Match of the Day

Tuesday, 30 November 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
The cover illustration (courtesy BBCi) and cover blurb (courtesy the BBC Shop) are now available for Match of the Day, the Fourth Doctor/Leela novel due out in January by Chris Boucher ("Psi-ence Fiction").
MATCH OF THE DAY, by Chris Boucher

There were the contracts, the agents, the local sponsors, the pay-per-view broadcasts, the independent verification of results, the laws which made murder legal in carefully defined circumstancesà It had taken a long time for the system of freelance duellists to be established, and an even longer time to develop the league of interplanetary superstars the others fought to reach and to challenge. And just when it was all working satisfactorily and profitably someone or something started interfering with the set up.

Famous fighters died in private duels. Up-and-coming professional fighters began to fall victim to casual, one-time challengers û the sort of psychos and testosterone-addled drunks who would themselves be expected to die quickly and routinely.

When Leela is challenged to a duel to the death, the Doctor realizes that there is more to the situation than simple murder and mayhem. But before he can sort it out, he needs to save his client û Leela. How long can she survive on a planet where not to kill is an offence punishable by death?

This adventure features the Fourth Doctor and Leela.




FILTER: - Books

Mad Norwegian Schedule Update

Tuesday, 9 November 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
Mad Norwegian Press has a few minor schedule changes. The updated and revised version of Lance Parkin's History of the Universe, the chronology of the "Doctor Who" universe, has regrettably been delayed until March 2005. Also, Mags L. Halliday's novel Warring States, the fourth Faction Paradox novel, is now slated for April 2005 release; Outpost Gallifrey has printed the prelude which you can read by clicking here. The third FP novel, Warlords of Utopia by Parkin is still slated for December, as is the second of their About Time Doctor Who reference books by Lawrence Miles and Tat Wood (book #4 in the series.) (Thanks to Lars Pearson)




FILTER: - Books

BBC Books Update

Thursday, 4 November 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
Lance Parkin's The Gallifrey Chronicles is now due in March 2005, moving the three tie-in novels for the new series to April through June 2005. Meanwhile, the book we previously reported, Doctor Who: Monsters and Villains by Justin Richards, is a 96-page paperback retailing for 7.99 UK and published "midway through the television series' BBC One run ... [it] will feature classic monsters from the first 26 seasons... as well as new and exciting monsters from the new series... everything from Autons to Zygons..."




FILTER: - Books

Telos Re-release Companion

Monday, 1 November 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
Telos Publishing has announced it is reprinting the popular The Television Companion: The Unofficial and Unauthorized Guide to Doctor Who, as noted in the press release below.
Due to demand from America, we have reprinted the limited edition hardcover of our book THE TELEVISION COMPANION: THE UNOFFICIAL AND UNAUTHORISED GUIDE TO DOCTOR WHO.

The majority of the new hardcovers are being sent to fulfil outstanding orders in America, but we have retained a small number of copies as we felt that some of our customers might like to get their hands on a copy, especially if they missed out on the first edition when that was published in 2003.

The new edition has a silver foil stamp on the cover (rather than gold), does not contain a ribbon bookmark, and is a signed (by David J Howe and Stephen James Walker) and numbered limited edition of 150 copies (the signature sheet also states that this is a second edition).

We have reopened the online ordering option on the Telos site for the title, but as we only have 25 or so copies available direct from us, these will be sent in strictly first come first served order. It's possible we may end up taking too many orders, and in this event, monies will be refunded to the credit cards of those over and above the number we have, always assuming of course that we don't remove the option from the site in time.

So act quickly, and secure one of these limited hardcover editions for yourself.




FILTER: - Books

Mad Norwegian Update

Monday, 1 November 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

Mad Norwegian Update
November 1, 2004  •  Posted By Shaun Lyon
Mad Norwegian Press has published the cover illustration for the forthcoming third chapter of Lawrence Miles & Tat Wood's About Time Doctor Who reference series, featuring the years 1980-1984, as well as the cover blurb for the third Faction Paradox novel Warlords of Utopia, due out at the end of November. Both are available at Mad Norwegian's website. (Thanks to Lars Pearson)




FILTER: - Books

Provisional BBC Books Schedule

Monday, 25 October 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
In addition to recent reports of Doctor Who novels from BBC Books that Outpost Gallifrey have reported, BBCi have featured some updates on forthcoming Doctor Who novels later in 2005. They include the following books.
Fear Itself by Nick Wallace (Eighth Doctor, September 2005)
Book To Be Announced by Terrance Dicks (Second Doctor, October 2005)
The Time Travellers by Simon Guerrier (First Doctor, November 2005)
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Atom Bomb Blues by Andrew Cartmel (Seventh Doctor) (December 2005)




FILTER: - Books

The Indestructible Man

Thursday, 21 October 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
The final BBC Books novel of 2004, The Indestructible Man by Simon Messingham, featuring the Second Doctor, Jamie and Zoe, will be out in November. Below is the cover illustration and back cover blurb for the book; click on the thumbnail for a larger version.
THE INDESTRUCTIBLE MAN, by Simon Messingham

The Myloki, mysterious aliens from beyond Time and Space. Their Target: Earth.

The human defenders of PRISM are enmeshed in a doomed interstellar war against an unknowable invader armed with the power to possess, duplicate and destroy from within. Only one man stands in their way. A man destiny has made indestructible. Against all the odds the legendary Indestructible Man saves the Earth but victory comes at the highest price. The world economy collapses, governments crumble and PRISM itself is torn apart by a best-selling expose.

AD2096; PRISM has gone underground, becoming the clandestine SILOET, headed by new commander Hal Bishop. Bishop receives an urgent summon to his headquarters. An infiltrator has been unmasked and captured in the heart of SILOET itself. Fatally wounded, the infiltrator makes a miraculous recovery. It appears he is indestructible. The implications are terrifying.

The Myloki may just have returned. And who is left to stop them?




FILTER: - Books

Who's Next in February

Wednesday, 13 October 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
According to co-writer Eddie Robson, Virgin's upcoming book Who's Next is now scheduled for publication on February 10, 2005.




FILTER: - Books

BBC Books 2005

Saturday, 9 October 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
Outpost Gallifrey has received a copy of the 2005 BBC Books catalogue available to retailers and trade periodicals. While there is very little new information, it does feature basic blurbs for five books due out in 2005, including Chris Boucher'sMatch of the Day (January), Stephen Cole's To The Slaughter (February), Lance Parkin's The Gallifrey Chronicles (June), Island of Death by Barry Letts (July) and Future Nostalgia by Gary Russell (August). Click on the spoiler tag to read the story blurbs.
MATCH OF THE DAY, by Chris Boucher
It took a long time for the system of freelance duellists to be established - and even longer to develop the league of interplanetary superstars. But someone or something started interfering. When Leela is challenged to a duel, the Doctor suspects more than simple murder and mayhem...

TO THE SLAUGHTER, by Stephen Cole
The solar system is being spring-clenaed. Under the supervision of celebrity planetary make-over decoratiste, Aristotle Halcyon, the number of Jupiter's moons is being brought down to an aesthetically pleasing level. But as the Doctor and his companions discover, not everything is as innocent as it seems...

THE GALLIFREY CHRONICLES, by Lance Parkin
The Doctor's home planet of Gallifrey has been destroyed. The Time Lords are dead, their TARDISes annihilated. The man responsible has been tracked down and lured to Earth in the year 2005, where there will be no escape. The stage is set for the ultimate confrontation. The last in the series of original adventures of the Eighth Doctor.

ISLAND OF DEATH, by Barry Letts
Sarah Jane Smith and her friend Jamie investigate a strange New Age cult. Standard stuff for investigative journalists. Less usual is the demon-like creature the cultists worship. The Doctor and UNIT discover a plot involving government ministers, alien narcotics, and an official cover-up. But can they uncover the truth in time?

FUTURE NOSTALGIA, by Gary Russell
When the Doctor and Mel receive a message about the Lamprey, the Doctor is confused. He's never heard of such a thing. Mel has, which is odd, as the Lamprey is a demon from a distant planet, far, far in the future -- somewhere she's never heard of, let alone visited. Meanwhile, two strangers are watching every move the Doctor makes...




FILTER: - Books

The Indestructible Man

Wednesday, 6 October 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
Amazon.co.uk has printed a synopsis of the forthcoming BBC Books novel The Indestructible Man by Simon Messingham, a Second Doctor, Jamie and Zoe novel due in November. As Amazon usually has the full retailers' blurb which can include plot points, we've enclosed in spoiler protection below; click on the spoiler tag to read it. (Thanks to John Putland)
THE INDESTRUCTIBLE MAN by Simon Messingham
Thirty years ago, the Earth was covertly attacked by the alien Myloki who brainwashed humans and seeded them into Earth society as terrorists and assassins. Earth governments pooled their resources and financed Operation PRISM to fight and win the secret war against the Myloki. Now the successor to PRISM, the SILHOUETTE organisation, runs a series of Early Warning devices in space, should the dreaded Myloki return. But the financial burden of the war has caused global financial meltdown and Earth stands on the brink of anarchy. The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe discover the war was in fact faked by a corrupt Earth dictatorship that has turned the planet into a tightly controlled utopia. Drugs keep the population under strict and docile control. Humanity is reduced to little more than work units. With the help of war hero Captain Grant Matthews, a PRISM agent accidentally made indestructible during the war, the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe gradually discover the truth but in doing so they face the opposition of a whole planet.




FILTER: - Books