Publisher: Hasslein Books

Written By: Brian J. Robb & Paul Simpson

RRP: £13.03 (UK) / $19.99

Release Date: January 2015

Reviewed by: Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 5th December 2015

Whilst we now live in a time where there are countless Doctor Who guides available to buy in our local bookshops, few have dared tackle the format in such a brave, unique and refreshing way like Brian J. Robb and Paul Simpson have. Who Beyond 50 presents us with a chronological guide to the series, laid out over 5 sections and split up into 50 individual essays. 

Right from the very first essay (Visual Vortex Meets Musical Mysteries) you are catapulted back in time to the airing of that very first episode, with Hartnell's title sequence being described in the most evocative and affectionate way. Arguably many of the topics themselves have been covered before, but there's something about Who Beyond 50 that makes you feel like youre reading them for the first time through new eyes. Where many guides simply touch on aspects, themes and areas of interest, Who Beyond 50 delves further, leaving the reader feeling like they have a fuller and more rounded picture.

As well as covering all the Doctors and their tenure on the show, Companions, Monsters, Producers and poignant moments in the shows long history are also given the spotlight. Those of you interested in the Missing Episodes saga, for example, can be assured of a well-researched and well-presented guide - taking us right up to the recent discovery of The Web Of Fear & The Enemy Of The World in 2013.

Doctor Who fandom itself also gets a look-in, and Chapter 31: When Fandom Attacks, is particularly worth a read - even including super-fan; Ian Levine's inclusion in the John Nathan-Turner era of the show in the 1980's. Oh, and that period that we have all come to know as 'The Wilderness Years' is also covered in particularly broad detail, chronicling the TV Movie, as well as the online adventures of The Doctor, and the Books and Audios that helped keep the show alive in the 1990's.

Whilst a large portion of the book is dedicated to the classic series, the new series is referenced throughout wherever there are relevant comparisons and interesting points of note. Section 5 is completely dedicated to 'New Who' charting Russell T. Davies rise and the events that lead to his appointment as show runner, right through to the revival, and detailing all the modern-era Doctors to date.

Kudos to the structuring of the book, too; it's incredibly easy to follow, and it means you don't have to read from start to finish, allowing the reader to cherry pick sections or eras of the show and its history.

We heartily recommend Who Beyond 50 - not just because of the tremendous amount of love, respect and sheer detail that has gone into the book, but because it truly deserves a place in any fans collection - a title you will be reaching for more often than you think!

+  Who Beyond 50 is Out Now, priced £13.03 / $19.99.
+  Buy this book on Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com 
+  Follow Hasslein Books on Twitter.

Our friends over at Hasslein Books have two, exciting new Doctor Who titles, now available to buy.

Who Beyond 50: Celebrating Five Decades of Doctor Who

Few television series have remained in production for decades. Fewer have come back from cancellation to spawn multiple spinoffs. And even fewer have thrived following the loss of their lead actor. Amazingly, Doctor Who can proudly boast all three claims.

Brian J Robb and Paul Simpson have assembled 50 thematic, chronological essays covering a wide variety of Who icons over the past five decades. The long-time collaborators posted preliminary versions at Sci-Fi Bulletin, but have delved into far greater detail for this collected edition, examining not only the show itself, but the background of each actor to play the role of the Doctor and each showrunner who helped keep the show alive, as well as the novels, the audios, the monsters, the companions, the music, the effects, fandom, and much more.

But Who Beyond 50 is more than just another TV retrospective. It's a grand exploration of one of the most beloved series of all time. It's a celebration of Who's surprises and successes, and an honest account of its faults and failures. It's all here. And it's about time.

+  ORDER this title from Hasslein Books, here!

Lost in Time and Space: An Unofficial Guide to the Uncharted Journeys of Doctor Who

BBC’s immensely popular Doctor Who series is a significant part of British pop culture and a cult favorite worldwide; the televised episodes, however, are just the tip of the iceberg, as the Doctor has referenced countless encounters never expanded upon onscreen. RiffTrax.com writer Matthew J Elliott has accepted the Herculean task of chronicling those “stories between the stories” in Lost in Time and Space: An Unofficial Guide to the Uncharted Journeys of Doctor Who.

Every character the Doctor met off-screen, every place he visited between episodes, and every event he witnessed while the cameras were turned off are meticulously mapped out on a timeline spanning the entire 50 years of Doctor Who, from long before the Doctor “borrowed” the TARDIS until the last days of his eleventh incarnation. This is not a typical Doctor Who project--but, then, Matthew is not a typical Doctor Who fan.

After five decades of time-traveling adventures, you might imagine you knew all there was to know about the greatest hero in all of time and space, but it turns out he was living another life entirely while we weren't looking. This is the story of that life.

Lost in Time and Space, a softcover volume spanning 350 pages, features an insightful foreword by Alan Barnes, the author of the animated Tenth Doctor adventure The Infinite Quest, and a writer and editor for Big Finish Productions' audio dramas featuring five of the Doctor’s earlier incarnations.

+  ORDER this title from Hasslein Books, here!  

[Source: Hasslein Books]