September 2008 | NEWS
News stories are listed below in chronological order (oldest stories at the top, newest stories at the bottom). Updates are posted regularly, so check this page frequently for the most recent information. We use a variety of sources for our reports, and are not responsible for any inaccurate information posted.
01 SEPTEMBER
DOCTOR WHO | Big Finish audio updates
Big Finish Productions, the producers of Classic Series Doctor Who audio drama, have updated their official website with news that was originally announced in the most recent issue of Doctor Who Magazine.
The return of the Black Guardian, now played by David Troughton (Cuddlesome), is announced as a feature of the Key2Time season which begins in January. Producer David Richardson praises Troughton's performance, and the casting of Lalla Ward and Raquel Cassidy is also revealed. {1}
Another news story on the site picks up on the return of Anna Hope as DI Menzies (The Condemned), who encounters the Sixth Doctor and Charley Pollard for a second time in December's The Raincloud Man. Casting details for Return of the Krotons, the subscriber-special which comes free with that story, are also announced. {2}
Also, the trailer for the Sixth Doctor and Charley's newest adventure, Brotherhood of the Daleks, has been added to the site. {3}
LINKS
1. "The Black Guardian is Back!", BigFinish.com
2. "DI Menzies, Charley and the Doctor Together Again", Big Finish.com
3. Brotherhood of the Daleks, BigFinish.com
DOCTOR WHO | Comic Book artist Guerra talks
Illustrator Pia Guerra, who is working on the Doctor Who: The Forgotten miniseries, spoke to Comic Book Resources at the end of August about the series. {1}
She chooses Tom Baker and David Tennant as her favourite incarnations of the Time Lord, and talks about littering the story - which features all ten Doctors - with references to the show's past.
LINKS
1. "Pia Guerra talks Doctor Who: The Forgotten", ComicBookResources.com
STAR TREK | New previews at Library Computer
Library Computer, the regular Star Trek books column at TrekMovie.com, has previewed a pair of upcoming books in the last week.
One article, by John Tenuto, covers Star Trek 101, a guide to the series aimed at newcomers, by Terry J. Erdmann and Paula M. Block. The article features exclusive pages from the text, and a run-down of the existing Companion books. {1}
In addition, the site also boasts an exclusive extract from Chapter Two of Gods of Night, which is the opening novel in the Star Trek: Destiny trilogy by David Mack. {2}
LINKS
1. "Preview of Star Trek 101", Library Computer, TrekMovie.com
2. "Exclusive excerpt from Star Trek Destiny: Gods of Night.", Library Computer, TrekMovie.com
DOCTOR WHO | Authors signing in London
Next Saturday, Doctor Who authors Mark Morris and Simon Messingham will be signing copies of their new novels Ghosts of India and The Doctor Trap, which feature the Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble, and are released this month.
Between 3pm and 4pm, they will be on the basement floor of Forbidden Planet's London Megastore on Shaftesbury Avenure, on Saturday 6th September. The store will be selling copies of both books for the reduced price of £5.99.
If you can't make it to the session, but would still like to buy signed copies of the two books, you can order in advance on the website {2}, which also has full details of the books and the event. {1}
LINKS
1. Events and Signings, ForbiddenPlanet.com
2. Promotions, ForbiddenPlanet.com
02 SEPTEMBER
DOCTOR WHO | New audio play information
Another set of updates have been added to the Big Finish website, including art and cast/plot details for various upcoming Doctor Who adventures, and a special free download.
First of all, the full cast list and plot summary for The Raincloud Man, a new Sixth Doctor and Charley story by Eddie Robson, has been added to the website. {1} There are also new details for Return of the Krotons, a special one-disc release which comes free with The Raincloud Man if you are a subscriber, including a plot summary, cast list, and cover image. {2}
Additionally, the full cast list for Simon Guerrier's Fifth Doctor story The Judgement of Isskar has been released, alongside a plot description of the adventure, which forms the first part of the Key2Time trilogy. {3} The same is also available for part two, Destroyer of Delights. {4}
There's also a free story available for download: The Coup, the prelude to the four-part UNIT series, which was originally given away as a promotional CD with Doctor Who Magazine #351. {5}
LINKS
1. The Raincloud Man, BigFinish.com
2. Return of the Krotons, BigFinish.com
3. The Judgement of Isskar, BigFinish.com
4. The Destroyer of Delights, BigFinish.com
5. UNIT: The Coup, BigFinish.com
STAR TREK | Mack interview previews Destiny
The newest edition of the Library Computer column at TrekMovie.com features Robert Lyons' interview with Star Trek author David Mack, in which he discusses the Star Trek Destiny trilogy which is released later this year. {1}
(Unreality SF has also spoken about the series with Mack, and our interview will be published later this month.)
LINKS
1. "Exclusive interview with Destiny writer David Mack", Library Computer, TrekMovie.com
04 SEPTEMBER
DOCTOR WHO | More audio tidbits
Big Finish have continued to update their website with new information and offers relating to their Doctor Who audio plays.
In addition to the free UNIT prelude episode which we reported earlier, the four main releases in that spin-off series are now available for just £20, rather than £11 each. {1} That free episode has also been automatically sent to listeners subscribed to the Big Finish Podcast. {2}
A new news item about the forthcoming Key2Time series has been added {3}, and cast and plot details for the final story (The Chaos Pool) are also available. {4}
Updates about the Companion Chronicles range include a full story description for both The Darkening Eye {5} and The Prisoner's Dilemma {6}; and a trailer is now available for the Stage Plays release Curse of the Daleks {7}.
LINKS
1. UNIT Season One, BigFinish.com
2. Podcast, BigFinish.com
3. "New Quest for the Key 2 Time", BigFinish.com
4. The Chaos Pool, BigFinish.com
5. The Darkening Eye, BigFinish.com
6. The Prisoner's Dilemma, BigFinish.com
7. Curse of the Daleks, BigFinish.com
STAR TREK | Third Destiny extract online
A third excerpt from David Mack's Gods of Night, the first volume of the Star Trek Destiny trilogy, has been posted online. {1}
The extract, which is taken from chapter three, follows previous extracts fro the first two chapters on SimonSays.com and TrekMovie.com, and promotional interviews with Mack on TrekMovie and Unreality-SF.net.
LINKS
1. "Exclusive: Read a new excerpt of Star Trek Destiny Gods of Night novel", TrekWeb.com
STAR TREK | Shards and Shadows unveiled
Editor Marco Palmieri has posted the table of contents for Shards and Shadows, the upcoming anthology of short stories set in Star Trek's Mirror Universe, online. {1}
The list of authors was announced some time ago, and a few story details have been revealed since then, but this is the first time readers have been given a full list of titles, and information about which series or set of characters are involved in each story.
The stories are:
- Nobunaga by Dave Stern (Enterprise)
- Ill Winds by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore (pre-TOS/Captain Robert April)
- The Greater Good by Margaret Wander Bonanno (TOS)
- The Black Flag by James Swallow (Vanguard)
- The Traitor by Michael Jan Friedman (Stargazer)
- The Sacred Chalice by Rudy Josephs (Next Generation)
- Bitter Fruit by Susan Wright (Voyager)
- Family Matters by Keith R.A. DeCandido (Gorkon/Klingon Empire)
- Homecoming by Peter David (New Frontier)
- A Terrible Beauty by Jim Johnson (Deep Space Nine)
- Empathy by Christopher L. Bennett (Titan)
- For Want of a Nail by David Mack (TNG-ish)
LINKS
1. Post in "MU Vanguard in Shards & Shadows", TrekBBS.com
06 SEPTEMBER
STAR TREK | Destiny promotion continues
Following numerous extracts and interviews over the last few weeks, the promotion of the upcoming Star Trek Destiny crossover trilogy continues today on the Vox Bomb blog, where Julio Angel Ortiz interviews author David Mack about the series. {1}
Additionally, the first review of the trilogy's opening book, Gods of Night, has been posted online at SciFiChick.com. {2}
LINKS
1. "Star Trek Destiny Pre-Game Show: Interview with David Mack", Vox Bomb
2. Star Trek Destiny: Gods of Night, SciFiChick.com
08 SEPTEMBER
DOCTOR WHO | BBC want Almanac reviewers
The BBC's official Doctor Who website is looking for school reading groups in the UK to read and review the upcoming non-fiction book Time Traveller's Almanac.
The book, priced £14.99 and released on September 25th, is a fully-illustrated wealth of Doctor Who facts and details collected by Steve Tribe, and it continues the tradition of other impressive volumes such as The Shooting Scripts (2005), The Inside Story (2006) and The Encyclopedia (2007).
An online application form for any interested schools is available now. {1}
LINKS
1. "Reading groups required!", BBC.co.uk
STAR TREK | Deep Space details
Pocket Books editor Marco Palmieri has revealed some tantalising information about The Never Ending Sacrifice, an upcoming post-finale Deep Space Nine novel by Una McCormack.
Announced at the Shore Leave convention several months ago, the novel marks McCormack's fourth foray into the Trek world, after Face Value (a short story in Prophecy and Change), The Lotus Flower (a novel in Worlds of Deep Space Nine: Volume 1) and Hollow Men (a highly-acclaimed novel which followed up on In the Pale Moonlight).
"It actually begins in Season Two of Deep Space Nine," Palmieri revealed in an online discussion {1}, "and continues through the current post-TV novels, moving some months beyond Fearful Symmetry and The Soul Key.
"What I can tell you at this stage is that the decision to begin the story in Season Two is not a random one, and that readers will learn for the first time what it was like to be on the ground on Cardassia in the years before, during, and after the Klingon invasion, the destruction of the Obsidian Order, the rise of Dukat as Union leader under the Dominion, the Dominion War itself, and the postwar years - all from the perspective of someone who isn't Garak."
LINKS
1. Post in "The Never Ending Sacrifice", TrekBBS.com
VARIOUS | DeCandido podcast interview
Keith R.A. DeCandido, popular author of various different media tie-in books but perhaps best known for his Star Trek work, has been interviewed for the Fandomania podcast. {1}
He discusses a huge number of his books at length, covering Star Trek, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Farscape and original universe Dragon Precinct, as well as several others.
LINKS
1. Fandomania Podcast, Episode #6: "The One with Keith R.A. DeCandido"
10 SEPTEMBER
TORCHWOOD | Lost Souls download, interview
The Torchwood radio play Lost Souls was broacast today on BBC Radio 4, and is now available online. For the next seven days, the story, which is written by Joseph Lidster and ties in with the activation of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN today, can be listened to via iPlayer, or downloaded as a free .mp3. {1}
There's also an exclusive interview with Lidster, in which he discusses Lost Souls, by Mark Wright at The Stage. {2}
The play will also be released on CD soon, with exclusive bonus material.
LINKS
1. Torchwood: Lost Souls, BBC.co.uk
2. "Torchwood - Lost Souls", TV Today, TheStage.co.uk
16 SEPTEMBER
DOCTOR WHO | Writer's Tale extract
Today's edition of The Times, published today in the UK, promotes the forthcoming book The Writer's Tale with an exclusive extract.
The book, which is written by Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies and Benjamin Cook, lifts the lid on some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of the show, and is due for release on September 25th costing £30.
The extract is also available online. {1}
(Stay tuned, because Unreality SF has plans to cover the book in depth over the coming weeks.)
LINKS
1. "Doctor Who's secrets revealed, by Russell T Davies", TimesOnline.co.uk
17 SEPTEMBER
DOCTOR WHO | More Writer's Tale coverage
The promotion of Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale has continued over the last couple of days, with the BBC news website {1} picking up on the extract published in The Times yesterday {2}. The Times itself has also reported on the excerpt, anchoring their story on Russell T Davies' suggestion of Russell Tovey as the Eleventh Doctor {3}.
The publishers of the book have also added a blog about it to their website, along with shots of a few pages {4}, which are now also viewable on the Amazon page for the book {5}.
Most notable of all, though, is a second new extract from the book in The Times. Also available online {6}, it features spoiler-laden discussion of the upcoming Christmas Special, and sees Russell discuss press launches and Steven Moffat's appointment as new showrunner.
LINKS
1. "Doctor Who's secrets revealed, by Russell T Davies", TimesOnline.co.uk
2. "Davies suggests next Doctor Who", BBC.co.uk
3. "History boy could be next Doctor Who", TimesOnline.co.uk
4. "Doctor Who Christmas Crackers - Part 1", Ebury Publishing Blog
5. Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale, Amazon.co.uk
6. "The Next Doctor", TimesOnline.co.uk
DOCTOR WHO | New Big Finish CD covers
Big Finish have uploaded the cover images of the following CDs to their website: The Chaos Pool {1}, The Judgement of Isskar {2} and Destroyer of Delights {3}, which are the three parts of the Key2Time series featuring the Fifth Doctor and Amy; Curse of the Daleks {4}, which is the final Stageplays release; and Masters of War {5}, an Unbound story starring David Warner as an alternate Doctor.
1. The Chaos Pool, BigFinish.com
2. The Judgement of Isskar, BigFinish.com
3. Destroyer of Delights, BigFinish.com
4. Curse of the Daleks, BigFinish.com
5. Masters of War, BigFinish.com
18 SEPTEMBER
DOCTOR WHO | Davies/Cook book signings
Russell T Davies and Benjamin Cook are due to appear at a number of bookstores in the UK in October to sign copies of their forthcoming book The Writer's Tale, DoctorWhoNews.com has reported. {1}
On October 8th, they will be at Waterstone's in London's Picadilly from 6pm.
On October 9th, they'll appear at Waterstone's on Birmingham High Street at midday, before travelling to the Waterstone's in Manchester's Trafford Centre for a 6pm signing.
On October 10th, the pair are due to visit two branches of Borders: the Bristol store, at 12.30pm, and the Cardiff branch, at 5.30pm.
These signings are in addition to an appearance by Cook and Davies at the National Theatre, which has already sold out, and numerous television and radio appearances.
LINKS
1. "The Writer's Tale signings", DoctorWhoNews.com
20 SEPTEMBER
THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES | Sladen audiobook updates
The latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine reveals that Elisabeth Sladen is the narrator for both the Sarah Jane Adventures audio-exclusive stories due for release on CD in November.
The two releases are The Time Capsule (by Peter Anghelides) and The Ghost House (by Stephen Cole, previously titled Shatter Point), and are set during the second series of the show, priced £5.99 each.
23 SEPTEMBER
DOCTOR WHO | Kids give novels thumbs-up
The regular series of Doctor Who book reviews contributed by schoolchildren has continued on the show's official website.
Pupils from St Clement & St James school have posted their thoughts on Simon Messingham's The Doctor Trap {1}, and readers from Belgrave C.E. Primary School have done the same for Shining Darkness by Mark Michalowski {2}.
In other book news, the website has found a reading group to review Time Traveller's Almanac, but will be launching a search for children to discuss the 2009 Storybook soon {3}, and has also picked up on the recent press stories about The Writer's Tale {4}.
LINKS
1. "The Doctor Trap: Captivating or not?", BBC.co.uk
2. "Shining Darkness: Ray of sunshine, or too gloomy?", BBC.co.uk
3. "Reading groups required! [UPDATED]", BBC.co.uk
4. "Who's in the Frame?", BBC.co.uk
DOCTOR WHO | Anniversary audio authors
Online retailer Amazon.co.uk has revealed the names of the four authors who will be contributing to Forty-Five, the collection of four short audio plays due for release in November from Big Finish Productions.
The two-disc set, which stars Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor with Sophie Aldred and Phillip Olivier as companions Ace and Hex, was announced several months ago as a special release to mark Doctor Who's 45th anniversary. It follows the success of 100 and Circular Time, which both took a similar format.
The writers are Mark Morris, Mark Michalowski, Nick Scovell, and Steven Hall.
24 SEPTEMBER
STAR TREK | German site interviews Bennett
Popular Star Trek author Christopher L. Bennett has been interviewed by the German website TrekZone.de. In the interview {1}, he talks about how he broke into Trek writing, and previews his forthcoming Titan book.
A version of the interview translated into English has also been posted on the TrekBBS message board. {2}
LINKS
1. "Literatur 5: Aus dem Space-Kästchen geplaudert", TrekZone.de
2. "Interview with Christopher L. Bennett," TrekBBS.com
25 SEPTEMBER
DOCTOR WHO | Competition anthology previewed
Yesterday's edition of The Herald included a feature on Doctor Who to mark the release of the latest Short Trips anthology, How the Doctor Changed My Life.
The feature, which is now available online {1}, includes brief contributions from the book's editor Simon Guerrier, and Michael Coen who was the overall winner of the competition which Guerrier set up to collect stories for the volume.
"Doctor Who has the best-ever premise for generating stories," Coen explains, "a man steps out of a magic box into an adventure." The anthology is now available from Big Finish Productions, priced £14.99.
LINKS
1. "Standing the test of time," TheHerald.co.uk
DOCTOR WHO | Two new Short Trips
The Big Finish website has been updated with details of the next two Short Trips anthologies.
#27 is Christmas Around the World, the now-traditional seasonal release for December. Edited by Xanna Eve Chown, the authors include Andrew Cartmel, Simon Guerrier, Rebecca Levene, James Moran, Kate Orman, and Eddie Robson. The cover image and blurb are also available. {1}
#28 is Indefinable Magic, which is edited by Neil Corry. It features contributions from Gareth Roberts, James Goss, Eddie Robson, Ian Farrington, Matthew James, Steve Lyons, David N. Smith, Cavan Scott and Mark Wright, John Callaghan, Gareth Wigmore, Simon Guerrier, Michael Rees, Jim Sangster, Mike Amberry, Stephen Hatcher, Stephen Dunn, Arnold T Blumberg, and Caleb Woodbridge. Story titles, a cover image, and a blurb are on the website. {2}
LINKS
1. Christmas Around the World, BigFinish.com
2. Indefinable Magic, BigFinish.com
26 SEPTEMBER
DOCTOR WHO | John S. Drew talks Leadership
The latest episode of popular Doctor Who podcast Podshock features an interview with John S. Drew, discussing Short Trips: The Quality of Leadership, the anthology which he conceived and wrote the framing story for. {1}
LINKS
1. Podshock #116, GallifreyanEmbassy.org
STAR TREK | TrekMovie on crossovers
The regular Library Computer column at TrekMovie.com has been updated with a feature on "crossover" events in Star Trek literature, coinciding with the release of the Destiny trilogy. {1}
The miniseries featured include Section 31, Double Helix, Gateways, Invasion!, Day of Honor and Dark Passions, with a summary of each series and an overall review.
LINKS
1. "Crossover Mini-Series Retrospective", Library Computer, TrekMovie.com
30 SEPTEMBER
STAR TREK | David Mack on Destiny
Jeff Ayers has interviewed author David Mack about the Star Trek Destiny trilogy at ComicMix.com. {1}
He talks about the trilogy at length, also touching on his Vanguard work, and how he got started on Trek writing.
LINKS
1. "David Mack talks Destiny", ComicMix.com
DOCTOR WHO | Saturday's Storybook signing
This Saturday, authors who contributed stories to the 2009 Doctor Who Storybook will be signing copies of the book at Forbidden Planet in London.
Gareth Roberts, Keith Temple, James Moran, Clayton Hickman, Gary Russell and Jonathan Morris will be in the Megastore on Saturday 4th October from 1-2pm. {1}
If you can't make it to the event, but would still like a signed copy of the book, they're also available for pre-order now. {2}
LINKS
1. Events and Signings, ForbiddenPlanet.com
2. Doctor Who Storybook 2009, ForbiddenPlanet.com
DOCTOR WHO | Writer's Tale website
An official website for Russell T Davies and Benjamin Cook's The Writer's Tale has been launched. {1}
As well as biographies for both Davies and Cook, and ordering information for both the standard edition of the book and the Waterstone's exclusive version, there are an unprecedented number of extracts available. {2}
LINKS
1. TheWritersTale.com
2. Extracts, TheWritersTale.com
DOCTOR WHO | Four plots for Forty-Five
Story summaries for the four individual adventures which make up Forty-Five, the audio release from Big Finish which celebrates Doctor Who's 45th anniversary, have been revealed:
FALSE GODS by MARK MORRIS: "In the blistering heat of the Egyptian desert Howard Carter and his team search for the lost tomb of Userhat, a servant of the god Amun. What they discover sheds new light on the history of the world as we know it."
ORDER OF SIMPLICITY by NICK SCOVELL: "Dr. Verryman has devoted his life to the advancement of knowledge. When his experiments on a remote planet threaten the entire human race only the Doctor can help - if he puts his mind to it."
CASUALTIES OF WAR by MARK MICHALOWSKI: "Opportunity knocks in postwar London. But when a tea leaf steals from the wrong woman it becomes a race against time to discover the truth. Only some truths are best left untold."
THE WORD LORD by STEVEN HALL: "In a top secret military bunker deep beneath the Antarctic ice a mysterious death threatens peace negotiations and could spell disaster for the inhabitants of Earth. Can the Doctor cross the t's and dot the i's? Or will his efforts get lost in translation?"
More information is available on the Big Finish website. {1}
LINKS
1. Forty-Five, BigFinish.com
