Twelve

by Nathan J.D.L. Rowark (Editor), Andy Luke (Contributor), Matthew R. Davis

Prepare to get lost, as the time-traveler and his assistant venture into dark space. It's time for authors from around the world to unofficially pay homage to the longest-running science-fiction show in the world, and unleash their own tales of futuristic terror.

140 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Nathan J.D.L. Rowark lives in London. He writes horror stories and hopes to become a literary terror writer.

Reviews

[Andy Luke · Rating 3 out of 5]

"12" is "an anthology of gothic time travel stories celebrating the 50th anniversary of the longest running science-fiction show in the world". It's fan-fiction, and for the most part, the contents are as fine as official licensed tales. There's a tonal similarity, a feeling like the show's sixties and seventies heyday, excelling in soundly constructed concepts, clear visions and something creeping. The first half of the book (Slade, Chappell, Wynn, Feekins, Rowark, Melhuish and myself) often aims for a straight approach with non-copyright characters standing in for the Doctor and his companion. However this isn't strictly so, and like the second half it isn't immune to poetic drift, the aim to capture the sensory knowledge of the show. And that's what's consistent about this collection. There is one exception: a piece of shock writing by Wol-vriey Jesuto which the editor should have tossed out on it's ear. Otherwise, thirteen authors work to make tales feel like "Who", filling them with elaborate patterns in story play and tangible eerieness. This collection has many clever ideas, sneakily twisting courses and a lot of understated nods to the mythos.