Lethbridge-Stewart novel series announcedBookmark and Share

Monday, 8 December 2014 - Reported by Josiah Rowe
Candy Jar Books has announced a new series of novels featuring Colonel Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart. Created by writers Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln and played by Nicholas Courtney, Lethbridge-Stewart first appeared in the 1968 serial The Web of Fear. He subsequently became a major recurring character in the classic series, appearing on television with six Doctors and returning decades later in The Sarah Jane Adventures. (Including appearances in books, audios and comics, Lethbridge-Stewart has appeared with ten Doctors in authorised Doctor Who stories.) The character was referred to in several 21st-century episodes of Doctor Who before Nicholas Courtney's death in 2011; the Doctor learned of Lethbridge-Stewart's demise in the 2011 episode The Wedding of River Song, and a version of the character appeared in this year's Death in Heaven.

The new novel series will feature the young Lethbridge-Stewart, and will be set shortly after the events of The Web of Fear. The novels, which will be released quarterly, are:
  • The Forgotten Son by Andy Frankham-Allen
  • Horror of Det-Sen by Lance Parkin
  • The Schizoid Earth by David A McIntee
  • Mutually Assured Domination by Nick Walters

The novels are fully licensed by the executor of the Haisman Literary Estate, Mervyn Haisman’s granddaughter Hannah Haisman, and endorsed by Henry Lincoln. The first novel will be released on February 22, 2015, four years after the death of Nicholas Courtney.

Lethbridge-Stewart Coming Soon banner (Credit: Candy Jar Books) Lethbridge-Stewart: The Forgotten Son cover (Credit: Candy Jar Books)
The series can be ordered from Candy Jar Books here. The full press release from the publisher can be found below:
Available from People’s Book Prize winning publisher, Candy Jar Books, Lethbridge-Stewart is a new series of novels revealing the untold story of Colonel Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart set shortly after the 1968 serial, The Web of Fear, fully licensed by the Executor of the Haisman Literary Estate, Mervyn Haisman’s granddaughter Hannah Haisman, and endorsed by Henry Lincoln.

The first series consists of The Forgotten Son by Andy Frankham-Allen, Horror of Det-Sen by Lance Parkin, The Schizoid Earth by David A McIntee and Mutually Assured Domination by Nick Walters.

Brigadier Sir Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart has been an essential element of Doctor Who since 1968. He was created by authors Mervyn Haisman & Henry Lincoln for the six-part Doctor Who serial, The Web of Fear. A one-off character. Until over a year later when he was brought back to Doctor Who, promoted to Brigadier and the head of UNIT. Forty-six years on and the Brigadier has become one of the most iconic characters in Doctor Who, having appeared with ten different Doctors in countless TV episodes, books, audio dramas and comic strips! The character’s death was acknowledged in the 2012 Doctor Who series starring Matt Smith, and was resurrected briefly in the 2014 series finale starring Peter Capaldi. On TV the character’s story is over, but there is so much more to tell.

Andy Frankham-Allen has been a Doctor Who fan since his childhood and serves as line editor for the series, as well as penning the opening novel. Andy is the former line editor of Untreed Reads Publishing’s series Space: 1889 & Beyond, and has penned several Doctor Who Short Trip stories for Big Finish and Candy Jar’s very own celebration of Doctor Who, Companions: Fifty Years of Doctor Who Assistants. He said: “It's an insane privilege and responsibility to put this series together, to reveal the real story behind such a legend of Doctor Who.”

Lance Parkin has written over twenty books and audio dramas for Doctor Who since 1996, including the 35th Anniversary novel, The Infinity Doctors, and the 2008 Tenth Doctor novel, The Eyeless. He also worked on British soap Emmerdale and wrote Magic Words, the definitive biography of Alan Moore. Lance said: “Lethbridge-Stewart was always a steady presence in the Doctor's life. Even in The Web of Fear, he instinctively trusted the Doctor from almost the moment he met him. I wrote for the character in The Dying Days, and that was the version of the Brigadier we all think of now, I think, an old soldier, semi-retired, seen it all. It's been interesting writing for a younger, hungrier Lethbridge-Stewart – not even a Brigadier at this point in his life. It's also been nice writing a story that's set in the aftermath of The Web of Fear, with Lethbridge-Stewart only just starting to realise that the Earth's facing a whole new type of enemy."

David A McIntee has written novels for Star Trek, Final Destination and Space: 1999 and over fifteen books and audio dramas for Doctor Who since 1993, including the Brigadier-centric novel, The Face of the Enemy. David said: “To be honest it (the series) is something I'm amazed hasn't been done before – it’s just such a natural and obvious thing. The form it's taking is also cool because it has the flexibility to move between styles and genres – thriller, SF, horror, etc – while maintaining a definite identity. As for the Brig himself, he's one of those characters where the casting was so perfect that it just made the character so memorable, and who (usually) feels so right.”

Nick Walters has written five novels for Doctor Who since 1998. Nick said: “After the Doctor himself the Brigadier is the best-loved character in Doctor Who. I met Nick Courtney a number of times and he really is a splendid fellow. He brought a real humanity and vulnerability to the role without compromising the essential toughness of the character. Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart is the chap you'd want on your side in a fight – any fight – and it is a real privilege to be exploring what made him into the character we came to know and love.”

Simon Williams, the man behind the cover art, is a former artist for Marvel UK having drawn for The Transformers, The Hulk, Spider-Man and Death’s Head. Simon said: “I’ve always been a big fan of Doctor Who and the Brigadier and having the opportunity to draw this iconic character is a huge privilege.”

Hannah Haisman said: “This project has been a long-time coming. I had to be certain that I was entrusting my grandfather’s legacy to a publisher and authors who would respect what he created. Candy Jar and Andy have assembled a team that are sympathetic to the Brigadier, and these are very exciting times that we can all be proud of.”

Doctor Who first appeared on our screens in 1963, running for twenty-six years until 1989. It was then re-launched in 2005 attracting old fans and new. Doctor Who is now one of the most prestigious shows on British television, loved and watched by millions, and the character of the Brigadier has been an essential part of that institution for forty-six years.

Lethbridge-Stewart will be launched on 22nd February 2015, the fourth anniversary of Nicholas Courtney’s death, the actor behind the Brigadier. The first series of novels will be released one book per quarter throughout 2015.

Also available as part of a bundle:
Bundle 1 (Get all four as they are released)
For the reduced price of £35 you can receive all four Lethbridge-Stewart books before general release.

The Forgotten Son by Andy Frankham-Allen
Horror of Det-Sen by Lance Parkin
The Schizoid Earth by David A. McIntee
Mutually Assured Domination by Nick Walters

Bundle 2 (Get Companions now)
Pre-order Lethbridge-Stewart: The Forgotten Son and get Companions: Fifty Years of Doctor Who Assistants for just £6 straight away.




FILTER: - Books - Candy Jar Books - Lethbridge-Stewart - Nicholas Courtney