James Mortimer (Author of The Sound of Drums / Last of the Time Lords)

James rated a book it was amazing The Doctor Who Production Diary: The Hartnell Years by David Brunt	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
There's a poem that goes around Twitter sometimes by Joseph Fasano, where a professor writes about his student using AI to write a paper. The poem ends on the line: "Love is for the ones who do the work." I try and review everything I read on here, an ...more
Aug 11, 2026 10:22AM · 1 like · like · see review
James rated a book really liked it Doctor Who: The Deadliest Weapon: Circuit Breaker Audio Original by Steve Lyons	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this one, and it's really nice to hear Jo Martin performing the character (which, as exciting as the other instalments in a multi-media campaign can be, is kind of what you want when you want more from a Doctor). The supporting chara ...more
Aug 05, 2026 11:08AM · 1 like · like · see review
James rated a book it was amazing Doctor Who: Circuit Breaker: Dawn Of The Daleks by Dulse M. Montoya	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
So this is my favourite part of Circuit Breaker so far. I'm not loving the ends of these stories, where Fugitive goes back to Osgood and is generally scolded for being not-a-nice-person. I'm not sure it really does much for either of their characters, ...more
Aug 05, 2026 11:08AM · 1 like · like · see review
James rated a book it was amazing Doctor Who: Circuit Breaker: Dawn Of The Daleks by Dulse M. Montoya	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
So this is my favourite part of Circuit Breaker so far. I'm not loving the ends of these stories, where Fugitive goes back to Osgood and is generally scolded for being not-a-nice-person. I'm not sure it really does much for either of their characters, ...more
Aug 05, 2026 10:54AM · 1 like · like · see review
James rated a book really liked it Doctor Who: Dracula! (Puffin Crossovers, #8) by Paul Magrs (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This one's really fun. The premise is very much my sort of thing - the 1st Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Susan have a holiday in Whitby. They meet people, eat fish and chips, and it's exactly the start to a Doctor Who story that I love. I was really surpri ...more
Aug 05, 2026 10:48AM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Doctor Who by Paul Magrs. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Doctor Who by Paul Magrs <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
James rated a book really liked it Doctor Who: Wonderland by Mark Chadbourn (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I bought this book in 2006/2007, from a glass cabinet inside the Doctor Who Up Close exhibition, in Cardiff's Red Dragon Centre. It feels apt that, twenty or so years on, I'm finally reading it, in Cardiff. So firstly, it's probably good that I didn't ...more
Jul 13, 2026 11:09AM · 1 like · like · see review
James rated a book liked it Doctor Who: Circuit Breaker: Adversary of the Daleks by Dulse M. Montoya	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This is a really fun story, and it captures Jo Martin's Doctor incredibly well. I love the way she handles situations - it's refreshingly different, and I like that she exists to be different. The opening has a nice concise introduction of the 'Circu ...more
Jul 13, 2026 10:58AM · 1 like · like · see review
James rated a book liked it Doctor Who: The Space Museum (Classic TV Soundtrack) by Glyn Jones	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Maureen o'Brien's linking narration is, as ever, a delight. The first episode of this story is so interesting and inventive, and there's some absolutely delightful moments throughout. It never loses sight of its central concept - and it's such a cool ...more
Jun 13, 2026 01:10PM · 1 like · like · see review
James rated a book it was amazing Doctor Who: City of Death by Douglas Adams	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This reminded me what an incredible script this is. The perfect, quintessential Doctor Who. It's funny, it's mad, it's clever but easy to follow, the dialogue is unhinged in the best way at times. This version has Lalla Ward's linking narration, and ...more
Jun 13, 2026 01:07PM · 1 like · like · see review
James liked Cam's review of The Land of Painted Caves (Earth's Children, #6): "Have so enjoyed reading the complete set of Clan of the Cave Bear books! Read the first two many moons ago - and it has been lovely to revisit and to complete Ayla's story. Thank you James for the set :) Loved them!"
May 30, 2026 05:27AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Land of Painted Caves by Jean M. Auel. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Land of Painted Caves by Jean M. Auel <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

James rated a book it was amazing

The Doctor Who Production Diary by David Brunt

The Doctor Who Production Diary: The Hartnell Years
by David Brunt

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There's a poem that goes around Twitter sometimes by Joseph Fasano, where a professor writes about his student using AI to write a paper. The poem ends on the line: "Love is for the ones who do the work."

I try and review everything I read on here, an There's a poem that goes around Twitter sometimes by Joseph Fasano, where a professor writes about his student using AI to write a paper. The poem ends on the line: "Love is for the ones who do the work."

I try and review everything I read on here, and that tends to usually be Agatha Christie, or Doctor Who. I do wonder sometimes how that looks when it appears on people's feeds, amongst their literary bestsellers that it seems like everyone feels they have to read. I wonder what impression it creates of me. Is he happy? *Can* he be happy, just reading what must seem like the same thing over and over, in the same way all those literary bestsellers seem to me?

But it's comforting, when reading a book like this, because you get a real sense of community from it. This is written by someone else who cares about the same things as me. It's validating, I suppose. And this book is, surely, the epitome of the idea that 'love is for the ones who do the work'. To compile and craft this book is an act of dedication that it's hard to comprehend. It's done out of so much love, and there is so much care and attention in this.

It is the day-to-day diary of what happened when making Doctor Who, from the conception of the idea in 1963, to the day before Patrick Troughton's first episode in 1966. It catalogues seemingly everything there is to catalogue. There are some real highlights in here: stories that never got made, their full outlines presented; producers responding to endless fan letters, and catching up kids who missed Episode Three of a story cos they were on holiday, sending photos of Daleks.

It's refreshing in a sense to other books on this era because it's not anecdotal. It has brief allusions to things that are general knowledge of fans interesting in this period, but only if the paperwork alludes to them. I sometimes wondered if that meant we were missing out, but it means that this incredibly comprehensive book is still only part of the story... and that's incredible.

There are names of the production teams in here that I'd never heard of, and you get to know their routines and their frustrations. There are letters of complaint between departments, there are prop lists (which, though I'm impressed by how thorough they were, I will confess to being the one thing in this book I glazed over). It paints a real image of the people, their work, and their sheer effort they put into this show.

As the book goes on, some features (like the viewer letters) drop out. Is that because the producers replied to them less, or because we have less documentation about them? I don't know. Other information becomes more prominent, and the book has themes and arcs, as we follow the production of a radio series, where a pilot got made but never broadcast. Fan myths - and cast and crew stories - are changed and challenged by the information that's presented here.

I think it's possibly the longest book I've ever read, and no one is more surprised than me that I stuck with it, and finished it. It's become an incredibly reliable, comforting, and trustworthy book to read, and I can't wait for the next one. It's a monumental piece that is probably only really of interest to those who love this era, of TV or of Doctor Who, but it's for the people that love it, and you can tell, on every page, how much love has been poured into this. Love is for the ones who do the work - in both the writing and the reading of this. I can't recommend it enough. ...more

James rated a book really liked it

Doctor Who: The Deadliest Weapon: Circuit Breaker Audio Original
by Steve Lyons

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I really enjoyed this one, and it's really nice to hear Jo Martin performing the character (which, as exciting as the other instalments in a multi-media campaign can be, is kind of what you want when you want more from a Doctor). The supporting chara ...more

James rated a book it was amazing

Doctor Who: Circuit Breaker: Dawn Of The Daleks
by Dulse M. Montoya

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1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

So this is my favourite part of Circuit Breaker so far.

I'm not loving the ends of these stories, where Fugitive goes back to Osgood and is generally scolded for being not-a-nice-person. I'm not sure it really does much for either of their characters, ...more

James rated a book it was amazing

Doctor Who: Circuit Breaker: Dawn Of The Daleks
by Dulse M. Montoya

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

So this is my favourite part of Circuit Breaker so far.

I'm not loving the ends of these stories, where Fugitive goes back to Osgood and is generally scolded for being not-a-nice-person. I'm not sure it really does much for either of their characters, ...more

James rated a book really liked it

Doctor Who: Dracula! (Puffin Crossovers, #8)
by Paul Magrs (Goodreads Author)

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1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

This one's really fun. The premise is very much my sort of thing - the 1st Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Susan have a holiday in Whitby. They meet people, eat fish and chips, and it's exactly the start to a Doctor Who story that I love.

I was really surpri ...more

James rated a book really liked it

Doctor Who: Wonderland
by Mark Chadbourn (Goodreads Author)

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I bought this book in 2006/2007, from a glass cabinet inside the Doctor Who Up Close exhibition, in Cardiff's Red Dragon Centre. It feels apt that, twenty or so years on, I'm finally reading it, in Cardiff.

So firstly, it's probably good that I didn't I bought this book in 2006/2007, from a glass cabinet inside the Doctor Who Up Close exhibition, in Cardiff's Red Dragon Centre. It feels apt that, twenty or so years on, I'm finally reading it, in Cardiff.

So firstly, it's probably good that I didn't finish this as a kid. It's very dark at times for a Doctor Who story (it's *very* Wilderness Years, and it's characterisation of the Second Doctor is closer to the Seventh at times, which I quite enjoyed tbh). But it's very good. I found the setting fascinating and fitting for Ben and Polly. This was probably my first exposure to them as characters when I read the first ten pages or so all those years ago, and it stuck with me. Now I know them a little better, I can see how well they're written, and Polly especially is brilliant; the way she talks about the situations that occur can be so funny sometimes, and feels very sixties.

It's a quick read, and it's easy to invest in Summer's search for her lost boyfriend. I loved all the historical stuff about JFK and the hippie movement, and the structure of the story doesn't feel that different to a 60s Who at all (or even a detective novel). The monster is portrayed absolutely terrifyingly at times - appearing invisible unless you take a specific brand of LSD, and it's frightening in both guises - and though I was a little disappointed by the revelation as to what's going on with the Colour-Beast, it's very Doctor Who. This really does have elements of a horror novel to it at times, which I enjoyed.

The ending has stuck with me the most. It's a spot-on characterisation of a different incarnation of the Doctor (and it's nice to see more of the character, since he doesn't feature quite enough in the novella for me), and it's a really beautiful, bittersweet, hopeful ending. It has a sense of softness that a lot of the settings of the book are devoid of.

There's fun little cameos for the Doctor, Ben, and Polly, of various different monsters, and again, though the reasoning for their appearances (and, indeed, the reasoning for the Doctor being absent for so much of the novella) aren't quite satisfying enough, they are such lovely little moments.

I feel like this novella influenced me a lot - even if only in the first ten pages I read when I was younger - and it's nice now to return to it. Especially since, really, the book feels exactly as I imagined the rest of it would be, and it retains that throughout, meaning this is a really consistent, but also, for me, a very nostalgic read. ...more

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Doctor Who: Circuit Breaker: Adversary of the Daleks
by Dulse M. Montoya

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This is a really fun story, and it captures Jo Martin's Doctor incredibly well. I love the way she handles situations - it's refreshingly different, and I like that she exists to be different. The opening has a nice concise introduction of the 'Circu This is a really fun story, and it captures Jo Martin's Doctor incredibly well. I love the way she handles situations - it's refreshingly different, and I like that she exists to be different. The opening has a nice concise introduction of the 'Circuit Breaker' vibe for anyone who's missed the UNIT introduction story (which is excellent and written in a really cool format, so I'd recommend that). The art isn't massively to my taste, but the stylised drawings of the exterminations are absolutely stunning, and the Dalek design is great.

My only issues with this are more about what it *doesn't* do, which for the most part aren't really criticisms of the comic itself. There's a cool moment where the Ancient Greeks have to fool a Dalek - but it's odd we never see what this looks like from the Dalek's perspective, and I feel that's maybe a missed opportunity?

As far as a 'the Doctor's first meeting with the Daleks' story goes, this is... an odd one. Why Ancient Greece? What's that telling us about the Daleks? Why are the alien refugees we meet in this story hiding here? And the Doctor gets to know the Daleks on a surface level - the initial confrontation, her dismissal of them, and her simultaneous determination that there *must* be good in them, are wonderful moments - but her discovery of them leaves out a lot of the... fascist stuff? Like, when the only story this can be compared to is the original Daleks story, which is steeped in Atomic War and eugenics and fascism, this story doesn't have the space to introduce the Doctor to who the Daleks really are. We don't need another Skaro story, or a repeat of The Daleks, but for a first meeting, we need *something*, and maybe the comic, drawn in this style and with a limited page count, isn't the place for it?

If we get this in 'Dawn of the Daleks' then amazing, but I'd still have loved her first encounter to have provided a little bit more for the Doctor to get her teeth into. She's breezing through these adventures - but the readers need something to sit with.

The advantage of the Fugitive Doctor is that she's a Doctor of the Dark Times. She needs to be fighting vampires and eldritch horrors and the Daleks absolutely have a place in that - but this hasn't capitalised on it yet. ...more

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Doctor Who: The Space Museum (Classic TV Soundtrack)
by Glyn Jones

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1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Maureen o'Brien's linking narration is, as ever, a delight. The first episode of this story is so interesting and inventive, and there's some absolutely delightful moments throughout. It never loses sight of its central concept - and it's such a cool ...more

James rated a book it was amazing

Doctor Who: City of Death
by Douglas Adams

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This reminded me what an incredible script this is. The perfect, quintessential Doctor Who. It's funny, it's mad, it's clever but easy to follow, the dialogue is unhinged in the best way at times. This version has Lalla Ward's linking narration, and ...more

James liked Cam's review of The Land of Painted Caves (Earth's Children, #6):

The Land of Painted Caves by Jean M. Auel

"Have so enjoyed reading the complete set of Clan of the Cave Bear books! Read the first two many moons ago - and it has been lovely to revisit and to complete Ayla's story. Thank you James for the set :) Loved them!"

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	The Sound of Drums / Last of the Time Lords (The Black Archive, #38) 3.47 avg rating — 17 ratings — published 2019	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Flux (The Black Archive, #63) by Paul Driscoll (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Alasdair Stuart (Goodreads Author), James Cooray Smith 3.93 avg rating — 14 ratings — published 2023	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Nail Varnish it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2017	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Darcaelan Casebook Volume One by Jake Hannam, James Mortimer (Goodreads Author), Elliott Johnson it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2017	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

James’s Year In Books

James Mortimer’s Followers (10)

James’s Bookshelves

James’s Friends (10)

James Mortimer

Goodreads Author

Combine EditionsJames Mortimer’s books

rssJames’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — Doctor Who by Paul Magrs

See a Problem?

Preview — The Land of Painted Caves by Jean M. Auel

James’s Quotes

recent postsJames’s Groups

James’s Friend Comments

Combine Editions
James Mortimer’s books

rss
James’s Recent Updates

recent posts
James’s Groups