What do you think?
Rate this book
Planet Krynoid
Planet Krynoid, Vol. 1: Nightfall
For a hundred years, Sunlight has been a beacon of hope shining across a troubled galaxy, an artificial paradise on a frozen world offering safe haven for the super-rich, and employment for even the poorest of labourers. At least, that’s what the adverts say. Unfortunately for Governor Robert Hodan, one of his engineers has just discovered a pair of strange-looking pods lodged in a satellite. So Sunlight, that glittering verdant oasis, will never be the same again. Because, as the Doctor knows only too well, on planets where the Krynoid gets established, the vegetation eats the animals.
Act 1. Sunlight by Jonathan Morris
Act 2. Sunset by Jonathan S Powell
Act 3. Darkness by Chris Chapman
Act 1. Sunlight by Jonathan Morris
Act 2. Sunset by Jonathan S Powell
Act 3. Darkness by Chris Chapman
- GenresDoctor WhoAudiobook
Audio CD
First published April 9, 20
8 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Morris
214 books70 followersJonathan Morris is one of the most prolific and popular writers of Doctor Who books, including the highly-regarded novels 'Festival of Death' and 'Touched by an Angel' and the recent guide to monsters, 'The Monster Vault'. He has also written numerous comic strips, most of which were collected in 'The Child of Time', and audios for BBC Audio and Big Finish, including the highly-regarded comedies 'Max Warp' and 'The Auntie Matter', as well as the adaptation of Russell T Davies’ 'Damaged Goods'.
Recently he has started his own audio production company, Average Romp. Releases include a full-cast adaptation of Charles Dickens' The Chimes', an original play, 'When Michael Met Benny', and three episodes of a SF sitcom, 'Dick Dixon in the 21st Century'.
For details visit www.averageromp.com
He also originated his own series, Vienna and script-edited the Nigel Planer series 'Jeremiah Bourne in Time'. He’s also written documentaries and for TV sketch shows.
Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Recently he has started his own audio production company, Average Romp. Releases include a full-cast adaptation of Charles Dickens' The Chimes', an original play, 'When Michael Met Benny', and three episodes of a SF sitcom, 'Dick Dixon in the 21st Century'.
For details visit www.averageromp.com
He also originated his own series, Vienna and script-edited the Nigel Planer series 'Jeremiah Bourne in Time'. He’s also written documentaries and for TV sketch shows.
Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 2, 2025
The Seeds of Doom is one of my favorite Doctor Who stories. When this spin-off with the Krynoids was announced, I immediately knew I wanted to give this one a shot. An extra bonus is that this leans more towards dark and mature science fiction horror than the lighter child-friendly stories leaning towards fantasy that the show is doing on TV under the Disney umbrella. So it feels different and fresh, which makes this spin-off series stand out even more.
Sunlight by Jonathan Morris - 4/5
Sunlight is a colony for the super rich, a paradise on an otherwise dark and barren frozen planet. Astronauts are on a vital mission for the colony’s future success as a meteor has done some damage on the reflector satellite, taking away the vital artificial light and warmth from the colony. As the astronauts repair the satellite, they see some green pods lying around. They take the pods with them, to examine and do some experiments with. The governor knows the horrifying truth about these seed pods and wants to see them destroyed, but he’s not allowed to share his knowledge about them with the people he’s supposed to protect. What could possibly go wrong?
This story does everything it needs to do. It establishes the setting, fleshes out the characters and re-introduces the Krynoids. It’s rather slow-paced, but quite intense. You can see what they’re building towards from the start, with the mysteries of both the pods and what happened to the first colonists, but it’s all executed pretty well. It also ends with quite a strong cliffhanger.
Sunset by Jonathan S Powell – 3,5/5
The eighth doctor has been woken up from cryostasis. He knows the Krynoids very well, the intergalactic weed that takes over other planets and kills the animals living on it. He’s beaten them once before, but will he be able to do it again?
Meanwhile the governor’s wife goes missing. He purposefully infected her with a Krynoid in a desperate attempt to save her life.
While the pacing is still pretty slow, the dramatic moments feel impactful because the characters got fleshed out in the previous story. And we do get a few really cool revelations here. Though I have to admit, the doctor’s role in this story feels unnecessary. The writer explains how difficult it was to get the doctor to fit into this story, which begs the question why he had to be in there in the first place. Paul McGann’s performance is topnotch, though it’s the character of the governor who stands out most here to me.
Darkness by Chris Chapman - 4/5
“Mommy, I’m HUNGRY!”
Chaos erupts as they realize the war is lost and all the characters struggle to get off the planet. Who will be able to make it out alive? Some characters could have used a bit more fleshing out, but this story does exactly what it needed to do.
Quite an intense Doctor Who spin-off story. Much more horror than the main series, but that’s what makes it such an interesting spin-off, in that it allows the story to be darker. To make these monsters reach new heights in terms of intensity and scariness.
Sunlight by Jonathan Morris - 4/5
Sunlight is a colony for the super rich, a paradise on an otherwise dark and barren frozen planet. Astronauts are on a vital mission for the colony’s future success as a meteor has done some damage on the reflector satellite, taking away the vital artificial light and warmth from the colony. As the astronauts repair the satellite, they see some green pods lying around. They take the pods with them, to examine and do some experiments with. The governor knows the horrifying truth about these seed pods and wants to see them destroyed, but he’s not allowed to share his knowledge about them with the people he’s supposed to protect. What could possibly go wrong?
This story does everything it needs to do. It establishes the setting, fleshes out the characters and re-introduces the Krynoids. It’s rather slow-paced, but quite intense. You can see what they’re building towards from the start, with the mysteries of both the pods and what happened to the first colonists, but it’s all executed pretty well. It also ends with quite a strong cliffhanger.
Sunset by Jonathan S Powell – 3,5/5
The eighth doctor has been woken up from cryostasis. He knows the Krynoids very well, the intergalactic weed that takes over other planets and kills the animals living on it. He’s beaten them once before, but will he be able to do it again?
Meanwhile the governor’s wife goes missing. He purposefully infected her with a Krynoid in a desperate attempt to save her life.
While the pacing is still pretty slow, the dramatic moments feel impactful because the characters got fleshed out in the previous story. And we do get a few really cool revelations here. Though I have to admit, the doctor’s role in this story feels unnecessary. The writer explains how difficult it was to get the doctor to fit into this story, which begs the question why he had to be in there in the first place. Paul McGann’s performance is topnotch, though it’s the character of the governor who stands out most here to me.
Darkness by Chris Chapman - 4/5
“Mommy, I’m HUNGRY!”
Chaos erupts as they realize the war is lost and all the characters struggle to get off the planet. Who will be able to make it out alive? Some characters could have used a bit more fleshing out, but this story does exactly what it needed to do.
Quite an intense Doctor Who spin-off story. Much more horror than the main series, but that’s what makes it such an interesting spin-off, in that it allows the story to be darker. To make these monsters reach new heights in terms of intensity and scariness.
October 31, 2025
The 150 Prompt Doctor Who Reading Challenge - The TARDIS - (R)egeneration: Read a book featuring transformation, rebirth or a major character change.
If you buy this book expecting it to be like Doctor Who, you will be disappointed. In fact, while the Eighth Doctor is included in this boxset, I personally think that he shouldn't be. With how dark and gritty this boxset gets, I think it would have been better without the Doctor, so that the authors could have really experimented with how dark they wanted to get. This is a very bleak and depressing listen.
That being said, it's a really intense listen that drags you in almost immediately, and doesn't let you go until you've finished. It isn't "enjoyable" per-se, because it's basically Doctor Who meets zombie horror, but it's definitely a good audio. Definitely worth the listen.
If you buy this book expecting it to be like Doctor Who, you will be disappointed. In fact, while the Eighth Doctor is included in this boxset, I personally think that he shouldn't be. With how dark and gritty this boxset gets, I think it would have been better without the Doctor, so that the authors could have really experimented with how dark they wanted to get. This is a very bleak and depressing listen.
That being said, it's a really intense listen that drags you in almost immediately, and doesn't let you go until you've finished. It isn't "enjoyable" per-se, because it's basically Doctor Who meets zombie horror, but it's definitely a good audio. Definitely worth the listen.
September 29, 2025
I finally finished this.
I had to get into the mood first- this is a very dark and bleak story.
I previously tried to get through this when it came out, but did not feel it back then.
Right now, I am getting back into Warhammer, and decided to paint another horror army, this time, it is Tyranids. And I was listening to the Krynoid release while painting my first miniatures.
I am amazed- this Krynoid story could as well be a Warhammer story featuring the Tyranids and their Genestealer cults. Their mode of operation is VERY similar, and their goal (Eat anything in reach!) is also very similar. Just goes to show that British pop-culture cross-pollinates itself. After all, Warhammer Necrons started out as a carbon copy of the Cybermen.
Well, this was the perfect audio for starting with my new army.
The first episode was still a bit heavy on known and often repeated tropes, and I feared that the whole audio would be a "best-of" the most common tropes, but luckily, the story improved with each episode. It became truly grim-dark and horrific by the end, so the warning at the start that the audio is not suitable for younger listeners is indeed necessary.
The characters are a mixed bag. Some of them are great and believable, others are just plain annoying- like the governor's daughter and the corporate drone.
The Doctor's appearance is fine, and it is a nice example of the Doctor not being able to save a world, however, the story would also have worked without the Doctor. In parts, it just felt as if the Doctor was just there to provide exposition concerning the Krynoids.
The performances are also great, as usual, as is the sound effects.
In the end, pretty good grim-dark Warhammer audio, fitting a universe of despair (well, Big Finish has done Warhammer audios in the past, so they have some experience with that kind of thing, in fact, my very first Big Finish audios were the Warhammer ones, since I was a Warhammer fan first and only much later got into Who).
I had to get into the mood first- this is a very dark and bleak story.
I previously tried to get through this when it came out, but did not feel it back then.
Right now, I am getting back into Warhammer, and decided to paint another horror army, this time, it is Tyranids. And I was listening to the Krynoid release while painting my first miniatures.
I am amazed- this Krynoid story could as well be a Warhammer story featuring the Tyranids and their Genestealer cults. Their mode of operation is VERY similar, and their goal (Eat anything in reach!) is also very similar. Just goes to show that British pop-culture cross-pollinates itself. After all, Warhammer Necrons started out as a carbon copy of the Cybermen.
Well, this was the perfect audio for starting with my new army.
The first episode was still a bit heavy on known and often repeated tropes, and I feared that the whole audio would be a "best-of" the most common tropes, but luckily, the story improved with each episode. It became truly grim-dark and horrific by the end, so the warning at the start that the audio is not suitable for younger listeners is indeed necessary.
The characters are a mixed bag. Some of them are great and believable, others are just plain annoying- like the governor's daughter and the corporate drone.
The Doctor's appearance is fine, and it is a nice example of the Doctor not being able to save a world, however, the story would also have worked without the Doctor. In parts, it just felt as if the Doctor was just there to provide exposition concerning the Krynoids.
The performances are also great, as usual, as is the sound effects.
In the end, pretty good grim-dark Warhammer audio, fitting a universe of despair (well, Big Finish has done Warhammer audios in the past, so they have some experience with that kind of thing, in fact, my very first Big Finish audios were the Warhammer ones, since I was a Warhammer fan first and only much later got into Who).
April 13, 2025
Making a spin-off with the Krynoids wouldn't seem like the first thing you would think of doing, but this story proves that writing a disaster horror story with the Doctor unable to help, only helps to elevate these Monsters.
A strong cast of characters who all feel human and have their own flaws and qualities which in good disaster story fashion, only adds to the disaster.
While the ending seems like they are set it up for a second boxset in the same vane as a zombie survival movie, I feel like this should just be a one-off set as on its own it's perfect. But I could be proven wrong if they go done that route. Reece Shearsmith being one of the highlights of the set as the incompetent Governor of the colony.
Some truly dark moments throughout, stuff which probably wouldn't normally be in a normal Doctor Who story, but these moments are key to show just have devastating an invasive alien plant can do to a planet
I did worry that having Paul McGann as the Doctor in this set would make the plot feel like another Doctor Who story, but luckily his inclusion only adds to the plot and stakes. He doesn't feel shoehorned in to sell the set to people
A strong cast of characters who all feel human and have their own flaws and qualities which in good disaster story fashion, only adds to the disaster.
While the ending seems like they are set it up for a second boxset in the same vane as a zombie survival movie, I feel like this should just be a one-off set as on its own it's perfect. But I could be proven wrong if they go done that route. Reece Shearsmith being one of the highlights of the set as the incompetent Governor of the colony.
Some truly dark moments throughout, stuff which probably wouldn't normally be in a normal Doctor Who story, but these moments are key to show just have devastating an invasive alien plant can do to a planet
I did worry that having Paul McGann as the Doctor in this set would make the plot feel like another Doctor Who story, but luckily his inclusion only adds to the plot and stakes. He doesn't feel shoehorned in to sell the set to people
April 9, 2025
It's safe to say The Seeds of Doom is one of my favorite Doctor Who stories, so when Big Finish announced they were going to do an apocalyptic spin-off with the Krynoids, I was incredibly excited.
Sunlight:
The colony of Sunlight is in chaos. Two meteorites have attacked a satellite, sending the planet into an arctic disaster. They need to get it back online quickly, otherwise the people down below will freeze to death. But inside the satellite lies two plant pots and one of them has already opened, attacking an engineer. Only Governor Robert Hodan knows what's going on, but he's not allowed to share the truth.
Jonathan Morris opens this set with an incredibly intense script that wonderfully establishes the setting, its cast of characters and overall atmosphere. This is a terrific episode with some really terrifying moments of body-horror. It has an interesting and complex cast of characters who aren't all exactly the nicest of people. The plot threads that are introduced in this first episode are really interesting, very intrigued to see where they lead up to. The cliffhanger isn't an enormous surprise, but I think it's fine for a 3-part story's first cliffhanger to be on the more predictable side. 10/10
Sunset:
Sunset is in chaos but luckily for them The Doctor has waken up from cryostasis, but can he really save the day or is this planet doomed to its inevitable fate?
Jonathan S. Powell's debut script is a very intense and dramatic episode that concludes with quite the bang. There are some shocking revelations revealed in this one and it's interesting to see The Doctor come into the fold despite how he leaves at the end of the episode. It's a grim and apocalyptic script where events are spiralling out of control. 9/10
Darkness:
Sunlight is saved! Or is it? Hundreds of Krynoid pods are landing across the planet, and a mysterious light has struck nearly everyone blind. What on earth is going on? How has this happened? Will a single person make it out alive? The colony's days are over, but for the people, it might very well be a new chapter.
Chris Chapman has written a brilliant conclusion to this first set which is creepy, atmospheric, bleak and gruesome. This is a relentless and terrifying script where near enough everyone on the planet is blind. This is a story that puts a majority of our characters to the test and reveals who they really are underneath all the pretence. A horrifying and dramatic audio drama that concludes with a satisfying yet bittersweet ending that leaves you with a tiny spark of hope. I'm very excited to find out what they do with the series next! 10/10
Overall: 29/30
Sunlight:
The colony of Sunlight is in chaos. Two meteorites have attacked a satellite, sending the planet into an arctic disaster. They need to get it back online quickly, otherwise the people down below will freeze to death. But inside the satellite lies two plant pots and one of them has already opened, attacking an engineer. Only Governor Robert Hodan knows what's going on, but he's not allowed to share the truth.
Jonathan Morris opens this set with an incredibly intense script that wonderfully establishes the setting, its cast of characters and overall atmosphere. This is a terrific episode with some really terrifying moments of body-horror. It has an interesting and complex cast of characters who aren't all exactly the nicest of people. The plot threads that are introduced in this first episode are really interesting, very intrigued to see where they lead up to. The cliffhanger isn't an enormous surprise, but I think it's fine for a 3-part story's first cliffhanger to be on the more predictable side. 10/10
Sunset:
Sunset is in chaos but luckily for them The Doctor has waken up from cryostasis, but can he really save the day or is this planet doomed to its inevitable fate?
Jonathan S. Powell's debut script is a very intense and dramatic episode that concludes with quite the bang. There are some shocking revelations revealed in this one and it's interesting to see The Doctor come into the fold despite how he leaves at the end of the episode. It's a grim and apocalyptic script where events are spiralling out of control. 9/10
Darkness:
Sunlight is saved! Or is it? Hundreds of Krynoid pods are landing across the planet, and a mysterious light has struck nearly everyone blind. What on earth is going on? How has this happened? Will a single person make it out alive? The colony's days are over, but for the people, it might very well be a new chapter.
Chris Chapman has written a brilliant conclusion to this first set which is creepy, atmospheric, bleak and gruesome. This is a relentless and terrifying script where near enough everyone on the planet is blind. This is a story that puts a majority of our characters to the test and reveals who they really are underneath all the pretence. A horrifying and dramatic audio drama that concludes with a satisfying yet bittersweet ending that leaves you with a tiny spark of hope. I'm very excited to find out what they do with the series next! 10/10
Overall: 29/30
April 20, 2025
Doctor Who's answer to The Last Of Us and The Walking Dead. I found this to be a highly enjoyable release and probably the best of BF's 2025 lineup so far. I hope this becomes an ongoing series and doesn't end up in limbo like the Charlotte Pollard or Rani series did.
It's quite full-on and intense, which made it gritty and immersive and I love how the Doctor was only a part of the middle episode. He doesn't save the day, nor is there really anything he can do other than take the TARDIS and go back to rescue Liv.
I was also quite surprised to find the Governor, who is the protagonist and first-billed character of the box set, dies halfway through the story. In fact, of the 15ish main characters in this story, only 3 of them are confirmed alive at the end of the story, so that really helped to up the stakes and make it more dramatic knowing that anyone could be eaten or otherwise killed at any moment. I'm glad as well that the story remained on the doomed planet rather than following the Doctor after he leaves the narrative - I would say he doesn't even need to be in the story if it came to it, but McGann is always a welcome addition in any story for me
The Krynoids themselves are a fantastic and inspired choice and it's nice to have the spotlight on them again after so long. I think this definitely requires a prior viewing of The Seeds Of Doom so that you can visualise them properly due to how contingent they are, but it's definitely the best choice for DW style of zombie/infected.
So overall, a very good apocalypse story even beyond Doctor Who standards. Great writers, great acting, and a great harrowing ending which sets it up for future releases and not your usual happy-go-lucky ending where the monsters are dead and everyone gets to survive; the other way around, in fact. Recommend it if you're looking for something a little darker from the Whoniverse.
It's quite full-on and intense, which made it gritty and immersive and I love how the Doctor was only a part of the middle episode. He doesn't save the day, nor is there really anything he can do other than take the TARDIS and go back to rescue Liv.
I was also quite surprised to find the Governor, who is the protagonist and first-billed character of the box set, dies halfway through the story. In fact, of the 15ish main characters in this story, only 3 of them are confirmed alive at the end of the story, so that really helped to up the stakes and make it more dramatic knowing that anyone could be eaten or otherwise killed at any moment. I'm glad as well that the story remained on the doomed planet rather than following the Doctor after he leaves the narrative - I would say he doesn't even need to be in the story if it came to it, but McGann is always a welcome addition in any story for me
The Krynoids themselves are a fantastic and inspired choice and it's nice to have the spotlight on them again after so long. I think this definitely requires a prior viewing of The Seeds Of Doom so that you can visualise them properly due to how contingent they are, but it's definitely the best choice for DW style of zombie/infected.
So overall, a very good apocalypse story even beyond Doctor Who standards. Great writers, great acting, and a great harrowing ending which sets it up for future releases and not your usual happy-go-lucky ending where the monsters are dead and everyone gets to survive; the other way around, in fact. Recommend it if you're looking for something a little darker from the Whoniverse.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2025
This is a storyline of two parts. The first two episodes are a fairly standard Who story but focusing on who would normally be supporting characters and with the Doctor turning up late and peacing out right before the ending (which the plot kinda has to bend over backwards to justify and still doesn’t quite work for me). Kinda awful colony, evil space corporation, largely useless Governor - all fairly standard stuff.
The third episode takes a turn. With the Doctor out of the picture, Nightfall turns full apocalypse drama with a genuinely harrowing opening 10 minutes and then offering up what is easily one of the darkest things Big Finish have done under the Who brand. So if bleakness and horror is your thing, look no further.
Honestly I wouldn’t mind more spin-offs on the lines of taking a monster concept and building its own world (akin to the original 2000s spin offs Dalek Empire and Cyberman). There is talk of a second series for this, but I’m not sure if I’d get that. The characters aren’t so compelling I feel the need to have more, but there is potential for this apocalypse so might wait and see what premise they come up with.
Three stars for episode 1 & 2; four for episode 3.
The third episode takes a turn. With the Doctor out of the picture, Nightfall turns full apocalypse drama with a genuinely harrowing opening 10 minutes and then offering up what is easily one of the darkest things Big Finish have done under the Who brand. So if bleakness and horror is your thing, look no further.
Honestly I wouldn’t mind more spin-offs on the lines of taking a monster concept and building its own world (akin to the original 2000s spin offs Dalek Empire and Cyberman). There is talk of a second series for this, but I’m not sure if I’d get that. The characters aren’t so compelling I feel the need to have more, but there is potential for this apocalypse so might wait and see what premise they come up with.
Three stars for episode 1 & 2; four for episode 3.
November 10, 2025
This one is dark. Really dark. Think Doctor Who and the Seeds of Doom: 4th Doctor Novelisation, but the krynoids are not so easily defeated. Think The Day of the Triffids, but set in the Whoniverse. Think Little Shop of Horrors: Script and Lyrics, but not a musical or humorous. Thank The Plant, but science fiction and set in the future and on another world. This whole 3-part story is just the set up for the potential ongoing war between the human race and the krynoid. It’s a lot of fun, I really enjoyed it, and I do hope the continue this series.
November 15, 2025
For a time, it felt like there wasn't enough Paul McGann. But then he ended up getting enough. I like how concerned he is about not wanting to know a companion's fate, as not knowing would mean it's more possible to save them.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews