Eleventh and Final Doctor Who Author Announced ...

Eleven Doctors. Eleven months. Eleven authors. Eleven stories.
A year long celebration for the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who!
 

Neil Gaiman
Nothing O’Clock
21st November 2013,  EBook, £1.99
Suitable for readers 8+, ISBN: 9781405913324

The eleventh and final instalment in a sensational series of stories celebrating the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who is written by Neil Gaiman, best-selling author of The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Stardust, Neverwhere, The Graveyard Book and Coraline.

Doctor Who is the longest running sci-fi TV show in the world and celebrates its 50th anniversary on 23rd November 2013. To celebrate, Puffin – in partnership with BBC Worldwide – has published a series of eleven ebook short stories each based on one of the Eleven Doctors, priced at £1.99 and released monthly from January to November 2013. Each story has been written by a different author, bringing together some of the most exciting names in children’s fiction, from commercial blockbusters to literary award-winners. These authors have brought their own interpretation and reimagining of their chosen Doctor, creating a unique Doctor Who adventure in their own inimitable style.

Following short stories by Eoin Colfer, Michael Scott, Marcus Sedgwick, Philip Reeve, Patrick Ness, Richelle Mead, Malorie Blackman, Alex Scarrow, Charlie Higson and Derek Landy, Neil Gaiman has written the eleventh and final adventure in this series, based on the Eleventh Doctor played by Matt Smith. Neil Gaiman commented: ‘Nothing O’Clock stars the Eleventh Doctor, the Matt Smith Doctor, with Amy Pond as his companion. I set it somewhere during the first season of Matt Smith, mostly on Earth, in our time now and in 1984, but also somewhere else, a very, very long time ago. I had never created an original monster for Doctor Who and really enjoyed getting to create a creepy Doctor Who monster of the kind that we haven’t quite seen before… I hope that the Kin will get out there and occasionally give people nightmares. And that you will be worried if a man in a rabbit mask comes to your door and tries to buy your house.’

Synopsis: Thousands of years ago, Time Lords built a Prison for the Kin. They made it utterly impregnable and unreachable. As long as Time Lords existed, the Kin would be trapped forever and the universe would be safe. They had planned for everything… everything, that is, other than the Time War and the fall of Gallifrey. Now the Kin are free again and there’s only one Time Lord left in the universe who can stop them!

Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) is the bestselling author of more than twenty books for adults and children, including the novels Neverwhere, Stardust, American Gods, Anansi Boys, Coraline and The Graveyard Book, the Sandman series of graphic novels, and two episodes of Doctor Who (‘The Doctor’s Wife’ and ‘Nightmare in Silver’). He has received numerous literary honours including the Locus and Hugo Awards and the Newbery and Carnegie Medals. Almost two million people follow him on Twitter: @neilhimself. Born and raised in England, he now lives in the USA, with his wife, the rock star Amanda Palmer. He is Professor of the Arts at Bard University. 

A paperback anthology (£12.99) and an audio download collection (£14.99) of the eleven stories, Doctor Who: 11 Doctors, 11 stories, will publish on 21st November 2013.

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary - Tenth Author Announced ...

Eleven Doctors. Eleven months. Eleven authors. Eleven stories.
A year long celebration for the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who!

‘The Mystery of the Haunted Cottage’
By Derek Landy
Published by Puffin, EBook, £1.99
Suitable for readers aged 9+

Award-winning Derek Landy has been annouced as the author of the tenth and penultimate short story in Puffin Books' e-range celebrating Doctor Who's 50th anniversary.  


Doctor Who is the longest running sci-fi TV show in the world and celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2013. To celebrate, Puffin – in partnership with BBC Worldwide – is publishing an exclusive series of eleven ebook short stories each based on one of the Eleven Doctors, priced at £1.99 and released on the 23rd January to November 2013. Each story is written by a different author, bringing together some of the most exciting names in children’s fiction, from commercial blockbusters to literary award-winners. These authors will each bring their own interpretation and re-imagining of their chosen Doctor to create a unique Doctor Who adventure in their own inimitable style.

Following on from short stories by Eoin Colfer, Michael Scott, Marcus Sedgwick, Philip Reeve, Patrick Ness, Richelle Mead, Malorie Blackman, Alex Scarrow and Charlie Higson, Derek Landy has written the tenth adventure in the series, based on the Tenth Doctor played by David Tennant.  

Landy, who has penned the Skulduggery Pleasant series of children's books, commented:
"I can proudly say that I was one of those kids who hid behind the sofa while experiencing Doctor Who - one doesn't "watch" Doctor Who, one experiences it - and that crazy blend of science-fiction and adventure and horror has made me the writer I am today.

I owe the character, in whatever incarnation, an enormous debt of gratitude, so when I was offered the chance to write a Tenth Doctor adventure my answer was always going to be "yes". The Tenth Doctor, with his love of the spoken word, was practically tailor-made for me, and there is no part of this story that I did not write with the utmost joy. It all started with "What if the Doctor met the Famous Five?" and went on from there ..."

The author and title of the series' final instalment, to feature the Eleventh Doctor, will be announced on Tuesday 5th November. It will be published on Thursday 21st November alongside a paperback anthology of all 11 stories - to be called Eleven Doctors, Eleven Stories and which can be pre-ordered here - plus an audio collection. - See more at: http://www.feedhammer.co.uk/feed-item-details.php?id=36490#sthash.LyzZgQZ7.dpuf

The author and title of the series' final instalment, to feature the Eleventh Doctor, will be announced on Tuesday 5th November. It will be published on Thursday 21st November alongside a paperback anthology of all 11 stories - to be called Eleven Doctors, Eleven Stories and which can be pre-ordered here - plus an audio collection

Synposis: When the TARDIS lands on a planet that looks identical to Earth, the Tenth Doctor and Martha are amazed to find it packed with fictional characters from her childhood. But who has the power to create an entire world out of books and why? The Doctor and Martha must solve the mystery before their story ends!

About Derek Landy

Before writing his children's story about a sharply-dressed skeleton detective, Derek Landy wrote the screenplays for a zombie movie and a murderous thriller in which everybody dies. 

As a black belt in Kenpo Karate he has taught countless children how to defend themselves, in the hopes of building his own private munchkin army. He firmly believes that they await his call to strike against his enemies (he doesn't actually have any enemies, but he's assuming they'll show up, sooner or later). 

Derek lives on the outskirts of Dublin, and the reason he writes his own biography blurb is so that he can finally refer to himself in the third person without looking pompous or insane.

The author and title of the series' final instalment, to feature the Eleventh Doctor, will be announced on Tuesday 5th November. It will be published on Thursday 21st November alongside a paperback anthology of all 11 stories - to be called Eleven Doctors, Eleven Stories and which can be pre-ordered here - plus an audio collection. - See more at: http://www.feedhammer.co.uk/feed-item-details.php?id=36490#sthash.LyzZgQZ7.dpuf

 

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary - Ninth Author Announced ...

Eleven Doctors. Eleven months. Eleven authors. Eleven stories.
A year long celebration for the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who!

‘The Beast of Babylon’
By Charlie Higson
Published by Puffin on the 23rd September 2013, EBook, £1.99
ISBN: 9781405913300
Suitable for readers aged 9+

The ninth instalment in a sensational series of stories celebrating the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who is written by Charlie Higson – actor, comedian and author of the phenomenally successful Young Bond books and the cult thriller series, The Enemy.

Doctor Who is the longest running sci-fi TV show in the world and celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2013. To celebrate, Puffin – in partnership with BBC Worldwide – is publishing an exclusive series of eleven ebook short stories each based on one of the Eleven Doctors, priced at £1.99 and released on the 23rd January to November 2013. Each story is written by a different author, bringing together some of the most exciting names in children’s fiction, from commercial blockbusters to literary award-winners. These authors will each bring their own interpretation and re-imagining of their chosen Doctor to create a unique Doctor Who adventure in their own inimitable style.

Following on from short stories by Eoin Colfer, Michael Scott, Marcus Sedgwick, Philip Reeve, Patrick Ness, Richelle Mead, Malorie Blackman and Alex Scarrow, Charlie Higson has written the ninth adventure in the series, based on the Ninth Doctor played by  Christopher Eccleston.  Charlie Higson commented: “I grew up with Doctor Who and have always been a massive fan so it's a great honour to be involved in this anniversary celebration. Russell T Davies did a great job of rebooting the series with Christopher Eccleston so to be able to write the Ninth Doctor story was a great opportunity to say thanks to the Doctor and thanks to Russell.”

Synposis: When a girl called Ali pockets a silver orb that falls from the sky, little does she realise it’s her ticket to seeing the universe! Desperate to retrieve the mysterious object, the Ninth Doctor agrees to let her join him on a dangerous trip to ancient Babylon. Together they must join forces to stop a giant Starman from destroying Earth before it’s too late!
 

About Charlie Higson:
Charlie Higson is a successful author, actor, comedian and writer for television and radio.   He wrote the phenomenally successful Young Bond series which has sold over a million copies in the UK alone and been translated into over 24 languages.  The first novel in his bestselling cult thriller series, The Enemy, was published to critical acclaim in 2009. It was followed by The Dead (2010), The Fear (2011) and The Sacrifice (2012). Charlie is a huge fan of horror films and books and even studied gothic literature at university.

Charlie Higson started writing when he was ten years old but it was a long time before he got paid for doing it. On leaving university he was the singer in a pop group (The Higsons) before giving it up to become a painter and decorator. It was around this time that he started writing for television on  Saturday Night Live.  In partnership with Paul Whitehouse, he went on to create hugely successful comedy series  The Fast Show, in which he also appeared. Other TV works include The Harry Enfield Television Programme,  The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer, Shooting Stars, Randall and Hopkirk Deceased, the film Suite 16 and Swiss Toni.

His work for radio includes the award-winning spoof radio series  Down the Line (BBC Radio 4), which became the television comedy series Bellamy’s People (BBC 2). Charlie’s other books include the thrillers King of the Ants (1992), Happy Now (1993), Full Whack (1995) and Getting Rid of Mr Kitchen (1996).  He lives in North London.

Top 5 Supernatural Reads by Justin Richards, Children's Author

Justin’s Top 5 Supernatural Reads

I’ve always loved ghost stories, tales of the supernatural – the weird and the mysterious.  I grew up in a haunted house, so maybe that’s why. Or perhaps I’m just like that…

Choosing a mere five supernatural reads is tricky. More than tricky – it’s almost impossible. But I’ll try.  I have too many favourites to really describe this as a ‘top 5’, but they are certainly 5 of the best.  I’ve tried to think of stories that aren’t obvious contenders – for example, I love Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black, but I suspect that would make it into most Top 5 lists. So I’ve deliberately left it out!  I’ve also veered towards the more traditional and ‘classic’ works, which sadly excluded some of my favourite writers of the supernatural like Stephen Gallagher – as a bonus 6th choice, read anything of his!

In no particular order then:

 

Dracula

By Bram Stoker

A real classic, from 1897, and – unlike Frankenstein – written by an experienced author with flair and talent as well as imagination.  A novel that deserves its reputation, if you think you know the story and reading it won’t add anything to your understanding of vampires – or chills – then think again.  Strange to think that when he died, Stoker’s obituaries didn’t even mention Dracula. Now, despite his other achievements, he’s remembered for nothing else…

 

Anything by M.R. James

The absolute master of the disquieting ghost story.  All his tales are beautifully written, relying on atmosphere and character rather than shock and gore.  The best-known of his works are as you’d expect the most impressive – including Casting the Runes, and “Oh Whistle and I’ll Come to You, My Lad”. But I particularly like The Haunted Dolls’ House (first published in 1923).

 

Something Wicked This Way Comes

By Ray Bradbury

Bradbury at his best and most unsettling… First published in 1962, this is a story about two young boys, just into their teens, coming to terms with the stark realities of the world and with encroaching adulthood. But the backdrop against which they reach their understanding – a bizarre, dark funfair – combines fantasy and horror in a parable about the conflicting natures of good and evil in us. It’s an obvious, and impressive, influence on so many other writers – most notably Stephen King.

Fevre Dream

By George R. R. Martin

An unusual choice perhaps, especially given that Martin is now most famous for his Song of Ice and Fire series (filmed as Game of Thrones).  But this earlier work (from 1982) is for me this his best novel.  Set against the landscape of the Mississippi and taking place largely on gambling river boats, it’s a vampire tale that is both traditional and avant-garde in its treatment of the creatures. It reinvented vampires long before that became a popular device…

The Hound of the Baskervilles

By Arthur Conan Doyle

The perfect combination of detective fiction and ghost story – perfect!  There are terrific set pieces of both genre – Sherlock Holmes’s assessment of a mysterious note assembled from newspaper clipping, and the attack of the hound.  The atmospheric moors and mire and an apparently haunted house ramp up the atmosphere of supernatural threat.  Of course, we know there must be a rational explanation, and the juxtaposition of the rational and the unexplained forms the central premise of the book.  First published as a serial in 1901-1902, this is another novel that lives up to the hype.  And again if you know the story but haven’t actually read the book, then you’ve missed a treat.  

***

About Justin Richards

Although he is now best known as a children's writer, Justin Richards is also the author of dozens of genre and sf novels, as well as non-fiction books, audio scripts, television and a stage play. He has edited books of short stories, been a technical writer, and worked as odd-job man in a hotel for postal workers.  

Justin is the author of the popular children's series The Invisible Detective, and also the series Time Runners. For younger children, Justin writes the Agent Alfie series - about a boy who finds himself at a school for the children of spies and secret agents. Though Alfie's own dad is a postman.

Justin's novel for older children - The Death Collector - was first published in 2006, followed by The Chaos Code in 2007 and The Parliament of Blood in 2008, with The Chamber of Shadows following in 2010. His series The School of Night also started
in Autumn 2010.

He has co-written several action thrillers for older children with the acknowledged master of the genre Jack Higgins. Justin acts as Creative Consultant to BBC Books' range of Doctor Who titles, advising on the commissioning and editing of all the company's Doctor Who titles as well as writing quite a few himself. 

You can find out more about Justin at his website - www.justinrichardswriter.com and follow him on Twitter @JJCRichards.

***

Justin's new book 'The Wolfstone Curse' is out now, published by Templar Publishing and available from all good bookshops and online. Here is a review by one of our teen reviewers, Sophie-May Hopkins:

'The Wolfstone Curse'
By Justin Richards
Published by Templar Publishing
RRP £6.99 (paperback)
ISBN 9781848775510
Reviewed by Sophie-May Hopkins, aged 15
This is a chilling story of werewolves and other supernatural happenings that lie behind this tale of the dark secret woven into the village of Wolfstone.
Peter thinks his holiday will be dull and boring. How very wrong he is ... a trip to Wolfstone, an old town in the middle of nowhere, is not Peter's idea of fun. Peter's dad is busy down at the "dig" and Peter just wants to go home. When Peter meets Carys and takes an interest into the myths and legends surrounding Wolfstone his holiday starts to get more interesting ... very, very interesting ...
The Wolfstone Curse is a book suitable for all teenagers. The characters are interesting and bring the book to life. The book does not contain a dull moment and this book is good for people who like mystery and werewolves.
**You can also download the free Wolfstone app for your smart phone. Active the app, then point and scan the cover to reveal hidden content!**
Highly recommended for teen readers +

***
A huge thank you from Book a Poet to Justin Richards for his guest blog and to Sophie-May Hopkins for her review!

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary - Eighth Author Announced ...

Eleven Doctors. Eleven months. Eleven authors. Eleven stories.
A year long celebration for the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who!

The eighth instalment in a sensational series of stories celebrating the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who is written by Alex Scarrow, author of the thrilling time-travel series TimeRiders.

Doctor Who is the longest running sci-fi TV show in the world and celebrates its 50th anniversary on 23rd November 2013. To celebrate, Puffin – in partnership with BBC Worldwide – is publishing an exclusive series of eleven ebook short stories each based on one of the Eleven Doctors, priced at £1.99 and released on the 23rd of each month from January to November 2013. Each story is written by a different author, bringing together some of the most exciting names in children’s fiction, from commercial blockbusters to literary award-winners. These authors will each bring their own interpretation and reimagining of their chosen Doctor to create a unique Doctor Who adventure in their own inimitable style.

Following on from short stories by Eoin Colfer, Michael Scott, Marcus Sedgwick, Philip Reeve, Patrick Ness, Richelle Mead and Malorie Blackman, TimeRiders author Alex Scarrow has written the eighth adventure in the series, based on the Eighth Doctor played by Paul McGann. Alex Scarrow commented: ‘I am squeeing like an over-sugared toddler at the thought of being part of this project. Doctor Who is an export this country can be proud of. We OWN time travel. My small part in this project was to breathe life back into the least known, Eighth Doctor, played by Paul McGann. I chose him because I felt I had the most room to manoeuvre, to explore a lesser known Doctor and add flesh to his character. In my story entitled Spore, we're getting a particularly grisly tale of an intelligent virus that liquifies and absorbs any creature it infects. All in all... quite gross - liquified people an' all.'

Synposis of 'Spore': In a small town in the Nevada desert, an alien pathogen has reduced the entire population to a seething mass of black slime. When the Eighth Doctor arrives, he realises this latest threat to humanity is horrifyingly familiar – it is a virus which almost annihilated his entire race, the Time Lords ...

Alex Scarrow Bio
@AlexScarrow used to be a rock guitarist, then he became a graphic artist, then he decided to be a computer games designer. Finally, he grew up and became an author. He has written a number of successful adult thrillers and several screenplays, but it’s YA fiction that has really allowed him to really have fun with the ideas and concepts he was playing around with when designing games.  He lives in Norwich with his son, Jacob, his wife, Frances and his Jack Russell, Max.  Find out more at www.time-riders.co.uk

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary - Seventh Author Announced ...

Malorie Blackman, the new Children’s Laureate and author of the much-acclaimed Noughts and Crosses series, has just been revealed as the author of the seventh short story in Puffin’s sensational ebook series celebrating the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who. Malorie’s story about the Seventh Doctor (played by Sylvester McCoy) is called The Ripple Effect and is to be released globally on 23rd July, priced at £1.99.

When the TARDIS lands on Skaro, the Seventh Doctor and Ace are shocked to discover the planet has become the universal centre of learning, populated by a race of peace-loving Daleks. Ever suspicious of his archenemies' motives, the Doctor learns of a threat that could literally tear the universe apart...

Malorie Blackman commented: "I have always loved Doctor Who - from the time I was a child and the Daleks used to make me run and hide behind the sofa, to Saturday morning pictures when I first saw the Doctor Who films featuring Peter Cushing, right up to the current Doctor with Matt Smith. So when I was asked to write a Doctor Who story featuring the seventh Doctor, Sylvester McCoy, I didn't even need to pause to think about it. My answer was an immediate yes. I've always found Sylvester McCoy's Doctor fascinating because of the way his character developed from a bit of a clown to a Doctor with a more Machiavellian streak. In my story, the Doctor's actions are responsible for a universal catastrophe which forces him to face up to his own fears and prejudices."

Malorie Blackman has written over fifty books, including the much acclaimed Noughts & Crosses, and is acknowledged as one of today's most imaginative and convincing writers for young readers. She has been awarded numerous prizes for her work, including the Red House Children's Book Award and the Fantastic Fiction Award. Malorie has also been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal. In 2005 she was honoured ith the Eleanor Farjeon Award in recognition of her contribution to children's books, and in 2008 she received an OBE for her services to children's literature. She has been described by The Times as 'a national treasure'. Malorie Blackman, has succeeded Julia Donaldson as the Children's Laureate for 2013-2015.

The Ripple Effect will be released on the 23rd July for  £1.99, and a video introduction will be released on the 11th July 2013.
The first six instalments in the ebook series are written by Eoin Colfer, Michael Scott, Marcus Sedgwick, Philip Reeve, Patrick Ness and Richelle Mead. In total there will be eleven short stories, each based on one of the Eleven Doctors, priced at £1.99 and released on the 23rd of each month from January to November 2013. Each story is written by a different author, bringing together some of the most exciting names in children’s fiction. These authors will each bring their own interpretation and reimagining of their chosen Doctor to create a unique Doctor Who adventure in their own inimitable style. The author of the next eshort based on the Eighth Doctor, Paul McGann, will be revealed on 6th August.

A paperback anthology of the eleven short stories called Doctor Who: 11 Doctors, 11 stories will publish, alongside the final eshort featuring the Eleventh Doctor, on 23rd November 2013.

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary - 6th Author Announced

Eleven Doctors. Eleven months. Eleven authors. Eleven stories.
A year long celebration for the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who!

The sixth instalment in a sensational series of stories celebrating the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who is written by Richelle Mead, bestselling author of Vampire Academy, Bloodlines and Age of X series.

Doctor Who is the longest running sci-fi TV show in the world and celebrates its 50th anniversary on 23rd November 2013. To celebrate, Puffin – in partnership with BBC Worldwide – is publishing an exclusive series of eleven ebook short stories each based on one of the Eleven Doctors, priced at £1.99 and released on the 23rd of each month from January to November 2013. Each story is written by a different author, bringing together some of the most exciting names in children’s fiction, from commercial blockbusters to literary award-winners. These authors will each bring their own interpretation and reimagining of their chosen Doctor to create a unique Doctor Who adventure in their own inimitable style.

Following on from short stories by Eoin Colfer, Michael Scott, Marcus Sedgwick, Philip Reeve and Patrick Ness Puffin is thrilled that Richelle Mead has written the sixth adventure in the series, based on the Sixth Doctor played by Colin Baker. Richelle Mead commented: ‘I’ve always loved watching Colin Baker as The Doctor.  When he’s on the screen, you can’t take your off eyes off of him—and no, I’m not just talking about his infamous wardrobe! Everything him about is larger than life: his personality, his ingenuity, his biting humour.  He’s one of the darker of the Doctors, and yet through it all, that heroism and need to do what’s right never fails.  That’s what makes him so fascinating to me.  It’s an author’s dream to be able to write with a character like that.’

Synposis: A wedding on the planet Koturia turns out to be a far more dangerous proposition than the Sixth Doctor and Peri ever expected. It marks the return of a formidable old foe whose genius matches the Doctor’s. Can the Doctor outwit this villain, save Peri and stop the wedding in time?

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary: PATRICK NESS revealed as fifth author

Eleven Doctors. Eleven months. Eleven authors. Eleven stories.

A year long celebration for the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who!

The fifth instalment in a sensational series of stories celebrating the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who is written by Patrick Ness, highly acclaimed author of the Chaos Walking trilogy and A Monster Calls, winner of the 2012 CILIP Carnegie medal.

Doctor Who is the longest running sci-fi TV show in the world and celebrates its 50th anniversary on 23rd November 2013. To celebrate, Puffin – in partnership with BBC Worldwide – is publishing an exclusive series of eleven ebook short stories each based on one of the Eleven Doctors, priced at £1.99 and released on the 23rd of each month from January to November 2013. Each story is written by a different author, bringing together some of the most exciting names in children’s fiction, from commercial blockbusters to literary award-winners. These authors will each bring their own interpretation and reimagining of their chosen Doctor to create a unique Doctor Who adventure in their own inimitable style.

Following on from short stories by Eoin Colfer, Michael Scott, Marcus Sedgwick and Philip Reeve, Puffin is thrilled that Patrick Ness has written the fifth adventures in the series, based on the Fifth Doctor played by Peter Davison. Patrick Ness commented: ‘The Fifth Doctor is always the Doctor I thought most likely to be a novelist. People sometimes call him slightly passive, but I think it's more that he's observing, watching, waiting on the fringe to make his move. Just like any good writer. Which is why I've made this story one of those – which I've always liked – where the Doctor stays a bit out of the action and we see what happens through a non-canon character and get a whole different point of view of all the strange things happening. It's a bit how it feels when you watch the show as a young viewer.’

Synposis: In 1945, a strange new craze for Truth Tellers is sweeping the kids of small-town America. The Fifth Doctor and Nyssa soon arrive to investigate the phenomenon, only to discover that the actual truth behind the Truth Tellers is far more sinister than anyone could have imagined …

About Patrick Ness

Born in Virginia, USA Patrick Ness spent his upbringing in the states of Hawaii, Washington and California before moving permanently to the UK. He is the author of the Chaos Walking trilogy which established him as one of the most original and exciting writers of today. The trilogy has won many awards including the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, the Costa Children’s Book Award, the Booktrust Teenage Prize and the CILIP Carnegie Medal. Patrick’s sixth book A Monster Calls received high critical acclaim and is the winner of the Children’s Book of the Year Award at the Galaxy National Book Awards, the Red House Children’s Book Award and the UKLA Children’s Book Prize. In June 2012, A Monster Calls became the first book ever to win both prestigious CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals. His highly anticipated new novel for adults, The Crane Wife, was inspired by a Japanese folk tale and just published by Canongate in April 2013. A daring new YA novel More Than This is forthcoming later this year from Walker (Candlewick in the US).  Photo credit Debbie Smyth.

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary – PHILIP REEVE revealed as fourth author in Puffin ebook series

Eleven Doctors. Eleven months. Eleven authors. Eleven stories.
A year long celebration for the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who!

PHILIP REEVE
THE ROOTS OF EVIL
23rd April 2013
EBook RRP £1.99
ISBN: 9781405912129

The fourth instalment in a sensational series of stories celebrating the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who is written by Philip Reeve, award-winning author of the Mortal Engines, Here Lies Arthur and Goblins.

Doctor Who is the longest running sci-fi TV show in the world and celebrates its 50th anniversary on 23rd November 2013. To celebrate, Puffin – in partnership with BBC Worldwide – is publishing an exclusive series of eleven ebook short stories each based on one of the Eleven Doctors, priced at £1.99 and released on the 23rd of each month from January to November 2013. Each story is written by a different author, bringing together some of the most exciting names in children’s fiction, from commercial blockbusters to literary award-winners. These authors will each bring their own interpretation and reimagining of their chosen Doctor to create a unique Doctor Who adventure in their own inimitable style.

On 23rd January Artemis Fowl author Eoin Colfer launched the series with his story based on the First Doctor, A Big Hand for the Doctor, followed by Michael Scott’s Second Doctor adventure, The Nameless City, and Marcus Sedgwick’s Third Doctor story The Spear of Destiny. The authors of the subsequent eshorts will continue to be unveiled on the BBC Worldwide Doctor Who Facebook page on the first Tuesday of every month throughout the year. A promotional video featuring the author will be released on the 11th of each month on the BBC Worldwide Doctor Who YouTube channel.

Philip Reeve commented: ‘I started watching Doctor Who during the Tom Baker era and so to me he is the ‘real’ Doctor, and it was a huge honour to be asked to write about him. I tried to imagine myself to a Saturday teatime, circa 1979: a new Doctor Who story was about to begin – where would the TARDIS materialise and what would be waiting for it?’ 

When the Fourth Doctor takes Leela to visit an immense tree space station known as the Heligan Structure, little do they know that the tree has been asleep for centuries, dreaming of vengeance against a man in a blue box… As the tree awakes, the Time Lord and his companion soon discover why they are such unwelcome guests.

 

Philip Reeve was born in Brighton and worked in a book shop for many years before becoming a full-time illustrator and then turning to writing. His first novel, Mortal Engines, won the Nestlé Smarties Gold Award (2002), the Blue Peter Book of the Year Award, and was shortlisted for both the Branford Boase Award and the Whitbread Children's Book Award. He has since won many more awards and accolades for his works including the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize in 2006 and the Los Angeles Times Book Award for A Darkling Plain and the 2008 CILIP Carnegie Medal for Here Lies Arthur. His most recent titles are GOBLINS (2012) which was shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and its sequel GOBLINS VS DWARVES (2013). He lives in Dartmoor, England with his wife and son, Sam. For further information and to explore the author’s own curious world visit www.philip-reeve.com.

The Third Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Author is Announced!

Eleven Doctors. Eleven months. Eleven authors. Eleven stories.
A year long celebration for the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who!

The third instalment in a sensational series of stories celebrating the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who is written by Marcus Sedgwick, multi award-winning author of ‘Floodland’, ‘My Sword Hand is Singing’ and ‘Midwinterblood’. 'The Spear of Destiny' is out on the 23rd March 2013.

Doctor Who is the longest running sci-fi TV show in the world and celebrates its 50th anniversary on 23rd November 2013. To celebrate, Puffin – in partnership with BBC Worldwide – is publishing an exclusive series of eleven ebook short stories each based on one of the Eleven Doctors, priced at £1.99 and released on the 23rd of each month from January to November 2013. Each story is written by a different author, bringing together some of the most exciting names in children’s fiction, from commercial blockbusters to literary award-winners. These authors will each bring their own interpretation and reimagining of their chosen Doctor to create a unique Doctor Who adventure in their own inimitable style.

On 23rd January Artemis Fowl author Eoin Colfer launched the series with his story based on the First Doctor, A Big Hand for the Doctor, followed on 23rd February by Michael Scott’s adventure based on the Second Doctor, The Nameless City. The authors of the subsequent eshorts will continue to be unveiled on the BBC Worldwide Doctor Who Facebook page on the first Tuesday of every month throughout the year.  A promotional video featuring the author will be released on the 11th of each month on the BBC Worldwide Doctor Who YouTube channel.

Marcus Sedgwick commented: “To me, Jon Pertwee is the quintessential Doctor – a hero of both thought and action. When I was young he seemed like a schoolmaster you were a bit afraid of, and yet really liked at the same time. Bringing him back to life and pitting him against his old nemesis, The Master, was a huge thrill for me and I hope fans will recognise Jon in the pages of my story."

The Third Doctor and Jo Grant are trying to track down the magical spear of Odin when they find themselves caught up in a vicious battle between two Viking tribes. But one of the Vikings is even more dangerous than he appears to be. Can the Doctor stop the spear getting into the wrong hands before it’s too late ... ?

 

Photo credit Maureen Hansman, 2012

About Marcus Sedgwick

Marcus Sedgwick was born and raised in East Kent in the South-east of England. He now divides his time between a small village near Cambridge and the French Alps. Alongside a 16 year career in publishing he is established as a widely-admired writer of YA fiction and winner of many prizes, most notably the Branford-Boase Award for a debut novel ('Floodland'), and the Booktrust Teenage Prize ('My Swordhand is Singing'). His books have been shortlisted for over 30 other awards, including the Carnegie Medal (four times), Edgar Allan Poe Award (twice) and Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize (four times). His latest title in the UK is for younger readers: 'Monster Mountains', book two of the Elf Girl and Raven Boy series. 

Find out more at www.marcussedgwick.com.  
You can follow Marcus on Twitter @marcussedgwick

The Second Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Author is Announced!

Eleven Doctors. Eleven months. Eleven authors. Eleven stories.

A year long celebration for the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who!

The second instalment in a sensational series of stories celebrating the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who is written by Michael Scott, New York Times best-selling author of The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel.

Doctor Who is the longest running sci-fi TV show in the world and celebrates its 50th anniversary on 23rd November 2013. To celebrate, Puffin – in partnership with BBC Worldwide – is publishing an exclusive series of eleven ebook short stories each based on one of the Eleven Doctors, priced at £1.99 and released on the 23rd of each month from January to November 2013. Each story is written by a different author, bringing together some of the most exciting names in children’s fiction, from commercial blockbusters to literary award-winners. These authors will each bring their own interpretation and reimagining of their chosen Doctor to create a unique Doctor Who adventure in their own inimitable style.

On 23rd January, Artemis Fowl author Eoin Colfer launched the series with A Big Hand For The Doctor, his short story about the First Doctor, played by William Hartnell.

The authors of the subsequent eshorts will continue to be unveiled on the BBC Worldwide Doctor Who Facebook page on the first Tuesday of every month throughout the year.  A promotional video featuring the author will be released on the 11th of each month on the BBC Worldwide Doctor Who YouTube channel.

Puffin is thrilled that Michael Scott has written the second instalment in this series based on the Second Doctor. The author commented: “Everyone has their ‘own’ Doctor – usually the one they first started watching. Patrick Troughton, the Second Doctor, was mine and so writing this story was an opportunity to revisit a really important part of my childhood. There are elements of Patrick Troughton in every Doctor who followed – that's how influential and important he is.”

When Jamie McCrimmon brings the Doctor a mysterious book, little does he realise the danger contained within its pages. The book transports the TARDIS to a terrifying glass city on a distant world, where the Archons are intent on getting revenge on the Time Lord for an ancient grudge.

Photo by Perry Hagopian

About Michael Scott

Michael Scott (@flamelauthor) is one of Ireland's most successful and prolific writers for both children and adults. Michael has over 100 titles to his credit and has written in a variety of genres including fantasy, science fiction and horror, and is considered an authority on mythology and folklore.  In 2007, The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, the first in a ground-breaking young adult fantasy series, launched straight into the New York Times bestseller’s list, spending 16 weeks in the top ten. All six books in the series have been New York Times bestsellers and the series is now published in 37 countries. He lives in Dublin. For more information visit www.dillonscott.com.

Source: Press release.