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Big Finish Short Trips #2
Doctor Who Short Trips: Companions
Doctor Who Short Trips is a series of themed short story anthologies of new Doctor Who fiction, featuring the Doctor in all of his first eight incarnations. They feature stories written by some of the leading names in Doctor Who, past and present, including Paul Cornell, Gareth Roberts, Christopher H. Bidmead, and Paul Magrs. They didn't always ask to travel with the Doctor. And even if they did, they didn't know what the consequences would be. Were Ian's travels foretold? What paradoxical conundrums faced the Doctor, Charley ,and Will Shakespeare in Ancient Troy? And just how difficult is it to get a job when you can't account for a gap of several years on your CV?
192 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2003
5 people are currently reading
126 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 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 10, 2025
This was a great anthology of stories with some real standouts that I will give dedicated reviews below. It's an amazing idea to dedicate a full anthology of stories to the companions of Doctor Who, as while they're our eyes into the Doctor's world, they're all unique and lead their own lives both before and after their time on the TARDIS.
A Boy's Tale:
This story was unbelievably adorable. It was a story about Adric, companion to the 4th and 5th Doctor, writing a letter in the TARDIS databank. It was set in the short space of time between the 4th Doctor and Adric leaving Romana and K-9 in E Space and the 4th Doctor's regeneration.
In this letter we learn about Adric's school life on Alzarius before he stowed away on the TARDIS and how Adric became quite fascinated by the idea of "pets" after learning Alzarians used to keep animals as pets but due to a virus they all had to be killed to avoid it wiping out their race.
I absolutely loved this story, not only because we learn more about Adric but because of who Adric is writing this letter to.
I thought he was writing it to the 4th Doctor at first, as one of the more interesting aspects of Adric is his early dismissal of the 5th Doctor, vastly preferring the 4th Doctor as he was a sort of mentor figure. That was shot down fairly quickly, so I spent the rest of the story believing him to be writing this letter to Romana, which was very sweet considering what he said. I don't really remember them having much of a connection, but it's nice to imagine there being one.
What I was not expecting was the final paragraph to subvert my expectations once again.
Adric was writing the letter to K-9. He misses his dog, his friend. Absolutely adorable.
I had completely dismissed the idea of it being K-9 he was writing to, and thinking back, it makes sense why he's recounting a story about his interest in dogs and pets.
God, what a story. One of the best in these anthologies I've read, honestly.
Kept Safe and Sound:
The next story was, funnily enough, one featuring K-9. I loved this story so much. It was about a boy, Jack, and the disconnected relationship he has with his Mother.
It's a beautiful tale about preservation. The preservation of stories, memories, and even life.
There was something that really stood out to me in this story, and it was about this series of books, Jack is interested in, the Books of Mayhem. There are only 12 volumes, and for a while now, Jack has been missing volume 12. He's reread the previous 11 over and over and over again, and he eventually finds volume 12. And he's as excited as he's ever been. Finally, after all this time,e he can read these stories for the first time. The last time there will be new stories.
And he doesn't read it. He doesn't tear open the packaging and read each story feverishly. He wants to preserve the feeling of there being more stories for him to read.
It made me think of my Albert Campion novels by Margery Allingham. I've only read 5 so far, but I know one day I'm going to be reading the final chapter of Cargo of Eagles, and it'll soon all be over.
It's quite the thought, a profound thought and action for 13-year-old Jack. He's certainly his mother's child.
This story was so incredibly vivid for me. I could see Jack running through the different stalls of the market, eager to visit the book stall with his one pound and a shilling rattling around in his pocket.
Yeah, I loved this one
Hearts of Stone:
Another Adric story next, this one set during the early days of Season 19 with the 5th Doctor, Nyssa and Tegan. I really enjoyed this one; it was quite sad too. It was about Adric feeling like an outsider to everyone all through his life, and the only time he felt part of something was with the 4th Doctor, and he was ripped away from him far too soon. I love how Adric, Nyssa and The Doctor were written here (Tegan doesn't really feature), but they're so true to their characters. I could imagine this story happening.
The setting of this story was one I wish I could see images of. If I could draw well, I would be sketching away the wild creations of my brain, but alas, the gift of pencil and paper artistry wasn't something I was born capable of. It's a forest, a perfect forest. Green is all you can see. Animals run across the landscape, squirrels, rabbits, and birds, making their nests. The TARDIS is there, a stark contrast of its rich blue with the common green of leaves and bushes. Nearby on the grass, there is a wickerwork table and two chairs. Nyssa and Adric are playing chess. To me, this is a beautiful image.
A Long Night:
The final story in this anthology was about Barbara Wright, companion of the Ist Doctor. This was an amazing story, told from the point of view of Barbara's mother in 1964, recounting the year since Barbara went missing in November 1963 (when she stepped onto the TARDIS).
I continue to find these Big Finish anthologies not only some of the most creative Doctor Who stories collated, but also some of the best. It's truly a testament to the writers that Big Finish have and continues to have to this day.
A Boy's Tale:
This story was unbelievably adorable. It was a story about Adric, companion to the 4th and 5th Doctor, writing a letter in the TARDIS databank. It was set in the short space of time between the 4th Doctor and Adric leaving Romana and K-9 in E Space and the 4th Doctor's regeneration.
In this letter we learn about Adric's school life on Alzarius before he stowed away on the TARDIS and how Adric became quite fascinated by the idea of "pets" after learning Alzarians used to keep animals as pets but due to a virus they all had to be killed to avoid it wiping out their race.
I absolutely loved this story, not only because we learn more about Adric but because of who Adric is writing this letter to.
I thought he was writing it to the 4th Doctor at first, as one of the more interesting aspects of Adric is his early dismissal of the 5th Doctor, vastly preferring the 4th Doctor as he was a sort of mentor figure. That was shot down fairly quickly, so I spent the rest of the story believing him to be writing this letter to Romana, which was very sweet considering what he said. I don't really remember them having much of a connection, but it's nice to imagine there being one.
What I was not expecting was the final paragraph to subvert my expectations once again.
Adric was writing the letter to K-9. He misses his dog, his friend. Absolutely adorable.
I had completely dismissed the idea of it being K-9 he was writing to, and thinking back, it makes sense why he's recounting a story about his interest in dogs and pets.
God, what a story. One of the best in these anthologies I've read, honestly.
Kept Safe and Sound:
The next story was, funnily enough, one featuring K-9. I loved this story so much. It was about a boy, Jack, and the disconnected relationship he has with his Mother.
It's a beautiful tale about preservation. The preservation of stories, memories, and even life.
There was something that really stood out to me in this story, and it was about this series of books, Jack is interested in, the Books of Mayhem. There are only 12 volumes, and for a while now, Jack has been missing volume 12. He's reread the previous 11 over and over and over again, and he eventually finds volume 12. And he's as excited as he's ever been. Finally, after all this time,e he can read these stories for the first time. The last time there will be new stories.
And he doesn't read it. He doesn't tear open the packaging and read each story feverishly. He wants to preserve the feeling of there being more stories for him to read.
It made me think of my Albert Campion novels by Margery Allingham. I've only read 5 so far, but I know one day I'm going to be reading the final chapter of Cargo of Eagles, and it'll soon all be over.
It's quite the thought, a profound thought and action for 13-year-old Jack. He's certainly his mother's child.
This story was so incredibly vivid for me. I could see Jack running through the different stalls of the market, eager to visit the book stall with his one pound and a shilling rattling around in his pocket.
Yeah, I loved this one
Hearts of Stone:
Another Adric story next, this one set during the early days of Season 19 with the 5th Doctor, Nyssa and Tegan. I really enjoyed this one; it was quite sad too. It was about Adric feeling like an outsider to everyone all through his life, and the only time he felt part of something was with the 4th Doctor, and he was ripped away from him far too soon. I love how Adric, Nyssa and The Doctor were written here (Tegan doesn't really feature), but they're so true to their characters. I could imagine this story happening.
The setting of this story was one I wish I could see images of. If I could draw well, I would be sketching away the wild creations of my brain, but alas, the gift of pencil and paper artistry wasn't something I was born capable of. It's a forest, a perfect forest. Green is all you can see. Animals run across the landscape, squirrels, rabbits, and birds, making their nests. The TARDIS is there, a stark contrast of its rich blue with the common green of leaves and bushes. Nearby on the grass, there is a wickerwork table and two chairs. Nyssa and Adric are playing chess. To me, this is a beautiful image.
A Long Night:
The final story in this anthology was about Barbara Wright, companion of the Ist Doctor. This was an amazing story, told from the point of view of Barbara's mother in 1964, recounting the year since Barbara went missing in November 1963 (when she stepped onto the TARDIS).
I continue to find these Big Finish anthologies not only some of the most creative Doctor Who stories collated, but also some of the best. It's truly a testament to the writers that Big Finish have and continues to have to this day.
June 30, 2020
Highlights: Apocrypha Bipedium by Ian Potter; Distance by "Tara Samms"; Qualia by Stephen Fewell
October 14, 2023
A little confusing BUT THE DOCTOR KISSED HER
May 27, 2016
An adequate collection of short stories, based around various companions of the first eight Doctors. Not bad overall, but not great either.
Comments on the specific stories:
The Tip of the Mind (Zoe): Pretty good, if sad, and with a few hiccups at the end.
The Splintered Gate (Ian): It's OK. Kind of unambitious, though.
The Man from DOCTO(R) (Harry Sullivan): Silly fun, with Harry playing superspy.
Apocrypha Bipedium (Vicki, Charley): I wanted to like this, but the stuff they did with eight-year-old Shakespeare bothered me. (If that makes me a grump, so be it.)
A Boy's Tale (Adric): Pretty good, some nice backstory on Adric and his homeworld.
Kept Safe and Sound (K9): Good if melancholy, although it probably could have worked fairly well as a non-Who story.
The Lying Old Witch in the Wardrobe (Romana): A weird exercise in unnecessary continuity.
Hearts of Stone (Adric, again!): Good, a rare sympathetic view of the character.
Distance (Barbara): OK, don't think her post-Doctor life really needed to be such a downer, though.
Qualia (Tegan etc.): An odd one, though it has some moments.
Curriculum Vitae (Polly): It's well-done, but again, not big on "and they lived unhappily ever after" stories for companions.
Notre Dame Du Temps (Anji): It's OK. Some interesting ideas, but also some that don't quite work for me.
The Little Drummer Boy (Sara Kingdom): Good, but sad.
Hidden Talent (Jo): A perfectly fine Third Doctor-era story, but a bit basic.
The Canvey Angels (Peri): Meh. (Peri is being a bit too nice to some of these people.)
Balloon Debate (multiple): Fun to see a bunch of the companions all interacting, although the author's biases were showing (especially with Mel).
A Long Night (Barbara): Short but very effective.
Comments on the specific stories:
The Tip of the Mind (Zoe): Pretty good, if sad, and with a few hiccups at the end.
The Splintered Gate (Ian): It's OK. Kind of unambitious, though.
The Man from DOCTO(R) (Harry Sullivan): Silly fun, with Harry playing superspy.
Apocrypha Bipedium (Vicki, Charley): I wanted to like this, but the stuff they did with eight-year-old Shakespeare bothered me. (If that makes me a grump, so be it.)
A Boy's Tale (Adric): Pretty good, some nice backstory on Adric and his homeworld.
Kept Safe and Sound (K9): Good if melancholy, although it probably could have worked fairly well as a non-Who story.
The Lying Old Witch in the Wardrobe (Romana): A weird exercise in unnecessary continuity.
Hearts of Stone (Adric, again!): Good, a rare sympathetic view of the character.
Distance (Barbara): OK, don't think her post-Doctor life really needed to be such a downer, though.
Qualia (Tegan etc.): An odd one, though it has some moments.
Curriculum Vitae (Polly): It's well-done, but again, not big on "and they lived unhappily ever after" stories for companions.
Notre Dame Du Temps (Anji): It's OK. Some interesting ideas, but also some that don't quite work for me.
The Little Drummer Boy (Sara Kingdom): Good, but sad.
Hidden Talent (Jo): A perfectly fine Third Doctor-era story, but a bit basic.
The Canvey Angels (Peri): Meh. (Peri is being a bit too nice to some of these people.)
Balloon Debate (multiple): Fun to see a bunch of the companions all interacting, although the author's biases were showing (especially with Mel).
A Long Night (Barbara): Short but very effective.
October 6, 2018
This is the second book in the Big Finish Short Trips anthology series, and it is a much better read than the first. For a start, the link is much more simple - in the first book, the link was that the stories were loosely connected to the signs of the zodiac, which always felt forced, and that the idea was much cleverer than those who delivered it. Thankfully, this is much better, with the link being that the tales are about companions. They are not all represented (apart from the tedious "Balloon Debate" which contrives to get them all together, and some do better than others - Ian and Barbara do really well - but there are an interesting mix of stories, including a nice one featuring the first Doctor, Steven and Sara - who interestingly does not appear in "Balloon Debate" and Liz Shaw does, and arguably Sara has more right to be called a companion than Liz as she actually travelled with the Doctor, whereas Liz was a part of the UNIT family in the same way as the Brig, Benton and Yates. But I digress. This was a much better read than volume one.
October 20, 2025
Review by story…
Distance: A dark, but good story. A somber mood piece with a good amount of Quatermass thrown in. 4/5 stars
The Splintered Gate: Absolute bollox. 1/5
Curriculum Vitae: What the bloody hell was that? 1/5
A Long Night: Good story, bit too pat of an ending. 3/5
Little Drummer Boy: great story until the end which is just, fucking weird and unpleasant. 2/5
The Tip of the Mind: A decently written story. But doesn’t work in continuity with other, better, expanded universe Doctor Who stories. Even if you ignore that, it really just comes across as mean spirited and unnecessary trauma porn. 3/5
Hidden Talent: Inoffensive. But just kind of stupid. Also I don’t agree with the characterization of Jo here. But I admit that’s a personal interpretation of her character and not a problem with canon. 2.5/5
Distance: A dark, but good story. A somber mood piece with a good amount of Quatermass thrown in. 4/5 stars
The Splintered Gate: Absolute bollox. 1/5
Curriculum Vitae: What the bloody hell was that? 1/5
A Long Night: Good story, bit too pat of an ending. 3/5
Little Drummer Boy: great story until the end which is just, fucking weird and unpleasant. 2/5
The Tip of the Mind: A decently written story. But doesn’t work in continuity with other, better, expanded universe Doctor Who stories. Even if you ignore that, it really just comes across as mean spirited and unnecessary trauma porn. 3/5
Hidden Talent: Inoffensive. But just kind of stupid. Also I don’t agree with the characterization of Jo here. But I admit that’s a personal interpretation of her character and not a problem with canon. 2.5/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews