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First impressions of ANACHROPHOBIA are that it's a great title, but it's the plot that's the really important thing. Second impressions are that the plot is something we've seen before. You know the drill - small, isolated group of humans (the planet is never named, but they drive Bedford vans) under threat. Even the opening scenes seemed reminiscent of GENESIS OF THE DALEKS, with two opposing armies fighting a never-ending war. The Doctor, Anji and Fitz even get captured by one side and then the other (okay, so that happened in THE WAR GAMES as well). Another main element of the plot is that humans have been playing around with time - an old idea, but still one with plenty of potential. Similarly, the concept of fighting a war with time (zones are either accelerated or decelerated time) is a good one. Jonathan Morris ratchets up the tension throughout the novel, reflecting the desperation of those inside Isolation Station Forty. This provides for some moments of tension, such as the initial descent into the past. On the downside, some of the inhabitants of Isolation Station Forty are a bit uninteresting, and the plot sagged a little in the middle, although the arrival of a bowler-hatted auditor from Station One helps pep things up a little. This changes the focus of the novel. Initially it appears that the book is about the risk of undisciplined scientific research or the paradox of time travel. Instead, it turns out to be about running a war in order to generate a profit. Fitz and Anji are well handled, but I'm not sure whether recent changes to the Doctor are a good thing or not. So far I'm inclined to towards the latter, but I guess we'll have to wait and see. ANACHROPHOBIA has a cool title, some interesting concepts, but overall it didn't really work for me. BACK TO THE TOP |
ANACHROPHOBIA |
