What do you think?
Rate this book
Bernice Summerfield Novels #7
The Tree of Life
This book is set in Big Finish Productions' Professor Bernice Summerfield series. Bernice Summerfield appears in many original New Adventures of Doctor Who novels, as well as short stories and other fiction.
What's the most famous archaeologist in the sector to do when she receives an uninformative message from a woman she hardly remembers on a planet she's never heard of?
Go and investigate, of course!
But the unending, unyielding jungle on Tollip's World doesn't make it easy. Nor does the paranoia around the research team's mysterious discoveries there. Before long, Benny's under attack from humans, long-dead aliens and unpleasant fungal infections.
What happened on Tollip's World 8,000 years ago? What's the origin of the electrical discharges beneath the surface of the planet? Why is there a greenhouse in the middle of a jungle? And what are the Trees of Life?
Could the secrets of Tollip's World mean the extinction of humanity?
What's the most famous archaeologist in the sector to do when she receives an uninformative message from a woman she hardly remembers on a planet she's never heard of?
Go and investigate, of course!
But the unending, unyielding jungle on Tollip's World doesn't make it easy. Nor does the paranoia around the research team's mysterious discoveries there. Before long, Benny's under attack from humans, long-dead aliens and unpleasant fungal infections.
What happened on Tollip's World 8,000 years ago? What's the origin of the electrical discharges beneath the surface of the planet? Why is there a greenhouse in the middle of a jungle? And what are the Trees of Life?
Could the secrets of Tollip's World mean the extinction of humanity?
179 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2005
32 people want to read
About the author
Mark Michalowski
29 books16 followersMark Michalowski (born 1963 in Chesterfield) is the editor of Shout!, "Yorkshire's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender paper", as well as being an author best known for his work writing spin-offs based on the BBC Television series Doctor Who. He currently lives and works in Leeds.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 15, 2018
Benny goes to investigate a disappearance on an archaeological dig. The dig ends up being run by a commercial company who do not care what they disturb as long as they get what they want.
This is a clever story, the alien life forms are interesting and the world is very believable. I enjoyed reading this book, as at times it was a page turner.
This is a clever story, the alien life forms are interesting and the world is very believable. I enjoyed reading this book, as at times it was a page turner.
February 7, 2021
Continuing Big Finish’s rereleases of out of print Bernice Summerfield novels on audiobook is The Tree of Life. Originally released in June 2005 as the novel for Series 6 of the audio series and set after The Heart’s Desire, The Tree of Life is a novel which easily fits within the era and marks a definite point where Big Finish Productions had realized that integrating a novel and audio range with important plot advancements occurring in one range affecting the other would be difficult as this was published before ebooks were offered and the books would go out of print faster than the audio releases. Mark Michalowski pens one of the longest audiobook releases from Big Finish, running over eight hours in comparison to the normal six to seven of a standard Bernice Summerfield novel. This higher wordcount means that there’s a lot more story for this release to work with and Michalowski is an author who doesn’t quite know what to do with it. The titular “tree of life” doesn’t become important until the last third of the story, instead focusing on an insane businessman who owns several planets named after him and is expanding his own influence. There are whisperings of darker machinations with Hugo Tollip wanting to gain his own power throughout the story while other creatures are rising from their sleep and attempting to retake their own planet. Benny is called into Tollip’s World as an archeologist who is known there. Michalowski includes historical mysteries with a standard zombie story plus some environmental messaging.
The Tree of Life is a book with an incredibly slow start, which is not used as effectively as it could have been. Instead of developing a supporting cast it becomes a comedy about Benny being unable to integrate into this team, using a pseudonym as advised by the Braxiatel Collection, and really not getting going with the plot. While her pseudonym eventually has a payoff, it takes until the back half of the book, right near the end of things and Benny is simply portrayed in this very odd way that she cannot keep her story straight. Michalowski doesn’t seem to understand where Benny is in her life at this point, instead almost portraying her closer to the character seen very early on in her run with the Seventh Doctor, while still putting in scenes on the Braxiatel Collection with Brax, Jason, Adrian, Miss Jones, and Peter. This gets better as the book goes on, but those early chapters become quite difficult to get through. Luckily once things get going and the idea of the tree of life is introduced and the mystery takes center stage, The Tree of Life becomes a much more interesting story. There is commentary here on colonialism and genocide, as well as some more adult content (some of it reminiscent of the less than great Virgin New Adventures), with many of the mysteries coming down to an indigenous population being suppressed for being different than other lifeforms in the universe.
The production of the audiobook from Big Finish Productions, once again is brilliant. As revealed in the credits and the Q&A included, Bowerman recorded this entire audiobook in isolation due to the pandemic with Xanna Eve Chown once again being in charge of producing. Bowerman is the constant professional, bringing a book to life and gladly answering fan questions in lieu of being able to be in the studio. Listeners should be aware that like the other Bernice Summerfield audiobooks, The Tree of Life does not have music or sound effects so all of the emotion comes straight from the text and Bowerman’s excellent narration. Overall, The Tree of Life while not too special and definitely not going above and beyond to advance any of the arcs, does provide a good listening experience and because it features Bernice Summerfield it is always a fun ride. 7/10.
The Tree of Life is a book with an incredibly slow start, which is not used as effectively as it could have been. Instead of developing a supporting cast it becomes a comedy about Benny being unable to integrate into this team, using a pseudonym as advised by the Braxiatel Collection, and really not getting going with the plot. While her pseudonym eventually has a payoff, it takes until the back half of the book, right near the end of things and Benny is simply portrayed in this very odd way that she cannot keep her story straight. Michalowski doesn’t seem to understand where Benny is in her life at this point, instead almost portraying her closer to the character seen very early on in her run with the Seventh Doctor, while still putting in scenes on the Braxiatel Collection with Brax, Jason, Adrian, Miss Jones, and Peter. This gets better as the book goes on, but those early chapters become quite difficult to get through. Luckily once things get going and the idea of the tree of life is introduced and the mystery takes center stage, The Tree of Life becomes a much more interesting story. There is commentary here on colonialism and genocide, as well as some more adult content (some of it reminiscent of the less than great Virgin New Adventures), with many of the mysteries coming down to an indigenous population being suppressed for being different than other lifeforms in the universe.
The production of the audiobook from Big Finish Productions, once again is brilliant. As revealed in the credits and the Q&A included, Bowerman recorded this entire audiobook in isolation due to the pandemic with Xanna Eve Chown once again being in charge of producing. Bowerman is the constant professional, bringing a book to life and gladly answering fan questions in lieu of being able to be in the studio. Listeners should be aware that like the other Bernice Summerfield audiobooks, The Tree of Life does not have music or sound effects so all of the emotion comes straight from the text and Bowerman’s excellent narration. Overall, The Tree of Life while not too special and definitely not going above and beyond to advance any of the arcs, does provide a good listening experience and because it features Bernice Summerfield it is always a fun ride. 7/10.
May 27, 2021
L'idea di mandare Benny in una giungla per investigare le ricerche di una compagnia guidata da un uomo d'affari privo di scrupoli non è originale, e infatti un'ambientazione simile c'era già stata in The Big Hunt giusto nella serie prima. Ma se nel libro precedente ci si ritrovava in un florido paradiso incontaminato, la giunga di The Tree of Life è molto più squallida e deprimente. Le vivide descrizioni fanno quasi pensare di essere lì con Benny, tra caldo, sudore, muffe, funghi e altre cose spiacevoli.
Questa volta la narrazione include qualche scena alla Collezione, per dare un po' di contesto (contesto che tuttavia non è del tutto corretto, dato che più volte viene ripetuto che Peter ha due anni quando dovrebbe averne almeno 5, ma sorvoliamo). Tuttavia è comunque uno stand-alone.
Come al solito Benny segue una richiesta di aiuto ed inizia ad investigare, questa volta sotto copertura.
Di originale c'è invece la particolare correlazione tra le piante e gli animali del pianeta, una simbiosi tra gli alberi e la specie predominante, apparentemente estinta millenni prima.
Posso dire poco senza spoilerare, ma la parte migliore arriva verso la fine, quando viene messa in atto una possessione molto particolare.
Non uno dei libri migliori della serie, ma comunque godibile.
Questa volta la narrazione include qualche scena alla Collezione, per dare un po' di contesto (contesto che tuttavia non è del tutto corretto, dato che più volte viene ripetuto che Peter ha due anni quando dovrebbe averne almeno 5, ma sorvoliamo). Tuttavia è comunque uno stand-alone.
Come al solito Benny segue una richiesta di aiuto ed inizia ad investigare, questa volta sotto copertura.
Di originale c'è invece la particolare correlazione tra le piante e gli animali del pianeta, una simbiosi tra gli alberi e la specie predominante, apparentemente estinta millenni prima.
Posso dire poco senza spoilerare, ma la parte migliore arriva verso la fine, quando viene messa in atto una possessione molto particolare.
Non uno dei libri migliori della serie, ma comunque godibile.
March 11, 2018
https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/2960532.html
The setup is the rather usual framing narrative of Benny getting summoned to a planet on which there are funny things going on, ending up with everyone trapped in a base under siege, but I thought there were a couple of very good wrinkles to it, in particular the biological cycle of the alien tree/giant hamster symbiotes which are responsible for the trouble, and the internal politics of both aliens and humans which make a bad situation worse. Also mercifully short.
The setup is the rather usual framing narrative of Benny getting summoned to a planet on which there are funny things going on, ending up with everyone trapped in a base under siege, but I thought there were a couple of very good wrinkles to it, in particular the biological cycle of the alien tree/giant hamster symbiotes which are responsible for the trouble, and the internal politics of both aliens and humans which make a bad situation worse. Also mercifully short.
June 7, 2021
Benny goes to a planet to find a friend and ends up trying to save a culture from diappearing to a madman.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews