New Doctor Who Novels (and old ones too)

[jjpor]

This intrigues me:

www.doctorwhonews.net/2011/07/dwn210711121508-bbc-books-harvest-of.html

Not only a rerelease of some of the Target novelisations, but a new classic Who novel by "name" sf author Alastair Reynolds, and a novelisation of Shada?? Doesn't say who that's by, but *cough*giveittoGarethRobertsgiveittoGarethRoberts*cough* - it's just a pity that Douglas Adams isn't around any more to adapt his own script. And apparently more original novels featuring past Doctors to come. About time BBC books gave the old series some love, really, and hopefully they have some other authors of the same calibre as Reynolds and Michael Moorcock lined up (not that I'd actually class Reynolds in the same bracket as the man, the myth, the legend that is Moorcock, but still).

Did anybody else actually read the Moorcock novel? I can sort of see why some fans might have been a bit underwhelmed by it, as it was much more Moorcock than NuWho in tone and concepts, and Eleven and Amy weren't exactly close to their on-screen characterisations (but then he was probably writing it while S5 was still shooting, so that's sort of understandable), but still a very good read, I thought. Something you could get your teeth into.

Still, I'm quite chuffed with this announcement.

[IMForeman]

Jul 25, 2011 20:17:52 GMT jjpor said:

Not only a rerelease of some of the Target novelisations, but a new classic Who novel by "name" sf author Alastair Reynolds, and a novelisation of Shada?? Doesn't say who that's by, but *cough*giveittoGarethRobertsgiveittoGarethRoberts*cough*

They did.

[jjpor]

Jul 25, 2011 20:38:38 GMT IMForeman said:

Jul 25, 2011 20:17:52 GMT jjpor said:

Not only a rerelease of some of the Target novelisations, but a new classic Who novel by "name" sf author Alastair Reynolds, and a novelisation of Shada?? Doesn't say who that's by, but *cough*giveittoGarethRobertsgiveittoGarethRoberts*cough*

They did.

Excellent... The only published Who author I've ever seen whose Four/Romana obsession surpasses my own (or so I think when I read his Missing Adventures with those two in, which I consider things of supreme squeefulness). So, good show, really. ;D Maybe they'll finally do a City of Death novelisation somewhere down the line?

[Maggadin]

Yay, GRob!

[jjpor]

Yeah, he's like my hero. They should make him showrunner when Moffat decides he's had enough (optimistically assuming there'll still be a show to run...). ;D

[kirkg]

JJ, did you hear a rumor that season six was the last season or something?

[jjpor]

Jul 30, 2011 16:01:49 GMT kirkg said:

JJ, did you hear a rumor that season six was the last season or something?

Well no, I say, some seven months later, but you should never count your chickens when it comes to the big, bad world of television I feel...

Anyway, on topic: I have now put in my preorder for Shada, the novel. No idea when it ships, but looking forward to it already. Has Douglas Adams's name as big if not bigger than Roberts's on the cover, but I guess that's a) just good marketing and b) kind of fair, because it is a collaboration, I guess, even if a posthumous one.

Incidentally, did anyone else read Dan Abnett's recentish Eleven novel As The Silent Stars Go By? It was good, if "trad" by NA/EDA standards. Abnett is by no means a big "name" author like Moorcock or Reynolds, but he's very highly regarded in the world of novelisations and licenced-property tie-ins, the go-to guy, really, and it shows. Very well-written. And it had Ice Warriors in. Ice Warriors being awesome. ;D

To return, kind of, to Kirk's question, I do think that before we see the kind of cracky, experimental stuff that was common at the times of the New Adventures and EDAs again in novel form, the series will probably have to end again. No way Aunty Beeb would let a Lawrence Miles loose on what at the moment must be their biggest money-spinning franchise.

[aquabluejay]

I've been for to confused and frightened by this whole thing to even look into the books...