By Darren Mooney

Obverse Books, out now

Obverse Books’ ongoing series of monographs focusing on a Doctor Who serial or story hits 2014’s Series 8 story, Kill the Moon. 

Peter Harness’ debut story for Doctor Who is acknowledged here by author Darren Mooney as one that elicits strong feelings from fandom – positive and negative. In Friends parlance it’s ‘The one where the Moon is an egg’ and Mooney is at pains to point out that the growing negative view is something that has happened years after the initial screening, reflecting a shift in fandom becoming more assertive in its collective viewpoint.

There’s plenty to unpack in the episode, from its self-awareness (Clara talking directly to us) to the questionable science (again, the Moon is an egg?) and the argument that it’s more soft fantasy than hard sci-fi. Mooney also contextualises how the Moon is used in Doctor Who in different ways, depending on the period in which it is set; the optimism and excitement of Day of the Moon to the futurism of The Moonbase.

Mooney explores the theme of Harness’ hostility towards democracy in his three Doctor Who stories and addresses the argument that Kill the Moon is read by some as a pro-life metaphor (Harness disagrees). The bibliography reveals considerable sources used by the author to support his study, including the outline, seven drafts and final draft of the script, provided by the author. And yet, with these valuable resources to hand, where is the discussion about how each of the drafts differed and the story evolved. Were the hot topics there from the outset? It feels like a missed opportunity that they aren’t addressed, even as an appendix.

Verdict: It’s unlikely that your current opinion of this episode will be swayed by Mooney’s work – you either buy the high concept or you don’t – but you will at least have more food for thought. 6/10

Nick Joy

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