Doctor Who Short Trips: A Universe of Terrors - ed. John Binns

The Doctor Who Short Trips: A Universe of Terrors short story collection edited by John Binns is one of many such anthologies produced by Big Finish, the company that was also responsible for keeping Doctor Who fans supplied with new stories whilst the TV show was off-air with their audio dramas.

This short story anthology, as you might guess from the subtitle, is a collection of horror stories - well sort of. Some of the stories are merely supernatural and unnerving, rather than outright terrifying.

The Exiles by Lance Parkin features the First Doctor and his granddaughter Susan

Mire and Clay by Gareth Wigmore also features the First Doctor and his Companions Ian and Barbara

Ash by Trevor Baxendale features the First Doctor and Susan again.

Face-Painter by Tara Samms 2nd Jamie and Victoria

Losing Track of Time by Juliet E. McKenna features the Third Doctor and his Companion Jo

The Discourse of Flies by Jeremy Daw features the Third Doctor and his Companion Sarah

The Fear by Alex Leithes features the Fourth Doctor and K-9

Mauritz by Jonathan Morris features the Fourth Doctor and his Companion Adric

The Comet's Tail by John Binns features the Fifth Doctor

Long Term by Andrew Campbell features the Fifth

Soul Mate by David Bailey features the Fifth Doctor and his Companions Nyssa and Tegan

Whiskey and Water by Marc Platt features the Sixth Doctor

The Death of Me by Robert Shearman also features the Sixth Doctor

This is My Life by William Keith feautres the Seventh Doctor (and it's a poem)

Gazing Void by Huw Wilkins features the Eighth Doctor

For me, the scariest stories were "Mire and Clay", "Face Painter", "Long Term" and "Mauritz" - very odd, psychological stories that I was glad I'd read in daylight, rather than in bed one night ! I confess to enjoying "Losing Track of Time" the most - but then I'm biased because Juliet E McKenna is one of my favourite living fantasy authors AND the story is set in the Bodleian Library in Oxford ! Doctor Who Short Trips: A Universe of Terrors is also available from Amazon.com.