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Doctor Who: Star Tales - (Book) - [5/12/2019]

To celebrate the return of Doctor Who in early 2020, BBC Books will publish Star Tales; a unique collection of name-dropping historical adventures inspired by Jodie Whittaker’s first series as the Doctor.

The Doctor is many things – curious, funny, brave, protective of her friends... and a shameless name-dropper. While she and her companions battled aliens and travelled across the universe, the Doctor hinted at a host of previous, untold adventures with the great and the good: we discovered she got her sunglasses from Pythagoras (or was it Audrey Hepburn?); lent a mobile phone to Elvis; had an encounter with Amelia Earhart where she discovered that a pencil-thin spider web can stop a plane; had a 'wet weekend' with Harry Houdini, learning how to escape from chains underwater; and more.

In this collection of new stories, Star Tales takes you on a rip-roaring ride through history, from 500BC to the swinging 60s, going deeper into the Doctor's notorious name-dropping and revealing the truth behind these anecdotes.

The book will feature 6 brand new stories, detailing the Doctor's untold adventures with famous figures in history - Audrey Hepburn, Elvis Presley, Harry Houdini, Amelia Earhart, Albert Einstein and Pythagoras, written by Steve Cole, Jenny T Colgan, Jo Cotterill, Paul Magrs, Trevor Baxendale and Mike Tucker.

For those who can’t wait until 5th December, two chapters will be available for download as e-shorts a month prior to publication. 

+  Doctor Who: Star Tales is released on 5th December 2019, priced £12.99.
+  PREORDER this title at Amazon.co.uk!
 

[Source: Penguin Random House]

September's 12th Doctor 'The Glamour Chronicles' Novels - Covers & Details

BBC Books have sent DWO the covers and details for the September 2015, 12th Doctor 'The Glamour Chronicles' novels.

The Glamour Chronicles: Deep Time
by Trevor Baxendale

‘I do hope you’re all ready to be terrified!’

The Phaeron disappeared from the universe over a million years ago. They travelled among the stars using roads made from time and space, but left only relics behind. But what actually happened to the Phaeron? Some believe they were they eradicated by a superior force... Others claim they destroyed themselves.

Or were they in fact the victims of an even more hideous fate?

In the far future, humans discover the location of the last Phaeron road – and the Doctor and Clara join the mission to see where the road leads. Each member of the research team knows exactly what they’re looking for – but only the Doctor knows exactly what they’ll find. Because only the Doctor knows the true secret of the Phaeron: a monstrous secret so terrible and powerful that it must be buried in the deepest grave imaginable...

An original novel featuring the Twelfth Doctor and Clara as played by Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman.

 PREORDER Deep Time from Amazon.co.uk for £6.99 


The Glamour Chronicles: Big Bang Generation
by Gary Russell

“I'm an archaeologist, but probably not the one you were expecting.”

Christmas 2015, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Imagine everyone's surprise when a time portal opens up in Sydney Cove. Imagine their shock as a massive pyramid now sits beside the Harbour Bridge, inconveniently blocking Port Jackson and glowing with energy. Imagine their fear as Cyrrus "the mobster" Globb, Professor Horace Jaanson and an alien assassin called Kik arrive to claim the glowing pyramid. Finally imagine everyone's dismay when they are followed by a bunch of con artists out to spring their greatest grift yet.

This gang consists of Legs (the sexy comedian), Dog Boy (providing protection and firepower), Shortie (handling logistics), Da Trowel (in charge of excavation and history) and their leader, Doc (busy making sure the universe isn't destroyed in an explosion that makes the Big Bang look like a damp squib).

And when someone accidentally reawakens The Ancients of Time - which, Doc reckons, wasn't the wisest or best-judged of actions – things get a whole lot more complicated...

An original novel featuring the Twelfth Doctor as played by Peter Capaldi.

 PREORDER Big Bang Generation from Amazon.co.uk for £6.99 


The Glamour Chronicles: Royal Blood
by Una McCormack

“The Grail is a story, a myth! It didn’t exist on your world! It can’t exist here!”

The city-state of Varuz is failing. Duke Aurelian is the last of his line, his capital is crumbling, and the armies of his enemy, Duke Conrad, are poised beyond the mountains to invade. Aurelian is preparing to gamble everything on one last battle. So when a holy man, the Doctor, comes to Varuz from beyond the mountains, Aurelian asks for his blessing in the war.

But all is not what it seems in Varuz. The city-guard have lasers for swords, and the halls are lit by electric candlelight. Aurelian’s beloved wife, Guena, and his most trusted knight, Bernhardt, seem to be plotting to overthrow their Duke, and Clara finds herself drawn into their intrigue...

Will the Doctor stop Aurelian from going to war? Will Clara’s involvement in the plot against the Duke be discovered? Why is Conrad’s ambassador so nervous? And who are the ancient and weary knights who arrive in Varuz claiming to be on a quest for the Holy Grail...?

An original novel featuring the Twelfth Doctor and Clara as played by Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman.

 PREORDER Royal Blood from Amazon.co.uk for £6.99 

+  The Glamour Chronicles novels are released on 10th September 2015, priced £6.99 each.

[Source: BBC Books]

Review: Prisoner of the Daleks - Book

Manufacturer: BBC Books

Written By: Trevor Baxendale

RRP: £6.99

Release Date: 2nd April 2009

Reviewed by: James Sykes

Review Posted: 11th April 2010

It could be said that the New Series BBC novels have the tendency to be simpler, less engaging and frankly less enjoyable than the old ones. There are a few exceptions, however, and Prisoner of the Daleks is one of them. 

Trevor Baxendale, one of the strongest writers for Doctor Who novels, brilliantly captures the Doctor's character. You can always imagine Tennant saying the dialogue. He also turns one of the staple ingredients for these companion-less-stories on its head, in that the Doctor meets a would-be companion right away, but she is then promptly killed off, leaving him friendless with a group of bounty hunters. The other characters occasionally come off as be ing a little generic, but Baxendale does try to flesh them out a bit, making it vaguely shocking when they are gradually exterminated, although Cutting Edge resembles Cole Train, from the Gears of War Xbox game. 

The Daleks are also well written, and the different font for their dialogue is a nice touch. While Baxendale re-uses a lot of New Series stuff with the Daleks, he also manages to give the story a new spin, and it's a shame that this wasn't used as a TV story, rather than Daleks in Manhattan / Evolution of the Daleks, for example. 

Told at a relentless pace, with the ever crowd-pleasing Daleks, this is certainly one of the strongest, if not the best, of the New Series novels.