Red White and Who

Sunday, 31 July 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Red White and Who
A new book is to be released in 2012 entitled Red White and Who - The Story of Doctor Who in America; edited by Arnold T. Blumberg, Steven Warren Hill, Jennifer Adams Kelley, and J. Shaun Lyon, the book aims to be the definitive guide to Doctor Who fandom in America, from its origins through to modern-day forums and fan groups.

Every American Doctor Who fan has a story to tell, and fans of the iconic British television show love to tell stories. All of them, from casual viewer to hardcore fanatic, will happily regale others with the tale of how and when they discovered the greatest science fiction media franchise ever. The majority of the first dedicated American Who fans first met the Doctor in the early 1980s, nearly twenty years after the show began in 1963…but the story of Doctor Who in America, a fascinating, complex and influential journey into pop culture, stretches much farther back...

RED WHITE AND WHO is a chronological narrative of the history of Doctor Who – and its fandom – in the United States, incorporating rare illustrative material, and interviews with and essays by some of the key people who laid the groundwork for the fandom in which we participate today.

The editors are looking for American fans who can contribute to the book, and have provided several ways to get in touch:
Contributions can include printed material and photos, and the editors have outlined how these can be made:
To contribute material to help us with our research and for possible inclusion in the book, please follow these guidelines:
  • PRINTED MATERIAL/PHOTOS: Scanned jpegs or PDFS (1:1, 150dpi/b&w, 300dpi/color). E-mail them after initial contact, share via an online sharing site, or mail on CD/DVD. If you can’t scan, you can mail photocopies. If you must mail photos, we recommend duplicates; we cannot guarantee condition of photos after submission.
  • AUDIO/VIDEO: MP3/AIFF files and any video format can be e-mailed, shared or sent on CD/DVD and other physical formats.
  • MAILING ADDRESS: Send all physical submissions to Red White and Who, P.O. Box 975, Skokie, IL 60076-0975 USA.
PLEASE NOTE: With ALL submissions, please include full name, mailing address, and e-mail address. A phone number would also be useful. All contributors will be credited in the final volume if we use your material; any personal photographs will also be properly noted on the copyright page. All copyrights remain your own. Submission of material constitutes an agreement that you accept printed credit as compensation for your submission.




FILTER: - USA - Books

BBC Books: Harvest of Time

Thursday, 21 July 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
BBC Books have announced that they are to release a new past Doctor adventure called Harvest of Time, featuring both the Third Doctor and the Master; set on both 20th century Earth and far into the future, it will see the duo battling to save the universe – and facing the ultimate moral crisis.

The book is to be written by Alastair Reynolds, who having worked at the European Space Agency for over a decade has now turned to writing full time; he has won the British Science Fiction Award for Best Novel with Chasm City and shortlisted for the for the British Science Fiction and Arthur C Clarke awards with Revelation Space. He said:
Doctor Who has been a big part of my life for forty years. To put things into perspective, when I was little I did not want to go round to another boy's house because he had Dalek wallpaper, a concept I found unspeakably terrifying. I am delighted and honored to have the chance to write a novel featuring not only one of my favorite Doctors, but the single greatest villain ever imagined: The Master.

Editorial director of BBC Books, Albert DePetrillo, commented:
We've been carefully planning our venture into Doctor Who's past for a while now, first with our reissues of six of the Target novelisations, then our novelisation of Shada in 2012. The next step is all-original adventures with past Doctors, and we knew we needed to publish those in a special way. I'm absolutely delighted that Alastair can be part of that plan. He is simply one of the best science fiction writers around, and we're thrilled to have him contributing to the Doctor Who list.

Harvest of Time is due to be released in hardback in 2013.




FILTER: - Books

Memoirs of an Edwardian Adventurer

Thursday, 30 June 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
A new book celebrating the Eighth Doctor's adventures on audio is to be published later this year, to tie in with the next series from Big Finish this Autumn. The book is by Will Brooks and Nick Mellish, and will be published by Pageturner Publishing.

Reborn in a hospital morgue, stranded aboard a crashing air ship, lost in a universe without time and forced to wage a final bitter war against his greatest enemies...

For a Doctor that only made one TV appearance, in the 1996 TV Movie, the Eighth Doctor has lead a long and eventful life on audio. Since 2001, Big Finish have produced more than sixty audio plays featuring Paul McGann giving the character a life beyond the small screen.

In Memoirs of an Edwardian Adventurer, two dedicated Doctor Who fans set out to listen to each of these audio plays, one episode a day every day, in an attempt to experience a true ‘Eighth Doctor Era’. Along the way they discover the highs and lows of the series, from 2001’s Storm Warning through to 2011’s To the Death, via a short series of Sixth Doctor plays featuring ongoing companion Charley Pollard.

Written by Will Brooks (Doctor Who: Adventures in Time and Space) and Nick Mellish (Nick’s Little Bit of Net), sometimes examining the literary origins of the Eighth Doctor’s adventures, sometimes commenting on the strength of a story, and sometimes merely praising (or otherwise) a particular cast member, Memoirs of an Edwardian Adventurer is the definitive account of two fan’s experiences of the Eighth Doctor’s travels in time and space.

You can read a preview of the book here.
The book also features a foreward by Conrad Westmaas, audio companion C'rizz to the Eighth Doctor from The Creed of the Kroman to Absolution.

Memoirs of an Edwardian Adventurer is due to be published on 10th October and is available for pre-order from the publishers; a version for the Amazon Kindle will be available once the book is released. Everyone who pre-orders before 1st September will have their name printed in the book as a special thanks.

(with thanks to Will Brooks)




FILTER: - Books - Big Finish

The Best Doctor Who Poems In The Universe

Thursday, 23 June 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The Best Doctor Who Poems In The Universe is a new book to be released by GJB Publishing compiling a collection of poems and limericks from fans around the world. A wealth of subjects are covered, including the Doctor, the Master, Cybermen, Sarah Jane, Donna, K9, The Green Death, The Mara, Gallifrey, Delia Derbyshire, and Rose; plus, what it's like to be a Doctor Who fan!

The anthology is edited by Garry Vaux, who said:
Poetry isn’t necessarily something you associate with Doctor Who but since new Who came back it’s had an extra emotional element to it and with it’s action hero, the heartbreak, the fun, the scares and the thrills, it seems like an ideal subject for poetry.

The artwork is stunning and there are some wonderful poems from some very talented people. I hope it will encourage more wordsmiths and artists to put pen to paper.

I’ve been a fan of Doctor Who since childhood and it’s the only programme these days I watch religiously so I’m delighted to produce something to celebrate it in a different kind of way.
The book is available to buy from the publisher's website.


Read a sample poem here:
Time Loop, by Gerald Riley

In the constellation of Kasterborous,
There lies a special place.
Locked in time through the spoils of war,
One survivor - who changes his face.

He’s lived for over nine hundred years,
But perished after four knocks.
His name is heard throughout the universe.
This mad man with a box.

So whenever you travel in time and space,
Through the stars so wild and dangerous,
Listen for the echo of two beating hearts,
In the constellation of Kasterborous.




FILTER: - Books

Alt.Fiction Literature Festival 2011

Thursday, 16 June 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
This year's Alt.Fiction Literary Festival takes place at the QUAD, Derby on 25th-26th June, and is to feature a many writers from the worlds of Doctor Who and Torchwood.

The event's co-Guest of Honour is Dan Abnett, author of Border Princes and of some 40+ comics/novels in his career; he will be making a keynote address on the Saturday, as well as panels, readings and podcasts.

Long-term Doctor Who writers and modern series contributors Paul Cornell (Father's Day, Human Nature/Family of Blood) and Rob Shearman (Dalek) are also at the event, alongside a number of other BBC Books writers including
Guy Adams, Paul Finch, James Goss, Una McCormack, Mark Morris, Sarah Pinborough and books editor Steve Tribe.

Tribe says:
We’re really pleased to be bringing the authors of our latest Doctor Who and Torchwood books to Alt.Fiction 2011. Last year’s event was a highlight of the year – a great opportunity to talk to readers and authors, and perhaps to meet some potential future writers for our ranges.
Alt.Fiction Coordinator Alex Davis says:
It's hugely exciting to be working with BBC Books on this year's event, and I'm delighted to have authors and screenwriters of this calibre taking part. Our BBC Books panel is bound to be a highlight, with no less than nine people participating!

As well as the Doctor Who guests, the Festival will some 50+ authors, agents and editors participating, covering the worlds of science fiction, fantasy and horror. For full details visit the Alt.Fiction website.

(with thanks to Aaron Gilling, Writing East Midlands)




FILTER: - Special Events - Books

BBC Books: Torchwood releases

Friday, 10 June 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Last week we reported the three new Torchwood books due out this summer; the covers and provisional publication dates are now known, with the books available for pre-order:

Torchwood: First Born (available for pre-order)
by James Goss
due 21st July 2011

Gwen and Rhys are on the run. Rhys was hoping this meant a windswept cottage on a cliff top, but he’s had to settle for a miserable caravan in the isolated village of Rawbone. With the locals taking an unhealthy interest in their daughter, Gwen and Rhys start to realise that something is very wrong.

As they uncover the village’s terrible past, Gwen discovers that Torchwood will never leave her behind, and now she and Rhys stand alone in defence of the Earth. And the children of Rawbone can only bring her closer to the secret forces that want her out of the way.

Based on the hit series created by Russell T Davies, First Born is a prequel to Torchwood: Miracle Day, starring John Barrowman and Eve Myles as Jack Harkness and Gwen Cooper, with Kai Owen as Rhys Williams.
Torchwood: Long Time Dead (available for pre-order)
by Sarah Pinborough
due 4th August 2011

Cardiff Bay. The government has ordered the excavation of the wreckage of a secret underground base. DCI Tom Cutler is watching from a distance, fascinated by the process. There are people in his dreams. People he feels he should know.

The disbanded Torchwood Institute spent a century accumulating non-terrestrial artefacts and catching aliens. Who knows what – or who – might still be intact down there. But by the time they find the first body, Suzie Costello is long gone.

Based on the hit series created by Russell T Davies, Long Time Dead is a prequel to Torchwood: Miracle Day, starring John Barrowman and Eve Myles as Jack Harkness and Gwen Cooper. It features Suzie Costello, as played by Indira Varma.
Torchwood: The Men Who Sold The World (available for pre-order)
by Guy Adams
due 18th August 2011

When Oscar Lupe appears 20,000 feet up in the air, his body is frozen solid and free-falling to earth. It shatters on impact. Soon after, a CIA Special Activities Division squad goes rogue with a cargo marked ‘Torchwood’ that they’ve been escorting from somewhere called Cardiff.

The Agency puts Rex Matheson on the case. As the strange deaths pile up, Rex realises there must be experimental tech out there, but someone is obstructing him at every turn. Rex is the CIA’s golden boy – but has he met his match in the evasive Mr Wynter…?

Based on the hit series created by Russell T Davies, The Men Who Sold The World is a prequel to Torchwood: Miracle Day, starring John Barrowman and Eve Myles as Jack Harkness and Gwen Cooper, with Mekhi Phifer as Rex Matheson.





FILTER: - Torchwood - Books - Miracle Day (Series 4)

BBC Books: Eleventh Doctor releases

Friday, 10 June 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The latest in the BBC Books range of Doctor Who novels following the adventures of the Eleventh Doctor and his companions are due for release on the 23rd June 2011:

Doctor Who: Borrowed Time (available for pre-order)
by Naomi Alderman

"You want more time Mr Brown, of course you do. We all want more time. Let me make you an offer..."

Andrew Brown never has enough time. No time to call his sister, or to prepare for that important presentation at the bank where he works. The train’s late, the lift jams. If only he’d had just a little more time. And time is the business of Mr Symington and Mr Blenkinsop. They’ll lend him some – at a very reasonable rate of interest.

Detecting a problem, the Doctor, Amy and Rory go undercover at the bank. But they have to move fast to stop Symington and Blenkinsop before they cash in their investments.

A thrilling all-new adventure featuring the Doctor, Amy and Rory, as played by Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill in the spectacular hit series from BBC Television.
Doctor Who: Touched By An Angel (available for pre-order)
by Jonathan Morris

"The past is like a foreign country. Nice to visit, but you really wouldn’t want to live there."

In 2003, Rebecca Whitaker died in a road accident. Her husband Mark is still grieving. He receives a battered envelope, posted eight years ago, containing a set of instructions with a simple message: “You can save her.”

As Mark is given the chance to save Rebecca, it’s up to the Doctor, Amy and Rory to save the whole world. Because this time the Weeping Angels are using history itself as a weapon.

A thrilling all-new adventure featuring the Doctor, Amy and Rory, as played by Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill in the spectacular hit series from BBC Television.
Doctor Who: Paradox Lost (available for pre-order)
by George Mann

"The Squall feed on psychic energy. They spread like a plague and if they are not stopped they will strip the Earth clean..."

London 1910: an unsuspecting thief finds himself confronted by grey-skinned creatures that are waiting to devour his mind. London 2789: the remains of an ancient android are dredged from the Thames. When reactivated it has a warning that can only be delivered to a man named ‘the Doctor’.

The Doctor and his friends must solve a mystery that has spanned over a thousand years. If they fail, the deadly alien Squall will devour the world.

A thrilling all-new adventure featuring the Doctor, Amy and Rory, as played by Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill in the spectacular hit series from BBC Television.




FILTER: - Merchandise - Books

Torchwood novel titles confirmed

Friday, 3 June 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Yesterday we reported on the three Torchwood novels to be released this summer; we can now confirm the titles of the books as First Born by James Goss, Long Time Dead by Sarah Pinborough, and The Men Who Sold The World by Guy Adams.

The novels are set after Children of Earth, and are a direct prequel to Miracle Day; Davies described the stories in Doctor Who Magazine as being able to "exploit the narrative gap in a way which would be impossible for radio".

The series will be published on a fortnightly basis, but the dates have yet to be confirmed, being dependent upon when Miracle Day is broadcast in the United Kingdom.
(with thanks to Steve Tribe)





FILTER: - Torchwood - Books

Book updates

Tuesday, 17 May 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Fantom Films have released the autobiography of Fred Hamilton, a film cameraman at the BBC who also worked on Doctor Who during the Troughton/Pertwee years for stories including The Enemy of the World, The Daemons and Planet of the Spiders. Full details on the book may be found on their website.

Fred Hamilton - Zoom In When You See The Tears
30 Adventurous Years at the BBC

After emigrating to Britain in the 1950s, Fred Hamilton joined the BBC’s Film Department where he learnt the ropes and was quickly promoted to Film Cameraman. Coverage of sports events soon became his bread and butter job, followed by assignments to armed conflict areas in many parts of the world. Obtaining footage to be broadcast on Panorama and other current-affairs programmes often under perilous circumstances. He teamed up with reporter James Mossman and recordist Freddy Downton, surviving the jungles of Borneo, the battlefields of Vietnam and the Middle East.

As a member of the Film Department, he would be called to take part in various projects including iconic shows such as Doctor Who, starring Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee, as well as a numerous episodes of Z Cars, Out of the Unknown, Doomwatch, Colditz and Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

With colour television still in its infancy, Fred filmed the eye-opening sequences for Paul Temple with directors Douglas Camfield and Mike Ferguson. In 1977 he was brought in by director David Wickes as establishing cameraman on the BBC’s ambitious first all-film television series Target, whose production history was almost as spectacular as the on-screen events depicted. Fred became a man for ‘action scenes’ before the phrase even entered the BBC vocabulary, always on the lookout for that unusual, extra dynamic shot.

Committing his memories of an impressively colourful professional life to paper, Fred Hamilton tells the story of a man totally dedicated to his job, whose accounts are enriched by hilarious anecdotes involving many BBC legends.

This autobiography is a fascinating insider’s view of the BBC, lavishly illustrated throughout with never before seen, exclusive photographs from Fred’s personal archives

(with thanks to Dexter O'Neill)


 
Aurum Press are to release the biography of Terry Nation on the 25th May; the book by Alwyn Turner looks into the writer's prolific career during the 1960s and 1970s scripting for fantasy series, and his involvement with comedian Tony Hancock and Associated London Scripts.

The Man Who Invented the Daleks
The Strange Worlds of Terry Nation

Terry Nation was one of the most successful and prolific writers for television that Britain ever produced. Survivors, his vision of a post-apocalyptic England, so haunted audiences in the Seventies that the BBC revived it over thirty years on. Blake’s 7, constantly rumoured for return, endures as a cult sci-fi classic. And his most fearsome creations, the Daleks, ensured and at times eclipsed the success of Doctor Who.

Indeed, almost half a century after their first appearance, new additions to Dalek mythology continue to top the Saturday-night ratings, while the word itself has entered the Oxford English Dictionary, passing into the language as the name of the most famous race of aliens in fiction.

But while his genocidal pepper pots brought him notoriety and riches, Nation played a much wider role in British broadcasting’s golden age. As part of the legendary Associated London Scripts, he wrote for Spike Milligan, Frankie Howerd and an increasingly troubled Tony Hancock. And as one of the key figures behind the adventure series of the Sixties – including The Avengers, The Saint and The Persuaders! – he turned the pulp classics of his boyhood into a major British export.

Like Arthur Conan Doyle before him, Nation was frequently bemused by the appeal of his most famous creations, and similarly cavalier toward them. Now, The Man Who Invented the Daleks explores their curious and contested origins, and sheds light on a strange world of ambitious young writers, producers and performers without whom British culture today would look very different.

Alwyn W. Turner is the author of a number of acclaimed books on modern British culture, including Crisis? What Crisis?: Britain in the 1970s, Rejoice! Rejoice!: Brtain in the 1980s, Halfway to Paradise and The Biba Experience.

The book was serialised by the Daily Mail at the beginning of the month, and also reviewed by the paper last Friday.

Author Alwyn Turner will also be appearing at the Deansgate Super SF Saturday in the Manchester Waterstones on the 21st May, alongside Doctor Who writer Nev Fountain for "a discussion of all things Gallifrey".

(with thanks to Liz Somers)




FILTER: - Merchandise - Books

Novelisation of Shada to be published in 2012

Tuesday, 22 March 2011 - Reported by Harry Ward
BBC Books have announced that they are to publish a novelisation of the "lost" Doctor Who serial Shada.

Shada retells an adventure that never made it to the screen. Production of the planned finale to the 1979-1980 season of Doctor Who was halted part-way through due to industrial action at the BBC, and the story was never completed. Now, drawing on drafts of the script and production notes as well as original designs and the material that was completed, prolific Doctor Who TV script writer Gareth Roberts tells this unique story, featuring Tom Baker’s Fourth Doctor, in full for the first time.

Published with the full support of the Estate of Douglas Adams and Adams' agent Ed Victor at Ed Victor Ltd, Shada will be the first ever novelisation of Douglas Adams’s work on Doctor Who.

The book will be published by BBC Books in March 2012 as a £16.99 hardback.






FILTER: - Books