Lethbridge-Stewart: The Showstoppers

Friday, 29 April 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Candy Jar Books have released the cover art for the next book in their Lethbridge-Stewart series, The Showstoppers.

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Showstoppers (Credit: Candy-Jar Books)

The Showstoppers
Written by Jonathan Cooper
Cover by Richard Young

‘Nuzzink in ze vorld can schtop me now!’

There’s a new TV show about to hit the airwaves, but Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart won’t be tuning in. With the future of the Fifth Operational Corps in doubt he’s got enough to worry about, but a plea from an old friend soon finds Lethbridge-Stewart and Anne Travers embroiled in a plot far more fantastical than anything on the small screen.

Can charismatic star Aubrey Mondegreene really be in two places at the same time? What lengths will ailing entertainment mogul Billy Lovac go to in order to reach his audience? And is luckless journalist Harold Chorley really so desperate that he’ll buy into a story about Nazi conspiracies from a tramp wearing a tin foil hat?

There’s something very rotten at the heart of weekend television, and it isn’t all due to shoddy scripts and bad special effects.

Shaun Russell, head of publishing at Candy Jar Books, said:

Richard is well-known for his photo realistic work. Watching him painstakingly create his artwork with thousands of dots is incredibly impressive. His design for The Showstoppers really evokes the early Target covers.

Richard Young said:

Doctor Who has been a big part of my life since I was a kid. The classic series is extremely close to my heart and I always wanted to draw a cover for the Target books... but they didn't like my style when I was ten. So to have the chance to contribute a cover for a book featuring one of the most iconic characters of Doctor Who is not only a huge honour but the realisation of a thirty-four-year old dream.

I had fun flexing my Photoshop muscles for the (free book) The Black Eggs of Khufu cover, but I jumped at the chance to return to my roots and work on a hand drawn cover, echoing the wonderfully surreal Kubrick movie.

The movie in question is Dr Strangelove Or: How to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, with the book echoing the same world; writer Jonathan Cooper commented:

I’ve always been a fan of Dr Strangelove and Doctor Who, so when Candy Jar Books asked me to meld the two together into a Lethbridge-Stewart novel, I could not resist. Who would?

The book also features an introduction by David George, son of Peter George, focusing on the conspiracy theories that tie Dr Strangelove to the Kennedy assassination.

The Showstoppers is the second release for 2016, following on from Moon Blink by Sadie Miller.

To help pave the way for the new series of books, Beast of Fang Rock will be available for free on Kindle for three days from Saturday 30th April. Andy Frankham-Allen, range editor of the Lethbridge-Stewart novels, said:

Both Moon Blink and The Showstoppers are strong Anne Travers stories, and since Beast of Fang Rock really introduced her to the range, we thought it would be nice to offer up this book as a free chance for the uninitiated to catch up on her back story.

The usual discounted pre-order bundles will be on offer from Candy Jar, with a new subscription deal for those wishing to get six books for the price of five.

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Showstoppers by Jonathan Cooper is due to be released soon. It can now be pre-ordered (individually, or as part of a bundle/subscription) from Candy Jar Books.

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

Doctor Who Magazine 499

Thursday, 28 April 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Doctor Who Magazine Issue 499 (Credit: DWM)

The latest edition of Doctor Who Magazine has been published today, and as a new exhibition on Target books opens at the Cartoon Museum in London takes look back at the history of Doctor Who book cover art. The first regular artist on the range, Chris Achilleos, tells the magazine on how he established a new visual style for Doctor Who:

I didn’t need direction – I knew how to do a cover. I was always very aware that a book cover needs to be attractive – almost interactive, in a way – so that you’re drawn to pick it up in a shop. I still think they work as good punchy covers.

Target book fan and modern-day Doctor Who writer Mark Gatiss has much affection for the artwork:

The Three Doctors was my first and perhaps still my favourite. The incredibly evocative orange and green luridness of Omega’s deadly fingers, the Doctors themselves in grave monochrome. I still get a Proustian rush from seeing these images.

Also inside the issue:

PRODUCTION NOTES: Doctor Who’s executive producer Brian Minchin tells DWM about the operation to reveal the identity of the Doctor's new companion...
WHO WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER? DWM investigates what it is to be immortal in the Doctor Who universe.
NIGHT TO REMEMBER: Ahead of a very special Fact of Fiction next issue on The Day of the Doctor, DWM looks back at the most unexpected Doctor Who story of all time
GATEWAY TO THE UNIVERSE: The Fourth Doctor, Romana, Adric and K9 try to find a way out of E-Space in this month’s Fact of Fiction on 1981's Warriors' Gate...
BACK IN THE SISTERHOOD: We ask Clare Higgins, High Priestess of the Sisterhood of Karn, if Ohila could be the Doctor’s mother?
THE WITCH IS FAMILIAR... in the third part of our brand-new comic strip adventure, Witch Hunt, written by Jacqueline Rayner and illustrated by Martin Geraghty.
DRESS FOR THE OCCASION: Jacqueline Rayner talks about the challenges of dressing her boys up as the Doctor, in her column, Relative Dimensions.
DOCTOR, I MARRIED HIM! An increasing number of couple are incorporating Doctor Who into the most important day of their lives. But why? DWM investigates...
FISHY BUSINESS: There’s something fishy going on under Venice, as the Time Team watch The Vampires of Venice...
COMING SOON: DWM previews all the latest Doctor Who CD and book releases.
DREAM WORLD: Russell T Davies returns to BBC Wales with his production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream...

PLUS! All the latest official news, reviews, competitions and The DWM Crossword

FILTER: - DWM - Magazines - Merchandise

BBC Books: In The Blood

Friday, 8 April 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

BBC Books have released details on next month's novel featuring the tenth Doctor and Donna, In The Blood, the latest to be written by Jenny T Colgan.

In The Blood
Written by Jenny T Colgan
Published 12th May 2016

They feed on your anger. They need your despair

All over the world, people are venting their fury at one another on social media. Dropping their friends, giving vent to their hatred, and everyone behaving with incredible cruelty. Even Donna has found that her friend Hettie, with her seemingly perfect life and fancy house, has unfriended her. And now, all over the world, internet trolls are dying...

As more and more people give in to this wave of bitterness and aggression, it's clear this is no simple case of modern living. This is unkindness as a plague.

From the streets of London to the web cafes of South Korea and the deepest darkest forests of Rio, can the Doctor and Donna find the cause of this unhappiness before it's too late?

An original novel featuring the Tenth Doctor and Donna, as played by David Tennant and Catherine Tate.

FILTER: - BBC Books - Books - Merchandise

Lethbridge-Stewart: free download for Easter short story The Black Eggs of Khufu

Saturday, 26 March 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Black Eggs of Khufu (Credit: Candy Jar Books)

Candy Jar Books has released a brand new Lethbridge-Stewart short story for Easter, which is being made available free to readers. The Black Eggs of Khufu is written by Tom Dexter and features an ancient alien mystery, camels, explosions and a ‘great egg race’ across the desert.

Lauren Thomas, who recently joined Candy Jar Books as digital and social media assistant, said:

We really thought that Tom Dexter had reached his peak with The Fright Before Christmas. That was until we read his story about the pyramids.

Forthcoming publications from Candy Jar Books include a limited edition anthology of short stories originally released online, The HAVOC Files (almost sold out!), and the next in their full Lethbridge Stewart novels, Moon Blink by Sadie Miller.

Full details on how to purchase the books and for downloading The Black Eggs of Jhufu can be found via their website.

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

Bad Wolf Bluetooth Speaker

Friday, 18 March 2016 - Reported by Marcus

Pop culture electronics company, FAMETEK LLC has announced the introduction of their new BAD WOLF TARDIS Bluetooth™ Speaker under license from BBC Worldwide North America.

The 5.5” tall speakers materialise in the form of the Ninth and Tenth Doctors’TARDIS, with BAD WOLF painted on the side. Along with the wireless feature, the BAD WOLF TARDIS also has six TARDIS sound effects that indicate functions as well as LEDs that illuminate the top lamp and windows of the Doctor’s time machine.

In 2015 Massive Audio released the 8” TARDIS and Dalek Bluetooth speakers along with wired/wireless headphone collections, which were both hits. The company is now gearing up for a new collection of 5” tall figural speakers, premiering with the BAD WOLF TARDIS. Massive, under itsnew FAMETEK brand, will follow up with a Tenth Doctorfigural speaker in May 2016.

Jeremy Larsson of Massive Audio Inc said

We have experienced overwhelming support for our wireless Doctor Who speakers and are very excited to roll out the new Doctor Who 5” speaker range. There is a lot more to come in this collection!

The speakers are currently available in the USA and Canada, and will soon be available in the UK and Australia. The sets include

Sound Clips: Materialize, Dematerialize, Cloister Bell, Flight, Turbulence
Top LED flashes when powered On/Off.
Windows illuminates when paired with device and flash when paring.
Auxiliary IN for direct connection via 3.5mm cable
Multi-Function interface for Volume / Play / Pause / >> / << / Phone / Power
1.5” full range driver with precision tuned ported enclosure + 1.5” bass radiator
Mil spec PCB with SMD parts for amplification
USB Rechargeable lithium-ion battery with 5 hour life of constant playback
Battery indicator display / voice battery low indicator
5.89"(H) × 2.98"(D) × 2.98(W) / 149.6mm(H) * 75.6mm(W) * 75.6mm(D)

For more information please contact FAMETEK or visit the Facebook page

FILTER: - Merchandise

Bad Wolf Speaker

Friday, 18 March 2016 - Reported by Marcus

We have experienced overwhelming support for our wireless Doctor Who speakers and are very excited to roll out the new Doctor Who 5” speaker range. There is a lot more to come in this collection!

The speakers are currently available in the USA and Canada, and will soon be available in the UK and Australia. The sets include

Sound Clips: Materialize, Dematerialize, Cloister Bell, Flight, Turbulence
Top LED flashes when powered On/Off.
Windows illuminates when paired with device and flash when paring.
Auxiliary IN for direct connection via 3.5mm cable
Multi-Function interface for Volume / Play / Pause / >> / << / Phone / Power
1.5” full range driver with precision tuned ported enclosure + 1.5” bass radiator
Mil spec PCB with SMD parts for amplification
USB Rechargeable lithium-ion battery with 5 hour life of constant playback
Battery indicator display / voice battery low indicator
5.89"(H) × 2.98"(D) × 2.98(W) / 149.6mm(H) * 75.6mm(W) * 75.6mm(D)

For more information please contact FAMETEK or visit the Facebook page

FILTER: - Merchandise

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Havoc Files / In His Kiss

Wednesday, 9 March 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Havoc Files (Credit: Candy-Jar Books)

As part of their ongoing series of Lethbridge-Stewart novels, Candy Jar Books also published a number of short stories to accompany them as downloads; these have now been collected together and will be published as an anthology, The HAVOC Files.

The book includes the stories: Ambush (Andy Frankham-Allen), Legacies (Norma Ashley), One Cold Step (Andy Frankham-Allen), The Cult of the Grinning Man (Tom Dexter), The Dogs of War (Andy Frankham-Allen), and The Fright Before Christmas (Tom Dexter). As an added bonus the collection also includes a previously unreleased story, The Enfolded Time, by Andy Frankham-Allen; the author said:

I did play with calling this one The Many Brigadiers, as we are in the unique position of being able to deal with the dating issues that plagued Lethbridge-Stewart during his time in Doctor Who. And, to break with tradition, this story is set outside the normal Lethbridge-Stewart narrative, taking place in 1990. It will, hopefully, prove to be a very different kind of story.

Lethbridge-Stewart: In His Kiss (Credit: Candy Jar Books)

In keeping with the tradition of accompanying e-books, this title will be no exception, with purchasers of the book also to receive a digital copy of In His Kiss, written by best-selling author Sue Hampton. Set during Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart’s early days as a teenager in 1945, it is described as "a haunting tale of lost love". The author added:

It was exciting to get to know a young Alastair, haunted by his brother's death and painfully in love for the first time. I really savoured the challenge of exploring beyond my comfort zone – and for the Brig-to-be, things are certainly anything but comfortable!

The HAVOC Files will only be available as a strictly limited edition print run of 300 copies, available directly from the Candy Jar Bookstore.

The new series of Lethbridge-Stewart begins in April with the release of Moon Blink by Sadie Miller.

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

Genesis of the Daleks back on vinyl

Wednesday, 9 March 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Demon Records to re-release a special version of the 1970s vinyl soundtrack of Genesis of the Daleks - featuring linking narration by Tom Baker - as part of the this year's Record Store Day, taking place on 16th April 2016.

Genesis of the Daleks (vinyl record) (Credit: Demon Records/BBC)

Doctor Who: Genesis of the Daleks

A special reissue of an audio Doctor Who adventure, which was originally released in 1978 on BBC Records. This collector’s edition is released on 180g heavy weight ‘TARDIS blue’ coloured vinyl and is a must-have for all Whovians. The recording was one of the first Doctor Who audio adventures, a condensed soundtrack version of a TV episode with Tom Baker providing bridging narration. The story unfolds as Doctor Who travels to the desolate planet Skaro to avert the creation of the Daleks.

This highly collectable reissue of one the most dramatic episodes in the show’s history has been recreated with the original BBC Records artwork and accompanying sleeve notes.

FILTER: - Audio - Merchandise - Tom Baker - Vinyl

BBC Shop to close

Tuesday, 8 March 2016 - Reported by Marcus

BBC Worldwide is to close the online BBC Shop, which sells Books, DVDs, BluRays and games related to BBC output.

Instead the company will concentrate on BBC Store, which launched last year and offers digital copies of BBC programs.

BBC Worldwide explained its thinking

The DVD market has been in decline for a number of years as consumers move to digital viewing. The market no longer supports the commercial release of many of the titles we’re able to make available on BBC Store. BBC Worldwide returns profits to the BBC’s Public Service to reinvest in programming.

The shop closes on 30th March. A number of bargains, including items of Doctor Who mechendise, can be obtained while stocks last.

FILTER: - Merchandise

Bernice Summerfield Unbound

Thursday, 3 March 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Lisa Bowerman, David Warner and Mark Gatiss (Credit: Big Finish)

Big Finish have announced a new series for the character that first launched their audio range, Professor Bernice Summerfield, this time teamed up with a rather different third incarnation of the Doctor, first introduced in the Unbound stories Sympathy for the Devil and Masters of War, as played by David Warner.

Doctor Who – The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield Volume 3: The Unbound Universe will see the universe's greatest archaeologist recruited by the Doctor for a mission to his parallel dimension – where together they set off to explore the aftermath of a disaster that has laid waste to reality. Benny and the Doctor will face the Kareem, the Blanks, Unicorns and the Sisters of Saint Beedlix – as a terrible truth awaits them at the end of reality.

Producer James Goss said:

We were trying to work out where we could take Benny next, and the idea just sort of happened. We immediately got very excited about it. David Warner is a legend, and his Doctor is the perfect foil to Lisa Bowerman. Whereas Benny is a famously gung-ho adventuress, he's a cautious man with a twinkle in his eye. She falls into his universe and gives him a new lease of life.

We were very lucky with the guest cast – we've a wealth of national treasures. Not only do we have David Warner, we've got Radio 4 newsreader Zeb Soanes; we've Dr Gillian Magwidle herself – Julie Graham.

Another returnee for this series is the Master, as played by Sam Kisgart aka Mark Gatiss; Goss explained:

Kisgart's Master originally featured in David Warner's first adventure, Sympathy For The Devil, and we couldn't leave him out of this boxset. We contacted Mark, who said that Sam would be available. Well, once panto season was over.

The series has been directed by long term Benny-associate Scott Handcock, who said:

Lisa and David have a brilliant chemistry – it's a very different Doctor/Companion relationship. Benny really is the adventurer, dragging the Doctor along behind her. When we first meet him, he's given up all hope – but Benny is determined to, quite literally, save the universe. The guest cast are marvellous – it's a hoot. Kisgart has never been more sinister.

The other three episodes in the set have been written by Guy Adams, Una McCormack and Emma Reeves. Guest stars in the box-set include Rowena Cooper, Zeb Soanes, Tom Webster, Alex Jordan, Sophie Wu, Julie Graham, Kerry Gooderson, Deirdre Mullins, George Blagden, Richard Earl, Aaron Neil, Laura Doddington, Lizzie Hopley, Shvorne Marks and Gus Brown.

Doctor Who – The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield Volume 3: The Unbound Universe is due to be released in August 2016, and can be pre-ordered from the Big Finish website. CD orders direct from the company will also include a digital copy for download.

FILTER: - Audio - Big Finish - Merchandise

Previous 10 Stories

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Showstoppers

Doctor Who Magazine 499

BBC Books: In The Blood

Lethbridge-Stewart: free download for Easter short story The Black Eggs of Khufu

Bad Wolf Bluetooth Speaker

Bad Wolf Speaker

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Havoc Files / In His Kiss

Genesis of the Daleks back on vinyl

BBC Shop to close

Bernice Summerfield Unbound

This Week in Doctor Who

ARCHIVE

FILTER