Sixie adventure. I liked the time travel, the Sontaran secrets, the dying race. All done very well with a plot that moved at a good pace and nice characterisation for the guests. I must admit I have a hard time taking the Sontarans seriously after Strax but this was still a really enjoyable adventure.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty decent Lost Story... I do like a Sontaran... they are so brave and so inflexible. You know where they are coming from and they are not wholly bad. They don't turn up in the story for a while though and the Doctor and Peri do some wandering on the Moon and in the English countryside before things hot up.

The unfolding story is interesting - a persecuted species, the corrosive effect of choices which look bad but where there was no better outcome to be had, the whole origins story implied by the title. But the battle and fight scenes are all a bit noisy bish bash bosh and don't hold the attention.

[Monster X · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story lots of twist and unexpected events

[Steven Shinder · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-acted and bittersweet origin story. The moments where Six and Peri converse also add some nice comfort.

[ava · Rating 5 out of 5]

*high 4.5 stars

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely the best story where the Doctor and companion introduce themselves to the locals by breaking up a cockfight.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Doctor and Peri land on Earth and discover Sontarans. This is a story where you find out about the origins of the Sontarans and it is quite surprising. It is part of the lost stories written in the 80s. The plot is very engaging after part 2, and is a must listen for those who like Sontar. A good listen.

[Debra Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Doctor and Peri land on the moon in the 19th century. While investigating they stumble on aliens that are fighting the Sontarians. Can the Doctor stop the war? This was a great story I would have loved to see on screen.

[Steven · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK Sontaran origin story but doesn't deliver on its buildup

[Anne Barwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice twist on the Sontaran history, and an enjoyable story.