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Doctor Who Novelisations
The Tome Lord |
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 Before video and DVD, Dr Who fans who wanted a fix of the Time Lord in between the TV shows relied on a series of official novels. Writing for the Magazine, Mark Gatiss recalls his love of Dr Who's adventures in print. Even without the keys to a Tardis it's possible to transport some of us back to a magical childhood time when all nights seemed wintry and dark, the football results never ended and Doctor Who was the best show on television: the heroic Doctor, the fantastic monsters, the gently moralising stories... and during the eternity between new seasons of the TV programme, we had the books.
When Dr Who's early day are remembered, it's nearly always his televisual incarnation that's recalled. But alongside the TV Doctor there was the much forgotten print Doctor - the Dr Who brought to life by a publishing imprint called Target books. Target gave us exciting versions of the stories we had seen - and glimpses into a strange and mysterious past where the Doctor had been someone else. Whenever I was off school my medicine of preference was always a well read copy of the Doctor's adventure on the planet Spirodon* - and maybe oxtail soup - because it took me light years away from my four walls in County Durham and into the Doctor's universe. What a comfort - and genuine inspiration - those books were. Read the rest here: BBC News - The Tome Lord |
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The Snowmen
The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe
7 Days left to listen to this as of today (June 23, 2009) 30 minutes
Don't forget to listen to the radio programme too!
I have very fond memories of all of these books - and running to the local library in Carshalton every other day to get more books! Its how I discovered all the old stories, after finding the show on TV and I loved every single one of them (except for THE MUTANTS for some reason - it was always heavy going, but I loved the cover!). The Chris Achelios covers and the memories of Terrance Dicks' prose always make me smile!
(Of course, they lead me to view several of the episode with rose-colored glasses! THE INVASION OF TIME was so much fun as a book, and I loved the chase all over the TARDIS, but it was such a disappointment when I actually saw it!)
Agreed. The 30 minute radio programme hosted by Mark Gatiss is well worth the listen. But if you are going to listen, do it before the end of the month. It's only available for the next six days now via the BBC iPlayer (and it is available outside of the UK).
Cheers,
Louis
...this should be a must-listen for any Who fan Absolutely delightful 30 minutes fo radio - full of love for the series and the books. And how lovely to hear from Chris Achilios!
The novelisations were my first, and fondest, memory of Doctor Who. It was several yeasr before a local PBS brought it to out area. A cousin in Ontario videotaped Logopolis and Castrovalva for me.
I still read the novelisations, after countless times, every now and then and still enjoy them immensely