The Suffering

Companion Chronicles #4.7

Released: 20 February 2010

Listened: 2/4/20

This is a slightly unusual release, a double-length story (so the same as a Main Range), with both Peter Purves and Maureen O’Brien voicing Steven and Vicki, with no guest actors. It’s a semi-historical, taking place in 1912 not far from London, and is largely concerned with the Women’s Suffrage movement. I didn’t realize that the movement was more violent, on both sides, than it was in America (or at least more than I’ve heard in American history), so there are some pretty brutal descriptions in this story. It’s also a little more heavy-handed than usual on the gender conflict, although it’s subtly tied to the origin of the Drahvins of “Galaxy 4,” so maybe it’s par for the course for this era. The narrative plays a little with the traditional Companion Chronicles format, with Vicki and Steven collaborating to make an intentional recording of these events (Steven somewhat reluctantly), so there’s a little bit of mocking and false starts as they get the story going. It’s a pretty good showcase for their sibling-like relationship, and for Steven’s “action hero” status, replacing Ian. The historical details make it an uneasy listen, though.