The winner of the 2018 Paul Spragg Short Trips Memorial Opportunity is now released (as of December 29, Paul’s birthday). It’s Landbound by Selim Ulug, a Third Doctor story read by Nick Briggs and directed by Neil Gardner. Mention also for Ian Atkins who produced, script edited and read all the competition entries. It’s free so no excuse not to listen to this delightful story.

Landbound

The product page informs and teases at the same time (as ever!):

He was the captain of a ship once. Since being stripped of his authority, he is lost. Landbound. Then he meets a kindred spirit, a man who has also lost something.

In a small seaside town, both Ronald Henderson and the Doctor want to move forward, but one of them must first come to terms with his past…

Where this story works well is in given us glimpses across the Third Doctor‘s timeline through a set of encounters with Ronald Henderson, a very believable figure whose own life mirrors, in some ways, the Doctor’s. As the story progresses, there are obstacles to overcome, and Selim tackles this with deft prose, refusing to rush to the ending. Nick Briggs’s reading draws the listener in, and not everything runs smoothly. It’s a somewhat modern take on the Doctor’s unintended impact on those he meets, and it’s effective.

Really there’s no excuse not to download (it’s free) and enjoy this story. What are you waiting for?!