Issue 7 of Black Scrolls has been released. A 36-page full color fanzine with cover by Adrian Salmon ("Professor Bernice Summerfield"), the issue features the last interview recorded with Michael Craze from 1997, an interview with Salmon, humor and much more. For more details, visit their website. (Thanks to Steve Preston)

Some updates from Mad Norwegian Press. The release of About Time 5 by Lawrence Miles and Tat Wood has been delayed until March but has greatly increased in page count ("it only covers four seasons of 'Doctor Who,' but they're an extremely busy four seasons in terms of cast changes, continuity and stylistic alterations"). The next volume is due in May, then the next in July, and the final in August. Lance Parkin's A History of the Universe will now be out in July, while several other releases (including "I Who 4") have still not been scheduled for final release dates yet. (Thanks to Lars Pearson)

New series writer and novelist Paul Cornell has written a new piece of Sherlock Holmes fiction, The Deer Stalker, now on the bbc.co.uk website, read aloud by Andrew Sachs ("Shada").

Doctor Who is featured in a new book, 'Fifty Key Television Programmes', an academic work edited by Glen Creeber of the University of Aberwystywth; the Doctor who section is written by Matt Hills. The book is distributed by Arnold Publishers in the UK and Oxford University Press in the USA. (Thanks to Steve Freestone)

Outpost Gallifrey has received a hazy but legible version of the cover illustration for the BBC Books novel To the Slaughter by Stephen Cole, due in February 2005. Click on the thumbnail for a larger version. Update - January 11: The official site has posted a clear version of the cover so we've replaced our original view with the official version. (Thanks to Jim Trenowden)

According to Mad Norwegian Press, the second book in their About Time series (numbered 4, for seasons 12-17) is now shipping and should be arriving throughout the next week.

A report in a recent issue of Doctor Who Magazine states that long-time author Terrance Dicks, penning an as yet untitled forthcoming BBC Books novel due in October, will return the Second Doctor to the era known as "Season 6B," a murky time in the life of the Patrick Troughton Doctor that follows "The War Games" but precedes the Jon Pertwee debut story "Spearhead from Space". Dicks recently spoke to the American Who radio broadcast (for a story taped for airing in January) in which he confirmed the story; according to Dicks, it has the Second Doctor "being kind of forced to do things for the Celestial Intervention Agency." He wouldn't say anything else about it, except that it's slated for release in late 2005, takes from elements in his BBC Books Sixth Doctor novel "Players," the first novel that dealt with this shadowy time period, and "It sort of links in with 'The Two Doctors.'" (Thanks to Joey Reynolds)

ABC Books in Australia, in association with BBC Books has brought out a paperback version of Justin Richards' 40th-anniversary tome Doctor Who: The Legend, according to their website. Despite the graphic to the contrary, the cover is actually slightly different (ie, not the picture they're showing on the page!) as it includes the ABC name and logo, and the strap line has changed from '40 years...' to 'Four Decades...'

Amazon has posted the cover illustration for the forthcoming bookWho's Next: An Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide To All Of Broadcast Doctor Who by Mark Clapham, Eddie Robson and Jim Smith. As we previously reported, "Who's Next" is "comprehensive, critical journey through every episode of Doctor Who broadcast by the BBC on television, radio, and the Internet." The book is due out in February 2005.

At right is the cover illustration for the forthcoming Script Doctor book by former series script editor Andrew Cartmel, featuring an introduction by Sylvester McCoy, sent to us by the Galaxy 4 retail shop. "Script Doctor" is Cartmel's memoir of his time working on the show as script editor during the McCoy era. Click on the thumbnail for a larger version. (Thanks to Galaxy 4 for the cover illustration!)