Hymn of the City single work   short story   science fiction  
Issue Details: First known date: 2003... 2003 Hymn of the City
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

'31 May, 1942: The Doctor and Ace arrive in Sydney just as a fierce battle breaks out in the harbour between Japanese subs and American warships. The Doctor visits a young fortune teller named Li Chen Mei, who gives him an empty jade box which the Doctor passes on to Ace for safekeeping. The Doctor then takes Ace to a boarding house run by Mrs Kitty Harris, and leaves her there while he visits the cliffs called the Gap. Ace sees Mrs Harris sacrifice a chicken for use in a magic ritual of some kind, and heads for the Gap, drawn by the humming of the empty jade box. There, she sees Mrs Harris' other billet, the American Corporal Jed Allum, attack a young Aborigine woman, apparently under the impression that she is one of the enemy. She intervenes, at first knocking Corporal Allum unconscious, but then, like Allum, becoming swept up by a compulsion to kill the enemy; fortunately, the Doctor arrives in time to stop her from killing Allum. He then takes her back to the boarding house, but she begins to see him as the enemy and tries to kill him with nitro-nine. Mei arrives just in time to knock Ace out, and she and the Doctor explain to Mrs Harris that her rituals are not having the effect she intended. Mei and the Aboriginal girl are guardians of the hymnal skein, a power which underlies all existence; Mrs Harris could sense the skein, and was foolishly attempting to manipulate it in order to keep her city safe from attack. The Doctor manages to convince her that she does not have the skill to do so, and she agrees to stop.'

[The Doctor is the Seventh Doctor.]

Source: drwhoguide.com (http://www.drwhoguide.com/whotrip7.htm).

Sighted: 2/6/11

Notes

  • Each of the stories in The Muses is named for one of the muses of Greek mythology. 'Hymn of the City' is named for Polyhymnia, the muse of sacred poetry, sacred hymn, and eloquence.

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

  • Appears in:
    y separately published work icon The Muses : A Short-Story Collection Jacqueline Rayner (editor), Maidenhead : Big Finish Productions , 2003 Z1783534 2003 anthology short story science fiction

    'Tell me, O Muse, of that many-aspected hero who fled his home world to travel every corner of time and space. Tell me, daughter of Jove, of his battles and his tragedies, of the strangers he encountered and the evil plots he foiled. Speak with laughter, with tears, through songs and visions of the Doctor, the hero and champion of this world and many more.

    The nine Muses have since ancient times brought inspiration to those willing to receive it. Nine authors have received the inspiration of the Muses, to speak of the mysterious Time Lord known only as 'the Doctor'. They will tell tales of History, of Dancing, of Comedy and Tragedy, of Sacred Poetry, Epic Poetry and Love Poetry, of Music and Astronomy. May they speak to your hearts.'

    Source: drwhoguide.com (http://www.drwhoguide.com/whotrip7.htm).

    Sighted: 2/6/11

    Maidenhead : Big Finish Productions , 2003
    pg. 79-102

Works about this Work

The Doctor is In (the Antipodes) : Doctor Who Short Fiction and Australian National Identity Catriona Mills , 2013 single work criticism
— Appears in: Doctor Who and Race 2013; (p. 213-230)
'British science-fiction family television program Doctor Who has always had a strong fan-base in Australia. This essay explores the ways in which certain of those Australian fans use the shorter forms of ancillary Doctor Who fiction to question the construction and promulgation of Australian national identity. By dropping the Doctor into significant crisis points in Australian history – from Gallipoli to the Port Arthur massacre – these authors literalize and question the process of constructing national identity, drawing to the surface the troubled and often negated role that race plays in ‘Australianness’.' (Author's abstract)
The Doctor is In (the Antipodes) : Doctor Who Short Fiction and Australian National Identity Catriona Mills , 2013 single work criticism
— Appears in: Doctor Who and Race 2013; (p. 213-230)
'British science-fiction family television program Doctor Who has always had a strong fan-base in Australia. This essay explores the ways in which certain of those Australian fans use the shorter forms of ancillary Doctor Who fiction to question the construction and promulgation of Australian national identity. By dropping the Doctor into significant crisis points in Australian history – from Gallipoli to the Port Arthur massacre – these authors literalize and question the process of constructing national identity, drawing to the surface the troubled and often negated role that race plays in ‘Australianness’.' (Author's abstract)
Last amended 4 Aug 2011 14:41:01
Settings:
  • Sydney, New South Wales,
  • 1942
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