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A dastardly attack on Great Britain's colony on Mars leads
Captain St John Ffolkes on a dangerous trail to the besieged
city of Alclyon. As British and German armies clash over the
fate of the young Martian King Daryoon, Ffolkes finds even
his steadfast belief in the Empire under assault...
This
audio adventure brings the current Martian storyline of Space
1889 to a close. The next disc, The Lunar Inheritance,
promises a change of scene with action taking place on Earth's
moon.
The
Siege of Alclyon features a very special guest star in
the shape of Philip Madoc. Though his most major role to date
has been that of the famous prime minister in The Life
and Times of David Lloyd George, Madoc is probably best
remembered for the baddies he has played over the years. His
science-fiction roles as an unethical member of the scientific
establishment in First Born, a futuristic Dr Mengele-like
surgeon in Doctor Who: The Brain of Morbius and a war
criminal in Doctor Who: The War Games, not to mention
a U-boat captain in Dad's Army, all stand him in good
stead for playing the scheming German General Hagen.
Fortunately,
writer Marc Platt resists pandering to any obvious stereotypes
or genre spoofing. At no point does Captain St John Ffolkes
(Simon Williams) say to his sergeant (Toby Longworth): "Don't
tell him, Carstairs!"
The flavour of Victorian adventure is deliberately tainted
in this instalment by some rather topical issues concerning
warfare and politics. The "liberating" British forces that
attack the German-held city of Alclyon cause massive damage
to buildings, including ancient cultural landmarks, as well
as loss of life. The Martian population is therefore not entirely
pleased with its "liberators", echoing the discontent that
still exists in present-day Afghanistan and Iraq.
While
not quite on a par with the two previous CDs in this series,
The Siege of Alclyon is well worth liberating from
your nearest stockist.
Richard
McGinlay
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