More of a Steven Taylor adventures rather then doctor who but still such a fun vibe

The obscure BBC audio range continues to pout out quality mini audiobook after mini audiobook. This one takes us back to the old school First Doctor vs Dalek days with a tale told in an interesting out of sequence way as Steven is imprisoned suspected of being a Dalek agent. But how did we get here? It turns out that Steven landed on a space station that he remembered from his time as a pilot being wiped out by the Daleks. He changes history to save them, and the Doctor is furious as it has created a paradox. It's tough to hear Steven admit the people on the station have to die, and he is thought to be a Dalek agent all while a real one lurks on the station.

With some good ethical dilemmas and feeling naturally a part of the era, I can definitely recommend this story.

Agent of the Daleks is another strong entry in the First Doctors Dalek stories. A sort of future historical where the Tardis Team shouldn't change events because they know the outcome, yet still Steven endeavours and this is a lovely story for him, most of it told from a framing perspective as he is suspected of being a Dalek agent. The plot unravels nicely, with some nice twists, and the Daleks have a menacing presence here.

Maureen O'brien is a wonderful narrator as usual, capturing the Tardis Team well and really sinking you into the story.

What with this story featuring one of my favourite TARDIS teams from the 1960s, I was bound to enjoy this at least in some capacity. It's a pretty fun story, written by Steve Lyons, who I often find delivers fantastic stories. Just recently, I finished Killing Ground, which is an absolute must-read (not before Time of Your Life, of course!). Lyons, in my view, always has interesting things to write about regarding these big baddies that reappear throughout all iterations of the franchise.

What I appreciate here though, is the fact that it does clearly take on a more Steven-centric narrative. There are snippets of how he came to be on the station to begin with, of course, though it sort of begins to highlight a small dynamic between himself and Chayla that elevates the story for me. There's a moment midway through the Dalek attack, when both he and Chayla are hiding, where he begins to tell her that nobody survives these events. Steven, in a moment of empathy, suggests that he could contact his younger self who's currently on desk duty in the middle of the Dalek War and send more quicker reinforcements. However, he quickly counters the point by remembering the whole "laws of time" and whatnot. That, and the fact he doesn't recall ever receiving such a call to begin with. I think it does tackle some of the morality behind these laws of time interestingly, but it's not exactly a profound or in-depth exploration either.

Another thing I liked about this story is that the Daleks don't necessarily overstay their welcome here. Yes, they feature in the story, but it's less focused on them. I didn't get a headache after listening, at the very least.

Overall, I would give this story 3.5 stars. I really appreciate the focus on Steven, though some moments are a little predictable and the interesting moral bits aren't as in-depth as they could've been.