Doctor Who News - Lethbridge-Stewart: The Showstoppers

Friday, 29 April 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Candy Jar Books have released the cover art for the next book in their Lethbridge-Stewart series, The Showstoppers.

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Showstoppers (Credit: Candy-Jar Books)

The Showstoppers
Written by Jonathan Cooper
Cover by Richard Young

‘Nuzzink in ze vorld can schtop me now!’

There’s a new TV show about to hit the airwaves, but Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart won’t be tuning in. With the future of the Fifth Operational Corps in doubt he’s got enough to worry about, but a plea from an old friend soon finds Lethbridge-Stewart and Anne Travers embroiled in a plot far more fantastical than anything on the small screen.

Can charismatic star Aubrey Mondegreene really be in two places at the same time? What lengths will ailing entertainment mogul Billy Lovac go to in order to reach his audience? And is luckless journalist Harold Chorley really so desperate that he’ll buy into a story about Nazi conspiracies from a tramp wearing a tin foil hat?

There’s something very rotten at the heart of weekend television, and it isn’t all due to shoddy scripts and bad special effects.

Shaun Russell, head of publishing at Candy Jar Books, said:

Richard is well-known for his photo realistic work. Watching him painstakingly create his artwork with thousands of dots is incredibly impressive. His design for The Showstoppers really evokes the early Target covers.

Richard Young said:

Doctor Who has been a big part of my life since I was a kid. The classic series is extremely close to my heart and I always wanted to draw a cover for the Target books... but they didn't like my style when I was ten. So to have the chance to contribute a cover for a book featuring one of the most iconic characters of Doctor Who is not only a huge honour but the realisation of a thirty-four-year old dream.

I had fun flexing my Photoshop muscles for the (free book) The Black Eggs of Khufu cover, but I jumped at the chance to return to my roots and work on a hand drawn cover, echoing the wonderfully surreal Kubrick movie.

The movie in question is Dr Strangelove Or: How to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, with the book echoing the same world; writer Jonathan Cooper commented:

I’ve always been a fan of Dr Strangelove and Doctor Who, so when Candy Jar Books asked me to meld the two together into a Lethbridge-Stewart novel, I could not resist. Who would?

The book also features an introduction by David George, son of Peter George, focusing on the conspiracy theories that tie Dr Strangelove to the Kennedy assassination.

The Showstoppers is the second release for 2016, following on from Moon Blink by Sadie Miller.

To help pave the way for the new series of books, Beast of Fang Rock will be available for free on Kindle for three days from Saturday 30th April. Andy Frankham-Allen, range editor of the Lethbridge-Stewart novels, said:

Both Moon Blink and The Showstoppers are strong Anne Travers stories, and since Beast of Fang Rock really introduced her to the range, we thought it would be nice to offer up this book as a free chance for the uninitiated to catch up on her back story.

The usual discounted pre-order bundles will be on offer from Candy Jar, with a new subscription deal for those wishing to get six books for the price of five.

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Showstoppers by Jonathan Cooper is due to be released soon. It can now be pre-ordered (individually, or as part of a bundle/subscription) from Candy Jar Books.

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Showstoppers

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