Lethbridge-Stewart: Top Secret Files

Lethbridge-Stewart #ss.0

by Andy Frankham-Allen

A concise book containing an original Lethbridge-Stewart short story, an interview with legendary Doctor Who director Graeme Harper, and lots more.

Genres: Doctor Who, Ebooks

56 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2015

About the author

Welsh-born Andy Frankham-Allen's passion for writing began with a love of Doctor Who. He's been writing since as far back as he can remember, and, although unsuccessful, he wrote a Doctor Who novel for BBC Books in 1996 after an accident caused him to be out of work for four months. Following that writing fell back into a hobby until 2001 when he began an ongoing fan-fiction series called Doctor Who: The Legacy, which carried on until 2006.

He has been writing professionally since 2004, through several official Doctor Who short stories, and since 2010 with horror shorts of Untreed Reads Publishing. March 2011 saw the release of his novel, 'Seeker', the first book in The Garden Saga, published in print by Hirst Publishing and in all digital formats by Untreed Reads.

Reviews

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great little collection of short stories, information about the new Lethbridge-Stewart range of books including the opening chapter from the first novel.
Plus a nice interview with director Graham Harper.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun addition to the series featuring Doctor Who's Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. Although it costs 99p on the Kindle Store, you can get the ebook free as a PDF from the publisher's website here.

The Ambush: A short story originally published in Doctor Who Magazine which explains the moments before Lethbridge-Stewart's very first Doctor Who appearance in The Web of Fear. It's nothing hugely special but it is a nice little extension of a wonderful TV story.

We Won't Let him Down: An extended edition of a chapter from Companions: Fifty Years of Doctor Who Assistants: An Unofficial Guide focussing on the Brigadier. It's essentially a run down of his TV appearances and I suspect most people reading the book won't get much from this, but it is a useful addition for newer fans.

What Lies Beyond: A quick look at some novels featuring the Brigadier. It's basically just a further reading list.

Graeme Harper: An interview with the only man to direct both Classic and New Who who directed Nicholas Courtney a number of times during his career. It's an affectionate little interview that only makes you wish that Courtney was still alive for more.

Original Prelude: This was originally going to be the opening to Lethbridge-Stewart: The Forgotten Son. It is set much more recently, in the Brigadier's last few weeks of life and explains where the stories in the series come from. I really liked it.

The New World: The opening chapter of The Forgotten Son. I've yet to read that book but this is very promising, continuing Lethbridge-Stewart's story on from the end of The Web of Fear.

All in all, a pretty decent collection considering you can get it for free and makes me eager to read the first in the series.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Start up

Overall it's ok. Basically a long preamble to this series. Expounding upon doctor who characters folklore. Nice if from directors and actors too

[Jon Arnold · Rating 3 out of 5]

A grab bag of bits and pieces to give a taster of Candy Jar’s new Lethbridge Stewart range. It covers three short stories, the fictional background to the series and brief notes about novels featuring the Brigadier and an article from Graeme Harper about working with Nicholas Courtney. The fiction’s melodramatic and breathless, telling rather than showing much of the time but that’s hardly out of keeping with the parent show. The first story renders the Brigadier’s first encounter with the Great Intelligence’s web itself eerie and unsettling and also cheekily dances around copyright with the Doctor and Brigadier’s first meeting. The second is an insubstantial prologue and the third a taster for the first book in the series. The background piece has a couple of strange decisions (such as the Brigadier being from Cornwall) and has one annoying section which begins talking about the Brigadier’s ancestor who then, thanks to a spacing issue and slightly clumsy changing of subject apparently fought in the Korean War despite having dies centuries earlier. This certainly does its job though, by the end you’ll know whether the range is your glass of whisky or not.

[Seth Tucker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to one of the greatest Doctor Who characters of all time. This book features, a short story detailing, what led to the first meeting of Lethbridge-Stewart & the Doctor during the Web of Fear serial. Also most of the other information in this book is about the character, his history and appearances on the show and in subsequent books, but we get a deleted introduction, and the first chapter of the recently released first of the Lethbridge-Stewart series. A must read for classic Doctor Who fans and great way to get excited for the first book in what is a promising new series.

[Glenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enlightening behind-the-scenes looks and early but removed material from the Lethbridge-Stewart series, particularly surrounding The forgotten Son. I especially enjoyed the story, The Ambush, which serves as a sort of prequel to the Web of Fear.

[S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad for the price that it was and for what it was. Writing was pretty decent and the character was alive in the writing.