Doctor Who: The World Tree

Paul Spragg Memorial Short Trips Opportunity #2022

by Nick Slawicz, Lisa Bowerman (Narrator )

Nora Wicker is forgetful. Not big things – not yet, anyway. She remembers her address and where the shops are. She remembers people when they come to visit, no matter how rare that is.

But she doesn’t remember where the bush with the red leaves in her garden came from – and she definitely doesn’t remember asking for a house call from the Eleventh Doctor.

Winner of the Paul Spragg Memorial Short Trip Opportunity 2022

Genres: Doctor Who, Audiobook, Science Fiction, Short Stories, Time Travel, Media Tie In

Audiobook

First published December 29, 2022

Reviews

[River · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh this short story was just beautiful and a perfect explanation of what a short trip could and should be! I was simply in love from start to finish, and even though this adventure is a short one, I'd of happy sat with the doctor and norra as they talked, it was that humble and peaceful.

[Emilija · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 150 Prompt Doctor Who Reading Challenge - Fifteenth Doctor - 3) Run Towards The Light Even When It Hurts: Read A Book That Balances Hope And Heartbreak.

I thought this was quite an enjoyable Short Trips audio, with a poignant ending with Nora, who was such a lovely one off character. The way the story balanced her fears of memory problems and the loneliness of continuing after the death of a spouse with the hope she has for the World Tree and the conversations she had with the Doctor, it was such a lovely little story.

[Derelict Space Sheep · Rating 4 out of 5]

A single-note story but one that carries its premise well. Slawicz captures the Eleventh Doctor’s warmth and his childlike yet ageless appreciation of everyday people and their inherent worth as individuals. Nora Wicker is a believable character, ably portrayed by Lisa Bowerman.

[Jamieson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The winner of the 2022 Paul Spragg Memorial Short Trip competiton, The World Tree is read is read by Lisa Bowerman and features the Eleventh Doctor. The main character is Nora Wicker who lives alone in a country house after her husband's death and is slowly losing her memory. In her garden is a red-leafed bush that she doesn't remember planting. It's a sweet story. Short (only about 40 minutes), sweet and very personal. There's a brief, implied appearance by the Fifteenth Doctor (a fact confirmed by the author on Twitter), but this is very much an Eleventh Doctor story. It's rather simple and it's free for download from the Big Finish website, so feel free to check it out.

[Fede · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very timey-wimey, a little bit sad but so hopeful at the same time.
It would have been a very heartwarming episode for the 11th Doctor era.
Recommended (it's also free on Big Finish!)

[Seb Hasi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was admittedly not the most interesting, and the premise was a bit flimsy, but it was quite beautiful. It explored dementia with such nuance and soul, something that just made me tear up in the moments that explored that. The world tree itself was just a means of exploring character, so it wasn’t disappointing to have that as the narrative. The narration was good and Lisa Bowerman provided good characterisation for the charming old lady and the 11th Doctor. Of course he was still all zany and comedic, which reminds me why I don’t really like his Doctor. Despite this I found that him just spouting exposition made him far more interesting than I’m used to, and our main character providing the actual comedic moments and heart of the story. The pacing of the story is quite slow so my interest did wain, but I found that I was really engaged with the ending. Well executed metaphors and ideas gave the story justification in its ending, plus it was just nice to listen to a story that doesn’t dedicate a third of its runtime to defeat some generic monster. On the whole the story is nothing mind blowing, just charming and sweet. Nothing that will live on as iconic but well worth a listen.

[inhonoredglory · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tender, inventive, poignant story of old age, memory, and the importance of stories. Pulls at my heartstrings. But my favorite thing about this is how much it takes the indigenous concept of the natural world as a living receptacle of a culture's history as its sci-fi inspiration:

"One of the wisest things in the universe, a fully-grown World Tree. Wherever one sets down roots, you get a thousand different species living and working together for tens of thousands of years to
care for it. That’s billions of different people pouring their stories, their thoughts, their feelings, their
worries, their whole selves into this one tree – and it listens, and it remembers. The bend of every branch, the pattern of every leaf... each one a living, photosynthesising record of a whole galaxy. Imagine what you’d be able to ask a thing like that. Imagine what it would know."

[Daniel Cork]

I’m not the biggest fan of the short trips range but I’ll admit they can be a nice way to kill time. It’s very rare when I love a story from this range, but that doesn’t mean I don’t often enjoy listening to these.

Nora has dementia, there will be good and bad days but things won’t improve. A strange tree is growing at the bottom of her garden and only a strange young man in a bow tie can tell her what it is.

Nick Slawicz has written a very emotional story about what it means to be old, grieving, ill and alone. It’s a beautiful but calming narrative that really pulls at the heart strings. A very human story with a solid ending.

Overall: I enjoyed this one, an emotional yarn that doesn’t overcomplicate itself. 8/10

[per herondale · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Time forgets - but the tree remembers"

Esta es mi primera experiencia con las historias cortas del las audioaventuras de Doctor Who. Y tengo que decir que la amé de principio a fin. Es una historia rápida y fácil de entender, dura 40 minutos, pero tiene un mensaje muy lindo. Amé como se fue desarrollando, y el final me conmovió. Creo que es una buena manera para introducirse en este formato del doctor, realmente la disfruté muchísimo.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

short, wholesome, heartbreaking.
Many themes remind me of elderly people in my life, their joys and difficulties, and tackles them with grace and dignity.
the writing was beautiful, and the performance was enjoyable. eleven was characterized well and Nora was lovable and sweet.
no monsters or running down hallways, but still very Doctor Who.

[Finlay O'Riordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and sweet. A very gentle listen. Personally, it wasn't my kind of thing, but it features the Eleventh Doctor (as well as a very on-the-nose cameo) and a nice old lady.

It's all about life and how much time you have. A sweet listen, and there's nothing wrong with it, it just wasn't all that exciting or engaging for me.

[Antonio Higgins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, out of the recent Memorial Short Trips, this one had so much whimsy to it! Sure, they all have that, and this does check those boxes of the Memorial Short Trips-- elderly companion, time bubble, semi-philosophical plot-- but the poetry and the simplicity of this one really mark it. It has a rather flat story arc, but it suits the story and the medium well.

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is quite good. Very enjoyable and certainly entertaining, but this is, at least for me, the weakest of these Paul Spragg Memorial Opportunity winners. Nothing against it, I did really enjoy it, but it was all a bit too twee for me.

(Received as a free promotional download.)

[Steven Shinder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked the thought that went into the concept for this one.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Sara Habein · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really outstanding Short Trip, and I liked Lisa Bowerman's narration too.

[Debra Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

The doctor tries the woman from a time bubble

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really sweet story. I thought the entire thing was wonderful and Lisa Bowerman's performance just made it even better.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/10
Verdict: Recommended

Very wholesome short with a very intimate look into a very compelling one off character. Had a lot of fun listening to this.

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. Not this making me emotional! This was a lovely little story and it had me a bit choked up by the end. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Marcel van Driel · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful, touching short story, beautifully written and read.

[presidentpoppy]

:( ❤️

[kw204741 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one got me in my feelings. It was funny and entertaining. I love 11th Doctor stories. 💙

[Zach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic short trip. I was pleasantly surprised by how good this story plays out. It's so simple yet so emotional.

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

[Noelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars (rounded up)

[Sarah S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poignant. A felt for the main character and it was a different method of interacting with The Doctor than typical. It felt more emotion based than plot based though? Not that that’s bad