Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #399473 in Books
• Published on: 2000-02-28
• Format: Audiobook
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 2
• Binding: Audio CD

Customer Reviews

I'm rather afraid it's pretty good
Set in a dystopian future where a right-wing political party spreads malice and a sinister creature feeds off the ensuing fear. An interesting twist, strong performances from Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred, and a moody score; this is one of those stories that makes you wistful about how much better the TV series could have been if they'd given it another chance back in 1989.

An inventive story with a dark edge
"One would-be assassin is in a mental ward. Another's on the run. Their intended victim is stirring up the mobs. Terrorists are planning a strike of their own. A talk-radio host is loving every minute of it. A Whitehall insider whispers about a mysterious UN operative, with a hidden agenda.
"Everyone's got someone they want you to be afraid of. It'll only take a little push for the situation to erupt - and something is doing the pushing. But you can trust the Doctor to put things right. Can't you?"

The Fearmonger is a well-crafted story set some time after Survival, and pairs a moody Seventh Doctor with a more mature Ace. I've always enjoyed the pairing, and Jonathan Blum's script quickly reminds one of the darker atmosphere of the later TV stories.
Without going into too much detail on the plot, The Fearmonger features several well-acted supporting characters, including a smooth turn by Jacqueline Pearce (who played Chessene in the TV series' The Two Doctors) as the leader of a hard-line political party, backed up well by Hugh Walters as her aide and with a successful turn by Vince Henderson as an obnoxious talk radio presenter, among others. All have their part to play in a scenario in which fear is the ultimate political weapon. And amidst all this, there's the Fearmonger, which is lapping it up.
I like the way the story is styled. The Fearmonger remains mysterious throughout, and often one is left wondering where it is really hiding, if it even exists at all, or if it's just a figment of the characters' imaginations. If I had any complaints around the mid-point of the story (some shocking cliff-hangers by the way!) they would have been that the Fearmonger is a little too intangible, but it is well paid off in episode four in a final twist that you probably won't have been expecting.
The usual high standard of sound design is present, although as the story is set in near-contemporary London it requires less outlandish sound effects and the atmosphere is achieved through subtler effects such as the sound of passing cars or the echoing accoustics of an empty warehouse.
The Fearmonger is definitely one of Big Finish's most stylish stories to date, but then this is only number five...

A great story with some good twists....
When you listen to Sylvester McCoy on audio, its like he never stopped the doctor! Hes such a great actor and he is definitely complimented by Sophie Aldred as Ace, who is my fav tv companion. Shes got guits and doesnt just scream all the time. And i think the Fearmonger is a great story for their reintroduction. Jon Blum has written a classic story here. A good piece on terrorists and an unnamed alien just known as the fearmonger.

Very good twist when all along ive thought the creature was in a different person when it was actually just inside the person hearing it in other peoples voices! Great twist, i really thought uh oh when i heard the ending to the third episode. Ace getting shot is quite nasty too. Some great cliffhangers.

And i like the fact that this story gets going straight away, and doesnt waste time. Quite a few stories take til the end of episode one to get going, but not this one. Maintained twists and action all the way through. Great stuff!