“But he is a good king, and he makes Uruk strong. And if he is at times a little rough, well — that’s just his manner.”

Let’s get to the point, shall we? Timewyrm: Genesys is infamous for its depiction (and defence?) of child sexual abuse. I was aware of this going in, but I wrongly assumed the issue was a single iffy scene, not something that permeated the novel throughout from chapter one.

Gilgamesh is a sexual predator. In his eyes, women (and girls as young as thirteen) are sexual objects who that exist to be groped, fondled, and raped.

...Except it’s not just in his eyes; his attitude is implicitly backed up by the narrative. There is much more focus on how embarrassing it is for a man to be cuckolded than how traumatic it is for a woman to experience rape. There’s also the fact that Ace is introduced to the reader naked and she examines herself in the mirror, assessing how “feminine” and “useful” (?) her body looks. This is before she arrives in Uruk, so it can’t be chalked up to ancient Mesopotamian cultural norms. Sexual objectification isn’t just a part of that society, it’s a part of this entire text. If this book is to be believed, women and girls are not human beings with lived experiences; they exist only as they are perceived (and used) by others. That’s the male gaze, baby!

I think there’s also something to be said about orientalism and primitivism. This book got me thinking about fantasies – far off lands with strange customs, where our taboos are freely flouted; barbaric societies which give us permission to be barbaric too; the consequence-free refuge of fiction. Pornography, even. If I were writing an essay (which I could) I would expand on this. But this is supposed to be a review of the book, not deep analysis. Moving on.

So Ace is harassed by Gilgamesh chapter after chapter after chapter. Gilgamesh is not so much a character as a personification of violence; he is the looming threat of rape (even if this is presented as mildly annoying rather than horrifying). How does the Doctor respond to Ace’s legitimate fear? Well,

he mocks her for being overly concerned about her “virtue,” lectures her about being more open-minded and embracing cultural differences, reminds her that most girls would be grateful for the king’s “attentions,” and hey, “suffering builds character.” In essence, shut up and take it.

 

The Doctor is out of character throughout;

he has no affection for Ace, and he leaves her alone with Gilgamesh (multiple times!) despite her literally begging him not to. Even when Gilgamesh isn’t a factor, the Doctor is constantly irritated by Ace and wishing she would just be quiet.

The titular Timewyrm is introduced by (a hologram of) the Fourth Doctor, and the Third Doctor’s personality takes the wheel at the climax.

Peel clearly doesn’t like the Seventh Doctor. Which makes me wonder why he volunteered to write the first of the VNAs.

Gilgamesh is one-note. He talks like a Klingon and thinks only of fighting and fucking. Enkidu is similarly flat and isn’t given anything to do, but I do think it’s neat that he’s a Neanderthal. There is very little focus on the relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu – in fact, they barely interact at all – even though their bromance is the crux of the original epic. 

The Timewyrm (usually referred to in this book as Ishtar) also does nothing for most of the story, then there are multiple pages of backstory exposition from another character, after which she’s a little more present in the narrative. But she feels kind of generically evil. Something something immortality something something brains something something nuke. She’s not a memorable character. And there are three more novels in this arc... Hopefully the other authors will pick up the slack and make her more interesting.

 

It’s a disappointing start to the VNA series and to the Timewyrm arc.

CONTENT WARNINGS:

sexism, orientalism, sexualisation/harassment/assault of women and teenage girls, emotional manipulation, drunkenness, violence, death