The Black Archive: The Ambassadors of Death
‘I’m sorry, Doctor, it’s my moral duty.’
In one of Doctor Who’s finest seasons, The Ambassadors of Death is a jewel of a story that shows off the programme at its most adult, exposing the uglier side of human nature while still offering an optimistic view of humanity’s future.
The Ambassadors of Death is a story with no true villains. Instead it explores how our species might respond to the knowledge that we are not alone in the universe. Fear alone is enough to warp good intentions into horrifying situations, and the enemy is not the monster without, but within our own characters.
Amongst the many changes seen this year, the Doctor casts off his whimsical guise to become a much more straight action hero who acts as the catalyst to show that humanity is at its bravest, its best, when it offers trust, compassion, and kindness, even in the face of mortal peril.
Companion Piece: Women Celebrate the Aliens, Humans and Tin Dogs of Doctor Who
In Companion Piece, editors L.M. Myles (Chicks Unravel Time) and Liz Barr bring together a host of award-winning female writers, media professionals and more to examine the wide array of humans, aliens and tin dogs who have accompanied the Doctor in his adventures throughout time and space.
Tansy Rayner Roberts (Ink Black Magic) finds the defining attribute of Sara Kingdom, while Amal El-Mohtar (The Honey Month) looks at the extent to which the Doctor himself is a companion, particularly to the Brigadier. Nina Allan (“Angelus”) rewatches – with some concern – Sarah Jane Smith’s debut for the first time in ages, and Seanan McGuire (Rosemary and Rue) addresses the ethics of using violence through the lens of Leela, Ace and Amy Pond.
Other contributors include Karen Miller (The Innocent Mage), Deborah Stanish (Chicks Unravel Time), Lynne Thomas (Chicks Dig Time Lords), Joan Francis Turner (Dust), Mary Robinette Kowal (Shades of Milk and Honey) and Tehani Wessely (FableCroft Publishing).
Chicks Unravel Time: Women Journey Through Every Season of Doctor Who
The sister book to the 2011 Hugo Award-winning Chicks Dig Time Lords…
In Chicks Unravel Time, Deborah Stanish (Whedonistas) and L.M. Myles bring together a host of award-winning female writers, media professionals and scientists to examine each season of new and classic Doctor Who from their unique perspectives.
Diana Gabaldon discusses how Jamie McCrimmon inspired her best-selling Outlander series, and Barbara Hambly (Benjamin January Mysteries) examines the delicate balance of rebooting a TV show. Seanan McGuire (Toby Daye series) reveals the power and pain of waiting in Series 5, and Una McCormack (The King’s Dragon) argues that Sylvester McCoy’s final year of Doctor Who is the show’s best season ever.
Other contributors include Juliet McKenna (Einarrin series), Tansy Rayner Roberts (Power and Majesty), Sarah Lotz (The Mall), Martha Wells (The Cloud Roads), Joan Frances Turner (Dust), Rachel Swirsky (“Fields of Gold”), Aliette de Bodard (Obsidian and Blood series) and Amal El-Mohtar (The Honey Month).
Chicks Dig Gaming
In Chicks Dig Gaming, editors Jennifer Brozek (Apocalypse Ink Productions), Robert Smith? (Who is the Doctor?) and Lars Pearson (editor-in-chief, the Hugo Award-winning Chicks Dig series) bring together essays by nearly three dozen female writers to celebrate the gaming medium and its creators, and to examine the characters and series that they love.
Catherynne M. Valente (The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland, Indistinguishable from Magic) examines Super Mario Bros. through the lens of Samsara, the Wheel of Birth and Rebirth; Seanan McGuire (the October Daye series) details how gaming taught her math; G. Willow Wilson (Alif the Unseen) comes to terms with World of Warcraft; and Rosemary Jones (Forgotten Realms) celebrates world traveler Nellie Bly and the board game she inspired. Other contributors include Emily Care Boss (Gaming as Women), Jen J. Dixon (The Walking Eye), Racheline Maltese (The Book of Harry Potter Trifles), Mary Anne Mohanraj (Bodies in Motion), L.M. Myles (Chicks Unravel Time), Jody Lynn Nye (the MythAdventures series), and E. Lily Yu (“The Cartographer Wasps and the Anarchist Bees”).
Also featured: exclusive interviews with Paizo CEO Lisa Stevens and Dragonlance writer Margaret Weis.
Chicks Dig Time Lords
Hugo award winner for Best Related Work!
In Chicks Dig Time Lords, a host of award-winning female novelists, academics and actresses come together to celebrate the phenomenon that is “Doctor Who,” discuss their inventive involvement with the show’s fandom and examine why they adore the series.
These essays will delight male and female readers alike by delving into the extraordinary aspects of being a female “Doctor Who” enthusiast. Essays include Carole Barrowman discussing what it was like to grow up with her brother John (including the fact that he’s still afraid of shop-window dummies), columnist Jackie Jenkins providing a Bridget Jones’ Diary-style memoir of working on “Doctor Who Magazine,” novelist Lloyd Rose analyzing Rose’s changes between the ninth and tenth Doctors and much more.
Other contributors include Elizabeth Bear (“Jenny Casey”), Lisa Bowerman (“Bernice Summerfield”), Mary Robinette Kowal (Shades of Milk and Honey), Jody Lynn Nye (“Mythology” series), Kate Orman (Seeing I), and Catherynne M. Valente (The Orphan’s Tales).
Also featured is a comic from the “Torchwood Babiez” creators, plus interviews with “Doctor Who” companions India Fisher (Charley) and Sophie Aldred (Ace).
Lizbeth Myles 