Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #741658 in Books
• Published on: 2002-10-01
• Format: Audiobook
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 2
• Binding: Audio CD

Customer Reviews

Beware The Sandman...
The Clutch is a fleet in constant motion, ships jostling for position, in an endless migration between the stars. For the Galyari, forbidden by an ancient curse from settling on a world ever again, the Clutch is home. But the curse travels with them...
The Sandman, a figure of myth and folk-lore, preys on the young and old alike. He lurks in the shadows and it is death to look upon him.
All too soon after the TARDIS arrives, it is evident that the Doctor and the Galyari share a dark history, and Evelyn is shocked to discover that, on the Clutch, it is her friend who is the monster.
The Sandman is one of Doctor Who's creepiest and most impressive villains. The Sixth Doctor is on form and even his companion Evelyn Smythe seems less annoying than usual. Highly recommended.
The Sandman, according to the tales, also goes by the name of the Doctor...

Enjoyable, but flawed
The Sandman is an interesting audio adventure, in that it takes all the elements that Big Finish have so successfully downplayed about the 6th Doctor - the loud character and coat - and used them to build a story around. The main hook is that the 6th Doctor may have some skeletons in his closet, as he appears to be the resident cultural bogeyman for the alien avian/reptile Galyari race. As with The Invasion of Time then, this is a story that derives a lot of it's drive from the possibility that maybe the Doctor's turned 'bad', though inevitably there is a good reason given by the stories end. On the positive side we have a nice new race of aliens, and a good setting with the Clutch of spaceships, while veteran companion Anneke Wills provides a nice turn as one of the heavily voice modulated Galyari. Less satisfying is the complete lack of explanation for the Doctor's refusal to explain the truth of the 'Sandman' myth to companion Evelyn till the final episode, the resulting sagging middle two episodes and rushed finale as the author keeps his cards too close to his chest for too long, and Evelyn being given not one single practical thing to do in the entire story. The Sandman is an entertaining enough adventure, but with its emphasis on withholding it's mystery for as long as possible it doesn't stand up well to repeated listens.

"I am the Doctor...I am your Sand Man."
I wasn't sure what to think of this story when i first approached it. The cover depicts strange lizard-like creatures and the blurb makes it out as if the aliens of the story see the Doctor as an evil being from their past, the Sandman. I was intrigued, and listened to it. And i was pleasantly surprised. The story is quite unique in terms of Dr Who, (sometimes but not always a good thing), and the action takes place on the Clutch; a giant amalgamation of starships clinging to one another as they travel like nomads around the galaxy, always fearing the return of the Sandman, to steal the hides of thier young. It has been some hundred years since his last appearance but there have been murders recently: the Orchestrator is dead and a creche of young have been slaughtered. The mother is taking it personally...if the Sandman was to appear now he would have hell to pay...
I had to listen to this one twice, before everything made sense, and when it does the story really stands out as original and full of surprises. Colin Baker is excellent as the Doctor, Maggie Stables is okay (though her role is slight), and the guest stars are all excellent. Anneke Wills (Polly,late Hartnell and early Troughton companion) plays a lizard woman and she is interesting to hear.
There are a few niggling points - such as the Doctor using a gun to violent outcome, the role of the birds - but overall this is a good listen and an excellent addition to the growing range. The alien voices are a welcome difference to standard human-human conversations and the whole idea behind the face of things is spectacular, believable and involving.