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• M1795537OCVirn
• 14 Oct 2025
• Reviews
• 776 Reads

Narrated by Alistair Lock
Written by Tony Attwood
Sound Design by Alistair Lock
Cover Art by Mark Plastow
Executive Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs
Producer Peter Anghelides
Senior Producer John Ainsworth
Based on the format created by Terry Nation

Afterlife Audio Review
by
M1795537

This was my first experience of Tony Attwood’s Afterlife, and I was interested to find out more, having been made aware of the negative reaction it provokes among some Blake’s 7 fans.
The reception of Afterlife, published in 1984, can only be described as ‘mixed’. Many fans still believe that attempting to continue the Blake’s 7 story beyond the brutal ending of the TV series robs that final episode of its...finality.
On the other hand, many post-Gauda Prime fan stories have circulated since the TV series ended. It seems the genuine grief at the loss of such loved characters (including the inanimate ones) needed an outlet.
As one fan recently commented:
“Well, there was a time when Afterlife was all we had after the series was cancelled.
But that time is past and there are far better stories out there now.”

Although this audio version completes the contemporary pairing with Paul Darrow’s Avon – a Terrible Aspect, of itself Afterlife does little to advance our knowledge of how the characters involved have been changed by their experiences. They seem locked into the same old destructive patterns, which I found both improbable and disappointing.

At over seven hours long, the Big Finish audio production is a splendid tour de force by Alistair Lock, who gives each character their own voice, with passable impersonations of Avon’s nasal sneer and, of course Orac’s irascible tones, familiar from Lock’s previous Big Finish audios. These characterisations are necessary, however, because unlike many Big Finish productions, there are none of the supporting background soundscapes or effects that can add so much to the words. On the other hand, Mark Plastow's cover art has captured Avon's wary, thoughtful, appraising expression, which is so much a part of his character. It sets the tone for the whole story.

The recording lacks any ‘behind the scenes’ studio conversation with those involved. I would have liked to know more about the background to this production, but it was good to hear an acknowledgement of the late Chris Boucher’s influence in the writing of Afterlife.

Perhaps Afterlife is not destined to break sales records, but it is an interesting addition to Big Finish’s Blake’s 7 collection.