July 2025

Timewyrm: Genesys by John Peel

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The novel “Timewyrm: Genesys” by John Peel was published for the first time in 1991. It’s No. 1 in the “New Adventures” range by Virgin Publishing.

The Seventh Doctor is trying to sort out his memories, but accidentally erases Ace’s. He manages to fix them, more or less, but during the operation, he triggers a message from the Fourth Doctor, who mentions a mythical creature known as the Timewyrm. After the Doctor finishes restoring Ace’s memories, the TARDIS lands in ancient Mesopotamia.

A clash between two spaceships causes damage to both. A woman with cybernetic implants manages to land near the city of Kish. Gilgamesh, the king of Uruk, is trying to spy on his rivals in Kish, and the woman tells him she’s the goddess Ishtar and seeks his help. Gilgamesh refuses, and she vows to take revenge on him by exploiting the inhabitants of Kish and their devotion to Ishtar.

Steal Across the Sky by Nancy Kress

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The novel “Steal Across the Sky” by Nancy Kress was published for the first time in 2009.

An expedition carrying three Witnesses reaches the Kular system. The aim is to observe two human populations that have lived on two twin planets for about ten thousand years. They’re the descendants of humans transported to those planets by aliens who call themselves the Atoners, who want to somehow remedy a grave injustice.

Camilla “Cam” O’Kane and Luca Maduro take the two shuttles to descend to the two planets while Soledad Arellano remains on the mother ship to coordinate the operations. Something goes wrong and Luca’s shuttle lands violently, causing him to break a leg. He’s rescued by the natives, and after some time, he realizes that they’re convinced they can speak to people who have recently died. Initially, things seem to be going better for Cam, but on the planet, she discovers that she has ended up near a city ruled by a decidedly unfriendly king.