It's an exciting time to be a Five fan. I tend not to listen to new Big Finish releases but this one peaked my interest. I love the Cybermen, they're easily my favourite of the big three, specifically the Mondasian design. There's something so eerie about it and the stories they're in tend to take advantage well. I also tend to think of Five as the 'Cyberman Doctor', he's consistently had great stories with them and his more grounded and naturalistic character plays very well off the cold, hard and emotionless beings that the Cybermen embody. This story also features something of a rarity for Big Finish, the whole of the Season 19 TARDIS team in all it's gay and dysfunctional glory. Needless to say before I going in I think this story has the odds stacked in it's favour.

And well, pretty much it meets all expectations. This story f**ks hard. It really manages to do it all, it always feels like the plot is moving forward, the pacing is great there's never a dull moment and yet there's still enough time to define the world and the characters really well. I'll start with the worldbuilding and atmosphere because it's possibly the strongest thing here. The medieval setting immediately oozes atmosphere. The music is key, it's incredible and really works to set the scene. Once The Doctor and gang time hop to the future and Dega takes over as a despot the feel of everything is very different. There's just such a grim and oppressive vibe (again, aided by the music) and I love it. It's these parts of the story where they really make use of the body horror. The effect they put on the voice of the patient, despite being roboticized you can still feel the pain, like the last vestiges of humanity fighting through; it's genuinely chilling. And of course I can't forget the emotional gut punch that is the scene with Raith's mother. This story fundamentally understands what makes the Cybermen such a chilling concept and takes full of advantage of it, this is genuinely on the level of (and sometimes even surpasses) World Enough and Time when it comes to showing what makes the Cybermen so terrifying.

This is also a very strong story for the characters. The side characters are excellent. Sylvan, Dega and Meta might not be the most original characters of all time but they serve their purpose wonderfully; very well performed and very well defined. Speaking of well defined, this has to be one of the best uses of the Season 19 TARDIS team I've seen yet. I love this team but on TV there was definitely the problem of one or more characters getting shafted every story. Not a problem here, Five, Adric, Nyssa and Tegan all get great character moments and get to move the plot along in their own way. Five perhaps may be a little uncharacteristically snarky and brazen for this stage (character traits I see more in line with the S21 version of Five rather than the S19 version) but still, I love this version of the character and he gets fantastic moments showing off his bravery, faith and empathy which I all view as fundamental to doing the character right. Nyssa of course has much stronger characterisation than she did on TV as is par for the course with Big Finish. She has some emotional moments in this story and Sarah Sutton delivers on it very well. But really I want to give a shoutout to the surprising MVP of this audio, Adric. This has to be one of his best outings. He's a devious little s**t as always but when it counts he's very brave. He's the prime factor in the team's success. Alone he rouses a revolution and then saves the day at the end by solving the equations. In this sense the story is an excellent companion piece to Earthshock. In both he similarly finds the courage to put others before himself and the ending scenarios are almost identical but the outcomes are drastically different. I have no clue if this was intentional or not but it just makes Earthshock all the more tragic. This overall might be the best characterisation I've seen for the S19 team and all the cast are on their A-game. Especially Sutton and Waterhouse.

I love this story a lot. It's not perfect, I find the last part devolves into a bit of a basic punch up and I think the resolution is a bit convenient but that's minor. This is my ideal story, it's dark, atmospheric, makes excellent use of the characters and settings and really gets the Mondasian Cybermen. I'll give it a 9/10 / 4½ stars but honestly, it's teetering it's way to a 10/10.

Somehow: they did it again. Trying to live up to Spare Parts 23 years later seems like an impossible task, but it's one that was pulled off successfully. This time Tegan and Adric join the Fifth Doctor and Nyssa for the ride, showing us a different vision of Mondas.

Here, Mondas is portrayed as high-tech medieval society, I certainly didn't expect the story to start with the prince discussing his next role on stage. However, the planet is slowly dying, and the prince's younger brother Dega is trying to save their father which naturally leads him to the Cybermen.

The prince, Sylvan, forces the TARDIS thirty years into the future to find the Cybermen have already started. Dega is both a pathetic and haunting antagonist, and the slow build-up of the Cybermen is handled beautifully. And the electro music that starts at the part three cliffhanger is unbelievably cool.

Poor Nyssa is wracked with guilt for having helped inspire the Cybermen, a shame that story thread will never get explored as this is in its own continuity bubble. Also the Mondasian survivors become the first humans?

All in all: it's a fantastic story and a great remix of the Cybermen's origins.

Absolutely incredible stuff! Every performance is fantastic, with the supporting cast especially being stand out! I really grew to care about Sylvan and Sega, and their inevitable tragic drift apart.

Every character arc here makes perfect sense and they all flow together and connect.

In a rare moment for a 5 TARDIS Team, all 3 companions get something to do! And they're all great, with me even liking Adric for once! Even if it does take time to get used to Waterhouse's aged voice.

The atmosphere is incredible, with this ever looming sense of dread and inevitability. And the story is beautifully paced too to match.

I also appreciate how, like all the best Cybermen stories, there's a focus on the humanity and the pain of the process, and they aren't just evil plotting robots or whatever!

Agreed with everyone else on the soundtrack.

Finally, I wanna say that every cliffhanger is an absolute cracker here and kept me gripped and wanting to hear more.

Overall, this was [Cyberleader voice] EXCELLENT!

This had no right being this good like honestly wow they say lightning doesn’t strike in the same place twice but with big finish doing a cybermen origin story it definitely does

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

“GENESIS OF THE CYBERMEN; A DARKLY TRAGIC ORIGIN STORY”

Genesis of the Cybermen kicks off Big Finish’s ninth series of Lost Stories in spectacular fashion, adapting Gerry Davis’s original vision for the Cybermen’s origins. While the concept was eventually vetoed in favour of Earthshock, its influence can be seen in Spare Parts and World Enough and Time. Now, finally realised as an audio drama, this story offers a bleak, Shakespearean tragedy that makes the Cybermen more horrifyingly human than ever before.

A WORLD ON THE BRINK

David K. Barnes’ adaptation takes an unusual approach, initially setting the story in a kingdom where medieval aesthetics are juxtaposed with advanced technology. A dying king clings to life through artificial means, while his two sons—one devoted to art, the other to science—vie for control. It’s an intriguing setup that echoes The Androids of Tara but soon takes a far darker turn.

Hints of the planet’s inevitable downfall are woven in from the start. The people are suffering from declining lifespans, and their world is slowly spiralling into its sun. The reveal that this is Mondas—home of the Cybermen—shifts the story into high gear, and from that moment, the horror steadily escalates.

When the Doctor, his companions, and Prince Sylvan are transported to Mondas’ future, they witness a crumbling society on the edge of desperation. The new ruler, Dega, has embraced cybernetic augmentation, and the population is being driven towards a horrifying “solution.” The creeping inevitability of the Cybermen’s creation makes for a tense and foreboding atmosphere.

A FUTURE THAT CANNOT BE CHANGED

The story cleverly plays with the knowledge that the Doctor and his companions are powerless to stop history from unfolding. This is particularly heartbreaking for Nyssa, who desperately tries to change Mondas’ fate but only succeeds in accelerating its downfall. Her belief that technology can be used for good is brutally twisted, as her well-intentioned actions inadvertently inspire the very thing she hoped to prevent. Her realisation—that she, not the Doctor, may be responsible for the Cybermen’s creation—is a devastating moment.

Adric’s arc follows a similar trajectory, as he is forced to use his mathematical skills to help the Cybermen escape Mondas, sacrificing his ideals to protect his friends. Tegan, though slightly sidelined, adds emotional weight to the courtly intrigue, while the Fifth Doctor remains an unwavering presence, watching helplessly as events unfold.

A CYBERMEN ORIGIN LIKE NO OTHER

Unlike the emotionless Cybermen of later eras, these early versions still retain some semblance of humanity, making them all the more unsettling. The script vividly conveys the trauma of conversion—both physical and psychological—adding a tragic weight to their existence. The moment Dega willingly transforms himself into the first Cyber Controller, stripping away his emotions, is one of the most chilling moments in Big Finish history.

There’s an almost operatic grandeur to the conflict between Sylvan and Dega, two brothers torn apart by their ideologies. Their fractured relationship is the heart of the story, with Sylvan fighting to save what little remains of his people while Dega embraces cold logic and power. Meanwhile, Queen Meta’s arc—from seeming madness to tragic heroism—adds another layer of depth.

TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE AND ATMOSPHERIC POWER

Big Finish delivers a masterclass in sound design here. The synthesised 80s-style music sets a distinct tone, different from their usual offerings, and the eerie soundscape of Mondas enhances the story’s oppressive atmosphere. The decision to have the Cybermen speak in their 80s voices rather than The Tenth Planet style is a curious choice but doesn’t detract from their presence.

The Part 2 cliffhanger, in which the Doctor is prepared for conversion to force Sylvan’s hand, is a standout moment—one of the most harrowing in Big Finish’s catalogue.

📝VERDICT: 9/10

Genesis of the Cybermen is a dark, tragic masterpiece that stands alongside Spare Parts as one of the most compelling Cybermen origin stories. With its Shakespearean family conflict, gripping emotional stakes, and a suffocating sense of inevitability, it’s an unforgettable tale that leaves a lasting impact.

A hauntingly brilliant exploration of the Cybermen’s birth, this lost story would have been an instant classic had it made it to screen.