The Dream of AP101 is a storyline I’ve had thoughts about for some time. It is based on a comic strip story I read a VERY long time ago in one of those girls comics like the Bunty, Jinty or Mandy. In the story a girl who lives in a futuristic world where meals, work, leisure, sleep, are all one long routine, and where families are separated and put to labour for the good of the ‘company’ breaks out of the routine and discovers that all is not as utopian as she thought. Eventually there is a rebellion and everything turns out fine. Jinty/Bunty/Mandy stories are like that.

Doctor Who stories are like that, too. This one starts from AP101’s point of view before switching to Amy Pond in the TARDIS having a hard time sleeping. Doctor Who stories on TV very often start from somebody else’s view. But I’ve always tended to begin with The Doctor and his companions. This one is different for that reason to begin with.

This is a story in which The Doctor and his companions don’t do much. Rory is asleep the whole time. Amy is, too, for much of it. It is AP101’s story as she breaks her conditioning and finds the meaning of ‘friend’ and ‘family’ as well as getting to see the stars. Again, that’s kind of unusual, but I think it works perfectly well and the feedback I’ve had about the story suggests that readers agree. The alienness of a world where words like ‘friend’ and ‘family’ are unknown proved to be a fascination by itself. I think this could easily have been a successfu stand alone science fiction dystopia story without the Doctor Who connection slotted into it. I might even try rewriting it as such some time. But Doctor Who stories are what I like best and for now that’s where it goes.