The Endless Myth vs. Doctor Who: Myth and Time in Never-Ending Narratives
The novel The Endless Myth and the iconic British sci-fi series Doctor Who are both works often described as “never-ending stories.” However, the structural reasons behind their continuity differ dramatically.
One is a story sustained by myth and faith. The other is a science fiction epic driven by time travel across history and the cosmos. In this article, we compare The Endless Myth and Doctor Who, examining their world-building, protagonists, and narrative structures shaped by myth and time.
World-Building: A Closed Mythic World vs. An Open Temporal Universe
The world of The Endless Myth is a closed structure defined and stabilised by myth and belief. Myth is not merely folklore—it functions as the very foundation of order. The world continues to exist because myth continues to be told and believed.
In contrast, the universe of Doctor Who is open and fluid. Time and space can be traversed freely. History is not fixed but mutable, with multiple timelines and branching possibilities. Change is not a threat to existence—it is the very condition of it.
-
The Endless Myth: A world stabilised by meaning
-
Doctor Who: A universe sustained by change
Why the Stories Never End
The Endless Myth cannot truly conclude because if myth were to disappear, the meaning of the world itself would collapse. The narrative survives through reinterpretation and retelling. An ending would signify annihilation.
Doctor Who, on the other hand, continues through regeneration. The Doctor renews their body and personality while retaining continuity of memory and identity. The story does not reset—it evolves.
One persists through repetition of meaning.
The other continues through transformation.
Protagonists: Fixity vs. Transformation
The protagonist of The Endless Myth, Messiah, is consumed as a symbol. Positioned at the centre of myth, he is constrained by the role imposed upon him. Being chosen becomes a burden rather than a blessing.
The Doctor in Doctor Who embodies change itself. Though fundamentally the same being, each regeneration produces a new personality and emotional tone. The Doctor is both a symbol and a living demonstration of flux.
-
Messiah: An existence fixed by meaning
-
The Doctor: An existence sustained by change
Gods and Transcendence
In The Endless Myth, gods exist through belief and narrative reinforcement. Divinity is embedded within the structure of the world and dependent upon faith.
In Doctor Who, godlike beings appear frequently, but they are often reframed through science-fictional logic. Transcendence is not primarily an object of worship but something to confront, understand, or challenge.
Philosophical Focus
The Endless Myth raises introspective questions:
-
Why do humans need myth?
-
Is faith salvation or confinement?
-
Is a life bound by meaning truly free?
Doctor Who asks more dynamic, forward-looking questions:
-
Can individuals change history?
-
Does morality persist across time?
-
Can identity survive constant transformation?
Conclusion: Preserved Meaning vs. Perpetual Change
The Endless Myth and Doctor Who represent two contrasting models of the never-ending narrative:
-
A myth that cannot end because meaning must be preserved
-
A time-travel epic that never ends because change never stops
One survives through retelling.
The other survives through renewal.
Together, they illustrate two fundamentally different answers to the same question:
How does a story avoid ending?
By being believed in forever —
or by changing forever.






