Candy Jar Books have confirmed that the range of books featuring the eponymous character of
Lethbridge-Stewart will continue into the new year, with the first book of 2016,
Moon Blink to be penned by
Sadie Miller (a preview of which can be read at the end of the latest book in the series,
Mutually Assured Domination).
Series editor
Andy Frankham-Allen said:
I almost worked with Sadie a good ten years ago on the second series of Sarah Jane Smith (produced by Big Finish), but alas that did not come to be. We’ve kept in touch since, and as soon as I learned she was switching careers I immediately asked if she wanted to write for the Lethbridge-Stewart range, feeling it may be the right time for her to reconnect with Doctor Who fandom. And bless her, she agreed without a second thought!
Candy Jar’s Publishing Co-ordinator
Hayley Cox said:
It’s a great honour to be here at the start of Sadie’s writing career, working with her on her debut novel. She came to us with an amazing idea and it was a case of how could we not do it.
Author
Gary Russell, former script editor of
The Sarah Jane Adventures and long-time family friend of the Millers, said:
When I first heard that Sadie was writing a novel, my initial reaction was ‘ahh, a chip off the old block’– her delightful mum was one of the most creative, sharp and incisive individuals I ever knew. But then I realised I was doing Sadie a disservice, because from the first day I met her, Sadie Miller has always been her own person, utterly talented and rapaciously gifted which, other than encouragement and support, owes nothing to either of her parents and everything to Sadie's own determination to be brilliant. And with this novel, she's proven that she is.
Sadie Miller is known to
Doctor Who fans as the daughter of fondly remembered Sarah Jane Smith actress
Elisabeth Sladen and actor
Brian Miller. The brief biography of her career and previous connections with
Doctor Who below has been provided courtesy of Candy Jar Books:
Sadie enjoyed a career as a child actress through many voice-over parts, making her screen debut when she was eight, playing Penny in the BBC film, Royal Celebration. She is best-known to Doctor Who fans for her role in both series of Sarah Jane Smith audio dramas produced by Big Finish in 2002 and 2006. She won much critical acclaim for the role of the wheelchair-bound Planet 3 researcher, Natalie Redfern, particularly in the story Test of Nerve.
She completed courses with the National Youth Theatre, the Royal Court Theatre's Young Writer's Programme, and RADA's Shakespeare Course. She earned a BA in English and Related Literature, and graduated with honours.
Sadie turned from acting in 2011. “After University, I went to drama school and was actually in my final term when mum died. This obviously impacted how I looked at my future and I decided to switch to writing instead so that I could have a little more control and flexibility to be around for my dad.” She is currently working on an original Young Adult novel, having already contributed to anthologies. In 2014 she was a finalist for the Glass Woman prize with Mirandolina.
Sadie is no stranger to Doctor Who, of course. Her father is actor Brian Miller, who has appeared in both Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures, and her mother is Doctor Who legend Elisabeth Sladen, the actress who won the hearts of millions of Doctor Who fans in the 1970s as Sarah Jane Smith, and once again in 2005 when she brought Sarah back to the modern era of Doctor Who. Elisabeth Sladen sadly passed away in 2011, which led to Sadie distancing herself for some time from Doctor Who fandom.
“I needed time to mourn, to be there for my dad. The constant reminders of my mum, obviously very hard to avoid, were just too painful. But now I feel that the time is right to reconnect with Doctor Who, and the fans,” said Sadie. “My dad did so last year with an appearance in Peter Capaldi’s first episode, and so now it’s my turn. It’s exciting to be writing my first novel, and that it features the Brig adds another layer of importance. He, in the form of Nicholas Courtney, was there when mum debuted as Sarah in 1973, and she was there for his very last on screen appearance as the character in 2008. So in many ways this is important.”
The titles announced for 2016 so far are as follows, with another three due to be announced for release next Autumn:
- Moon Blink, by Sadie Miller
A new drug is on the streets, and it appears to have come from the moon. Only, Apollo 11 has only just landed on the moon! Lethbridge-Stewart and Anne Travers are all set to investigate, when Anne receives a very unexpected visitor. - The Showstoppers, by Jonathan Cooper
A new TV show is about to hit the airwaves, one connected to a notorious Nazi war criminal. Lethbridge-Stewart and Anne Travers investigate. (Jonathan Cooper is the author of two novels in the Space: 1889 steampunk series, and Doctor Who correspondent for The Independent.) - The Grandfather Infestation, by John Peel
Something strange is happening in the North Sea, bringing Pirate Radio to its knees. The Fifth Operational Corps is called in to investigate. (John Peel is the author of countless novels, including several for Star Trek and Doctor Who. But he’s not a DJ.)
Details on how to purchase both the new and current books, plus subscription offers can be found via the
Candy Jar Books website.
(with thanks to Shaun Russell and Andy Frankham-Allen)
Competition
In celebration of the success of the
Lethbridge-Stewart series of books, we are delighted to be able to offer the set of four books published this year (
The Forgotten Son,
The Schizoid Earth,
Beast of Fang Rock, and
Mutually Assured Domination) plus associated short stories, courtesy of Candy Jar Books. To be in with a chance to win, simply answer the following question:
In relation to this series of books, what is the significance of the closing date of this competition?
Please send your answers along with your name, address and where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to
comp-ls15@doctorwhonews.net with the subject
"what happened next?". The competition is open worldwide, closing date:
16th December 2015. Only one entry per household will be accepted.
The official Doctor Who page on the BBC website will once again post a selection of images, clips, games and other goodies over the days leading up to Christmas in their Adventure Calendar.
Cinemaxx in Denmark have confirmed that they will show this year's Doctor Who Christmas Special, The Husbands of River Song, on Saturday 26th December, with two showings at 4:45pm and 7:00pm in their Copenhagen, Odense and Aarhus cinemas.
BBC Worldwide have announced that tickets will be made available from the 3rd December enabling visitors to the Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff to be able to also purchase a special TARDIS Studio Set Tour ticket in order to visit the existing TARDIS set, as seen in the current series of Doctor Who. Tours will run between the 9th December and New Year's Day.
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