What do you think?
Rate this book
Doctor Who Encyclopedia #2
Doctor Who The Encyclopedia
River Song still a riddle? Stumped by the stolen planets in the Medusa Cascade? Forgotten what happened in the Timelines That Never Happened? Look no further…
Completely revised and updated, this is the ultimate guide to everything and everyone that’s ever happened, un-happened and happened again in the worlds and times of the Doctor. The Doctor Who Encyclopedia now covers the Eleventh Doctor's first two seasons, plus every Ninth and Tenth Doctor story, and is packed with photographs and artwork from seven stunning years of adventures - including the charity specials, animated adventures, computer games, TARDISodes and preludes. This is your complete tour of time and space – from ABBA and Inspector Abberline to Melody Zucker and the Zygons.
The original edition of this book covered three seasons of the Doctor Who. The fully revised and updated Doctor Who Encyclopedia, covering every episode from 2005 revival of the show through the last episode of series six in 2011.
Completely revised and updated, this is the ultimate guide to everything and everyone that’s ever happened, un-happened and happened again in the worlds and times of the Doctor. The Doctor Who Encyclopedia now covers the Eleventh Doctor's first two seasons, plus every Ninth and Tenth Doctor story, and is packed with photographs and artwork from seven stunning years of adventures - including the charity specials, animated adventures, computer games, TARDISodes and preludes. This is your complete tour of time and space – from ABBA and Inspector Abberline to Melody Zucker and the Zygons.
The original edition of this book covered three seasons of the Doctor Who. The fully revised and updated Doctor Who Encyclopedia, covering every episode from 2005 revival of the show through the last episode of series six in 2011.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published October 13, 2011
8 people are currently reading
229 people want to read
About the author
Gary Russell
198 books172 followersGary Russell is a British freelance writer, producer and former child actor. As a writer, he is best known for his work in connection with the television series Doctor Who and its spin-offs in other media. As an actor, he is best known for playing Dick Kirrin in the British 1978 television series The Famous Five.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
February 14, 2021
I wanna travel through time and space with the Doctor. In the meantime, I'm reading as much as I can about Doctor Who so I'll be prepared when that blue box arrives to pick me up.
March 7, 2012
Not too bad, though I'd prefer it if BBC printed a volume every Doctor. Not just the last three.
July 21, 2023
ABC dictionary, Abaddon to Zygons, of good guys, bad guys, planets, places, times and trivia for Doctor Who 9, 10, and 11 (6 seasons of 13 episodes, #.X = Xmas, and 13 extras). The BBC TV series has been running since 23 November 1963. These glossy lavish full-page, cameo and intertwined portrait photos, plus meticulous detailed entries even for extras, add new material to old references, such as previously identically titled "Doctor Who Encyclopedia" by same author that covers only Doctors 9 & 10.
More damp eyes than smiles for the memories the pictures revive. Retains humor, such as psychic "paper gave up the ghost" trying to tell boy Kazran Sardick that Doctor was "mature and responsible" babysitter 6.X p285, and green Rasputin 6.8 p287. Ornate costumes and magnificent monsters are here more than fast glimpses.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06k...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Rus...
Nerd-level high. I'm okay expanding my knowledge of geography, imaginary alien planets, real London neighborhoods and streets; answers to 1.12 Game Station show Anne Droid, are for hard-core trivia buffs. Exact repetition gets tedious.
Chula nanogenes do more than "improve the health of those infected"; one old lady got back her amputated leg. "Mate" I confused for "connubial partner", until the context and repetition said "pal". Song titles give artists and dates for aficionados.
Worst visual - Entry color mustard nearly vanishes on white background - vivid dark blue or purple better instead of right margin.
Biggest beef - No captions on pictures, not always near or directly relevant to entry. Challenging guessing game I thought I failed until I checked opposite page. Confused by specials that include at least one animation. Helped by actors in brackets inside or, usually, after the entry. Exceptions are real BBC news commentators, who play themselves. True history, organizations ex NATO, New Amsterdam early name for New York, and TV show What Not To Wear are not distinguished either.
Second trip-wire - Most entries require surname. Exceptions are few: Moon, Doctor is same as Doctor Moon. Chloe Webber was possessed by flower-like alien yearning for billions of siblings so drawing, literally, 80 thousands of Olympic stadium attendees into an imaginary dimension; no listing under Olympic. Yet extras, such as Lad, Man, Mum have two entries each; Girl, Boy have one each; Woman has three. Common (and uncommon: Jim 3, Jimbo 2, New Humans 2, Nurse 4, Sunita 2, Vicar 6) names have multiple entries; Arthur [1] and [2]. Arthur Dent not "Dent, Arthur". "Police" lists 4 episodes, 5 actors, all together, not [1], [2], [3], [4]. Inconsistencies. Ameliorated some by cross-references.
Minor quibbles
• Numbers are listed alphabetical order instead of dictionary convention that numbers, in numerical order, precede letters (Oncoming Storm, 106 River's cell (not next to confusing picture of her guard), 1306 projected age, 133 Squadron of Jack Harkness; Twelfth Night, 20th Century Blues, 24 Hours from Tulsa, 22nd Century, 26 June 2010 Amy's wedding, 26 Squadron, 244 Squadron, 200 bus, TwoStreams Facility; 76390, 7258; 6,000,4000,036 6879760 654; Zero 08 01 03 02)
• Facts do not extend to other Doctors. For example, Wilfred Mott, grandfather of companion Donna Noble, also acted in the second Doctor Who film Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150 AD (1966).
• "quango" UK quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation is not defined p255 "Ofsted: UK quango dedicated to overseeing educational establishments. Amy Pond pretended to represent them when she investigated Rosanna Calvierri's School (5.6 Vampires of Venice)
• Amy does not recognize her Captain Rory as her husband in Area 51 Silence battle, until the Doctor hints; River does not disclose the Doctor's survival until much later. 6.13 p279
• "Queen Victoria" is listed as EastEnder pub 2.12, not royal that knights and banishes Doctor Nine, and establishes Torchwood 2.2 p285
• Oft convoluted sentence structures. Racnoss "devour planets born starving" should be "born starving, devour planets" p286
• Although the Reapers envelop and devour humans in the Pete-saved reality gone wrong, "antibody-like wraiths" suggest microscopic ghosts rather than the giant (20'?) screeching swooping vulture terrors they are. 1.8
Asides
Sitting calmly, perusing memories, questions arise, impossible when action raced and chased onscreen before.
• Wouldn't both the Adipose and obese humans have been happier, healthier and more alive if the plot had been allowed to fruition, safely change world's unwanted pounds into wanted baby aliens? 4.1
• I liked clone warrior Jenny 4.6 the Doctor's Daughter, and wish more of a female traveller. The female Dr Who gathered too many groupies.
• Instead of tossing overboard beautiful irreplaceable treasure that attracted ship Siren, lost forever, couldn't they just have wrapped a cover over? 6.3
• If the Wire displaced a face and consciousness into a TV, why weren't the TVs also taken into police custody, investigated, heard? 2.7
"The Signalman" by Charles Dickens, "best short story ever" according to Dr Who here, is chapter 4 of "Mugby Junction". The Junction signalman does not know how to stop death a third time, after ghost warning comes true twice before; narrator offers to take him to doctor. I don't like spirits, predictions, or unhappy endings. The relevance seems to be that not even the Doctor can change a future he knows.
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/27924 Mugby Junction illust
More damp eyes than smiles for the memories the pictures revive. Retains humor, such as psychic "paper gave up the ghost" trying to tell boy Kazran Sardick that Doctor was "mature and responsible" babysitter 6.X p285, and green Rasputin 6.8 p287. Ornate costumes and magnificent monsters are here more than fast glimpses.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06k...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Rus...
Nerd-level high. I'm okay expanding my knowledge of geography, imaginary alien planets, real London neighborhoods and streets; answers to 1.12 Game Station show Anne Droid, are for hard-core trivia buffs. Exact repetition gets tedious.
Chula nanogenes do more than "improve the health of those infected"; one old lady got back her amputated leg. "Mate" I confused for "connubial partner", until the context and repetition said "pal". Song titles give artists and dates for aficionados.
Worst visual - Entry color mustard nearly vanishes on white background - vivid dark blue or purple better instead of right margin.
Biggest beef - No captions on pictures, not always near or directly relevant to entry. Challenging guessing game I thought I failed until I checked opposite page. Confused by specials that include at least one animation. Helped by actors in brackets inside or, usually, after the entry. Exceptions are real BBC news commentators, who play themselves. True history, organizations ex NATO, New Amsterdam early name for New York, and TV show What Not To Wear are not distinguished either.
Second trip-wire - Most entries require surname. Exceptions are few: Moon, Doctor is same as Doctor Moon. Chloe Webber was possessed by flower-like alien yearning for billions of siblings so drawing, literally, 80 thousands of Olympic stadium attendees into an imaginary dimension; no listing under Olympic. Yet extras, such as Lad, Man, Mum have two entries each; Girl, Boy have one each; Woman has three. Common (and uncommon: Jim 3, Jimbo 2, New Humans 2, Nurse 4, Sunita 2, Vicar 6) names have multiple entries; Arthur [1] and [2]. Arthur Dent not "Dent, Arthur". "Police" lists 4 episodes, 5 actors, all together, not [1], [2], [3], [4]. Inconsistencies. Ameliorated some by cross-references.
Minor quibbles
• Numbers are listed alphabetical order instead of dictionary convention that numbers, in numerical order, precede letters (Oncoming Storm, 106 River's cell (not next to confusing picture of her guard), 1306 projected age, 133 Squadron of Jack Harkness; Twelfth Night, 20th Century Blues, 24 Hours from Tulsa, 22nd Century, 26 June 2010 Amy's wedding, 26 Squadron, 244 Squadron, 200 bus, TwoStreams Facility; 76390, 7258; 6,000,4000,036 6879760 654; Zero 08 01 03 02)
• Facts do not extend to other Doctors. For example, Wilfred Mott, grandfather of companion Donna Noble, also acted in the second Doctor Who film Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150 AD (1966).
• "quango" UK quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation is not defined p255 "Ofsted: UK quango dedicated to overseeing educational establishments. Amy Pond pretended to represent them when she investigated Rosanna Calvierri's School (5.6 Vampires of Venice)
• Amy does not recognize her Captain Rory as her husband in Area 51 Silence battle, until the Doctor hints; River does not disclose the Doctor's survival until much later. 6.13 p279
• "Queen Victoria" is listed as EastEnder pub 2.12, not royal that knights and banishes Doctor Nine, and establishes Torchwood 2.2 p285
• Oft convoluted sentence structures. Racnoss "devour planets born starving" should be "born starving, devour planets" p286
• Although the Reapers envelop and devour humans in the Pete-saved reality gone wrong, "antibody-like wraiths" suggest microscopic ghosts rather than the giant (20'?) screeching swooping vulture terrors they are. 1.8
Asides
Sitting calmly, perusing memories, questions arise, impossible when action raced and chased onscreen before.
• Wouldn't both the Adipose and obese humans have been happier, healthier and more alive if the plot had been allowed to fruition, safely change world's unwanted pounds into wanted baby aliens? 4.1
• I liked clone warrior Jenny 4.6 the Doctor's Daughter, and wish more of a female traveller. The female Dr Who gathered too many groupies.
• Instead of tossing overboard beautiful irreplaceable treasure that attracted ship Siren, lost forever, couldn't they just have wrapped a cover over? 6.3
• If the Wire displaced a face and consciousness into a TV, why weren't the TVs also taken into police custody, investigated, heard? 2.7
"The Signalman" by Charles Dickens, "best short story ever" according to Dr Who here, is chapter 4 of "Mugby Junction". The Junction signalman does not know how to stop death a third time, after ghost warning comes true twice before; narrator offers to take him to doctor. I don't like spirits, predictions, or unhappy endings. The relevance seems to be that not even the Doctor can change a future he knows.
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/27924 Mugby Junction illust
April 30, 2024
Awesome book - a must for any Dr Who fan, lots of pictures, "nerd info" for those, like me, who like to know a little bit of the behind the scenes stuff! Brilliant - can't wait for the updated version to come out!
February 23, 2025
2.75 stars
Loved reading this when I was a child. However, when reading this as an adult it was really good for nostalgia but not much else. It was quite boring and included too many irrelevant characters (e.g. we only knew by name in the episode and then in the book they have this long backstory).
I liked the pictures but it could have done with a lot more to keep the book visually appealing.
Wouldn't recommend-the book is quite outdated now anyway
Loved reading this when I was a child. However, when reading this as an adult it was really good for nostalgia but not much else. It was quite boring and included too many irrelevant characters (e.g. we only knew by name in the episode and then in the book they have this long backstory).
I liked the pictures but it could have done with a lot more to keep the book visually appealing.
Wouldn't recommend-the book is quite outdated now anyway
February 28, 2016
This book is designed for avid Whovians. If you are not or have seen only a few episodes (mainly since the reboot) then a lot of the references will be lost on you. If something is mentioned, even once, it gets a notation in this encyclopedia. This makes for great fun for Whovians, not so much for people unfamiliar with the Doctor Who Universe. I love all the pictures throughout the book but wish that the author/editor could have bothered to put some sort of caption or reference to encyclopedia entry connecting the picture to the appropriate entry on the page. Most of them I could figure out but a few of them-mostly from the shorts and animated entries that I have not seen - I had no idea what the picture represented. That's my only critique of the book. I'm a huge Whovian so I am obviously part of the target audience and unlikely to be disappointed.
February 3, 2020
I finally read it! It’s a list of characters, places and some concepts from “Doctor Who,” only between Doctors 9, 10 & 11. “Jenny (2) An artificially created soldier Generation 5000 soldier cloned from the Doctor’s DNA on Messaline, effectively making her his daughter. She was militaristic and driven, but she and Doctor gradually warmed to one another, and Jenny quickly learned to take his morals and compassion…(Played by Georgia Moffett.)” “Jenny (3) Human aide to the Silurian Madame Vastra in Victorian London. Capable of most forms of hand-held weaponry…Played by Catrin Stewart.” (174) Bought at Barnes & Noble on 9/25/16 for $11.96.
August 9, 2012
Cool book... only thing is i bought it off online so i thought it was an entire series book... but its only the 6 seasons of the reboot series... which is still impressive as hell... especially as it also charts cartoons i've never seen and interactive games and webisodes and such. Worth going through for pictures alone and for really concisely condensing character bios into easier to understand paragraphs.
February 5, 2012
I'm a new Dr. Who fan. I started watching the New Adventures with Matt Smith. I was familiar with the show from the 70's and Tom Baker's days, but this book is helping me catch up.
This book only covers the New Adventures in the 21st Century.
This book only covers the New Adventures in the 21st Century.
January 19, 2015
Hard-core Nerd out and I'm not ashamed at all...I read it with my friend and brother and we talked about everything. The book is gorgeous and it has practically everything 'New Who' in it from Eccleston to Matt Smith. Love it.
March 24, 2012
Very detailed about the recent seasons of Doctor Who, but a bit confusing with none of the photos being captioned.
January 24, 2014
This Gives you absolutely all the information you need to know about Doctor Who. It's like the best dictionary ever made!
October 21, 2015
For fellow Whovians. Read for the memories and trivia.
December 31, 2015
I've read selections throughout the year. Very detailed and great visuals. Plus a whole page picture of Rory.
July 18, 2016
Encyclopedia for Seasons 1-6 of the modern series (and related media), filled with facts both important and trivial.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews