The Case Of The Missing Fairy

Sunday, 17 December 2017 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Candy Jar Books have released a free Lethbridge-Stewart story for Christmas that can be downloaded from their website.

Talking about The Case of the Missing Fairy, range editor Andy Frankham-Allen says:

When Shaun told me he wanted a Christmas story, I groaned and said, ‘well, I don’t have time to write one,’ but then I re-thought and realised that I may have a man who did. So I turned to a young writer I know who wanted to write for the series. Enter Steven Walton. He jumped on board with barely a second’s hesitation, and I then tasked him with sending me a few ideas set within the period that Lethbridge-Stewart served as maths teacher in Brendon School, a period of his life we’ve not really touched upon yet. Steve sent me a few ideas, but that one that appealed to me the most was the whimsical notion of Lethbridge-Stewart investigating the disappearance of a Christmas tree fairy.

Steven Walton says:

I’ve always considered the Brigadier to be the Doctor’s Watson, but as this range has him in the lead role I thought why not make him Sherlock Holmes? Set in a time when he can’t remember the Doctor, the story focuses on those mini adventures in his everyday life. And what a better time to do a silly but fun detective story than at Christmas.

Shaun Russell, head of publishing at Candy Jar, says:

Our seasonal short stories have become something of a tradition, and it was important to me that this year be no different. Steven had produced a lovely, and amusing, little ditty for Christmas, and in quick time, too. Perfect reading after a hearty Christmas dinner!

Further news from Candy Jar Books:

A limited edition range of series five novels will be available early 2018, beginning with A Very Private Haunting by Sharon Bidwell. And later in the year the novella range continues with The Lost Skin by Andy Frankham-Allen. Both are available for pre-order.
Candy Jar Books recentlry announced that, for the forseable future, there will be no new editions of The HAVOC Files. Editor Andy Frankham-Allen has issued this statement those who submitted story ideas through this year’s open submisson window:
There are several logistic and legal reasons behind our decision, however, please note we are not cancelling the range, just resting it for the forseeable future. So to anybody who submitted a story idea to us, please be aware that there are two options open to you; you can either retain your idea and repurpose it for other use, or you can allow us to hold on to it and look at it again if/when we do another HAVOC Files release. Please drop us an email (havoc@candyjarbooks.co.uk) to let us know which option you wish to take.
Candy Jar currently has a Christmas sale, covering many of their varied titles, including several Lethbridge-Stewart titles.

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

Advent Calendar - Day Sixteen

Saturday, 16 December 2017 - Reported by Willy Phantom

Willy Phantom, 16th December 2017

FILTER: - Advent

Doctor Who Magazine Issue 520

Thursday, 14 December 2017 - Reported by Marcus

Issue 520 of Doctor Who Magazine includes a free Thirteenth Doctor poster/Twelfth Foctor wallchart and a revealing preview of the Christmas special.

Also in this issue...

PEARL MACKIE
MARK GATISS
STEVEN MOFFAT
EARL CAMERON
PHILIP HINCHCLIFFE
PADDY RUSSELL
INSIDE SHADA
DANIEL HILL AND OLIVIA BAZALGETTE
SHADA ON LOCATION
THE FACT OF FICTION
THE PHANTOM PIPER

PLUS... The Blogs of Doom, previews, book and audio reviews, news, the DWM Christmas Quiz and competitions.

Doctor Who Magazine 520 is on sale now, price £5.99.

FILTER: - DWM - Series Specials - Twelfth Doctor

Advent Calendar - Day Fourteen

Thursday, 14 December 2017 - Reported by Willy Phantom

Willy Phantom, 14th December 2017

FILTER: - Advent

Time Vortex VR

Thursday, 14 December 2017 - Reported by Marcus

A new game has been released by the BBC. Doctor Who Time Vortex VR gives players the chance to pilot the TARDIS through the depths of the space-time vortex inside a virtual reality version of the show’s title sequence.

The game is a VR reboot of the successful Time Vortex 360 mobile game released earlier this year. As they speed through time, players will tackle hazards and obstacles emerging from the future ahead of them and will need to quickly react by physically turning around to evade threats from the past. As players progress through the game, they are transported into different time zones from past eras, from the current vortex to re-imagined designs from the 1960s and 1980s.

The game is available to play using cardboard headsets, Google Daydream, Samsung Gear VR and HTC Vive via your web browser. However, those without headsets can play the game with mobiles and tablets running newer versions of Android or iOS and the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox or Safari. A full list of all supported devices is available here.

To play, fans simply need to visit bbc.in/TimeVortexVR. Like the 360 game, the VR version is an endless runner, which gets more and more difficult the longer people play, taking them on a visually intense journey through the iconic vortex from the show's opening credits. Using the device's accelerometer, players control the game by physically moving around, even giving the player the ability to turn around and travel backwards in time.

Jo Pearce, Creative Director, BBC Digital Drama, said:

This game allows you to step inside one of the most iconic title sequences in TV history, as you pilot the TARDIS through modern, 80s and 60s versions of the vortex. Digital innovation is at the very heart of Doctor Who – and this new game combines casual, arcade-style gaming with virtual reality to create an unforgettable experience.

After releasing the 360 version of the game, we had lots of comments from players suggesting it would make a great VR experience. For this re-boot we wanted to offer a VR gaming experience that is as accessible as possible and test the limits of what is possible to develop using WebVR.

Developed for the BBC by Goodboy Digital, the game has been created using the WebVR API and combines cutting-edge HTML5 and WebGL using PixiJS v5.0 to create a breath-taking journey that works on a wide range of hardware.