Random Doctor Who Picture
Dec. 14th, 2024 12:07 pm
To this day I can't decide whether or not I believe that Ben Aaronovitch lost his manuscript for So Vile a Sin in a hard drive crash, or whether that was just an excuse for the fact he hadn't actually written it. In either case, when it finally appeared written by Kate Orman, it was a bit of a let down (I felt). It's big event was already spoiled because we had read the books that came after and to be honest, didn't feel entirely earned.
Random Doctor Who Picture
Aug. 27th, 2022 05:36 pm
One of the advantages, as a child, of a birthday in late November was that one tended to get hot-of-the-presses anniversary stuff for Doctor Who as gifts. I recall the excitement of receiving this book. It wasn't the first book about the history of Doctor Who, but it certainly one of the earlier examples of a genre of books that there are now a lot of. Its high production values, with a hard cover, plenty of photos (some of which were in colour!) made it really special.
Of course, today, it seems fairly simplistic, but its probably hard to over-estimate how influential it was to how a lot of people my age understand the history of the show.
Time Lord Roleplaying Game
Jul. 2nd, 2022 05:55 pm
I ran adventures with this Doctor Who Game once or twice. It worked well with Who fans who were interested in the genre and not that interested in mechanics. It worked less well with role-players who quickly saw which characters were over-powered and then exploited them.
I have the FASA game, though I've never really investigated it properly and I now have the Cubicle 7 game as well. I really should get my act together and run something for one of them.
Random Doctor Who Picture: Damaged Goods
Oct. 16th, 2021 04:47 pmI have not commented on the news that RTD is to return to Doctor Who. Mostly because I'm still all a bit turned around and, if not lacking in time exactly, somewhat lacking in motivation and energy. Still I do have an opinion, which is mild trepidation. I wasn't grabbed by his vision for the show back in 2005 and definitely preferred Moffat's run as show runner (which isn't to ignore how wildly popular his version of the show was, and how much it did to shape and secure the show's future). Obviously RTD has done exciting things since, but I have a vague sense that comebacks are tricky things and often of dubious success. On the other hand, he does know how to adapt to time and circumstance. His one foray into the novels during the wilderness years (cover above) was very much of their time and style and, while one can draw links between it and 2005 Doctor Who (mostly that it's set on a council estate) he created something very different for the family audience. Perhaps he will do something exciting and different again for the modern TV landscape.
Random Doctor Who Picture
Feb. 8th, 2020 04:52 pm
The cover for the first Virgin New Adventure. I read this when it came out and haven't read it since. I recall very little about what I thought on that first read, which is probably informative. I get the impression from views I've heard expressed since that it hasn't necessarily aged well, embodies the fair criticism of the New Adventures that they often interpreted "more adult" as meaning "more sex and nudity", and that the "more sex and nudity" mostly manifests as a slightly creepy attitude towards Ace and other young female characters.