Sci-Fi Bulletin: Exploring the Universes of SF, Fantasy, Horror and Spy-fi!

Obverse Books’ series of Doctor Who monographs, the Black Archive, celebrates 10 years of publication with a special tome looking at An Adventure in Space and Time.

 ‘The following programme is based on actual events. It’s important to remember, however, that you can’t rewrite history. Not one line. Except, perhaps, when you embark on an Adventure In Space And Time…’

In 1966, William Hartnell is about to record his final scenes as Doctor Who. Having helped establish the series as a smash hit for the BBC, he is not keen to go, but ill health means he simply can’t continue. Tracing the story of the series creation from Sydney Newman’s first suggestion of a new science fiction series to Hartnell leaving the role behind, An Adventure in Time and Space is more than just a biopic of William Hartnell, it’s the story of the creation of a television legend.

Publisher Stuart Douglas noted:  “Hard to believe, but it’s ten years this month since the first Black Archives were released to what we hoped would be an interested Doctor Who world!

“Started by an email to a mailing list by Phil Purser-Hallard wondering if people would read a book analysing just one story, Phil and I then spent several months deciding if they would, creating a template for the new series, and roping in Blair Bidmead and Cody Shell to respectively draw icons and create (a now justly famous) cover style, then several more editing the first books (by Phil, Jim Cooray Smith, Liz Myles and Jon Arnold).

“Helped by DWM describing those four books as a treat for the bookshelves, the Archives took off even better than we expected and the latest one is number 83 in the series, with plenty more already in process.

“None of this would have been possible without the excellent editorial team – just the two of us to start with, with Paul Simpson joining after half a dozen books, initially to cast his exacting and eagle eye over the books as a brilliant proof reader before joining as a range editor, then later Jim Cooray Smith and Matt West helped out briefly, before the superb pairing of Kara Dennison and Paul Driscoll added their expertise to the current team.

“And even more importantly, none of this could have happened without all our authors – over 60 different writers so far, many of them writing their first books – and the thousands of readers who have bought one, some, or all of the Black, Gold and Silver Archives. Thanks to you all!”

For more details and to order a copy, click here.