Anybody check this novel out? It's been hyped a bit because it has Dan Abnett writing and also the return of the Ice Warriors (Although not 'officially'), plus it seems to be more adult-oriented than the current BBC books range, which is aimed at the same family audience the show generally is.
The Silent Stars Go By (novel)
- Thread starter Whofan
- Start date
Like most Dan Abnett books, it's bloomin' good. Plenty of Ice Warrior action along with some interesting world building. Some of the content is certainly more adult in nature, with a bit more violence than the usual Doctor Who tie-in.
It's not quite as good as his Torchwood book, 'Border Princes' but its easily on a par with most of his Gaunt's Ghosts novels.
I'm still waiting for the North American release of it, which I think is within a week or so. But I'm pretty pumped. I've only seen the Ice Warriors in the Peladon stories, but they've always intrigued me.
It should start showing up in North American bookstores any day now if it hasn't already; I got my copy last week, but due to deadline pressures I haven't even started it yet.
No, it features the current TARDIS team, plus the return of the Ice Warriors.
That's from Stephen Baxter, and probably won't come out until 2014 (2012 is Shada, and 2013 Alistair Reynolds' Pertwee novel).
Presumably the publisher wants to make sure there's a market before glutting it - they're slowly expanding their reach (first a novel with Matt Smith's doctor, then a Past Doctor novel based on a Douglas Adams script, then original Past Doctor novels), rather than releasing everything at once.
Personally, I think they should start a new paperback line of past Doctor novels. They could do ten novels a year (one for each former Doctor). Or were the PDAs of old just not selling well enough and that's why the line was pulled when nuWho began?
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The PDA line was pulled when the nuWho novels started selling ten times as many copies than the PDAs did. It made more sense for them to concentrate on those than to split their resources with another product with much smaller returns.
So it was sales related? I guess that's understandable. Though it is nice to see they are once again trying to go back into past Doctors, what with the recent re-prints of the Target novelizations and of course these new hardcovers.
No, the PDAs were pulled well before the NSAs started - in fact as soon as the series entered production, PDA and EDA commissioning stopped, because there would have to be all-new branding. So, no, nothing to do with the difference in sales!
The NSAs do sell better than the PDAs/EDAs did, but of course that's because a) there's a show actually on, keeping the brand in the public eye, and b) the books are actually being advertised, promoted, and properly distributed, all according a proper brand marketing scheme, which the PDAs and EDAs weren't.
The NSAs do sell better than the PDAs/EDAs did, but of course that's because a) there's a show actually on, keeping the brand in the public eye, and b) the books are actually being advertised, promoted, and properly distributed, all according a proper brand marketing scheme, which the PDAs and EDAs weren't.
While that matches my recollection of what happened regarding the EDAs, if it's what killed the PDAs wouldn't they have had enough warning to not commission six books set for publication after the new series aired?
No, they were all commissioned by that point.
I'm looking forward to that one. My favorite Doctor written by one of my favorite current SF authors.
Baxter's novel has been announced for 2012 as well. There is no rule saying only one a year. Shada is considered a special release in any event.
Funny part about Abnett being hyped is everyone's acting as if he's never written for Doctor Who before, but his CV includes a bunch of comic strips and short stories, the Torchwood novel Border Prices, and he co-wrote The Story of Martha. And he's also the author of several Big Finish and Tenth Doctor audio stories. I guess this is still his first full-length printed Doctor Who novel...
Alex
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