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Any fans of Benny on the 'lith? Personally I've been left shocked and stunned by the twists in the last years worth of adventures and think it's the best range of pulp sci-fi out there. A glorious cast of characters, daring twists, and creators at the top of their game. For those who haven't met her here's the potted history...
For readers Doctor Who finished at just the right time, way back in the McCoy days. The Titan/Virgin novelisations were expanding into interesting areas and the writers becoming bolder when the source material dried up. Left with a profitable range of books but no more stories to adapt Virgin opten to creat original novels starring the Seventh incarnation of Doctor Who. It soon became apparant that a new companion was needed to star alongside the Doctor and the revamped Ace and so Bernice Summerfield was born.
Benny was, and is, a hard drinking archaeologist who has a habit of masking emotion with flippancy. Vulnerable and strong, kind and thoughtless, witty and vulgar, confident and shy, and just the sort of person you'd want as a friend.
Surprisingly for an original character in spin off fiction she became as popular as the established characters. She also developed in interesting ways and by the time the range died had become a layered, subtle creation - albeit one with different faces to suit different authors needs. That in itself made her seem real, who hasn't felt they were too many people at once at some point?
Virgin lost the Who licence but carried on with Benny whilst the readership were there. That readership may have dwindled when the tagline 'Science fiction has never been so fun' was forgotten and Benny became the focus of a grim sci-fi range as opposed to the pulp adventure we were promised but a core remained.
Enough of a core of fans for Big Finish to carry on Bennys adventures, this time in print and in audio. The supporting characters have been assembled and the plots and counterplots of her friend in high places Irving Braxiatel (last of the Time Lords?), her once and future husband Jason Kane (porn barren and bestubbled chancer) and Benny herself are building to a gripping climax in the near future.
I love the character, and love Lisa Bowermans interpretation of her. Long may she continue to have new adventures. |
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