The Monthly Adventures #044 - “Creatures of Beauty" by Nicholas Briggs

Nick Briggs is one of those strange writers who, once in a blue moon, will just decide to shy away from their usual torrent of mediocre to bad stories and produce something like Creatures of Beauty. Where this level of quality was when he was writing the pilot for The Monthly Adventures, I do not know, but it seems that all of the convoluted messes and suffocated worldbuilding or earlier audios have finally been made right by a story of grim injustice and horrific truths that left me feeling shaken like no other story before it.

The world of Veln is an ugly one, putrefied by a toxic atmosphere caused by a negligent alien race. When the Doctor and Nyssa arrive, they find themselves in a whirlwind of conspiracy, as the world tries to make itself beautiful again, and a truth too horrible to bear draws ever nearer.

(CONTAINS SPOILERS)

It’s a pretty big event when you get a story you really have not seen before. In previous, lesser Briggs audios, such as The Mutant Phase or Sword of Orion, you could always tell his biggest strengths and his biggest weaknesses. His stories were always rich with ideas and imagery, worlds that were unique and ideas that boasted great merit but then he simply refused to take them anywhere. His vast worlds always felt hollow, populated with dull characters and a decidedly bland narrative that made all his often melancholy, always evocative landscapes turn dull and banal. Not Creatures of Beauty though; it still does contain a number of his more insidious faults hiding in there -  they’re not obvious without searching and I will highlight them later - but for the most part, this is the story where his ideas work. From the beginning, great premise: a world in the wake of an environmental disaster has become plagued with genetic defects that are slowly killing the planet’s species and the Doctor has been caught up in a conspiracy involving the aliens who polluted the planet in the first place. Immediately interesting and a great playground for some really sad, contemplative ideas. Does Nick stick the landing? Yeah, actually, the tone here is great. This truly feels like a world in its death throes and through the twisted characters and hopeless vistas we’re presented with, Briggs builds a palpable and funerary atmosphere that persists throughout the whole script. And what a script this is, this is grimdark done to perfection; even though I’m a fan of something like Project: Twilight, I can’t argue this is a much better execution of a similar tone, taking these nasty and cruel characters and using them as paints in a tragic portrait, victims of a disaster not of their making. And I think what really helps them along is the dialogue; I’m not the biggest fan of Briggs’ characters, I think they tend to come off on the more bland side and whilst they’re definitely not deep here, I can at least praise the words coming out of their mouths. The dialogue here is beautiful but not artsy, it feels real and grounded and sombre. That speech right at the end by viscous chief security officer Gilbrook, about his great-grandfather witnessing the pivotal explosion that leaked the deadly pollution into the planet’s atmosphere, finally giving reason to the whispery “beautiful”s we’ve been hearing, is a sublime little monologue. Although, on the character front, I can praise Five and Nyssa, two characters I find to be consistently boring are genuinely great here. Seeing Five struggle to control his fears and Nyssa slowly breaking over the course of the plot is easily the best work I’ve seen from Sutton and Davison thus far. And on the more technical side, one of Creatures of Beauty’s biggest selling points is its unique structure. We’re deep in experimental Big Finish territory right now and Briggs has decided to deliver us a story told in a non-linear format, jumping between different points in the story to expertly build a tension and mystery, starting with Nyssa being interrogated for murder and slowly unravelling the horrific events that lead up to it, dancing between the beginning and end, drip feeding us information all for the merit of that one, final moment. I have issues with Creatures of Beauty’s second half, but as for the end, like the very end, I have none. I actually clocked the twist a ways in, but luckily had forgotten about it enough so that the final reveal still hit me like a truck. So, it turns out the Doctor accidentally caused everything that happened by crashing the TARDIS into the ship carrying the radioactive waste that polluted Veln. It is a gut punch of an ending and the way it's revealed, finally bringing all the separated plot threads together for one, singular scene is glorious. Throw in Five and Nyssa’s ambiguous reactions to it all, whether the Doctor knew or not, Nyssa’s guilty conscience and you have the makings of a perfect closing moment.

But, Briggs is not a perfect writer, and this is, for all of its achievements, no perfect story. Remember when I said that for all of Briggs’ worlds and ideas and imagery, he was always unable to fill it with substance, well, Creatures of Beauty isn’t much better. The story is a fine narrative: simple and a little bit uneventful obscured by the complex structure. Because we never see anything in order, constantly piecing it together like a jigsaw puzzle, it’s easy to overlook that the story basically just jumps between five or six scenes with a few quick moments in between. The story feels like it's missing something, like we skipped over some important development in the plot that would’ve helped things flow better. By Part 3, everything had begun to blend into one and what was a slowly drip-fed plot became a plot that stopped moving, ending halfway through and going on out of necessity. There are a lot of double edged swords here, the structure being one of them because it becomes overbearing after a while and ends up dragging out of the pacing of the story. And another one of these swords is the characters. As I said before, their dialogue is brilliant, and a couple of them are even engaging but so much of the cast feel almost personalityless, more vehicles for the plot than living, breathing facades. And, in the end, trying to diagnose the issue, I find that Briggs once again forgets to explore his world. Creatures of Beauty is very plot heavy and, because of that, we miss out on the intricacies of the setting and the characters. We never really get time to breathe and whilst Veln is built to be this massive and detailed society, we see such a small amount that it falls in between the cracks to a sort of liminal space where everything just feels a little incomplete, somewhat empty. And that’s a shame too, this story had some much going for it, it’s upsetting to see it stumble because of the writer’s repeating flaws.

However, Creatures of Beauty is pretty unlike any story I’ve heard before, and likely will not be like any story I hear again (maybe The Natural History of Fear, they have quite a few similar ideas). Nick Briggs knocked it out of the park, I think, and whilst he didn’t rectify many of his issues as a writer, he certainly improved upon them and I think this is his one script so far where what he wants to work, works. Could use some polish, but no doubt an impressive and sombre tragedy.

8/10

Pros:

+ Decidedly dark and brooding in a glorious and palpable way

+ A truly grim story that uses it torments for a purpose

+ Brigg’s dialogue is both realistic and deeply poetic

+ Writes Five and Nyssa better than any story before

+ Interesting and complex non-linear structure

+ Has one of the most horrific twists I’ve seen in an audio

Cons:

- Is a somewhat uneventful story that feels as if it's missing a few crucial moments

- The world is significantly under explored

- The cast is, for the most part, underdeveloped

- The structure is a double edged sword that causes issues with the plot in the second half

I don't always agree when people say a story has 'palpable atmosphere' but this is a prime example of that. Dark, brooding, horrible, unsettling. It's structure is all jumbled up, but it uses that to build up to a horrifying realization, something even the doctor doesn't realize, or if he does, he makes sure that Nyssa doesn't find out. It's a highly affecting story that feels half-formed on purpose, stylistic and conceptual, and it really pulls it off.
10/10

Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time!

"Creatures of Beauty: A Puzzle That Never Quite Fits"

Creatures of Beauty immediately sets itself apart with a gripping and unconventional opening. The Doctor and Nyssa find themselves under interrogation on an alien world, accused of crimes they don’t fully understand. This premise creates an intimate, uneasy atmosphere, as the story promises intrigue and peril. Nicholas Briggs crafts a layered narrative that piques curiosity, leaning into the potential of its mysterious setup.

An Experiment in Structure

The story unfolds through a non-linear format, jumping between timelines and perspectives. While this approach is ambitious, it often feels more like an unnecessary gimmick than a storytelling necessity. The fragmented structure disrupts the flow, making it harder to fully engage with the plot or its characters.

Similarly, the cliffhangers, which should inject momentum and suspense, fall flat. They lack the urgency needed to propel the listener forward, leaving the transitions between parts feeling less compelling than they ought to be.

Strong Performances and Character Focus

At its core, Creatures of Beauty thrives on its character-driven approach. The separation of the Doctor and Nyssa allows each to forge new dynamics with the supporting cast, enriching the story's emotional texture. Peter Davison and Sarah Sutton rise to the occasion with thoughtful performances, effortlessly conveying the depth and complexity of their respective arcs.

The guest cast is equally strong. David Daker, familiar from The Time Warrior and Nightmare of Eden, delivers a nuanced performance, while Jemma Churchill, later seen in Village of the Angels, brings a layered intensity to her role. Together, they enhance the world-building and provide much-needed texture to the narrative.

Themes and Execution

The story’s exploration of ecological disaster and a deadly disease offers moments of tension and moral reflection. These themes, paired with excellent sound design and atmospheric direction, create a haunting backdrop for the characters’ struggles. However, while the ideas are compelling, their execution lacks the emotional heft needed to leave a lasting impact.

The dialogue-heavy scenes, while well-written, occasionally falter under the weight of a disjointed narrative. The plot feels scattered, with its core themes and emotional beats struggling to coalesce into a cohesive whole.

Production and Sound Design

Big Finish’s production values shine as always. The soundscape effectively immerses the listener in the alien world, and the performances are consistently strong. Yet even the high-quality production cannot entirely salvage the story’s uneven pacing and lack of focus.

A Puzzle Worth Solving?

Creatures of Beauty is a story that might reward repeat listens, as its layered approach reveals nuances upon closer inspection. However, on a first pass, its ambition is overshadowed by a narrative that never quite finds its footing.

While the strong performances and intriguing premise make it an admirable experiment, the story ultimately struggles to rise above its structural flaws. For all its potential, Creatures of Beauty leaves an impression of missed opportunities rather than a truly unforgettable experience.

The Verdict: Flawed Brilliance

Creatures of Beauty offers an intriguing blend of mystery, character drama, and high-concept themes, but its non-linear storytelling and lack of narrative cohesion detract from its impact. A fascinating but flawed entry in the Big Finish catalogue.

📝50/100

This is a very enjoyable story. It took me a little while to realise it was being told out of sequence. On reflection it seemed to be primarily be about world building and exploring the history of two very different societies/ how they interact with each other. Very dark, very serious but skilfully written.

I don't think its one of my absolute favourites on first listen but I could imagine it becoming one on a second listen - there is so much to unpick. I think it is difficult to track the progression of the story, work out where it started and where it ended up as its told non-linearly, so there may have been a major revelation which eluded me.

This story is ambitious, I'll give them that. It doesn't help that I did this in two sittings, parts 1+2 then 3+5, however I don't think it would've helped much in any case. Being out of order didn't work for me, and it made me disconnected from the plot and characters. Unfortunately not a hit for me.