July Books 1) The Brilliant Book (of Doctor Who) 2011
Having read all but two of the Old Who annuals, and most of the new ones as well, I can say this is one of the best large-format annual-style books to be associated with the Who franchise. The core of it is a combination of two-page reviews of the 13 episodes of 2010, plus interviews with the cast and crew; but there are lots of joyous extras as well, including a page of teasers for the 2011 stories (only two of which I recognise) and a rather joyous look at the past appearances of vampires and other blood-sucking horrors in Who (including a lovely reference to The Chase).
There are also two original short stories, one of them being a brief but effective retake by David Llewellyn of Malcolm Hulke's prologue to Doctor Who and the Cave Monsters, the other a story of mind-altering drugs, exploration of inner space and a corrupt political system by none other than Brian Aldiss, who I had not identified as a Who fan before I got this book. Not totally successful as a story - Amy sidelined, Doctor slightly out of character, and odd pacing - but interesting all the same. This engagement of some of the major figures of the genre has happened under Moffatt rather than Davies; to pick only the most obvious examples, while ten years ago a Who novel by Moorcock and an episode by Gaiman would of course have seemed impossible, they would not have seemed a lot more likely five years ago either. Looking forward to the Second Doctor novel by ******* ******.
There are also two original short stories, one of them being a brief but effective retake by David Llewellyn of Malcolm Hulke's prologue to Doctor Who and the Cave Monsters, the other a story of mind-altering drugs, exploration of inner space and a corrupt political system by none other than Brian Aldiss, who I had not identified as a Who fan before I got this book. Not totally successful as a story - Amy sidelined, Doctor slightly out of character, and odd pacing - but interesting all the same. This engagement of some of the major figures of the genre has happened under Moffatt rather than Davies; to pick only the most obvious examples, while ten years ago a Who novel by Moorcock and an episode by Gaiman would of course have seemed impossible, they would not have seemed a lot more likely five years ago either. Looking forward to the Second Doctor novel by ******* ******.