Stephen Baxter Writing Next "Big Name" Author Novel
- Thread starter StCoop
- Start date
It'll be great to have another big name contributing to the DW range. I'd take the Second Doctor bit with a grain of salt until an official announcement, though. We've had false alarms before about past Doctors being featured. There was supposed to be some sort of ten-Doctor thing a couple years ago that ended up being vaporware.
That said, the BBC did take away Big Finish's licence to publish original text short stories featuring past Doctors (the Short Trips collections) in 2009, and at that time there was speculation this might be a build-up to BBC Books bringing them back themselves. (Big Finish has since revived the Short Trips stories, but they've got around the licence issue by doing them as audio releases rather than print).
Alex
That said, the BBC did take away Big Finish's licence to publish original text short stories featuring past Doctors (the Short Trips collections) in 2009, and at that time there was speculation this might be a build-up to BBC Books bringing them back themselves. (Big Finish has since revived the Short Trips stories, but they've got around the licence issue by doing them as audio releases rather than print).
Alex
Like Moorcock, Baxter has incredible range -- he can do cosmic stuff, space opera stuff, near-present stuff, historical stuff, even outright fantasy. He capable of any of the major Who genres, so that's a plus.
Baxter can be utterly depressing to read, though. His writing lacks spark on occasion, and at times he seems very pessimistic about humanity. (Read Titan sometime. You'll lose your will to live.)
So on the one hand, I'm excited by Baxter because of his prominence in the genre. But on the other hand, I'm a little cautious of a book that Doctor Who Magazine will likely castigate because it's completely unlike Last of the Gaderne, too.
Baxter can be utterly depressing to read, though. His writing lacks spark on occasion, and at times he seems very pessimistic about humanity. (Read Titan sometime. You'll lose your will to live.)
So on the one hand, I'm excited by Baxter because of his prominence in the genre. But on the other hand, I'm a little cautious of a book that Doctor Who Magazine will likely castigate because it's completely unlike Last of the Gaderne, too.
Glad to see Baxter getting his chance at Who since EarthStorm never happened with Big Finish.
That said, I am oftened disappointed by Baxter, as he has no idea how to end things. The first two Manifold books, The Light of Other Days, and The Time Ships all start great and then have cop-out endings.
That said, I am oftened disappointed by Baxter, as he has no idea how to end things. The first two Manifold books, The Light of Other Days, and The Time Ships all start great and then have cop-out endings.
I still need to pick up the Moorcock book. What Ten doctor thing is this? I know that the first IDW Tenth Doctor comic trade dealt with all ten doctors. Didn't know anything about a book.
Yeah Titan is a bit depressing really, but somewhat prophetic given the recent NASA plans for one way Mars missions
I haven't read loads of Baxter, but I've enjoyed most of what I read (that said I gave up on moonseed).
My only worry would be that this novel would be too much hard science, and not enough quirky and eccentric.
Titan's a great novel, though probably not for the downspirited
. It's always seemed to me that Baxter tends to compensate for the fantastical nature of the subject matter by the simple expedient of making life really, really shitty for the protagonists.The instant that I saw that this thread was in the Doctor Who forum, I thought of The Time Ships. Apparently it was going to be a Doctor Who novel but kind of grew beyond that. It's a rollicking good read overall, as is The Light Of Other Days with its killer concept.
Well, he's the wife's favourite SF author, so it's one that's definitely going to end up on my shelf, whatever happens.
Good luck. I ordered that from Chapters on-line nearly a month ago (its release date is listed as November 9 on the Chapters website). I'm still waiting for it.
Isn't Chapters just lovely?
Well, it's not like there are many other options for buying books in Canada. I know, there's Amazon, but I have access to a Chapters discount card, which kind of doesn't work with Amazon.
Chapters has pissed me off enough times with their delays and lack of stock of books in store that I just order most things from Amazon now.
I have to correct one point: Big Finish did not "get around the licence issue" by doing Short Trips as audio releases; they have to have a licence to produce anything Doctor Who-related, and indeed that's exactly what happened: when they lost the licence to do Short Trips books, they successfully negotiated a licence to do them on audio. Just a different licence, that's all.
In my opinion, you'll find it worth the wait.
I've enjoyed the Baxter books I've read, so I'm looking forward to his take on Who.
Aside from the seven published in 2005.
They don't count because that was BBC Books burning off commissions. As soon as the new series of books was announced they cancelled plans for any future books beyond the end of 2005, including what was anticipated to be more Eighth Doctor novels.
They got around the license issue, like I said. Because they no longer had a licence to publish print, but they did have a licence to publish audio, and basically Short Trips became an add-on to the Companion Chronicles.
Back to the original point, has anyone seen any other source to support the Baxter claim? His website says nothing and this thread appears to be the only source for this information. I'm not saying anything against the OP, but has anyone seen anything about this anywhere else? The only reference to Baxter and Doctor I can find online is that he was commissioned to write the 100th Big Finish audio story back in 2007, but the arrangement fell through.
Alex
Anyone else want to buy a copy of SFX's new DW Special to back me up? (It's good value and even comes with a free Bow Tie!)
http://www.sfx.co.uk/2010/11/17/sfx-collection-doctor-who-a-celebration-2/
GallifreyBase has a thread about it, unless you think the people in that are also liars for some reason.
I seem to recall you kept on questioning everyone as to whether the Moorcock novel was really going to happen, too.
I seem to recall you kept on questioning everyone as to whether the Moorcock novel was really going to happen, too.
I was going to reply with some invective, but I'll let my complaint to the moderators do the talking for me.
As for Baxter and SFX, it's not out in Canada for at least 2 months (if we get it at all- we never got the 3-D cover Doctor Who issue last year) so I think my asking for clarification is justified and not a case of calling anyone liars.
Alex
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