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"The Genocide Machine: A Library of Mystery and Missed Opportunities"

Big Finish's The Genocide Machine, part of the Dalek Empire arc, offers a mix of atmospheric tension, intriguing concepts, and uneven execution. Written by Mike Tucker, it reintroduces the Seventh Doctor and Ace into an audio world of mystery, with Daleks lurking in the shadows.

The story starts strong, setting a moody and tense atmosphere reminiscent of Mission to the Unknown or Tomb of the Cybermen. The library planet Kar-Charrat is an evocative setting, filled with rain-soaked landscapes, ghostly whispers, and a clever touch of humour as the Doctor returns overdue library books—despite owning a time machine!

Unfortunately, the suspense of Part 1 is undercut by spoilers: the Daleks are revealed on the cover and in early scenes, robbing their later "big entrance" of its impact. The cliffhanger of Part 1 feels a bit lacklustre as a result.

The Doctor immerses himself in Kar-Charrat’s technical and educational systems, while Ace befriends Bev Tarrant and predictably stumbles into trouble. Sadly, Ace’s strengths—her resourcefulness and emotional depth—aren't utilised effectively here. However, Sylvester McCoy shines as the Doctor, commanding the narrative with his enigmatic style.

The Daleks’ plan centres on yet another clone subplot, which, while adding some tension, feels derivative. Worse, the Daleks themselves are underutilised for much of the story, appearing sporadically and failing to fully integrate into the plot until the latter half. The pacing suffers, with Part 3 bogged down by slow developments, before Part 4 brings a flurry of action and twists. While the climactic moments offer excitement, they also feel cluttered and occasionally overwhelming due to muddled sound design.

Despite these flaws, there are highlights. The concept of the native population existing in raindrops as a living information storage system is fascinating, even if it’s only explored meaningfully in the final act. This idea adds a unique layer of sci-fi ingenuity to the narrative.

Performances anchor the story. Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred effortlessly recapture their classic dynamic, with Aldred delivering a particularly strong performance as Ace’s Dalek duplicate. Louise Falkner’s Bev Tarrant debuts as a confident and tough ally, though she’s sadly underused. Bruce Montague’s librarian character adds charm with a twist of betrayal, while Nicholas Briggs makes an official debut as the voice of the Daleks, solidifying his future iconic role.

The sound design, while occasionally messy, does enhance the setting with its rainy ambience and ominous tones. The score adds to the atmosphere, though it sometimes competes with the dialogue in busier scenes.

📝Verdict: 6/10

While The Genocide Machine delivers moments of tension, clever ideas, and solid performances, it struggles with pacing, sound design, and making the Daleks integral to the story. Still, it offers enough intrigue and nostalgia to appeal to fans of the Seventh Doctor and Ace, even if it doesn’t fully capitalise on its potential.

Random Observations:

• The Sun and The Mirror as future literary classics? A wonderfully absurd touch that adds to the humour.