If you like your Doctor Who books lighter, slightly cheaper and easier to carry in your bag on the tube (maybe get a Kindle…? A pox on you for suggesting such a thing!) then we’ve got the paperback books gift guide for you!
Doctor Who: Time Lord Fairy Tale Slipcase by Various
Can you think of a better way to kick off our list than with a set of paperbacks that are technically a selection of smaller hardback books? Who are we to argue with Amazon? HMRC? No, regardless of their classification, each book in the set takes a classic fairy tale of yore and adds a little frisson of Doctor Who magic. Containing legendary stories of monsters, mysteries, villains and heroes from across the Whoniverse – this beautifully illustrated collection of dark and dangerous fairy tales, is an ideal present for parents looking to add a Dalek voice to their repertoire of bedtime story characters. At less than 40 pages per story, they’re like the Pringles of Doctor Who tales; once you crack that suspiciously hard spine, you won’t be able to stop.
The Scientific Secrets of Doctor Who by Simon Guerrier and Dr. Marek Kukula
Asking the question, ‘Just how much science is there in the science fiction of Doctor Who?’ (if it’s Kill the Moon then is absolutely sod all), The Scientific Secrets of Doctor Who is a set of mind-bending tales designed to explore the classic themes of Doctor Who episodes from a scientific point of view. Weaving together a series of all-new adventures, featuring every incarnation of the Doctor, and commentary that explores the possibilities of time travel, life on other planets, artificial intelligence, parallel universes, and more, Simon Guerrier and Dr Marek Kukula show how Doctor Who uses science to inform its unique style of storytelling – and just how close it has often come to predicting future scientific discoveries… except Kill the Moon. Which was bunkum.
Class: What She Does Next Will Astound You by James Goss
Now that Class is over, why not head back to Coal Hill Academy and indulge in some brand-new adventures with ‘da yoof’ (God, I’m so old), with What She Does Next Will Astound You, being the pick of the litter. What’s more, whenever Ram witnesses someone die in the book, you the reader are blasted in the face with a gush of blood! Guaranteed! (not a guarantee).
When the DWC reviewed the book last month, our own Philip Bates praised Goss’ witty prose, its unwavering devotion to never taking the easy way out, and its use of Cup-A-Soups… see, now you’re astounded.
Doctor Who and the Dinosaur Invasion by Malcolm Hulke
I’ve always had a soft spot for the Third Doctor telly counterpart to this classic Target tale but I think I love the book, with its iconic ‘KKLAK!’ artwork by Chris Achilleos, even more. Given the freedom to expand in ways the budget hampered serial couldn’t and Hulke’s own predilection for embellishing his adaptations with a few new details (or retaining some of the material from previous drafts. So long Whomobile!), it does a wonderful job of letting you see the potential behind the Target series – okay, it wasn’t always grasped in quite the way Hulke does by every author, if you are looking for a book to entice you into exploring the Target novels then look no further.
Doctor Who: Dot-to-Doc
If we’re talking paperbacks, we’re usually in the realm of stocking fillers and you don’t get more disposable than the stress-busting Doctor Who: Dot-to-Doc.
No more will you have to live under the tyranny of boxy pictures of Cats!
Once you’ve forgiven it for that horrendous punning title, there’s much to love in calmly bringing to life some weirdly angular pictures of the all the incarnations of the Doctor, Rose, Donna and many of the Doctor’s greatest foes.
However, be warned, these puzzles are designed for the extreme dot-to-doter – with over a 1000 dots to join, your whole world could soon become nothing more than a tenuously connected series of dots that, if you squint, resembles an actual normal existence and not that of a man sat in his dressing gown till 17:30 desperately looking for number 74… where are you, 74! Don’t deny me this 74!
So, there we have it. A full list of books you can all buy me…erm, I mean that you can buy someone you love *wink* this Christmas. What are you asking Santa to bring you this year? What Doctor Who item was top of your list? And can you help me find 74?
