It's not raining men, so hold that 'hallelujah'. However, the changeable weather on the planet Versimmon is certainly an eventful affair requiring more than a serviceable brolly, and Matthew Griffiths' first full-length novel is a densely-packed work from start to finish.
Matthew has previously written several short stories for Big Finish's Short Trips anthologies, which have been variously received, so this is his chance to flex those creative muscles with a little more length and freedom. I may be wrong about the freedom though: from the early days Big Finish have intertwined their Bernice Summerfield audios and novels / short stories so this book clearly has its place within a story arc. Does that matter? Does a reader such as myself, who's had little contact with Benny and her antics since Death and The Daleks some years back, need to catch up to get the most from this book? Possibly yes, possibly no - sorry, that's a wet liberal sit-on-the-fence answer, but it's honest!
'Possibly yes' means that I can't guarantee I wouldn't have got more from this book if I was fully clued up on Bernice's current life (naturally). For a start there's a new girl, Ruth. But the dust jacket gives us some contextual notes and I'm not sure I need to know much more than they tell me.
'Possibly no' means that there's enough merit in the book as it is to carry you through without having to worry unnecessarily about who these people are - only possibly why they're there.
I very much enjoyed the book, but if I have one criticism it would be its breakneck pace. For a poetry research student there is surprisingly little poetic language and description in the work - it doesn't hang about to ponder and be pretty! Matthew is so eager to tell the story, and has so much story to tell, that at times I felt overwhelmed by it and I often found myself struggling to picture the characters and where they were - particularly during some of the more involved action sequences. But Matthew's prose style is comfortable and reader-friendly, and the treadmill of progressive action and intrigue kept this reader interested throughout.
The action starts from the off - we're thrown in at the deep end at the beginning. It takes us a large amount of the book to backfill all the necessary information about why Bernice and Ruth are on Versimmon, what purpose the planet performs and what relationship to it each of the characters has. I don't have an issue with this personally; it forces the reader into an active role, not just a passive free-loader - which is why I'm avoiding specific plot details and spoilers in this review.
There is intelligent use of arboreal terminology providing alternative words and names within a civilisation based around trees and plants. This shows care and thought on the part of the author - the Versimmion civilisation is not just a hollow gimmick - and this level of detail brings the story and it's people to life so much more effectively. There's sense and clarity behind it too, so the reader doesn't (or shouldn't) require a glossary - in fact it almost became a game to me, where I was on the look out for the next witty occurrence. I'm still undecided whether Abenoke should be pronounced Aben-oak or not - that's how suspicious I'd got..!
The key to the whole book has to be the characterisation of Bernice, and Matthew has got this spot-on. I could hear Lisa Bowerman in my head delivering every line and thought the character had with utter conviction. The Versimmion and Palastoran civilisations provide memorable and engaging supporting characters, and splitting up Ruth and Bernice early on allows the story to develop along two strands giving all the characters more space and opportunity to be individual.
If you're coming to this as a Doctor Who spin-off unsure what to expect, it's not Doctor Who, but it does have monsters and intrigue and corridors and weather. I'd also ask where the hell you've been - Bernice Summerfield has been around for years now! Sort it out people!
Big Finish have recently re-branded the Bernice Summerfield range, with a simpler, possibly more adult look. Maybe this is suggestive of a more grown-up or responsible attitude for the title character? I can't imagine this becoming Archaeology, She Wrote, though. Certainly the Bernice in The Weather on Versimmon didn't seem that different to me than the Bernice of the earlier audios and books, with their stylised cartoon covers and illustrations. Maybe I've read too much in to that, though, and they just felt it was time to spruce-up the range and make it eye-catching to a new audience. But I have a fondness for the cartoon style, and I can't help thinking that some of the images from this book would have looked great brought to life on the cover, instead of the rather sober photo montage.
Overall I found the book intelligently and proficiently written and I look forward to more of Matthew's work.
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