Until quite recently, Doctor Who was almost entirely unknown to me. I was familiar with some of the main points, like time travel, the T.A.R.D.I.S., and cute robots that shout “Exterminate!” But once TBPL’s Youth Advisory Council found me out, I was very strongly encouraged to start watching the show. Luckily, I have been enjoying the series (available on DVD in our collection). If you are a serious Doctor Who fan, you’ve likely already watched all the episodes and think you’re pretty well versed in Doctor Who lore. However, did you know that there is a whole lot more canonical world to explore?
Full-length novels have been published with both entirely new content and as adapted versions of episodes. Doctor Who: the Wheel of Ice is a new adventure where the Second Doctor visits the rings of one of Saturn’s moons. Darkstar Academy and the Day of the Cockroach features the Eleventh Doctor traveling to what only appears to be an average 1950’s English public school. Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, wrote a few Doctor Who episodes. One never-used script was converted by Gareth Roberts into the novel Shada: the Lost Adventure, starring the Fourth Doctor and his companion Romana. Doctor Who: Eleven Doctors Eleven Stories is an anthology collection with each story featuring a different doctor. Written by various popular authors, including Neil Gaiman, Eoin Colfer, Charles Higson, and Richelle Mead, these very creative and sometimes unusual additions to the canon were very well received.
In addition to print, many Doctor Who books are also available as audio books by visiting your library branches or through our Overdrive collection. Doctor Who: the Mind Robber by Peter Ling is a re-telling of a Second Doctor television adventure. The Doctor and his companions Jamie and Zoe explore the Land of Fiction, encountering familiar characters from British childhood classics like Peter Pan and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. This and other audio books feature stories from all eras of Doctor Who, from the earlier series to the most recent incarnations.
Graphic novels featuring Doctor Who are also available. Collections like Doctor Who: Through Time and Space is composed of original content, with art and characterizations echoing the show’s conventions. This collection of one-shots (short stories) features the Tenth Doctor and has the same spirit and verve of his tenure in the role. Finally, for your background listening while reading about Doctor Who, you can listen to the soundtracks of the various series.
Expand your Doctor Who knowledge using TBPL’s collection. I’ll be dipping into these stories myself… just as soon as I’m done watching over sixteen days of highly entertaining sci-fi television.
Laura Prinselaar
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