BBC Radio 4, 5 December 2020 and on BBC Sounds

Alice believes she sees the impossible when her Tube train goes through one of the “ghost stations” on the Underground…

Nick Perry’s three part tale begins with a narrator recounting a recurring dream – where he believe he wakes up, but then realises that he’s actually still asleep. Can he be sure of anything now? It then cuts to Alice, a worker at the British Museum, who enjoys “mudlarking” on the banks of the Thames; she sees a child there whose responses and attitudes feel wrong. And then, on the Tube, she sees her brother. Who disappeared years ago.

There’s quite a bit of exposition in this first episode, as Alice meets a group who are investigating anomalies – or thresholds. Perry makes it clear that the story is going into SF and time travel territory early enough along that you’re ready for the explanations – such as they are – and, like Alice, you get intrigued by what’s being suggested. The group includes the necessary sceptics to play devil’s advocates, but there’s certainly enough to make you want to find out more.

Verdict: I’ll reserve judgement on how well the world-building plays out for the time being, but if you’re looking for a different sort of time travel tale, give this a try. 8/10

Paul Simpson