by Katrin Their

Obverse Books, out now

 

Obverse Books’ ongoing series of monographs focusing on a Doctor Who serial or story hits 1978’s Season 16 four-parter The Stones of Blood.

David Fisher’s ‘folk horror’ serial (the show’s 100th) is the third instalment of the Key to Time arc and has proven to be divisive among fandom. For everyone who admires the standout female guest stars there’s someone having issues with the polystyrene Ogri or the fact that the story switches direction at the halfway point. Author of this thesis, Katrin Thier, acknowledges this division and explains that her focus is less on the production and narrative of the story, instead looking at the serial’s underlying historical and literary influences. And what a lot research she has done.

One of the great things about this series of works is the freedom that the authors are given in exploring their chosen story. Thier knows that many aspects of the story have already been covered in depth elsewhere, and so she goes deep into aspects I doubt the average Doctor Who fan would have such a detailed knowledge about. If nothing else, you’ll come away with a greater knowledge of many subjects. Feeling more like an appendix than the main body (and I don’t mean that as a criticism) we’re treated to background on megaliths, druids and astronomy. The trio of female leads are examined, and research into Vivien Fay’s name (and her aliases) particularly sheds different light on the character. Along the way we look at courtroom dramas, Beatrix Lehmann’s sexuality and a lesbian subtext.

Verdict: Recommended for the reader who wants to take their understanding of The Stones of Blood a little further. As the lengthy bibliography will attest, a lot of work has gone into this, so why not share that knowledge? 8/10

Nick Joy

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