8 Doctor Who Books to Read Before the 60th Anniversary Specials

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November twenty third is the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who. The BBC will launch three new specials quickly, that includes the Fourteenth Doctor (David Tennant), Donna Noble (Catherine Tate), and introducing the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa). The specials will air on the BBC on three consecutive Saturdays: November twenty fifth, December 2nd, and December ninth. They’ll stream on Disney+ exterior the UK and Ireland.

Fans usually name Doctor Who a present with no canon. The expanded media complicate — and even contradict — each other and the present. But that works completely for this “timey-wimey” franchise, crammed with parallel universes and alternate timelines.

From 1989 till 2005, often known as the “Wilderness Years,” Doctor Who was on hiatus. Still, there was loads of new content material. Fans revealed tales and essays in zines. Virgin Books revealed 94 new Doctor Who books. In 1996, Paul McGann starred as the Eighth Doctor in the TV film. The Big Finish audio dramas (usually that includes actors from the TV sequence) additionally began throughout the hiatus. After the TV sequence relaunched in 2005, some books from this period had been tailored into TV episodes.

There are a whole lot of Doctor Who books in whole, throughout a number of sequence, and even a cookbook! So, earlier than the anniversary specials, listed below are just a few suggestions. As River Song would say: spoilers!

Virgin Books

Human Nature Doctor Who by Paul Cornell cover

Human Nature by Paul Cornell

This is one among the most authentic and influential Doctor Who novels ever. In 1914 England, the Seventh Doctor turns into human to perceive his companion Bernice’s grief. Cornell later tailored his personal novel into “Human Nature” and “The Family of Blood,” a two-part TV story about the Tenth Doctor and Martha. Despite the related setting and premise, the Doctor’s motivations are completely different right here. On TV, the Doctor turns himself human to disguise from the Family of Blood: aliens who need to eat a Time Lord.

New Series Adventures (NSA)

In 2005, BBC Books started publishing center grade and younger grownup novels that includes characters from the relaunched TV sequence. The first NSA ebook was The Clockwise Man with the Ninth Doctor and Rose Tyler. There have been 63 NSA novels alone, not counting different sequence.

Doctor Who graphic novels, comedian books, and NSA novels inform new tales that by no means aired on TV. In distinction, novelizations narrate and increase on present TV episodes, generally fixing continuity points in the course of.

There are many Ninth Doctor novels, comics, and audio dramas. This is thrilling as a result of Christopher Eccleston set the commonplace for the new sequence Doctors and regretted leaving the present after just one season.

The Stone Rose by Jacqueline Rayner, audiobook narrated by David Tennant

While David Tennant was taking part in the Tenth Doctor, he narrated audiobooks of three Tenth Doctor novels: The Stone Rose, The Resurrection Casket, and The Feast of the Drowned. In The Stone Rose, Mickey discovers an historical Roman statue in the British Museum that appears precisely like Rose. Because that is Doctor Who, it IS a statue of her, and the TARDIS quickly sends Rose and the Doctor to the Roman Empire. This novel is very common in the fandom for the kiss between the Tenth Doctor and Rose.

Combat Magicks by Steve Cole, audiobook narrated by Mandip Gill

This Thirteenth Doctor journey options Yaz, Ryan, and Graham in the last days of the Roman Empire. The audiobook was narrated by Mandip Gill whereas she was taking part in Yaz on the present. The armies and aliens on this story might need made it too costly to movie. A Roman secret society, the Legion of Smoke, is very intriguing. It’s all the time tense when historical characters assume aliens are magicians or witches.

Comic Books and Graphic Novels (Titan Comics)

Empire of the Wolf by Jody Houser, illustrated by Roberta Ingranata, coloring by Warnia Okay. Sahadewa, lettering by Richard Starkings

This ebook affords solutions to followers’ questions like: What was Rose Tyler’s life like after “Journey’s End”? Here, a few years later, Rose is fortunately married to the Meta-crisis Doctor (a half-human model of the Tenth Doctor). He calls himself John Smith, the Doctor’s frequent alias on the present. John and Rose have a teen daughter, Mia. The Eighth and Eleventh Doctors meet Rose Tyler, plus Empress Rose, a planet-conquering, alternate actuality model of Rose.

Coloring Books

Doctor Who Coloring Book by James Newman Gray, Lee Teng Chew, and Jan Smith

I personal and love each Doctor Who coloring books. The first one has extra Classic Who and is organized by every Doctor. It was revealed whereas Peter Capaldi was the Twelfth Doctor, so it consists of collages of Doctors 1 by means of 12. There are additionally a number of summary, difficult patterns of Daleks and the TARDIS. This model is common for grownup coloring, however I want to coloration individuals and scenes, not designs.

Doctor Who Travels in Time Coloring Book cover

Doctor Who Travels in Time Coloring Book by James Newman Gray, Lee Teng Chew, and Jan Smith

Both coloring books are lovely, however I want this one. Here, the Doctor’s adventures are organized chronologically by the eras visited. It has extra of the Tenth Doctor and his companions (my favourite period!), extra line artwork of particular person episodes, and fewer collages and summary designs. So, I discovered it simpler and extra fascinating.

Puffin Classics Crossovers

This sequence of crossovers between Doctor Who and traditional, public-domain literature began in 2021.

Legends of Camelot by Jacqueline Rayner

I like several model of the King Arthur legend, and this can be a enjoyable journey with the Tenth Doctor and Donna! Of course, Donna has a crush on Lancelot. Alternate dimensions present a sci-fi clarification for the contradictory variations of Arthurian legends.

According to one fan idea, the Doctor was Merlin in one other dimension. I dislike this idea as a result of Merlin’s abusive actions could be out of character for the Doctor. In some medieval Arthurian tales, Arthur is conceived as a result of Merlin permits Uther Pendragon to rape Igraine. Without mentioning sexual assault, Legends of Camelot nonetheless makes it clear the Doctor is NOT Merlin.

Rebellion on Treasure Island by Bali Rai

The Eleventh Doctor had a pirate TV episode: “The Curse of the Black Spot” with Amy and Rory. This ebook with Eleven, Clara, and River has a very completely different method. I all the time get pleasure from pirate adventures and Clara and the Doctor affectionately bickering. In this story impressed by Treasure Island, an 18th-century British man calls the Doctor after valuables are stolen from King George II’s crown. Of course, there are alien mists, however this ebook additionally mentions colonialism and pirates’ involvement in the slave commerce.

More From Doctor Who Fans

Back in 2016, BR’s Jenn Northington interviewed romance novelist Alisha Rai on her hopes and predictions for Doctor Who. She urged Donna reuniting with the Doctor and regaining her reminiscences…plus a feminine Doctor! Over seven years later, this appears proper on the cash.

This is simply a small sampling of the a whole lot of Doctor Who books out there on your perusal, however they’re an important place to get began when you rely down till the 60th anniversary specials!

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