by Jonathan Morris & Penny CS Andrews

BBC Books, out now

Doctor Who’s biggest and most comprehensive monster guide yet, The Monster Vault takes you on the ultimate tour of the Whoniverse, discovering and cataloguing every wonderful and terrifying creature the Doctor has ever encountered.

Thudding onto your doorstep just in time for Halloween – in fact, it has the weight and dimensions of an actual doorstep – BBC Books’ encyclopaedia of the Doctor’s televised monster foes is another one of those beautifully illustrated and content-heavy books that you only get from a show that has such a lengthy legacy to dive into.

In her intro to the book, the Doctor shares access to top secret Monster Vaults from TARDIS data banks, and most entries follow a similar layout of a double page spread, one being a full-page illustration or enhanced photo by Lee Johnson, with facing text by Morris and Andrews.

The copy is written ‘in universe’, with only the inclusion of each monster creator and ten pages of behind-the-scenes content at the back acknowledging that it’s not real.

Verdict: At over 300 pages, a lot of love and monsters has gone into this project. From Abzorbaloff to Zarbi, this a great resource to brush up on your alien life forms. And if you were ever confronted by one, this hefty tome would surely serve as a trusty weapon. 9/10

 

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