The first instalment in a sensational series of stories celebrating the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who is written by Eoin Colfer, best-selling author of Artemis Fowl.

Doctor Who is the longest running sci-fi TV show in the world and celebrates its 50th anniversary on 23rd November 2013. To celebrate, Puffin – in partnership with BBC Worldwide – is publishing an exclusive series of eleven ebook short stories each based on one of the Eleven Doctors, priced at £1.99 and to be released on the 23rd of each month starting in January 2013. Each story is written by a different author, bringing together some of the most exciting names in children’s fiction, from commercial blockbusters to literary award-winners. These authors will each bring their own interpretation and reimagining of their chosen Doctor to create a unique Doctor Who adventure in their own inimitable style. 

The authors of the subsequent eshorts will be unveiled on the BBC Worldwide Doctor Who Facebook page on the first Tuesday of every month throughout the year.  A promotional video featuring the author will be released on the 11th of each month on the BBC Worldwide Doctor Who YouTube channel.

Puffin is thrilled that Eoin Colfer will be launching this unique series with his story about the First Doctor. The author commented:

“As a boy I had been reading the Doctor Who books for years before I ever saw a single episode and I found that the on-screen version of the First Doctor was almost identical to the version in my imagination.” 

Synopsis:

London. 1900. The First Doctor is missing his hand and his granddaughter, Susan. Faced with the search for Susan, a strange beam of soporific light, and a host of marauding Soul Pirates, the Doctor is promised a dangerous journey into a land he may never forget...

+  A Big Hand For The Doctor is released on 23rd January 2013, Priced £1.99.

+  Preorder this eBook from iTunes.

[Source: Puffin Books]

DWO have received the cover and details for the upcoming Doctor Who themed cookbook; Dining With The Doctor.

Your taste buds are about to take a wibbly wobbly, timey wimey adventure through the 2005 Doctor Who reboot. Megafan and food writer Chris-Rachael Oseland spent a year rewatching all of series one through six and experimenting in her kitchen to bring you a fresh recipe for every single episode. The recipes and over 50 photos are collected in the brand new book, Dining With The Doctor: The Unauthorized Whovian Cookbook. 

This book is a treat for any Whovian who wants to offer more than a plate of fish fingers and a bowl of custard at your next viewing party. Want to host an elegant dinner party to show off your new T.A.R.D.I.S. corset? Start the evening with a Two Streams Garden Cocktail followed by Baked Hath, Marble Cucumber Circuits with Vesuvian Fire Dipping Sauce, Professor Yana’s Gluten Neutrino Map Binder, Slitheen Eggs, and some of Kazran’s Night Sky Fog Cups for dessert.

If you’re just getting a few friends together to watch the latest episode, why not offer them an Ood Mezze Plate to munch on as stragglers wander in followed by some quick and easy Fish Custard Tacos, Open Faced Dalek Ironsides, Sontaran Soldiers, and a Cinnamon Pull Apart Crack in the Wall. They can wash it all down with a cup of the Pond’s Wedding Punch.

Lets be honest. No Whovian gathering is complete without them, so you also get an entire bonus chapter dedicated to interesting alternative takes on fish fingers and custard.

This comprehensive cookbook includes ingredients in both archaic American and modern Metric measurements, eighteen adult beverages, more than two dozen recipes for vegetarians, twenty that are safe for people with wheat allergies, and ten for the low carb dieters. You’ll be prepared for every possible guest.

Meal Suggestions:

Decadent Meals

- L.I.N.D.A.’s Tardis Wellington (Series 2, Episode 11)
- Donna’s Time Beetle (Series 4, Episode 12)
- Silurian Hot House Salad with Lemon-Lime Vinaigrette (Series 5, Episode 8)
- Extermination Loaf (Series 3, Episode 5)
- Adipose Herbed Butter (Series 4, Episode 2)
- White Chocolate Cybermen Heads (Series 2, Episode 7)
- Liquid Flesh Cocktail (Series 6, Episode 6)

Elegant Meals

- Baked Hath Served Over Black Beans and Topped With a Red and Green Cabbage Slaw (Series 4, Episode 7)
- Marble Circuits with Fire Dipping Sauce (Series 4, Episode 13)
- Professor Yana’s Gluten Neutrino Map Binder (Series 3, Episode 12)
- Slitheen Eggs (Series 1, Episode 11)
- Kazran’s Night Sky Fog Cups (Series 5, Episode 14)
- Two Streams Garden Cocktail (Series 6, Episode 10)

Casual Meals

- Fish Custard Tacos (Series 6, Episode 1)
- Open Faced Dalek Ironsides (Series 5, Episode 3)
- Sontaran Soldiers (Series 4, Episode 5)
- Ood Mezze Plate (Series 4, Episode 4)
- Cinnamon Pull Apart Crack in the Wall (Series 5, Episode 9)
- Blueberry Lemonade Wedding Punch (Series 5, Episode 13)

+  Dining With The Doctor: The Unauthorized Whovian Cookbook is available in book and ebook form via Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. 

[Source: Chris-Rachael Oseland]

As 2013 approaches, BBC Books have sent DWO the covers and details for the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Edition Reprints.

Ten Little Aliens
by Stephen Cole

Deep in the heart of a hollowed-out moon the First Doctor finds a chilling secret: ten alien corpses, frozen in time at the moment of their death.

They are the empire’s most wanted terrorists, and their discovery could end a war devastating the galaxy.

But is the same force that killed them still lurking in the dark? And what are its plans for the people of Earth?

An adventure featuring the First Doctor as played by William Hartnell and his companions Ben and Polly.

Dreams Of Empire
by Justin Richards

On a barren asteroid, the once-mighty Haddron Empire is on the brink of collapse, torn apart by civil war.

The one man who might have saved it languishes in prison, his enemies planning his death and his friends plotting his escape.

The Second Doctor arrives as the last act of this deadly drama is being played out – and with both terrifying killers and cunning traitors to defeat, the future hangs in the balance.

An adventure featuring the Second Doctor as played by Patrick Troughton and his companions Jamie and Victoria.

Last Of The Gaderene
by Mark Gatiss

The aerodrome in Culverton has new owners, and they promise an era of prosperity for the idyllic village.

But former Spitfire pilot Alex Whistler is suspicious – when black-shirted troops appear on the streets, he contacts his old friend Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart at U.N.I.T.

The Third Doctor is sent to investigate – and soon uncovers a sinister plot to colonise the Earth. The Gaderene are on their way…

An adventure featuring the Third Doctor as played by Jon Pertwee and his companion Jo.

Festival Of Death
by Jonathan Morris

The Beautiful Death is the ultimate theme-park ride: a sightseeing tour of the afterlife. 

But something has gone wrong, and when the Fourth Doctor arrives in the aftermath of the disaster, he is congratulated for saving the population from destruction – something he hasn’t actually done yet. He has no choice but to travel back in time and discover how he became a hero.

And then he finds out. He did it by sacrificing his life.

An adventure featuring the Fourth Doctor as played by Tom Baker and his companions Romana and K-9.

Fear Of The Dark
by Trevor Baxendale

On a moon of the ruined planet Akoshemon, an age-old terror is about to be reborn. 

Something that remembers the spiral of war, pestilence and deprivation – and rejoices in it. The Fifth Doctor joins a team of archaeologists searching for evidence of the planet’s infamous past, and uncovers more than just ancient history.

Forced to confront his own worst fears, even the Doctor will be pushed to breaking point – and beyond.

An adventure featuring the Fifth Doctor as played by Peter Davison and his companions Tegan and Nyssa.

Players
by Terrance Dicks 

Arriving on the sun-baked veldt in the middle of the Boer War, the Sixth Doctor is soon involved in the adventures of struggling politician and war correspondent Winston Churchill. Of course, he knows Churchill is destined for great things, but unseen forces seem to be interfering with Winston’s historic career…

The Doctor suspects the hidden hand of the Players, mysterious beings who regard human history as little more than a game.

With time running out, can the Doctor find the right moves to defeat them?

An adventure featuring the Sixth Doctor as played by Colin Baker and his companion Peri.

Remembrance Of The Daleks
by Ben Aaronovitch 

With unfinished business to attend to, the Seventh Doctor returns to where it all began: Coal Hill School in London in 1963. Last time he was here, the Doctor left something behind – a powerful Time Lord artefact that could unlock the secrets of time travel.

Can the Doctor retrieve it before two rival factions of Daleks track it down? And even if he can, how will the Doctor prevent the whole of London becoming a war zone as the Daleks meet in explosive confrontation?

An adventure featuring the Seventh Doctor as played by Sylvester McCoy and his companion Ace.

Earthworld
by Jacqueline Rayner 

Anji has just had the worst week of her life. She should be back at her desk, not travelling through time and space in a police box. The Eighth Doctor is supposed to be taking her home, so why are there dinosaurs outside?

The Doctor doesn’t seem to know either, or else he surely would have mentioned the homicidal princesses, teen terrorists and mad robots?

One thing is certain: Anji is never going to complain about Monday mornings in the office again.

An adventure featuring the Eighth Doctor as played by Paul McGann and his companions Fitz and Anji.

Only Human
by Gareth Roberts 

Reports of a time disturbance lead the Ninth Doctor to modern-day London, where he discovers a Neanderthal Man, twenty-eight thousand years after his race became extinct.

A trip back to the dawn of humanity only deepens the mystery: who are these strange humans from the far future now living in the distant past?

The Doctor must learn the truth about the Osterberg experiment before history is changed forever.

An adventure featuring the Ninth Doctor as played by Christopher Eccleston and his companion Rose.

Beautiful Chaos
by Gary Russell  

Wilfred Mott is very happy: his granddaughter, Donna, is back home, catching up with family and gossiping about her journeys, and he has just discovered a new star and had it named after him. He takes the Tenth Doctor with him to the naming ceremony.

But the Doctor soon discovers something else new, and worryingly bright, in the heavens – something that is heading for Earth.

It’s an ancient force from the Dark Times. And it is very, very angry…

An adventure featuring the Tenth Doctor as played by David Tennant and his companion Donna. 

The Silent Stars Go By
by Dan Abnett 

The winter festival is approaching for the hardy colony of Morphans, but no one is in the mood to celebrate. They’re trying to build a new life on a cold new world, but each year gets harder and harder.

It’s almost as if some dark force is working against them. Then three mysterious travelers arrive out of the midwinter night, one of them claiming to be a doctor.

Are they bringing the gift of salvation or doom? And what else might be lurking out there, about to wake up?

An adventure featuring the Eleventh Doctor as played by Matt Smith and his companions Amy and Rory.

+  The Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Editions are all released on 7th March 2013, Priced £7.99.

+  Compare Prices for these Books on CompareTheDalek.com.

[Source: BBC Books]

The 2012 DWO Awards are now open for nominations in 13 different Doctor Who related categories.

We all like a good poll, right? Especially if it is connected to our favourite show; Doctor Who. That's why DWO have decided to launch our own annual awards covering all aspects of Doctor Who; incorporating Merchandise, TV Episodes and Fandom.

We are particularly keen on the addition of the Fandom category as it is often overlooked by many of the more 'official' polls, and it is our belief that fandom can provide some of the most creative offerings out there.

The awards are run in conjunction with the DWO Forum Community, which anyone can join for FREE, and will begin with nominations from fans in the categories. The top 10 selections in each category will then make a shortlist in which fans can vote online for their favourites.

The following 13 categories are now open for nominations via the DWO Forums:

+ Best Doctor Who DVD of 2011

+ Best Doctor Who DVD Special Feature of 2011

+ Best Doctor Who Book of 2011

+ Best Doctor Who Audio of 2011

+ Best Doctor Who Toy of 2011

+ Best Doctor Who Magazine Issue of 2011

+ Best Doctor Who Series 6 Story of 2011

+ Best Doctor Who Convention / Event of 2011

+ Best Doctor Who Podcast of 2011

+ Best Doctor Who Website of 2011

+ Best Doctor Who Fanzine of 2011

+ Best DWO (Member) Fan Fiction of 2011

+ Best DWO (Member) Blog of 2011

** Please Note - Nominations will close on 1st September 2012, and voting will commence for the shortlist on 2nd September 2012 through to December 31st 2012. Winners will be announced on 1st January 2013.

+  Membership to the DWO Forums is FREE and fast to join. Register Here!

[Source: Doctor Who Online]

BBC Books have sent DWO the cover & details for the September release of The Dalek Project by Justin Richards and Mike Collins.

The Dalek Project

Written by: Justin Richards
Illustrated by: Mike Collins

A stunning new graphic novel, featuring the Doctor as played by Matt Smith in an exciting adventure with the Daleks.

1917. It’s the height of the Great War and Hellcombe Hall is a house full of mystery: locked doors, forbidden rooms, dustsheets covering guilty secrets, and ghostly noises frightening the servants. Most mysterious of all, the drawing room seems to open directly onto a muddy, corpse-filled trench on the Western Front…

Arriving at this stately home, the Doctor meets Lord Hellcombe, an armaments manufacturer who has a new secret weapon he believes will win the war: he calls it ‘the Dalek’. Soon, the Doctor and his new friends are in a race against time to prevent the entire Western Front from becoming part of the Dalek Project!

+  The Dalek Project is released on 6th September 2012, priced £14.99 (HB).

+  Compare Prices for this product on CompareTheDalek.com!

[Source: BBC Books]

BBC Books have sent DWO the cover & details for the September release of A History of the Universe in 100 Objects by James Goss and Steve Tribe.

A History of the Universe in 100 Objects

Written by: James Goss and Steve Tribe

Every object tells a story. From ancient urns and medieval flasks to sonic screwdrivers and glass Daleks, these 100 objects tell the story of the entire universe, and the most important man in it: the Doctor.

Each item has a unique tale of its own, whether it’s a fob watch at the onset of the Great War or a carrot growing on the first human colony on Mars. Taken together, they tell of empires rising and falling, wars won and lost, and planets destroyed and reborn.

Within these pages lie hidden histories of Time Lords and Daleks, the legend of the Loch Ness Monster, the plot to steal the Mona Lisa and the story of Shakespeare’s lost play. You’ll find illustrated guides to invisible creatures, the secret origins of the internet, and how to speak Mechonoid.

A History of the Universe in 100 Objects is an indispensible guide to the most important items that have ever existed, or that are yet to exist.

+  A History of the Universe in 100 Objects is released on 27th September 2012, priced £20.00 (HB).

+  Compare Prices for this product on CompareTheDalek.com!

[Source: BBC Books]

BBC Books have sent DWO the cover & details for the July release of The Wheel of Ice by Steven Baxter.

The Wheel of Ice

Written by: Stephen Baxter

Resilience. Remembrance. Resolution. Whatever the cost.

She had no name. She had only her mission - she would return Home. And bathe in the light of a long-dead sun... Even if it meant the sacrifice of this pointless little moon to do it.

The Wheel of Ice: a ring of ice and steel turning around a moon of Saturn, home to a colony mining minerals for a resource-hungry future Earth. A bad place to grow up.

The Wheel has been plagued by problems. Maybe it's just gremlins, just bad luck. But what's the truth of the children's stories of 'Blue Dolls' glimpsed aboard the gigantic facility? And why won't the children go down the warren-like mines? And then sixteen-year-old Phee Laws, surfing Saturn's rings, saves an enigmatic blue box from destruction.

Aboard the Wheel, The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe find a critical situation - and three strangers who have just turned up out of nowhere look like prime candidates to be accused of sabotage ... The Doctor finds himself caught up in a mystery that goes right back to the creation of the solar system. But it's a mystery that could have dire repercussions for the people on the Wheel. It's a mystery that could kill them all.

A thrilling, all-new adventure featuring the Second Doctor, as played by Patrick Troughton in the legendary, classic series from BBC Television.

+  The Wheel of Ice is released on 16th August 2012, priced £16.99 (HB).

+  Compare Prices for this product on CompareTheDalek.com!

[Source: BBC Books]

BBC Books have sent DWO the covers and details for the forthcoming Classic Series, Doctor Who Target reprints.

Doctor Who and the Tenth Planet

Written by: Gerry Davis - Introduction by: Tom MacRae

The TARDIS brings the Doctor and his friends to a space tracking base in the Antarctic - and straight into trouble.  A space mission is going badly wrong, and a new planet has appeared in the sky.

Mondas, ancient fabled twin planet of Earth has returned. Soon its inhabitants arrive. But while they used to be just like the humans of Earth, now they are very different.   Devoid of emotions, their bodies replaced with plastic and steel, the Cybermen are here.

Humanity needs all the help it can get, but the one man who seems to know what's going on is terminally ill. As the Cybermen take over, the Doctor is dying...

This novel is based on the final story to feature the First Doctor, which was originally broadcast from 8 to 29 October 1966.  This was the first Doctor Who story to feature the Cybermen. Featuring the First Doctor in his very last adventure as played by William Hartnell, and his companions Ben and Polly.

Doctor Who and the Ice Warriors

Written by: Brian Hayles - Introduction by: Mark Gatiss

The world is in the grip of a second Ice Age. Despite a coordinated global effort, the glaciers still advance.  But they are not the only threat to the planet.

Buried deep in the ice, scientists at Britannicus Base have discovered an ancient warrior. But this is no simple archaeological find.  What they have found is the commander of a spaceship that crashed into the glacier thousands of years ago.  Thawed from the ice, and knowing their home planet Mars is now a dead world, the Ice Warriors decide to make Earth their own...

Can the Doctor and his friends overcome the warlike Martians and halt the advance of the glaciers?

This novel is based on a Doctor Who story which was originally broadcast from 11 November to 16 December 1967. This was the first Doctor Who story to feature the Ice Warriors. Featuring the Second Doctor as played by Patrick Troughton, and his companions Jamie and Victoria.

Doctor Who and the Day of the Daleks

Written By: Terrance Dicks - Introduction by: Gary Russell

UNIT is called in when an important diplomat is attacked in his own home - by a man who then vanishes into thin air.  The Doctor and Jo spend a night in the 'haunted' house and meet the attackers - who have time-jumped back from the 22nd century in the hope of changing history.

Travelling forward in time, the Doctor and Jo find themselves trapped in a future world where humans are slaves and the Daleks have already invaded.  Using their ape-like servants to Ogrons to maintain order, the Daleks are now the masters of Earth.

As the Doctor desperately works to discover what has happened to put history off-track, the Daleks plan a time-jump attack on the 20th century.

This novel is based on a Doctor Who story which was originally broadcast from 1 to 22 January 1972. Featuring the Third Doctor as played by Jon Pertwee, with his companion Jo Grant and the UNIT organisation commanded by Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart.

Doctor Who: The Three Doctors

Written by: Terrance Dicks - Introduction by: Alastair Reynolds

A mysterious black hole is draining away power from the Universe. Even the Time Lords are threatened.  The Doctor is also in trouble.  Creatures from the black hole besiege UNIT Headquarters. The only person who can help the Doctor is... himself. 

The Time Lords bring together the first three incarnations of the Doctor to discover the truth about the black hole and stop the energy drain. 

The Doctors and their companions travel through the black hole itself, into a universe of anti-matter.  Here they meet one of the very first Time Lords - Omega, who gave his race the power to travel through time.  Trapped for aeons in the black hole, he now plans to escape - whatever the cost. 

This novel is based on a Doctor Who story which was originally broadcast from 30 December 1972 to 20 January 1973. Featuring the first three Doctors as played by William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee, together with Jo Grant and the UNIT organisation commanded by Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart.

Doctor Who and the Ark in Space

Written by: Ian Marter - Introduction by: Steven Moffat

The survivors of a devastated future Earth lie in suspended animation on a great satellite.  When Earth is safe again, they will awaken. But when the Doctor, Sarah and Harry arrive on the Terra Nova, they find the systems have failed and the humans never woke.

The Wirrrn Queen has infiltrated the satellite, and laid her eggs inside one of the sleepers.  As the first of the humans wake, they face an attack by the emerging Wirrrn.

But not everyone is what they seem, and the only way the Doctor can discover the truth is by joining with the dead mind of the Wirrrn Queen.  The price of failure is the Doctor's death, and the end of humanity.

This novel is based on a Doctor Who story which was originally broadcast from 25 January to 15 February 1975. Featuring the Fourth Doctor as played by Tom Baker, and his companions Sarah Jane Smith and Harry Sullivan.

Doctor Who and the Loch Ness Monster

Written by: Terrance Dicks - Introduction by: Michael Moorcock

Centuries ago, a Zygon spaceship crash landed in Loch Ness.  Now, with their home planet destroyed, the alien creatures plan to take over Earth.  Their most powerful weapon is a huge armoured dinosaur-like creature of terrifying power that they brought to earth as an embryo - the Loch Ness Monster. 

The Doctor, Sarah and Harry soon discover that the Zygons have another weapon. They can assume the identity of any human they capture.  Who knows which of their friends might really be a Zygon?

UNIT faces one of its toughest battles as Broton, Warlord of the Zygons, puts his plan into action and the Loch Ness Monster attacks.

This novel is based on a Doctor Who story which was originally broadcast from 30 August to 20 September 1975. Featuring the Fourth Doctor as played by Tom Baker, with his companions Sarah Jane Smith and Harry Sullivan and the UNIT organisation commanded by Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart.

+  The books are released on 10th May 2012, priced £4.99 each.

+  Compare Prices for this product on CompareTheDalek.com!

[Source: BBC Books]

BBC Books have sent DWO the cover & details for the July release of Dark Horizons by Jenny Colgan.

Dark Horizons

Written by: J.T. Colgan

On a windswept Northern shore, at the very tip of what will one day become Scotland, the islanders believe the worst they have to fear is a Viking attack. Then the burning comes. They cannot run from it. Water will not stop it. It consumes everything in its path - yet the burned still speak. 

The Doctor is just looking for a game on the famous Lewis chess set. Instead he encounters a people under attack from a power they cannot possibly understand. They have no weapons, no strategy and no protection against a fire sent to engulf them all.

Add in some marauding Vikings with very bad timing, a kidnapped princess with a secret of her own and a TARDIS that seems to have developed an inexplicable fear of water, and they all have a battle on their hands. The islanders must take on a ruthless alien force in a world without technology; without communications; without tea that isn't made out of bark. Still at least they have the Doctor on their side... Don't they? 

A thrilling new adventure starring the Doctor, as played by Matt Smith.

+  Dark Horizons is released on 7th July 2012, priced £12.99 (HB).

+  Compare Prices for this product on CompareTheDalek.com!

[Source: BBC Books]

BBC Books have sent DWO the cover and details for the 2012 book release of Shada by Douglas Adams and Gareth Roberts.

Shada

Written by: Douglas Adams and Gareth Roberts

The Doctor's old friend and fellow Time Lord Professor Chronotis has retired to Cambridge University - where nobody will notice if he lives for centuries. But now he needs help from the Doctor, Romana and K-9. When he left Gallifrey he took with him a few little souvenirs - most of them are harmless. But one of them is extremely dangerous.

The Worshipful and Ancient Law of Gallifrey isn't a book for Time Tots. It is one of the Artefacts, dating from the dark days of Rassilon. It must not be allowed to fall into the wrong hands. And the sinister Skagra most definitely has the wrong hands. He wants the book. He wants to discover the truth behind Shada. And he wants the Doctor's mind...

Based on the scripts for the original television series by the legendary Douglas Adams, Shada retells an adventure that never made it to the screen.

+  Shada is released on 15th March 2012, priced £16.99 (HB) / £12.99 (PB).

+  Compare Prices for this product on CompareTheDalek.com!

[Source: BBC Books]

BBC Books have sent DWO the cover and details for the 2012 book release of Magic of the Angels by Jacqueline Rayner.

Magic of the Angels

Written by: Jacqueline Rayner

'No one from this time will ever see that girl again...'

The Doctor, Amy and Rory round off a sight-seeing tour round London with a trip to the theatre. That's when things start to go wrong.

The Doctor wonders why so many young girls are going missing from the area. When he sees Sammy Star's amazing magic act, he thinks he knows the answer. Sammy's glamorous assistant disappears at the climax of the act - but this is no stage trick.

The Doctor and his friends team up with residents of an old people's home to discover the truth. And together they find themselves face to face with a deadly Weeping Angel.

Whatever you do - don't blink!

A thrilling all-new adventure featuring the Doctor, Amy and Rory, as played by Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill in the spectacular hit series from BBC Television.

+  Magic of the Angels is released on 2nd February 2012, priced £1.99.

+  Compare Prices for this product on CompareTheDalek.com!

[Source: BBC Books]

BBC Books recently confirmed that the latest revision of the Doctor Who Encyclopedia, compiled by Gary Russell and out on 13th October, will be released as both a book and an iPad app.

A website has been set up with a screenshot of what the app will look like, together with a form that fans can fill in to keep informed of this release and any future products and updates from BBC Books - http://www.doctorwhoencyclopedia.com/.

Doctor Who: The Encyclopedia

River Song still a riddle? Stumped by the stolen planets in the Medusa Cascade? Forgotten what happened in the Timelines That Never Happened? Look no further...

Completely revised and updated, this is the ultimate guide to everything and everyone that's ever happened, un-happened and happened again in the worlds and times of the Doctor. The Doctor Who Encyclopedia now covers the Eleventh Doctor's first two seasons, plus every Ninth and Tenth Doctor story, and is packed with photographs and artwork from seven stunning years of adventures - including the charity specials, animated adventures, online Adventure Games, TARDISodes and preludes. This is your complete tour of time and space - from Abaddon and Inspector Abberline to Melody Zucker and the Zygons.

+  Doctor Who: The Encyclopedia is released on 13th October 2011, priced £25.00.

+  Compare Prices for this product on CompareTheDalek.com!

[Source: BBC Books]

BBC Books have been in touch with DWO to let us know about an exciting new Classic Series Book title for 2013, titled Harvest of Time.

BBC Books is delighted to announce that Alastair Reynolds, the bestselling author of the Revelation Space series, will be writing a novel for the Doctor Who list, entitled Harvest of Time.

Harvest of Time will feature the Third Doctor as played by Jon Pertwee and will be the first all-new adventure for a Past Doctor that BBC Books has published since the show’s return in 2005. A novel set on both 20th century Earth and far into the future, it will have the Doctor battling his arch-nemesis, The Master, to save the universe – and facing the ultimate moral crisis. 

BBC Books editorial director Albert DePetrillo commented, ‘We’ve been carefully planning our venture into Doctor Who’s past for a while now, first with our reissues of six of the Target novelisations, then our novelisation of Shada in 2012. The next step is all-original adventures with past Doctors, and we knew we needed to publish those in a special way. I’m absolutely delighted that Alastair can be part of that plan. He is simply one of the best science fiction writers around, and we’re thrilled to have him contributing to the Doctor Who list.’

Alastair Reynolds commented, ‘Doctor Who has been a big part of my life for forty years. To put things into perspective, when I was little I did not want to go round to another boy's house because he had Dalek wallpaper, a concept I found unspeakably terrifying. I am delighted and honored to have the chance to write a novel featuring not only one of my favorite Doctors, but the single greatest villain ever imagined:  The Master.’

Alastair Reynolds is an award-winning author of science fiction, including the novels Revelation Space (shortlisted for the British Science Fiction and Arthur C Clarke awards), Chasm City (winner of the British Science Fiction Award for Best Novel), and House of Suns. He received a PhD in Astronomy from St Andrews in Scotland and worked as a scientist for the European Space Agency for twelve years before devoting himself to writing full time. He lives in Wales.

+  Harvest of Time will be published in 2013 as hardback, priced £16.99.

[Source: BBC Books]

BBC Books are delighted to announce the forthcoming publication of a novelisation of the great ‘lost’ Doctor Who serial Shada.

Shada retells an adventure that never made it to the screen. Production of the planned finale to the 1979-1980 season of Doctor Who was halted part-way through due to industrial action at the BBC, and the story was never completed.

Now, drawing on drafts of the script and production notes as well as original designs and the material that was completed, prolific Doctor Who TV script writer Gareth Roberts tells this unique story, featuring Tom Baker’s Fourth Doctor, in full for the first time.

Published with the full support of the Estate of Douglas Adams and Adams' agent Ed Victor at Ed Victor Ltd, Shada will be the first ever novelisation of Douglas Adams's work on Doctor Who.   

+  Shada will be released in March 2012 as a hardback, priced £16.99.

[Source: BBC Books]

BBC Books are very pleased to announce the republication of 6 Classic Doctor Who novels with Chris Achilleos’s stunning classic artwork and a series of new introductions by Neil Gaiman, Charlie Higson, Gareth Roberts, Stephen Baxter, Russell T Davies and Terrance Dicks.

Doctor Who and the Daleks

Written by: David Whitaker - Introduction by: Neil Gaiman

The mysterious Doctor and his granddaughter Susan are joined by unwilling adventurers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright in an epic struggle for survival on an alien planet 

In a vast metal city they disc over the survivors of a terrible nuclear war – the Daleks.  Held captive in the deepest levels of the city, can the Doctor and his new companions stop the Daleks’ plan to totally exterminate their mortal enemies, the peace-loving Thals?  More importantly, even if they can escape from the Daleks, will Ian and Barbara ever see their home planet Earth again?

This novel is based on the second Doctor Who story which was originally broadcast from 21 December 1963 – 1 February 1964. Featuring the First Doctor as played by William Hartnell, and his companions Susan, Ian and Barbara.

Doctor Who and the Crusaders

Written by: David Whitaker - Introduction by: Charlie Higson

Arriving in the Holy Land in the middle of the Third Crusade, the Doctor and his companions run straight into trouble.  The Doctor and Vicki befriend Richard the Lionheart, but must survive the cut-throat politics of the English court. Even with the king on their side, they find they have made powerful enemies.

Looking for Barbara, Ian is ambushed – staked out in the sand and daubed with honey so that the ants will eat him.  With Ian unable to help, Barbara is captured by the cruel warlord El Akir. Even if Ian escapes and rescues her, will they ever see the Doctor, Vicki and the TARDIS again?

This novel is based on a Doctor Who story which was originally broadcast from 27 March – 17 April 1965. Featuring the First Doctor as played by William Hartnell, and his companions Ian, Barbara, and Vicki.

Doctor Who and the Cybermen

Written by: Gerry Davis - Introduction by: Gareth Roberts 

In 2070, the Earth’s weather is controlled from a base on the moon. But when the Doctor and his friends arrive, all is not well. They discover unexplained drops of air pressure, minor problems with the weather control systems, and an outbreak of a mysterious plague.

With Jamie injured, and members of the crew going missing, the Doctor realises that the moonbase is under attack. Some malevolent force is infecting the crew and sabotaging the systems as a prelude to an invasion of Earth. And the Doctor thinks he knows who is behind it: the Cybermen.

This novel is based on ‘The Moonbase’, a Doctor Who story which was originally broadcast from 11 February–4 March 1967. Featuring the Second Doctor as played by Patrick Troughton, and his companions Polly, Ben and Jamie.

Doctor Who and the Abominable Snowmen

Written by: Terrance Dicks - Introduction by: Stephen Baxter

The Doctor has been to Det-Sen Monastery before, and expects the welcome of a life time.  But the monastery is a very different place from when the Doctor last came.  Fearing at attack at any moment by the legendary Yeti, the monks are prepared to defend themselves, and see the Doctor as a threat.

The Doctor and his friends join forces with Travers, an English explorer out to prove the existence of the elusive abominable snowmen.  But they soon discover that these Yeti are not the timid animals that Travers seeks.  They are the unstoppable servants of an alien Intelligence.

This novel is based on a Doctor Who story which was originally broadcast from 30 September – 4 November 1967. Featuring the Second Doctor as played by Patrick Troughton, and his companions Jamie and Victoria.

Doctor Who and the Auton Invasion

Written by: Terrance Dicks - Introduction by: Russell T Davies

Put on trial by the Time Lords, and found guilty of interfering in the affairs of other worlds, the Doctor is exiled to Earth in the 20th century, his appearance once again changed. His arrival coincides with a meteorite shower.  But t hese are no ordinary meteorites.

The Nestene Consciousness has begun its first attempt to invade Earth using killer Autons and deadly shop window dummies. Only the Doctor and UNIT can stop the attack.  But the Doctor is recovering in hospital, and his old friend the Brigadier doesn’t even recognise him.  Can the Doctor recover and win UNIT’s trust before the invasion begins? 

This novel is based on ‘Spearhead from Space’, a Doctor Who story which was originally broadcast from 3 – 24 January 1970. Featuring the Third Doctor as played by Jon Pertwee, and his companion Liz Shaw and the UNIT organisation commanded by Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart.

Doctor Who and the Cave Monsters

Written by Malcolm Hulke - Introduction by: Terrance Dicks

UNIT are called in to investigate security at a secret research centre buried under Wenley Moor.  Unknown to the Doctor and his colleagues, the work at the centre has woken a group of Silurians – intelligent reptiles that used to be the dominant life form on Earth in prehistoric times.

Now they have woken, the Silurians are appalled to find ‘their’ planet populated by upstart apes.  The Doctor hopes to negotiate a peace deal, but there are those on both sides who cannot bear the thought of humans and Silurians living together.  As UNIT soldiers enters the cave systems, and the Silurians unleash a deadly plague that could wipe out the human race, the battle for planet Earth begins.

This novel is based on ‘The Silurians’, a Doctor Who story which was originally broadcast from 31 January – 14 March 1970. Featuring the Third Doctor as played by Jon Pertwee, and his companion Liz Shaw and the UNIT organisation commanded by Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart.

All 6 titles will be published on 7th July at £4.99 each.

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[Source: BBC Books]

BBC Children's Books have been in touch with a last minute offer for fans to attend the 2in1 Book Signing tomorrow in London.

The event will take place between 11am-1pm in The Doctor Who Experience at Olympia 2, Hammersmith Road, London.

Don't miss this fantastic chance to meet the masterminds behind the exciting new Doctor Who adventure series from BBC Children's Books. Justin Richards, Oli Smith and other Doctor Who experts will be ready to be grilled on all things intergalactic.

For the book signing, no ticket purchase in necessary, but tickets for the Doctor Who Experience are selling fast so advanced booking is advised to avoid disappointment.

For more information check out: www.doctorwhochildrensbooks.co.uk & www.doctorwhoexperience.com.

[Source: BBC Children's Books]

BBC Books have sent DWO the covers and details for the April 2011 Doctor Who Novels:

Dead of Winter

Written by James Goss

‘The Dead are not alone. There is something in the mist and it talks to them.'

In Dr Bloom’s clinic at a remote spot on the Italian coast, at the end of the 18th century, nothing is ever quite what it seems. Maria is a lonely little girl with no one to play with. She writes letters to her mother from the isolated resort where she is staying. She tells of the pale English aristocrats and the mysterious Russian nobles and their attentive servants.

She tells of intrigue and secrets, and she tells of strange faceless figures that rise from the sea. She writes about the enigmatic Mrs Pond who arrives with her husband and her physician, and who will change everything. What she doesn’t tell her mother is the truth that everyone knows and no one says – that the only people who come here do so to die.

Hunter’s Moon

Written by Paul Finch

‘There's no end to the horror in this place - it's like Hell, and there are devils round every corner.’

Welcome to Leisure Platform 9 – a place where gamblers and villains rub shoulders with socialites and celebrities. Don’t cheat at the games tables, and be careful who you beat. The prize for winning the wrong game is to take part in another, as Rory is about to discover – and the next game could be the death of him.

When Rory is kidnapped by the brutal crime lord Xorg Krauzzen, the Doctor and Amy must go undercover to infiltrate the deadly contest being played out in the ruins of Gorgoror. But how long before Krauzzen realises the Doctor isn’t a vicious mercenary and discovers what Amy is up to? It’s only a matter of time. And time is the one thing Rory and the other fugitives on Gorgoror don’t have. 

They are the hunted in a game that can only end in death, and time for everyone is running out...

The Way Through the Woods

Written by Una McCormack

‘The motorway bends around the woods. So did the old road. So did the Roman road. As long as people have lived here, they've gone out of their way to avoid the woods...’

England, today. Between the housing estate and the motorway lies an ancient wood. The motorway bends to avoid it. Last week, teenager Laura Brown went missing. Tonight, Vicky Caine will miss her bus and take a shortcut through the wood. And she will disappear too. England, 1917. Between the village and the main road lies an ancient wood. The old Roman road bends to avoid it.  Tonight Emily Bostock and a man called Rory Williams will go to the woods.

Investigating events in the present day and back in 1917, the Doctor and Amy are desperate to find out what’s happened to Rory.  He was supposed to look after Emily – and now they’ve both vanished. Something is waiting in the woods. Something that’s been there for thousands of years. Something that is now waking up...

+  All three novels are released 28th April 2011, priced £6.99 each.

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[Source: BBC Books]