Continuity Errors [PROSE/1996.7.18]

★★★★★

  Continuity Errors is a masterful piece of work, not just because of its subtle portrayals of timeline changes, but also because of its fascinating examination of the Doctor. In 2022, former showrunner Steven Moffat's imprint on the Doctor Why mythos is cemented, a core component; the Doctor is revered and feared at the same time, a Time Lord bearing gifts of hope and destruction in equal measure (and, in many cases, a mixture of the two). His will is law, and if at any point it isn't, he'll pull the strings of causality and make it so. This short story feels chillingly like a mission statement from Moffat, his vision of Doctor Who to point the perception inwards as well as out amongst the stars. There are many New Series episodes (often written by Moffat himself) that deal with this topic superbly, yes... but Continuity Errors is arguably the finest attempt. 

  It struck me halfway through reading this that Moffat's clever-clever ideas and lightning-fast writing style suit the short story form really well. No need for a hallway chase, no need for intergalactic villains hatching dastardly plots that the Doctor needs to dissemble in that own clever way of his; we are instead focused on an unpleasant librarian, and on the changes she faces as the Doctor attempts to "convince" her to lend him a super-secret library book. A simple premise, often the avenue for some of the best Doctor Who stories ever told. The prose is exceptional, with events of librarian Andrea's life changing in the line between sentences. There's a lovely moment in which she stands up to the Doctor and confront to him about his manipulation, regardless of how much happiness it has brought her... and depending on your perspective, the ensuing ending is a happy one or a resignment to the Doctor's questionable morals.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ  

  Is the Doctor really a hero? Is he the protector of history, or is he the victor that writes it? Steven Moffat's debut work on the franchise asks hard questions about our intrepid Time Lord, and turns the gaze on us as well. It helps that the short story is genuinely brilliant in all the right ways, written with such texture and wit. For a first Doctor Who piece, this Moffat fella really seems to know how to spruce things up, doesn't he?