Short Trips: Monsters - #8:

--- "Trapped!" by Joseph Lidster

Plot:
Mr. Thompson has a crippling fear of lifts, but he's trying to get with Joanne from HR, so today he's decided to brave it. Unfortunately, a series of deadly events and missing people has led destruction to that lift, in the form of a man with sharp teeth and no reflection.

(CONTAINS SPOILERS)

Trapped! is a story by another favourite writer of mine - Joseph Lidster - and like with all his stories, Trapped! is a brilliant unfolding of character studies and unique storytelling. Here, three plot strands all intertwine, switching between them paragraph from paragraph and it means that the story moves like wildfire without feeling underbaked, making the whole thing feel quick and joyous to read. In addition, this relatively short bit of writing is absolutely laden with incredible plot twists, with one seemingly every other page; seeing the story unfold and all the unanswered questions rapidly get an answer is absolutely wonderful to read and makes the entire thing absolutely enthralling.

Of course, since it's a Joseph Lidster story, the character work is flawless. Every single character, from the minor to the major, has such a deep and complex personality, every single member of this text feels real and alive. This extends to our TARDIS crew as well, this time around being Six and Peri and we see what feels like a culmination to their entire relationship explode throughout the story, following the harrowing events of the tale. It's meticulously crafted and excellent.

My one criticism would be the ending, as I feel the resolution is a tad bit rushed and isn't as narratively deep as I would've liked, ending in a simple bloodbath.

9/10

Pros:
+ Unique and intelligently written prose with a one of a kind style to it
+ Manages to juggle three plot threads without much difficulty
+ Each and every character feels well developed and interesting
+ The dynamic between Six and Peri is fitting and complimentary to their TV relationship

Cons:
- The end felt a little off to me, like it didn't match up with the story's prestige

Monsters | Ranked:
11.
10.
9.
8. These Things Take Time by Samantha Baker - 4/10
7. Last Rites by Marc Platt - 6/10
6. The Touch of the Nurazh by Stephen Hatcher - 7/10
5. From Eternity by Jim Mortimore - 8/10
4. Best Seller by Ian Mond and Danny Oz - 8/10
3. Flashpoint by Matt Grady - 8/10
2. Trapped! by Joseph Lidster - 9/10
1. Categorical Imperative by Simon Guerrier - 10/10

Overall - 7.5/10