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The Black Archive #39
The Silurians
‘If the Brigadier won’t listen to reason, Liz, maybe the Silurians will.’
In the face of hopelessness, are we still compelled to do the right thing? No Doctor Who story encapsulates the layered complexity of science versus ethics more than Doctor Who and The Silurians (1970). The story raises issues of land rights, the 1970s energy crisis, technological innovation, animal experimentation and the role of the military. Science is presented as the solution to many of the problems, but terrible acts result from the morality of the choices made by both humans and Silurians – and an exiled Time Lord.
In the face of hopelessness, are we still compelled to do the right thing? No Doctor Who story encapsulates the layered complexity of science versus ethics more than Doctor Who and The Silurians (1970). The story raises issues of land rights, the 1970s energy crisis, technological innovation, animal experimentation and the role of the military. Science is presented as the solution to many of the problems, but terrible acts result from the morality of the choices made by both humans and Silurians – and an exiled Time Lord.
- GenresDoctor WhoNonfiction
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First published January 1, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 9, 2020
Robert Smith?'s 'The Silurians' is an excellent addition to The Black Archive that does a fine job of raising and then dealing with the issues raised by 'Doctor Who and The Silurians'.
Robert Smith? is, when not writing Doctor Who books, a mathematician, a Professor of Disease Modelling no less so this story is perfect for him to cast his eye over and Chapter 6: Could The Silurian Plague Have Killed Us All undoubtedly benefits from that expertise.
However, where this book is at its best is in its analysis of the ethics and morality of the story, which effectively 'breaks' the Doctor's moral certainty by having the Doctor continue to work with the Brigadier after the Brigadier commits what looks like genocide at the end of the story. It might not be genocide because the Brigadier might simply be sealing off the Silurian caves as opposed to destroying them entirely. It looks like genocide though and The Doctor's decision to carry on working with the Brigadier after the smallest of protest compromises The Doctor as a character and Doctor Who as a series.
All of which Robert Smith? identifies and analyses in excellent style. I think this might be my favorite Black Archive, apart from 'The Massacre'.
Well worth a read.
Robert Smith? is, when not writing Doctor Who books, a mathematician, a Professor of Disease Modelling no less so this story is perfect for him to cast his eye over and Chapter 6: Could The Silurian Plague Have Killed Us All undoubtedly benefits from that expertise.
However, where this book is at its best is in its analysis of the ethics and morality of the story, which effectively 'breaks' the Doctor's moral certainty by having the Doctor continue to work with the Brigadier after the Brigadier commits what looks like genocide at the end of the story. It might not be genocide because the Brigadier might simply be sealing off the Silurian caves as opposed to destroying them entirely. It looks like genocide though and The Doctor's decision to carry on working with the Brigadier after the smallest of protest compromises The Doctor as a character and Doctor Who as a series.
All of which Robert Smith? identifies and analyses in excellent style. I think this might be my favorite Black Archive, apart from 'The Massacre'.
Well worth a read.
November 4, 2020
A wide-ranging, clearly written analysis that recasts The Silurians’ apparent failings as strengths and offers, by considering aspects of the serial from a rational, scientific standpoint and giving them a societal context, something of a reappraisal of the Third Doctor more broadly.
May 12, 2020
A frighteningly timely look at this story.
May 7, 2023
https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/doctor-who-and-the-silurians-and-doctor-who-and-the-cave-monsters-by-malcolm-hulke-and-the-silurians-by-robert-smith/
I found Robert Smith?’s Black Archive monograph on the story, titled just The Silurians, a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, he explores the themes of the story in some depth. But on the other, I found his presentation of some of the political issues a bit out of date; and in particular, I don’t think you can really write properly about any Malcolm Hulke story without reference to Doctor Who and the Communist, by Michael Herbert, which looks at the relationship between Hulke’s politics and his writing. Only one previous Black Archive volume is mentioned; I think the book could have benefitted from more dialogue with its own predecessors.
The first chapter, “Can Technology Solve All Our Problems?”, looks at the Cyclotron as a supplier of free (or at least cheap) energy, and the shadow of the atom bomb, as twin aspects of technology.
The second chapter, “What’s the Ideal Length for a Doctor Who Story?”, defends the length of Doctor Who and the Silurians, arguing that, for instance, the whole Hartnell era could be considered as one long story, if you like. It would have been interesting to know if there are other episodic Sixties and Seventies series from which comparisons could be drawn.
The third chapter, “What’s the Point of UNIT?”, actually concentrates on the Doctor’s role and character especially in an Earth setting.
The fourth chapter, “Who Has the Moral High Ground Here?”, looks at the story’s takes on colonialism and violence.
The fifth chapter, “Is Doctor Who a Science Show?” points out the rarity of science as such actually being portrayed in the show (as it is here), also veering into conspiracy theories and animal rights.
The sixth chapter, “Could the Silurian Plague Have Killed Us All?” is the one which turned out to be the most timely for a book published in January 2020. Unfortunately this also means it has dated badly; most of the gosh-wow facts about epidemics are now either common knowledge or overtaken by events. This is hardly Smith?’s fault, of course.
The seventh chapter, “Who’s Responsible for All This?”, attempts to round off the narrative by looking at the Doctor, especially the Third Doctor, as a character and explaining that the end of the story ought to be a “hyperobject”, a concept that is not really well explained.
I found Robert Smith?’s Black Archive monograph on the story, titled just The Silurians, a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, he explores the themes of the story in some depth. But on the other, I found his presentation of some of the political issues a bit out of date; and in particular, I don’t think you can really write properly about any Malcolm Hulke story without reference to Doctor Who and the Communist, by Michael Herbert, which looks at the relationship between Hulke’s politics and his writing. Only one previous Black Archive volume is mentioned; I think the book could have benefitted from more dialogue with its own predecessors.
The first chapter, “Can Technology Solve All Our Problems?”, looks at the Cyclotron as a supplier of free (or at least cheap) energy, and the shadow of the atom bomb, as twin aspects of technology.
The second chapter, “What’s the Ideal Length for a Doctor Who Story?”, defends the length of Doctor Who and the Silurians, arguing that, for instance, the whole Hartnell era could be considered as one long story, if you like. It would have been interesting to know if there are other episodic Sixties and Seventies series from which comparisons could be drawn.
The third chapter, “What’s the Point of UNIT?”, actually concentrates on the Doctor’s role and character especially in an Earth setting.
The fourth chapter, “Who Has the Moral High Ground Here?”, looks at the story’s takes on colonialism and violence.
The fifth chapter, “Is Doctor Who a Science Show?” points out the rarity of science as such actually being portrayed in the show (as it is here), also veering into conspiracy theories and animal rights.
The sixth chapter, “Could the Silurian Plague Have Killed Us All?” is the one which turned out to be the most timely for a book published in January 2020. Unfortunately this also means it has dated badly; most of the gosh-wow facts about epidemics are now either common knowledge or overtaken by events. This is hardly Smith?’s fault, of course.
The seventh chapter, “Who’s Responsible for All This?”, attempts to round off the narrative by looking at the Doctor, especially the Third Doctor, as a character and explaining that the end of the story ought to be a “hyperobject”, a concept that is not really well explained.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews