2040 is a collection of Doctor Who short stories edited by John Binns. Released in 2004, it is the tenth book in Big Finish's Short Trips series and collects Doctor Who short stories set in the titular year.
Stories within[]
- The Nuclear Option by Richard Salter
- Separation by Tara Samms
- Thinking Warrior by Huw Wilkins
- Observer Effect by Lance Parkin
- Artificial Intelligence by Andy Campbell
- Daisy Chain by Xanna Eve Chown
- Sustainable Energy by Matthew Griffiths
- Culture War by Kate Orman
- The Baron Wastes by Alexander Leithes
- /Carpenter/Butterfly/Baronet by Gareth Wigmore
- Outsourcing by Marc Platt
- Anteus by Rebecca Levene
- The Last Emperor by Jacqueline Rayner
- The Ethereal by John Binns
Publisher's summary[]
The world is changing for the better, so we're told, and we must change to keep up with it. In 2040, the human race has broken out of Earth's confines, with bases on the moon and manned missions to the furthest planets of our solar system. The terrorist threat is being contained by ever-larger military alliances, crossing the old national boundaries. Wars are fought increasingly without the risk of human error, as military vehicles and weapons learn to think for themselves. Large corporations are increasingly working as the partners of government; the largest of them, Perseus, is leading mankind's struggle to find new sources of energy, and its expansion into outer space.
Meanwhile, though, there are individuals and communities who find their own ways of living through this uncertain age. An artificial intelligence that doesn't want to fight the war it was built for; a special agent with a penchant for catsuits and old-fashioned cars; an isolated community who find meaning in advanced mathematics; an ageing conservationist who lives for his memories of Antarctica. Still worse, there are dissidents and extremist groups intent on sabotaging the cause of expansion, urging governments to "pull back to Earth", and spreading bizarre rumours that Perseus is the advance guard of an alien invasion.
For the most part, these two worlds can coexist in 2040. But there are times and places where they come into conflict, and it's here that the real interest lies. It's also, of course, where we find the Doctor: a frequent visitor, in various guises and with various companions. But is there any pattern or purpose to his visits? And is he here just to observe our future, or to change it?
Linking story[]
TBA
Sources[]
- Goodreads