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The War Master #11
The War Master: Future Phantoms
For decades there have been rumours at St Simeon’s College: whispers of a door that somehow appears, once a year, in the depths of the building. Some claim it leads to a set of rooms owned by a long-forgotten master of the college, and if you happen to meet him, he’ll invite you inside to hear a story. A tale to chill the blood. But those who hear him speak are never the same. No one knows who the man is or where the rooms come from. There is no official record of either. And yet they both exist if you know where to look… when the cold, dark nights draw in. Would you like to hear a story? Because the Master’s waiting.
11.1 His Close Companions by Jonathan Barnes - At a provincial school, the headmaster seemingly conjures up a vengeful creature from another world. Years later, only one witness remains… and the Master knows the truth of what’s to come.
11.2 The Foxglove Cylinders by James Goss - When Merton, a young academic, investigates the Foxglove Acquisition, he uncovers a set of cylinders that could conceal voices of ancient cultures. But are they recordings or transmissions?
11.3 The Sitter by Lizzie Hopley - Dorothy Stubbs is plagued by an entity: a man who comes to her house in the dead of night and sits downstairs. Is it just a figment of her imagination? Or is the Sitter of Waterfront Close a thing to be feared?
11.4 Signal and I'll Come to You by Tim Foley - After a train vanishes in a tunnel on a rural branch line, Mr Eliot has no choice but to revisit his past to tackle the present. Why is history repeating itself? And will this be the Master’s final tale?
11.1 His Close Companions by Jonathan Barnes - At a provincial school, the headmaster seemingly conjures up a vengeful creature from another world. Years later, only one witness remains… and the Master knows the truth of what’s to come.
11.2 The Foxglove Cylinders by James Goss - When Merton, a young academic, investigates the Foxglove Acquisition, he uncovers a set of cylinders that could conceal voices of ancient cultures. But are they recordings or transmissions?
11.3 The Sitter by Lizzie Hopley - Dorothy Stubbs is plagued by an entity: a man who comes to her house in the dead of night and sits downstairs. Is it just a figment of her imagination? Or is the Sitter of Waterfront Close a thing to be feared?
11.4 Signal and I'll Come to You by Tim Foley - After a train vanishes in a tunnel on a rural branch line, Mr Eliot has no choice but to revisit his past to tackle the present. Why is history repeating itself? And will this be the Master’s final tale?
- GenresDoctor WhoAudiobook
Audio CD
First published November 5, 2024
About the author
Jonathan Barnes
71 books142 followersJonathan Barnes is the author of two novels, The Somnambulist and The Domino Men. He contributes regularly to the Times Literary Supplement and the Literary Review and is the author of several scripts for Big Finish Productions. He is currently writer-in-residence at Kingston University.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 2, 2026
Four ghost stories narrated by the Master to undergraduates at a university college over the course of a century or so. The amount of narration used varies between the stories, but they all include a significant element of full-cast audio.
His Close Companions
The first tale is set in late Victorian times, with the Master partly recounting a story he was himself told by a visitor to the college about a terrifying experience he had in his youth. Despite this double remove, this main section of the tale is atmospheric and well-done, combining a sense of creepy horror with the helplessness of being a young student at an oppressive boarding school. That the monster is largely in the shadows aids the atmosphere, and there’s a Gothic feel that’s appropriate to the era being evoked.
The latter section, in which we move out of the nested stories to reach a conclusion, is less effective, partly because we don’t care so much about the characters. It’s also less clear what’s going on, or at least what the Master’s motivation is intended to be. This may be intentional, with the imagery of the first part being the more significant element, but it does make the ending less satisfying. The story also relies heavily on the narration, which might make it less immersive for some, and more like a regular audiobook, but it feels natural and effective in context. 3.5 stars.
The Foxglove Cylinders
For the second story, we move to the 1920s for a tale about researchers uncovering ancient hidden secrets. There is a distinct Lovecraftian feel about this one, but not perhaps in the way most commonly associated with his work; this is, perhaps, more reminiscent of The Shadow Out of Time than, say, The Call of Cthulhu. It’s a slow-build story, more so than the first one, as the main character slowly becomes more obsessed with what he has found, even as its danger starts to become clear.
It is a story that works particularly well on audio, being partly tied in with the early (pre-vinyl) history of the phonograph. On the other hand, it feels oddly placed here, being an effective pastiche of the outré horror of the 1920s, but having nothing obvious to do with the larger theme, beyond being set in the same college. For instance, although Jacobi has a major role in it, he doesn’t appear to be playing the Master (or if he is, the Master is acting out of character for some of it), making this essentially standalone. Taken on its own merits, however, it’s a nice piece of horror, and the ambiguity of what’s happening works more in its favour than it does in the prior story. 4 stars.
The Sitter
The third story jumps all the way to the 1980s, moving away from the university to tell the tale of a poltergeist in a terraced street in London. Like the first one, it has a significant amount of narration, helping to pull the story forward despite a relatively small cast. The idea behind it is a creepy one, with the poltergeist – or whatever it may really be – doing very little but giving a distinct sensation that it is present. The feeling, in other words, that when you’re home alone at night, there is somebody else downstairs that shouldn’t be there.
It’s another slow build, a ghost story that revolves almost entirely around how the house’s resident and her psychologist react to the sensation and try to uncover its source. The Master (probably) is present within the story as well as being the narrator, although, perhaps even more so than in the first story, it’s not obvious what he’s trying to achieve. Nonetheless, as a piece of psychological horror, with the tension slowly building as characters become ever drawn deeper into the fear and mystery, it’s very effective. Not one for those horror fans who want shocking imagery and jump scares, but still chilling taken on its own merits. Even if, like the other stories in this collection, it has no particular reason to be a ‘Master’ story. 4.5 stars.
Signal and I’ll Come to You
Finally, the framing device reaches the present day as the college that the Master is using is about to be closed down. The story, however, circles back to the beginning by using a Victorian setting again. This time, it’s the tale of a signalman haunted by a past tragedy having to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a train in a tunnel. It’s another creepy dark tale, with the signalman and his companions isolated from the outside world as they try to uncover the truth and what connection it may have to his past. It also helps that, this time, it’s clearer what the Master’s motivation is, even as many of the fine details are (rightly) left to the listener’s imagination.
However, the story is also notable for wrapping up the framing device, explaining what the Master has been doing in the college and why he has been telling these stories at all. It makes for a strong ending, tying into the themes of this particular story and fitting the dark, Gothic tone that the collection has been aiming for throughout. 4 stars.
His Close Companions
The first tale is set in late Victorian times, with the Master partly recounting a story he was himself told by a visitor to the college about a terrifying experience he had in his youth. Despite this double remove, this main section of the tale is atmospheric and well-done, combining a sense of creepy horror with the helplessness of being a young student at an oppressive boarding school. That the monster is largely in the shadows aids the atmosphere, and there’s a Gothic feel that’s appropriate to the era being evoked.
The latter section, in which we move out of the nested stories to reach a conclusion, is less effective, partly because we don’t care so much about the characters. It’s also less clear what’s going on, or at least what the Master’s motivation is intended to be. This may be intentional, with the imagery of the first part being the more significant element, but it does make the ending less satisfying. The story also relies heavily on the narration, which might make it less immersive for some, and more like a regular audiobook, but it feels natural and effective in context. 3.5 stars.
The Foxglove Cylinders
For the second story, we move to the 1920s for a tale about researchers uncovering ancient hidden secrets. There is a distinct Lovecraftian feel about this one, but not perhaps in the way most commonly associated with his work; this is, perhaps, more reminiscent of The Shadow Out of Time than, say, The Call of Cthulhu. It’s a slow-build story, more so than the first one, as the main character slowly becomes more obsessed with what he has found, even as its danger starts to become clear.
It is a story that works particularly well on audio, being partly tied in with the early (pre-vinyl) history of the phonograph. On the other hand, it feels oddly placed here, being an effective pastiche of the outré horror of the 1920s, but having nothing obvious to do with the larger theme, beyond being set in the same college. For instance, although Jacobi has a major role in it, he doesn’t appear to be playing the Master (or if he is, the Master is acting out of character for some of it), making this essentially standalone. Taken on its own merits, however, it’s a nice piece of horror, and the ambiguity of what’s happening works more in its favour than it does in the prior story. 4 stars.
The Sitter
The third story jumps all the way to the 1980s, moving away from the university to tell the tale of a poltergeist in a terraced street in London. Like the first one, it has a significant amount of narration, helping to pull the story forward despite a relatively small cast. The idea behind it is a creepy one, with the poltergeist – or whatever it may really be – doing very little but giving a distinct sensation that it is present. The feeling, in other words, that when you’re home alone at night, there is somebody else downstairs that shouldn’t be there.
It’s another slow build, a ghost story that revolves almost entirely around how the house’s resident and her psychologist react to the sensation and try to uncover its source. The Master (probably) is present within the story as well as being the narrator, although, perhaps even more so than in the first story, it’s not obvious what he’s trying to achieve. Nonetheless, as a piece of psychological horror, with the tension slowly building as characters become ever drawn deeper into the fear and mystery, it’s very effective. Not one for those horror fans who want shocking imagery and jump scares, but still chilling taken on its own merits. Even if, like the other stories in this collection, it has no particular reason to be a ‘Master’ story. 4.5 stars.
Signal and I’ll Come to You
Finally, the framing device reaches the present day as the college that the Master is using is about to be closed down. The story, however, circles back to the beginning by using a Victorian setting again. This time, it’s the tale of a signalman haunted by a past tragedy having to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a train in a tunnel. It’s another creepy dark tale, with the signalman and his companions isolated from the outside world as they try to uncover the truth and what connection it may have to his past. It also helps that, this time, it’s clearer what the Master’s motivation is, even as many of the fine details are (rightly) left to the listener’s imagination.
However, the story is also notable for wrapping up the framing device, explaining what the Master has been doing in the college and why he has been telling these stories at all. It makes for a strong ending, tying into the themes of this particular story and fitting the dark, Gothic tone that the collection has been aiming for throughout. 4 stars.
August 1, 2026
This box set has the Master telling eerie stories to random university students, which would be an interesting premise, but falls a bit short for me. It doesn’t happen for the whole set, which is odd. But at the very least, the Master is at this prestige university for the set, messing with various students through time.
Each story has a gothic horror element, and can be listened to individually. There is no link between the stories in this set.
Episode 1 - His Close Companions - 3 stars
This episode was alright.
It had a nice, eerie atmosphere and set up the premise of the box set, with the Master telling uni students spooky stories.
However, this story is a story within a story, and it’s a little underwhelming when you’re expecting a story from the Master’s life, but he’s just retelling a story that he was told however long ago. I’m sure there’s more to the story than we hear, and somehow the Master was involved in it all, but overall it’s a bit meh.
Episode 2 - The Foxglove Cylinders - 3 stars
This episode seems more like a general gothic horror than a Master story. It’s not bad, I just felt like I didn’t much care for the story or the characters in this one.
By the end, I was left very confused. The Master’s plan, or indeed just his very involvement in this story, was never explained, so I just don’t understand the point of this one.
I felt a thematic link to the first story, as both of the had gothic horror vibes, so perhaps it’ll be explained later in the set.
Episode 3 - The Sitter - 4 stars
This one was a really interesting story, where the Master narrated it, but wasn’t really in it all that much.
The story again had no explanation for what was really going on, or how, so you’re just left to guess. I assume the Master is behind it all, but I’ve no idea as to why.
Even though the Master wasn’t really in this story, I found it engaging and I really liked Marina, the character we followed, and Dorothy.
Episode 4 - Signal and I’ll Come to You - 2 stars
This one was alright, but I found myself zoning out quite a few times. The story was fine, so I think it just wasn’t personally for me.
Also, we got an answer to the big question of the box set… why is the Master sticking around on earth and telling spooky stories. I can’t lie, I wasn’t so keen on the answer. The idea of it is fine, but there’s something about it (that I can’t say, due to very big spoilers) that just doesn’t make any sense, and I didn’t like.
Overall, as a collection of horror stories, it works really well. As a box set of the Master, I don’t think it’s brilliant. But I do love how you can see the passing of time from episode to episode, and the students being told these stories, are clearly from different time periods.
It’s a great box set to listen to for Halloween!
Each story has a gothic horror element, and can be listened to individually. There is no link between the stories in this set.
Episode 1 - His Close Companions - 3 stars
This episode was alright.
It had a nice, eerie atmosphere and set up the premise of the box set, with the Master telling uni students spooky stories.
However, this story is a story within a story, and it’s a little underwhelming when you’re expecting a story from the Master’s life, but he’s just retelling a story that he was told however long ago. I’m sure there’s more to the story than we hear, and somehow the Master was involved in it all, but overall it’s a bit meh.
Episode 2 - The Foxglove Cylinders - 3 stars
This episode seems more like a general gothic horror than a Master story. It’s not bad, I just felt like I didn’t much care for the story or the characters in this one.
By the end, I was left very confused. The Master’s plan, or indeed just his very involvement in this story, was never explained, so I just don’t understand the point of this one.
I felt a thematic link to the first story, as both of the had gothic horror vibes, so perhaps it’ll be explained later in the set.
Episode 3 - The Sitter - 4 stars
This one was a really interesting story, where the Master narrated it, but wasn’t really in it all that much.
The story again had no explanation for what was really going on, or how, so you’re just left to guess. I assume the Master is behind it all, but I’ve no idea as to why.
Even though the Master wasn’t really in this story, I found it engaging and I really liked Marina, the character we followed, and Dorothy.
Episode 4 - Signal and I’ll Come to You - 2 stars
This one was alright, but I found myself zoning out quite a few times. The story was fine, so I think it just wasn’t personally for me.
Also, we got an answer to the big question of the box set… why is the Master sticking around on earth and telling spooky stories. I can’t lie, I wasn’t so keen on the answer. The idea of it is fine, but there’s something about it (that I can’t say, due to very big spoilers) that just doesn’t make any sense, and I didn’t like.
Overall, as a collection of horror stories, it works really well. As a box set of the Master, I don’t think it’s brilliant. But I do love how you can see the passing of time from episode to episode, and the students being told these stories, are clearly from different time periods.
It’s a great box set to listen to for Halloween!
December 9, 2024
It's no secret I'm a huge fan of The War Master range, Derek Jacobi is such a delight his performance as The Master is both charming and terrifying. I've been very excited for this set of ghost stories told by The War Master and I'm dying to dive in!
His Close Companions:
At a posh school for boys, it seems the Headmaster is attempting to bring a dangerous creature into the world. The witnesses who saw this terrible event have vanished over the years, but only The Master knows what is happening.
Jonathan Barnes has written a very engaging and atmospheric script that is very creepy and mysterious. It's not one of the best stories I've listened to this range but it does a brilliant job setting up the format for this set and how The Master goes about telling his stories to eager students. 8/10
The Foxglove Cylinders:
Merton a young academic is fascinated by the Foxglove Cylinders, so he steals one from the academy archive. He's about to discover something truly miraculous about the ancient artifacts that could change how people perceive history. But some secrets are better left buried.
James Goss has written a haunting and atmospheric script with a terrifying ending. It's a story of a young academic losing himself to madness and obsession over an ancient artifact that should be impossible. The protagonist of this story is very unlikable and incompetent when it comes to being a decent human being, he puts aside all the people he supposedly cares about for his discoveries. It was interesting seeing The War Master paired up with such a character, especially towards the end. 10/10
The Sitter:
A ghostly entity haunts Dorothy Stubbs, a man who enters her house and sits on her sofa at night. Is she going mad? Dr. Marina Khatri is determined to find out what's going on, after all, there's a rational explanation for everything, right?
Lizzie Hopley has written a spine-chilling script that will leave you shivering in anticipation and fear. It's a frightening ghost story with a terrific cast of characters and an ending that will leave you horrified. 10/10
Signal and I'll Come to You:
30 years ago there was a terrible accident on the railway line, a train crashed in the tunnel and a signalman was there to bear the horror. Now another train has disappeared, and the owner of the railway company, her assistant, the signalman, and the mysterious engineer have gone to investigate. This is the last of The Master's Tales and it's finally time to find out what this has all been about.
Tim Foley has written a clever and haunting tale that concludes with a mindblowing twist that works incredibly well. I loved the ending to this set. 10/10
Overall: 38/40
His Close Companions:
At a posh school for boys, it seems the Headmaster is attempting to bring a dangerous creature into the world. The witnesses who saw this terrible event have vanished over the years, but only The Master knows what is happening.
Jonathan Barnes has written a very engaging and atmospheric script that is very creepy and mysterious. It's not one of the best stories I've listened to this range but it does a brilliant job setting up the format for this set and how The Master goes about telling his stories to eager students. 8/10
The Foxglove Cylinders:
Merton a young academic is fascinated by the Foxglove Cylinders, so he steals one from the academy archive. He's about to discover something truly miraculous about the ancient artifacts that could change how people perceive history. But some secrets are better left buried.
James Goss has written a haunting and atmospheric script with a terrifying ending. It's a story of a young academic losing himself to madness and obsession over an ancient artifact that should be impossible. The protagonist of this story is very unlikable and incompetent when it comes to being a decent human being, he puts aside all the people he supposedly cares about for his discoveries. It was interesting seeing The War Master paired up with such a character, especially towards the end. 10/10
The Sitter:
A ghostly entity haunts Dorothy Stubbs, a man who enters her house and sits on her sofa at night. Is she going mad? Dr. Marina Khatri is determined to find out what's going on, after all, there's a rational explanation for everything, right?
Lizzie Hopley has written a spine-chilling script that will leave you shivering in anticipation and fear. It's a frightening ghost story with a terrific cast of characters and an ending that will leave you horrified. 10/10
Signal and I'll Come to You:
30 years ago there was a terrible accident on the railway line, a train crashed in the tunnel and a signalman was there to bear the horror. Now another train has disappeared, and the owner of the railway company, her assistant, the signalman, and the mysterious engineer have gone to investigate. This is the last of The Master's Tales and it's finally time to find out what this has all been about.
Tim Foley has written a clever and haunting tale that concludes with a mindblowing twist that works incredibly well. I loved the ending to this set. 10/10
Overall: 38/40
January 11, 2025
4 new creepy tales featuring the War Master.
This time, the stories are a mix of narration and live-action, which suits me well (I have been raised on German audio dramas, so a narrator is bread and butter for me).
I really liked this release.
4 great haunting and creepy tales which are dripping with atmosphere.
Derek Jacobi makes for a terrific narrator.
I also had no issue believing that the nice old man in these stories is indeed the Master, doing the thing he does best: working on his nefarious plans by trying to find out about and (hopefully) enslave and use some eldritch horrors.
Very good release, highly recommended.
This time, the stories are a mix of narration and live-action, which suits me well (I have been raised on German audio dramas, so a narrator is bread and butter for me).
I really liked this release.
4 great haunting and creepy tales which are dripping with atmosphere.
Derek Jacobi makes for a terrific narrator.
I also had no issue believing that the nice old man in these stories is indeed the Master, doing the thing he does best: working on his nefarious plans by trying to find out about and (hopefully) enslave and use some eldritch horrors.
Very good release, highly recommended.
November 8, 2024
11.1: His Close Companions by Jonathan Barnes
This one was pretty good. Interesting villain and ending, but not my favorite of the set.
11.2: The Foxglove Cylinders by James Goss
I love James Goss, but lately he’s been writing some crazy stories. At first this one seems interesting. There’s an interesting mystery with what’s on the cylinders. The Master has a really cool plan, and there’s also a really cool descent into madness kind of thing. But here’s what’s crazy: I don’t really know what happened. Who was that weird guy at the auction? When the Master asked him who he was, he just said “You don’t get to ask that.” Also, what was on the cylinder? Did Foxglove make it with the help of the aliens? Was he possessed by the aliens? Did the aliens make it themselves? And what is the monster? Why was the Master so afraid of it at the end? Despite these questions, it was a pretty enjoyable release.
11.3: The Sitter by Lizzie Hopley
This is definitely one of my favorite stories in the set. Compelling mystery with the Master in great disguise. The Master’s plan is the most interesting in this story because he’s using The Sitter against people. The idea of The Sitter is also pretty terrifying.
11.4: Signal and I’ll Come To You by Tim Foley
If it’s written by Tim Foley you know it’ll be a banger. Really cool story with interesting characters and a really cool ending. I eagerly await the next War Master set.
Final note: I think it’s really cool that we don’t ever find out exactly what the monsters. Sometimes it’s the scarier the more you don’t know. That’s how fear works. The immersion is destroyed when you discover all this stupid lore about them.
This one was pretty good. Interesting villain and ending, but not my favorite of the set.
11.2: The Foxglove Cylinders by James Goss
I love James Goss, but lately he’s been writing some crazy stories. At first this one seems interesting. There’s an interesting mystery with what’s on the cylinders. The Master has a really cool plan, and there’s also a really cool descent into madness kind of thing. But here’s what’s crazy: I don’t really know what happened. Who was that weird guy at the auction? When the Master asked him who he was, he just said “You don’t get to ask that.” Also, what was on the cylinder? Did Foxglove make it with the help of the aliens? Was he possessed by the aliens? Did the aliens make it themselves? And what is the monster? Why was the Master so afraid of it at the end? Despite these questions, it was a pretty enjoyable release.
11.3: The Sitter by Lizzie Hopley
This is definitely one of my favorite stories in the set. Compelling mystery with the Master in great disguise. The Master’s plan is the most interesting in this story because he’s using The Sitter against people. The idea of The Sitter is also pretty terrifying.
11.4: Signal and I’ll Come To You by Tim Foley
If it’s written by Tim Foley you know it’ll be a banger. Really cool story with interesting characters and a really cool ending. I eagerly await the next War Master set.
Final note: I think it’s really cool that we don’t ever find out exactly what the monsters. Sometimes it’s the scarier the more you don’t know. That’s how fear works. The immersion is destroyed when you discover all this stupid lore about them.
December 11, 2024
This was such an excellent set. Every episode was at least an hour, not those 47 min episodes (looking at you, doctors daughter). And it’s a 4 episode boxset. Simply lovely, that.
The stories are ace. Highly recommended.
The stories are ace. Highly recommended.
November 8, 2024
I'm not sure that this framed narrative style worked quite as well for me here.
November 14, 2024
Flat-out great collection of classic ghost stories told through a Doctor Who lens. "The Sitter," in particular, approaches perfection. Simply sublime.
November 6, 2024
11.1 His Close Companions - This was not at all what I expected, but it was quite interesting. Reminiscent of M.R. James.
11.2 The Foxglove Cylinders - I enjoyed this one a bit more. It feels more like it was inspired by H.P. Lovecraft.
11.3 The Sitter - Another Ghost Story story within a story. Not a particularly effective format for me. And the use of a full cast seems almost pointless waste to me. Still fun and entertaining, just not my favorite narrative structure.
11.4 Signal and I'll Come to You - Definitely inspired, at least in part, by The Signalman by Charles Dickens. Some really good stuff here with an interesting twist at the end.
Overall this is a very atmospheric and entertaining release, just not quite what I was hoping for.
11.2 The Foxglove Cylinders - I enjoyed this one a bit more. It feels more like it was inspired by H.P. Lovecraft.
11.3 The Sitter - Another Ghost Story story within a story. Not a particularly effective format for me. And the use of a full cast seems almost pointless waste to me. Still fun and entertaining, just not my favorite narrative structure.
11.4 Signal and I'll Come to You - Definitely inspired, at least in part, by The Signalman by Charles Dickens. Some really good stuff here with an interesting twist at the end.
Overall this is a very atmospheric and entertaining release, just not quite what I was hoping for.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews