“How the Doctor Changed My Life”

“The schoolboy whose twin brother vanished in the night. A woman whose house teems with alien refugees. The dad who dies every evening. People who’ve lost jobs and loved ones, or seen their homes destroyed, or found themselves on whole other planets. They’ve nothing in common with one another except that their lives can never be the same. Because they’re people who’ve met the Doctor … ”

In many ways, the Doctor really has changed my life. Doctor Who, a funny, strange, and often creepy children’s science-fiction show from the BBC, fascinated me ever since I was a child myself, and helped cement my life-long love of being scared.

When Big Finish announced their contest to find new writers for one of their Doctor Who anthologies, I knew I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t enter it.

They were originally only looking for one winner. “We had an incredibly strong shortlist of the best 25 entries,” said contest judge Simon Guerrier. “But we felt our shortlist was of such quality that it deserved a whole book of its own.” I’m pleased to say that my own entry, “Relativity,” was one of them.

The book is now long since out of print, but you can try to find a used copy. (Be warned, though — I’ve seen them going for pretty ridiculous prices.)