A busy day popping in and out of meetings today, talking about upcoming projects that I would love to spill the beans about, but have to keep hush-hush at the moment.
But I can take five minutes to give issue five of Doctor Who Insider a quick plug.
The issue, out now, includes Back on Target, a feature by yours truly where I take a journey into peril to discover why the classic Doctor Who novelisations of the past are undoing a 21st century revival. In the article I talk to Michael Stevens of AudioGo and Albert DePetrillo of BBC Books about their plans for the Target reissues and also chat to writers David Fisher and Gareth Roberts about writing new novelisations of classic Tom Baker adventures, namely The Stones of Blood and Shada.
These Target novels meant so much to me when I was a kid and I’m sure kicked off my love of reading. I remember visiting my Grandparents and rushing down the road to Bristol Central Library to see which alien horror was lined up on the shelves that week. I’d scurry back to their flat and stay up until the early hours reading Death to the Daleks, The Ark in Space or whatever other treasure I had found. The slim volumes were devoured by the next morning so I’d shoot back to the library to find more.
Sadly, like a fool, I sold a load of my Target books while at Uni to pay a heating bill. As the Doctor said in Warriors of the Deep, “there should have been another way”, but at least, thanks to eBay, I am gradually buying back my collection so I can wallow in nostalgia and reacquaint myself with the ‘groaning, wheezing noise’ of the TARDIS (and it’s ‘ultra-modern control room’ of course) and the Doctor’s ‘old/young face’ or ‘casual bohemian elegance’ depending on what body he was wearing at the time.
Doctor Who Insider issue five is out now and also features my interview with the writers of the 150th Big Finish adventure, Recorded Time and Other Stories. You can also pick up the Doctor Who Insider Special Edition, collection the best of issues 1-4, including my interview with Doctor Who’s new Production Designer, Michael Pickwoad.
But in the meantime, I have one question for the Doctor Who fans among you; what’s your favourite Target novelisation?
The Tomb of the Cybermen. No contest 🙂 I’m slowly working my way through reviewing all my old Targets http://goldfishparacetamol.wordpress.com.