News stories are listed below in reverse chronological order.

29th April 2008 | NEWS | NEW DOCTOR WHO AUDIOBOOKS

Online retailer Play.com is listing several three new Doctor Who CDs from BBC Audiobooks, due for release in the autumn.

This update includes two new additions to the readings of Doctor Who Classic Series novelisations, originally published by Target. These are The Green Death (featuring the Third Doctor and Jo Grant - novelised by Malcolm Hulke) and The Time Warrior (featuring the Third Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith - novelised by Terrance Dicks). Readers have not yet been announced.

Also listed is another in the series of narrated CDs, which take the original soundtrack from a classic serial and add linking narration from one of its original cast, therby adapting the episodes to audio. The Krotons, written by Robert Holmes and featuring the Second Doctor with Jamie and Zoe, is now available for pre-order. The narrator has not yet been announced.

Since this information comes from a third party, rather than directly from BBC Audiobooks, the information may not be wholly accurate, so bear in mind that all details are subject to change.

28th April 2008 | SITE UPDATE | NEW REVIEW ADDED

A new review has been added to Unreality SF:

The Sarah Jane Adventures: Invasion of the Bane (by Terrance Dicks)
The Sarah Jane Adventures: Revenge of the Slitheen (by Rupert Laight)
Reviewed by DB - "as colourful and lively as the series on which they're based"

27th April 2008 | NEWS | TIE-IN TIDBITS #3

More snippets of tie-in news from the last few days:

DOCTOR WHO: CAMPAIGN AVAILABLE AGAIN
The Doctor Who book Campaign by Jim Mortimore is now available online, and in a limited print run of hardback copies, after having been unavailable for several years.

The novel, which features the First Doctor, was originally pitched by Mortimore as part of the BBC's Past Doctor range eight years ago, and was eventually rejected. Mortimore self-published the book unofficially, with the profits donated to charity, and it received wide acclaim from fans.

It can be downloaded as a PDF, or ordered as a dead-tree book, from this link. Both versions of the book feature slight revisions, as well as extensive commentary from the author (although this commentary is edited in the PDF).

STAR TREK: TREKLIT CRITICISED
At PinkRaygun.com, blogger Adam Hunault has criticised Star Trek fiction as a whole, based upon an extract from the upcoming Star Trek: Enterprise novel Kobayashi Maru. The book, written by Michael A. Martin and Andy Mangels, is not yet available, but was one of several titles featured in a preview volume available at the recent New York Comic Con, which Hunault attended.

He claims that Mangels and Martin's writing style "would be enough to make William Shakespeare catatonic", going on to claim that "plodding and irrelevant prose is just pushing readers like me away from otherwise entertaining Star Trek stories".

The original piece is here at PinkRaygun.com, and a subsequent discussion featuring reactions from fans and authors is ongoing at TrekBBS.

26th April 2008 | SITE UPDATE | NEW REVIEW ADDED

A new review has been added to Unreality SF:

Doctor Who: Snowglobe 7 (by Mike Tucker)
Reviewed by DB - "tries really hard, but doesn't impress"

26th April 2008 | NEWS | NEW TORCHWOOD NOVELS

Amazon.co.uk is now listing two new Torchwood books for release this autumn from BBC Books.

Almost Perfect by James Goss, and Pack Animals by Peter Anghelides, are listed here and here respectively.

They are listed as paperbacks due for release on October 2nd, but this information is not necessarily accurate. No details of when the books are set, or what the storylines will be, is currently available.

Torchwood books have previously been announced and released in groups of three, so a third novel may also materialise. However, if there are indeed only two, this does fulfil the promise of eight tie-in adventures for Series Two (three novels and two audios already available, with another audio coming soon).

26th April 2008 | NEWS | MORE STARGATE CD COVERS

Big Finish Productions's website has been updated with covers for the fourth and fifth releases in their new series of Stargate audio adventures.

The cover of Perchance to Dream, an Atlantis adventure by Sally Malcolm which stars Paul McGillion, can now be seen here.

The cover of Pathogen, an SG-1 adventure by Sharon Gosling which stars Teryl Rothery and Christopher Judge, can now be seen here.

24th April 2008 | NEWS | STAR TREK BLURBS REVEALED

Blurbs for some upcoming Star Trek stories, which feature brand new information about settings and characters involved, have been posted online at TrekWeb.com.

The article, which was originally posted here, reveals the blurbs for the two Myriad Universes books. These volumes, each containing three full-length novels, take a look at alternate versions of established Trek history, providing a "what if...?" look at the universe.

The first volume, Infinity's Prism, is out in July:

A LESS PERFECT UNION by William Leisner: More than a hundred years after the Terra Prime movement achieved its dream of an isolationist Earth, humanity is once again at a fork in the river of history . . . and the path it follows may ultimately be determined by the voice of a single individual: the sole surviving crewmember of the first Starship Enterprise.

PLACES OF EXILE by Christopher L. Bennett: Midway through Voyager's journey across the galaxy, Captain Kathryn Janeway and Commander Chakotay must choose whether to brave a deadly war zone or abandon their quest for home. But an attack by Species 8472 cripples the ship, and the stranded crew must make new choices that will reshape their destinies . . . and that of the Delta Quadrant itself.

SEEDS OF DISSENT by James Swallow: Khan victorious! Almost four centuries after conquering their world, genetically enhanced humans dominate a ruthless interstellar empire. But the warship Defiance, under its augmented commander, Princeps Julian Bashir, makes a discovery that could shake the pillars of his proud civilization: an ancient sleeper ship from Earth named the Botany Bay.

Christopher L. Bennett first revealed that his story would feature the crew and settings of Star Trek: Voyager in this recent interview with Unreality SF. In another interview, James Swallow discussed his various Star Trek projects.

Swallow has also discussed the posting of the blurb on his LiveJournal.

The second volume, Echoes and Refractions, is available in August:

THE CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT by Geoff Trowbridge: In a continuum where Spock died during childhood, an Andorian named Thelin became Captain Kirk's stalwart friend and first officer. But at the moment of Khan's final defeat, history takes an even stranger turn, and the emerging potential of Project Genesis is revealed as the galaxy's greatest hope . . . and its most ominous threat.

A GUTTED WORLD by Keith R. A. DeCandido: Terrorist Kira Nerys-from a Bajor that was never liberated-may hold the key to winning a war that has engulfed half the galaxy. But with the Romulans and the Klingons at each other's throats, and the Federation pulled into the conflict, even victory may not bring salvation.

BRAVE NEW WORLD by Chris Roberson: Dr. Noonien Soong's dream has been realized: androids are now woven inextricably into the fabric of the Federation, revolutionizing Starfleet and transforming the quality of humanoid life. But when Soong's long-missing breakthrough creation, Data, mysteriously resurfaces, civilization reaches a crossroads that could lead to a bright new future, or to ruin.

Keith R.A. DeCandido discussed other parts of his story's plot in this recent Unreality SF interview.

DeCandudo has also discussed the blurb on his LiveJournal, as has Geoff Trowbridge, with the latter revealing that the as-yet-unrevealed final covers for the two books will be by artist John Picacio.

The TrekWeb article also has the blurb for the forthcoming omnibus These Haunted Seas, which collects two Deep Space Nine Relaunch novels - Mission Gamma: Twilight by David R. George III, and Mission Gamma: This Gray Spirit by Heather Jarman.

23rd April 2008 | NEWS | TIE-IN TIDBITS #2

More snippets of tie-in news from the last few days:

SUPERNATURAL: NEW COVER REVEALED
Author Keith R.A. DeCandido has posted the cover from his forthcoming novel Bone Key at his LiveJournal, which can be viewed here. The book will be released in September.

DOCTOR WHO: NEW BF PODCAST AND COVERS
Big Finish Productions, producers of Doctor Who Classic Series anthologies and audio dramas, have added the eighth episode of their Official Podcast, which features previews of new stories The Skull of Sobek and The Haunting of Thomas Brewster, as well as interviews with writers and producers including Nick Briggs. The podcast itself, and more detailed information, are available here.

Other updates to the Big Finish page include making a large number of stories from the company's back catalogue available for download, and the addition of two new covers - the images from The Zygon Who Fell to Earth and Assassin in the Limelight are now online to view.

STAR TREK: DESTINY SPOILERS
Amongst the growing anticipation for the forthcoming Destiny trilogy, a potential spoiler for the series of books has been posted on TrekBBS. There has been no confirmation on whether or not it is accurate, but if it is true then it may spoil the books, so view the TrekBBS discussion thread at your own discretion.

20th April 2008 | SITE UPDATE | NEW REVIEW ADDED

A new review has been added to Unreality SF:

Doctor Who: Martha in the Mirror (by Justin Richards)
Reviewed by DB - "a generally strong Doctor Who romp"

20th April 2008 | NEWS | COMIC-CON TREK NEWS

Several new nuggets of information on Star Trek books were revealed at ComicCon over the weekend, including announcements of new books and updates on existing ones. At the panel, which was led by editors Marco Palmieri and Margaret Clark, and authors Keith R.A. DeCandido, David Mack and Christopher L. Bennett, the following news was announced:

STAR TREK 101
This book, which has been on and off the schedules for a number of years, is due for release in September 2008. Written by Terry J. Erdmann and Paula M. Block, it is designed for newcomers to the Trek universe, especially those whose interest has risen due to the forthcoming movie. On the TrekBBS message board, Keith R.A. DeCandido said, "It's meant as a primer for the casual fan, someone who's been hearing the buzz about this movie, and knows that Star Trek exists, but doesn't know much about it. Having said that, there are fun things there for the more dedicated fans. My personal favorite: there'll a list of the 10 essential episodes of each live-action series, as well as a Spock's Brain award for each series."

POST-DESTINY BOOKS
As announced previously, 2008 will close with an epic trilogy by David Mack called Star Trek: Destiny, acting as a cross-over between various series. It has now been announced that the beginning of 2009 will see three follow-up stories published. They are:

1) A Singular Destiny by Keith R.A. DeCandido.
Released in February 2008, DeCandido described it on TrekBBS as "a little bit of a different beast. The people who've been clamouring for a Clancy-style political thriller will like this one, as it's about the political fallout from Destiny's events (which will be considerable). It won't feature any of the main crews, although a ship that plays a big role in Destiny will also play a big role here, as well as familiar faces from other parts of the Trek universe. The protagonist will be a civilian character of my own creation."

2) Titan: Over a Torrent Sea by Christopher L. Bennett.
This one will be released in March, and will pick up on what happened to the crew of the eponymous Titan in Mack's trilogy.

3) Voyager: Full Circle by Kirsten Beyer.
This is the long-awaited continuation of the post-Endgame 'relaunch' series of Star Trek: Voyager novels, which were previously written by Christie Golden. DeCandido, again on the TrekBBS, promised that it will "pick up initially where Spirit Walk Book 2 left off, and take Voyager aaaaaaall the way through to Destiny and beyond - which means the book will cover a few years, all told, and it will set the tone for future post-finale Voyager fiction".

DeCandido also promised that "[readers] who want to see more of the Bacco Administration from Articles of the Federation [will be pleased that] both the Destiny trilogy and A Singular Destiny will feature those characters in good-sized roles."

MERE ANARCHY AND VANGUARD #4
The Mere Anarchy series of six Star Trek: The Original Series eBooks, which were published between 2006 and 2007, will be available in print form for the first time. It will be printed in a trade paperback compilation in a similar manner to the recent Corps of Engineers omnibuses in March 2009, and is likely to have an introduction or afterword by series editor Keith DeCandido.

The fourth book in the Star Trek: Vanguard series, penned by Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore, has been scheduled for May 2009.

SHARDS AND SHADOWS AUTHORS REVEALED
The Mirror Universe anthology Shards and Shadows, pushed back from release in 2008 to a January 2009 slot, has had its list of contributing authors announced.

In alphabetical order, there will be short stories by Christopher L. Bennett, Margaret Wander Bonanno, Peter David, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Michael Jan Friedman, Jim Johnson, Rudy Josephs, David Mack, Dave Stern, James Swallow, Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore, and Susan Wright.

The anthology will be edited by Marco Palmieri and Margaret Clark, and will feature stories set in various corners of the Trek Mirror Universe.

NEW COVERS
The cover images for The Next Generation: Greater than the Sum by Christopher L. Bennett and Destiny #2: Mere Mortals by David Mack were also revealed, and should be available online soon.

For more information on the new announcements, visit these links:
- TrekBBS discussion thread, with extensive commentary from DeCandido
- DeCandido's blog post announcing A Singular Destiny
- DeCandido's blog post with the updated book schedule

17th April 2008 | NEWS | PEST CONTROL AVAILABLE

Pest Control, the upcoming audio-exclusive Doctor Who story by Peter Anghelides which marks Donna Noble's first appearance in a tie-in product, is available for download in advance of its CD release on Audible.co.uk.

The story, which runs for just under two and a half hours, and features music and sound effects to complement David Tennant's narration, can be downloaded for £8.95. A preview extract from the recording is also available.

You can buy the story and hear the sample at Audible.

Additionally, an interview with the author is available here at Unreality SF.

17th April 2008 | NEWS | NEW TREK BOOK COVER

Keith R.A. DeCandido, editor of the Star Trek: Corps of Engineers series, has posted the cover of the upcoming trade paperback collection Wounds on his blog.

The book, which is due for release in October, features the stories Malefictorum by Terri Osborne, Lost Time by Ilsa J. Bick, Identity Crisis by John J. Ordover, Fables of the Prime Directive by Cory Rushton, Security by Keith R.A. DeCandido, and Wounds by Ilsa J. Bick.

The cover and more information can be found in DeCandido's blog post.

16th April 2008 | NEWS | MORE SHORT TRIPS 

The Big Finish Productions website has details of a new Doctor Who: Short Trips anthology, featuring short adventures for the first eight incarnations of the Doctor.

Transmissions, the twenty-fifth anthology in the series, will be released on July 31st. The blurb and list of authors - which includes new series writer James Moran - are now online.

16th April 2008 | NEWS | STAR TREK BOOK SIGNING 

Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore, authors of numerous Star Trek stories, are taking part in a book signing at Star Trek: The Experience in Las Vegas on May 10th, between 2pm and 4pm.

Ward announced the time on his LiveJournal. More information about Star Trek: The Experience is available online.

16th April 2008 | SITE UPDATE | NEW REVIEW ADDED

A new review has been added to Unreality SF:

Doctor Who: Wooden Heart (by Martin Day)
Reviewed by DB - "unpredictable, engaging and throroughly enjoyable"

13th April 2008 | SITE UPDATE | NEW AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Unreality SF has added a new interview with author Justin Richards, discussing his newest Doctor Who novels (Martha in the Mirror) and the Doctor Who book series in general, for which he acts as Creative Consultant.

Read the interview in full here.

13th April 2008 | SITE UPDATE | NEW REVIEW ADDED

A new review has been added to Unreality SF:

Doctor Who: The Last Dodo (by Jacqueline Rayner)
Reviewed by DB - "fans of Martha Jones in particular are sure to lap this up"

12th April 2008 | NEWS | NEW DOCTOR WHO GRAPHIC NOVEL 

On the official Facebook page for Doctor Who Magazine, editor Tom Spilsbury has revealed that Panini's next Graphic Novel release will be a collection of comic strips featuring the Tenth Doctor and Rose Tyler that originally appeared in DWM.

The volume will be published under the catchy title of The Betrothal of Sontar. Amazon.co.uk lists the book as having 180 pages and being released on October 6th, but this information has not yet been confirmed.

11th April 2008 | NEWS | TIE-IN TIDBITS 

A handful of smaller news stories from April so far:

STAR TREK: NOVELISATION OF ABRAMS' FILM
In a discussion at TrekBBS.com, it has been revealed that the novelisation of the eleventh Star Trek movie has been assigned to an author, with specific details to be revealed nearer release. Authors who have stepped in to say they're not involved with the project include Keith R.A. DeCandido, Dayton Ward, Kevin Dilmore, Greg Cox and Christopher L. Bennett. Let the speculation commence!

DOCTOR WHO: AUDIO PLAY UPDATES
Big Finish, the producers of licensed Doctor Who audio dramas, have made several recent updates to their website. The site now has new trailers for several CDs already released: the second series of Eighth Doctor Adventures, The Girl Who Never Was,  Human Resources parts One and Two, No More Lies, Phobos, Immortal Beloved, Horror of Glam Rock, and Blood of the Daleks parts One and Two. There's also a trailer for new release The Haunting of Thomas Brewster, and a synopsis for the forthcoming one-part story Spider's Shadow . . .

STARGATE: AUDIO NEWS
. . . and Big Finish have also updated their pages for their new series of Stargate CDs: a trailer for A Necessary Evil, and the ability to pre-order Shell Game and Perchance to Dream.

10th April 2008 | NEWS | TEROK NOR 2 EXTRACT 

TrekWeb.com has posted an extract from S.D. Perry and Britta Dennison's forthcoming Star Trek novel Night of the Wolves, which is the second volume in the three-book Terok Nor series set prior to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

The extract can be read over at TrekWeb, and the book itself will be released in May. The first Terok Nor story, James Swallow's Day of the Vipers, is available now.

10th April 2008 | SITE UPDATE | NEW REVIEW ADDED

A new review has been added to Unreality SF:

Doctor Who: The Pirate Loop (by Simon Guerrier)
Reviewed by DB - "not one of the best Doctor Who novels, definitely one for younger readers"

9th April 2008 | SITE UPDATE | NEW AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Unreality SF has added a new interview with author David A. McIntee, discussing his Doctor Who novels, his recent Star Trek short story, and other forthcoming projects.

Read the interview in full here.

9th April 2008 | NEWS | DOCTOR WHO BOOK SIGNING 

The latest batch of Doctor Who novels featuring the Tenth Doctor (as played by David Tennant) and Martha Jones (as played by Freema Agyeman) have started appearing in bookstores and online this week.

Sci-fi shop Forbidden Planet is holding a book-signing event this weekend in its London Megastore, with all three authors of the latest set - Justin Richards (signing Martha in the Mirror), Mike Tucker (signing Snowglobe 7) and Dale Smith (signing The Many Hands).

To celebrate, each book will be available at the reduced price of £5.99. The event will run from 11am til midday, on the lower floor of the shop, which is on Shaftesbury Avenue.

Full details are available on Forbidden Planet's official website.

8th April 2008 | NEWS | NO MORE SHATNERVERSE? 

In a brief interview posted at AOL.com, William Shatner discussed his Star Trek novels written with Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens.

Asked if the latest of the trio's books, Collision Course, would lead to sequels, he said, "I don't think so. [Pocket Books] was very negligent on this last novel. I think they may have given up on it, so I would think that would be the last novel from me."

The interview is available online now.

4th April 2008 | SITE UPDATE | NEW REVIEWS ADDED

Some new reviews have been added to Unreality SF:

Doctor Who: Regeneration (by Philip Segal and Gary Russell)
Reviewed by DB - "a detailed guide and a genuinely interesting read"

Torchwood: Border Princes (by Dan Abnett)
Reviewed by MARIA B - "it's a fun journey, and there are many surprises along the way"

Torchwood: Hidden (by Steven Savile)
Reviewed by NAOMI WESTERMAN - "the story is a well-rounded mix of drama and mystery"

Doctor Who: Caerdroia (by Lloyd Rose)
Reviewed by DB - "enhanced by brilliant performances from the four leads"

4th April 2008 | NEWS | DOCTOR WHO 2009 ANNUAL 

Amazon.co.uk is now listing the 2009 edition of the Doctor Who Annual from Penguin Books. There is a cover image, featuring the Doctor and some Sontarans, and a brief description which mentions "a section on The Sarah Jane Adventures".

The book is due for release in August. The picture and information, as well as the option to pre-order the annual, are now available on Amazon.

4th April 2008 | NEWS | ENTERPRISE NOVEL NEWS 

TrekMovie.com's regular Library Computer column has exclusively revealed the cover of the upcoming Star Trek: Enterprise "relaunch" novel Kobayashi Maru, by Michael A. Martin and Andy Mangels.

The article, which can be found here, also features a brief extract from the book, and acts as a guide to the "relaunch" novels so far.

3rd April 2008 | NEWS | STARGATE AUDIOBOOK NEWS 

The new series of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis audiobooks has launched, with the first story now available. Stargate SG-1: Gift of the Gods by Sally Malcolm is on sale as a download from Big Finish Productions, with a CD release to follow shortly.

In addition, the cover for the June release - Stargate SG-1: Shell Game by James Swallow - has been posted on the author's blog Red Flag.

2nd April 2008 | NEWS | TIE-IN AWARD NOMINATIONS 

The International Association of Media Tie-In Writers have announced the nominations for this year's Scribe Awards, established to recognise the best of tie-in fiction.

Amongst the nominees are Keith R.A. DeCandido for Star Trek TNG: Q&A, Resident Evil: Extinction and Buffy: The Deathless, and Greg Cox for 52: The Novel.

The full list of nominees, alongside more information about the awards (which will be presented at this year's Comic-Con), is available at the IAMTW website here.