Dear TSV (#74)

Dear TSV,

Let's get this out of the way up front. There are a lot of reviews. And I mean a LOT of reviews. Over half the issue is reviews, and that's being generous about what's counted.

Still, all said and done, when you read them all... they are interesting! Series 2 gets the heck reviewed out of it, by a squad of eight people. As no two people will ever have the same reaction, this means there are a wide variety of opinions, some I agreed with, others I didn't, but it's nice to see that all the episodes evoke all emotions. (Stats time, mean ratings. Stories: NE 2.38 (lowest), TaC 3.75, SR 3.88, TGitF 4.13, RotC 3.5, TAoS 3.63, TIL 2.81, TIP 4.38 (highest), TSP 3.13, L&M 2.69, FH 2.5, AoG 3.81, D 3.63. Reviewers: SB 3.42, AD 4.15 (higest), CE 2.08 (lowest), AF 3.62, NL 4.12, RM 2.69, PS 3.12, BS 4.)

The other set of reviews is about the CDs and the books. While I have the books (except About Time), the CD reviews are good because then I can target which ones I want to listen to. (Although, to be honest, I'm going to end up listening to all of them anyway.) Although I hadn't heard of that radio play before, oddly nothing mentioned on the NZDWFC board.

Jon Older's interview covers a bit of ground, and most of it over my head (as it were) as I haven't heard of most the shows he worked on, although fortunately the reviewer did. I'm guessing we'll be getting more of these, what with the editor in the country and all. Might I suggest that, even if we can't get more recognisable names, perhaps there could be more focus on the show we know? (The Peter Yeldham interview scores highly on the 'barely relevant' scale.)

The other major piece is David Lawrence's piece on the EDAs. There are lots of points I hadn't considered at the time (but then I don't go too deeply and miss a lot of literary references anyway), and makes me wish I could remember more about them. (Certainly doesn't make me wish to reread them, just that I could remember them.) It'll be highly interesting to finally see the final part of this. He has such a gleam of hope and joy in his eyes about the rest of the range...

This TSV very definitely comes with a 'YMMV' warning. It is, honestly, too review heavy (it is fine that the intention was not to present them all like this, but intention is not execution), and that will try a lot of patiences. The best part, for me, is David's section. Although that great back cover is a close second. Grab a copy and find out for yourself (it really isn't expensive in any way).

Yours sincerely,
Me