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Big Finish Short Trips #4
Doctor Who Short Trips: The Muses
In twelve remarkable new stories, the Doctor encounters all of the Muses, and learns of their particular interest in the planet Earth. And in consequence, powers older and more terrifying than the Doctor has yet encountered are revealed, threatening the stability of time and space as we know it. Join popular authors Justin Richards, Stephen Cole, Peter Anghelides and Gary Russell as they explore the Doctor's extraordinary encounters with the powers and beliefs of Hellenic Civilization. "The Big Finish Short Trips series is a huge hit with Doctor Who fans. This latest volume follows in the footsteps of the popular "Short Trips: A Universe of Terrors.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published October 9, 2003
5 people are currently reading
138 people want to read
About the author
Jacqueline Rayner
133 books168 followersJacqueline Rayner is a best selling British author, best known for her work with the licensed fiction based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.
Her first professional writing credit came when she adapted Paul Cornell's Virgin New Adventure novel Oh No It Isn't! for the audio format, the first release by Big Finish. (The novel featured the character of Bernice Summerfield and was part of a spin-off series from Doctor Who.) She went on to do five of the six Bernice Summerfield audio adaptations and further work for Big Finish before going to work for BBC Books on their Doctor Who lines.
Her first novels came in 2001, with the Eighth Doctor Adventures novel EarthWorld for BBC Books and the Bernice Summerfield novel The Squire's Crystal for Big Finish. Rayner has written several other Doctor Who spin-offs and was also for a period the executive producer for the BBC on the Big Finish range of Doctor Who audio dramas. She has also contributed to the audio range as a writer. In all, her Doctor Who and related work (Bernice Summerfield stories), consists of five novels, a number of short stories and four original audio plays.
Rayner has edited several anthologies of Doctor Who short stories, mainly for Big Finish, and done work for Doctor Who Magazine. Beyond Doctor Who, her work includes the children's television tie-in book Horses Like Blaze.
With the start of the new television series of Doctor Who in 2005 and a shift in the BBC's Doctor Who related book output, Rayner has become, along with Justin Richards and Stephen Cole, one of the regular authors of the BBC's New Series Adventures. She has also abridged several of the books to be made into audiobooks.
She was also a member of Doctor Who Magazine's original Time Team.
Her first professional writing credit came when she adapted Paul Cornell's Virgin New Adventure novel Oh No It Isn't! for the audio format, the first release by Big Finish. (The novel featured the character of Bernice Summerfield and was part of a spin-off series from Doctor Who.) She went on to do five of the six Bernice Summerfield audio adaptations and further work for Big Finish before going to work for BBC Books on their Doctor Who lines.
Her first novels came in 2001, with the Eighth Doctor Adventures novel EarthWorld for BBC Books and the Bernice Summerfield novel The Squire's Crystal for Big Finish. Rayner has written several other Doctor Who spin-offs and was also for a period the executive producer for the BBC on the Big Finish range of Doctor Who audio dramas. She has also contributed to the audio range as a writer. In all, her Doctor Who and related work (Bernice Summerfield stories), consists of five novels, a number of short stories and four original audio plays.
Rayner has edited several anthologies of Doctor Who short stories, mainly for Big Finish, and done work for Doctor Who Magazine. Beyond Doctor Who, her work includes the children's television tie-in book Horses Like Blaze.
With the start of the new television series of Doctor Who in 2005 and a shift in the BBC's Doctor Who related book output, Rayner has become, along with Justin Richards and Stephen Cole, one of the regular authors of the BBC's New Series Adventures. She has also abridged several of the books to be made into audiobooks.
She was also a member of Doctor Who Magazine's original Time Team.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 10, 2022
Well...I am heartily glad I gave this a second try. I seem to recall when I first attempted it I found it boring and plodding hence my giving it another go.This time around I found it an enjoyable read.Okay when you put together a collection of short stories with an umbrella theme attached there is always the risk of there being some great ones along with some stinkers.But I do feel this collection of stories were mostly great.It's always exciting to read them wondering which incarnation of the Doctor will be portrayed,which companions.Sometimes my favourites sometimes not.With a limited number of short stories per collection you can't always please everyone.I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed them.I think there was only one actually which I found a little.... pointless.But I shan't name and shame.I recommend this collection to any fan of Doctor Who be it a modern 'new ' Doctor Who fan or a ' Classic Years ' fan like myself!
April 10, 2020
Wonderful collection! Each Doctor thru the date of publication is represented and nearly every story is fantastic! Rob Shearman, Gareth Roberts, Stephen Cole, Steve Lyons, Justin Richards and more!!
April 17, 2016
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/2607380.html
The fourth of the Big Finish Short Trips anthologies, and the third edited by Jac Rayner, published in 2003. At that stage we had eight canonical Doctors, so it seems in retrospect a fairly obvious idea to compile a collection of nine stories, each featuring one of them, with one more featuring them all. And while there are many cultural uses of the number nine, the Muses make a pleasing link with ancient culture.
I liked most of these stories, three in particular: (Terpsichore) "Teach Yourself Ballroom Dancing", by Robert Shearman, an unusually good Sixth Doctor story; (Thalia) "The Brain of Socrates", by Gareth Roberts, with the Fourth Doctor and Leela; and (Clio) "The Glass Princess", by Justin Richards, pulling together all eight Doctors in a rather moving story of inexorable forward time travel. Also a shout out for (Calliope) "Katarina in the Underworld", by Steve Lyons, as far as I know the only published spinoff fiction featuring Katarina, and a rare grappling with matters of the afterlife.
The fourth of the Big Finish Short Trips anthologies, and the third edited by Jac Rayner, published in 2003. At that stage we had eight canonical Doctors, so it seems in retrospect a fairly obvious idea to compile a collection of nine stories, each featuring one of them, with one more featuring them all. And while there are many cultural uses of the number nine, the Muses make a pleasing link with ancient culture.
I liked most of these stories, three in particular: (Terpsichore) "Teach Yourself Ballroom Dancing", by Robert Shearman, an unusually good Sixth Doctor story; (Thalia) "The Brain of Socrates", by Gareth Roberts, with the Fourth Doctor and Leela; and (Clio) "The Glass Princess", by Justin Richards, pulling together all eight Doctors in a rather moving story of inexorable forward time travel. Also a shout out for (Calliope) "Katarina in the Underworld", by Steve Lyons, as far as I know the only published spinoff fiction featuring Katarina, and a rare grappling with matters of the afterlife.
February 5, 2019
Like all short story anothologies, a mixture of good and bad. There were less stories in this, they were slightly longer than in the previous volumes. As has happened before, the link that bound the individual stories was extremely tenuous. The best was "An Overture Too Early" in which the Doctor meets the consequences of his future actions.
Will have a rest before reading the next volume.
Reread 2019, nothing to add
Will have a rest before reading the next volume.
Reread 2019, nothing to add
January 13, 2026
Review by story…
Katarina in the Underworld: The Doctor demands to speak to hell’s manager. A little silly, but surprisingly emotional. 3/5 stars
The Astronomer’s Apprentice: I got excited about the prequel to traken concept, but this just sucks. 1/5 stars
A Overture Too Early: A fascinating pre-game conclusion to the Third Doctor’s arc. 4.5/5
Katarina in the Underworld: The Doctor demands to speak to hell’s manager. A little silly, but surprisingly emotional. 3/5 stars
The Astronomer’s Apprentice: I got excited about the prequel to traken concept, but this just sucks. 1/5 stars
A Overture Too Early: A fascinating pre-game conclusion to the Third Doctor’s arc. 4.5/5
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews