The Northern Heights
The Northern Heights, featuring the 4th Doctor, is my contribution to the Short Trips: Life Science Doctor Who anthology.
Publication Details
Short Trips: Life Science
Edited by John Binns
Published by Big Finish (2004)
ISBN: 1-84435-047-9
Hardback, £14.99
Blurb
Once, we believed our lives were sacred, that we had souls. Now we know we are mere machines; genetic data. We are science.
But even as we learn, the properties of life remain uncertain. How does life acquire consciousness, or rights? Does a robot dream? If a person transforms into an oak tree, is it science, or the work of gods? Did the Victorians find a way to resurrect the dead?
To science, such questions are invitations to explore. Who better to explore with, than the Doctor?
The stories:
- Mortal Thoughts - Trevor Baxendale
- Syntax - David Bailey
- Primitives - John Seavey
- The Northern Heights - Mark Stevens
- Observation - Ian Farrington
- Lant Land - Jonathan Morris
- A Star is Reborn - Richard Salter
- The Southwell Park Mermaid - Kate Orman
- The Destroyers - Steve Lyons
- The Reproductive Cycle - Matthew Griffiths
- Scribbles in Chalk - Gareth Wigmore
- The End - Alexander Leithes
- The Age of Ambition - Andrew Campbell
- Echo - Lance Parkin
- Jonah - Todd Green
- A Rose By Any Other Name - Jim Mortimore
Reviews for The Northern Heights
Lawrence Conquest
"The Northern Heights by Mark Stevens continues the high quality, with the 4th Doctor battling a Lovecraftian being from another dimension in the London Underground. A well-written tale, Stevens skilfully gives the impression of a broader scope than the minimal page count would suggest by use of excerpts from an 'after the fact' report on the incident, while the 2nd person narrative is suitably moody. I'm not entirely sure how this story fits into the theme of 'life science', but it's a damn good tale nonetheless.
[...]
"Standout highlights: Primitives, The Northern Heights, The Reproductive Cycle."
Author's Notes
At the time of writing (March 2004) Short Trips: Life Science has yet to be published, so I'm keeping tight lipped about the story for now!