BBC Books, out now

 

A star-packed collection of stories from the Whoniverse, published in aid of BBC Children in Need.

Doctor Who has a wonderful ongoing relationship with Children in Need, and what better way to support the fundraising this year than by publishing a book of 16 short stories, with £2.25 from each book sale going to the charity. And what a line-up it boasts – three showrunners (Chris Chibnall, Russell T Davies and Steven Moffat) and six show writers (Neil Gaiman, Mark Gatiss, Paul Cornell, Pete McTighe, Vinay Patel and Joy Wilkinson).

And it’s not just writers – 14 illustrations by 9 artists (including Chris Riddell and Mike Collins) support the text. Seven of the stories appeared on the Doctor Who websites during lockdown, six were produced by DWM’s Emily Cook as part of the Doctor Who: Lockdown! watch-alongs, and three are brand new for this collection.

None of the contributions are more than a few pages long, and they’re in no particular order, so you can dip in as and when you fancy, getting prequels, sequels or side trips to favourite stories.

Verdict: Not only worthy, this collection by Doctor Who writing royalty is thoroughly worthwhile and a great way to support Children in Need. 10/10

Nick Joy

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