Stargate SG-1: Gift of the Gods

The first in a series of original Stargate stories in Big Finish's “Chronicles” style - a first-person narrative read by an actor from the show, with an additional voice actor playing another major part, and sound effects to add to the ambience. This one features Michael Shanks as Daniel Jackson, with the guest actor playing a member of SG-12 who proves crucial to the story.

I wasn't expecting too much from this, but it turns out to be a strong outing. Firstly, Shanks does a great job, slipping back effortlessly into the character and also doing a great job of voicing the other members of SG-1 when Daniel has to recount what they were saying - bringing out their mannerisms without trying to do a direct impression. In fact, the whole thing sounds realistic, with Daniel obviously recounting the tale as part of a debrief rather than sounding as if he's narrating a regular audiobook.

But, mainly, it's just a good story. It's set entirely at Stargate Command, opening with Daniel waking up after a mysterious event has robbed everyone at the base of eight hours of their memory and having to piece together what has happened and why. The explanation is something that would have fit beautifully with the TV show and could easily have been one of its episodes - the choice to set the first audio story in the familiar surroundings of the base probably helps here. The characters are written well, and there's a strong theme of the military camaraderie and ethos that underlaid the show. Definitely one to check out if you're a fan of the original.