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Doctor Who New Series anthologies #5
Doctor Who: Heroes and Monsters Collection
A new story collection featuring 26 adventures across time and space! The Heroes and Monsters Collection brings together our favourite short stories from the last ten years of Doctor Who. In these tales the Doctor and his companions face the Daleks, the Cybermen and many more terrifying foes. Also includes three brand-new stories for 2015, featuring the War Doctor, Clara and the Twelfth Doctor. With all the humour and thrilling action of the iconic television programme, the Heroes and Monsters Collection is a wonderful read for any Doctor Who fan.
334 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2015
24 people are currently reading
311 people want to read
About the author
Justin Richards
331 books241 followersJustin Richards is a British writer. He has written many spin off novels based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, and he is Creative Director for the BBC Books range. He has also written for television, contributing to Five's soap opera Family Affairs. He is also the author of a series of crime novels for children about the Invisible Detective, and novels for older children. His Doctor Who novel The Burning was placed sixth in the Top 10 of SFX magazine's "Best SF/Fantasy novelisation or TV tie-in novel" category of 2000.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
December 17, 2022
Rating: 3 stars
Keeping this record was both a blessing and a curse. It was good because I could remember each story, but it also meant that I had my phone on hand while I was reading so if an obtrusive thought popped into my head, as they always do, then Wikipedia was right at hand to find out why the name Otto von Bismarck sounded so familiar. The combination of said thoughts paired with the almost limitless accessibility of the digital world (always a dangerous mix when it comes to my brain) would inevitably lead to me falling head first down a research rabbit hole, completely neglecting the book still open on my lap. The result: it took me 34 days to read this 334 page book. Not my typical reading speed.
1. The Stranger: War Doctor saves some kids during the Time War… or does he? We all know what he did in the Time War… The only War Doctor story, which is sad.
2. The Hero Factor: The Doctor’s reputation precedes him. It starts and is over pretty quickly. (Note from Future Me: this last sentence was true for pretty much all these stories.)
3. Mission to Galacton: Daleks do some stuff. It is weird seeing/hearing/reading Daleks giving like ship orders and stuff Star Trek style, because urgency is not really in their voice capacity. Plus, it is a Dalek story, and even when I have no audiobook with the narrator doing the voice, I can't help but do it in my head, so I always end up reading it slowly. It ends how you would expect a Dalek story to end: “DALEKS CONQUER AND DESTROY!!”
4. Stamp of Approval: Haha play on words. This one’s about stamp collecting. There’s some hypnosis stuff (but no Master) and ink. Lots of ink. The end.
5. The Final Darkness: This one is from the POV of the Sycorax. Yeah, those dudes who controlled all the people with blood. This is like the prequel to and their version of that episode (The Christmas Invasion…? I think that was what it was called) were they find the human blood in space they need to do that and then do it. There are also the following exclamations: “Sycorax rock!” “Sycorax strong!” and “Sycorax mighty!” Brilliant. Also this: “Now one third of all human scum are compelled to climb high buildings and stand on the brink of falling-down-ness.”
6. No Fun at the Fair: Yessssssss Slitheen. Shut up, I love them. They are funny. Also there is this exchange between Rose and the Doctor:
“ 'A Slitheen! In there!' She gestured towards the ghost train. 'Big, green, scary...'
'Sure it wasn't Frankenstein's Monster? Or your
mum in a mood?' "
7. Taking Mickey: Mickey Mouse! He gets in some trouble and needs help. But never mind he can do it by himself!
8. Needlepoint: Martha sees lots of old ladies. And they all like knitting to save energy. Aha! This is how we will fix global warming: knitting without any thread to make energy. Perfect. Nobel prize please.
9. A Dog’s Life: Guess who? K-9 obviously! And he saves Sarah Jane Smith. It is told from his perspective so reads like a series of log entries.
10. The Secret of the Stones: Not about the Rolling Stones unfortunately, but Stonehenge. But (spoiler) they don’t really find anything. Sad. I was kind of excited when I found out what this one was going to (actually) be about, but because these stories have such a minimal page count, little to nothing comes of it.
11. The Planet That Wept: “The dew dripped from the trees by the beach like teardrops. Twin suns sparkled on the azure waters.” Tatooine has water now!! “Then the face in the bark of the tree opened its eyes.” Ents!!!!!!!! And then it becomes a lazy climate change allegory. Remember Orphan 55? Like that… except this 10 page story had better pacing.
12. Disappearing Act: Yessssssss Ood “ 'I’d have gotten away with it if it weren’t for that meddling Doctor and his friend,' he raged.
'Quite possibly,' Agent Rayner agreed."
13. Once Upon a Time: Some story keeps changing. The whole thing. It keeps breaking its own rules, starting again from the beginning. Huh, sounds like Doctor Who today…
14. Best Friends: This one was sweet (and looking back probably the best story overall). Captain Jack helps out a little boy who is being used as a fair ground attraction answering any question about the future… until Jack asks him something that stumps him: “how will I die?”
15. Most Beautiful Music: This one is about David Bowie. Nah, but Donna says something that is kind of close: " 'So,' Donna said, 'apart from the most beautiful music in the universe - which Mum always told me was The Beatles anyway - what else should I watch out for?' " The Doctor seems to go from “I don’t know anything about it” to his usual info dumping, but maybe a bit too quickly.
16. Secret of Arkatron: The first 11 story. In a spooky museum but it has secrets. It tried to fit too much into the limited page count
17. Blind Terror: Sontar-ha! There is a very intelligent Sontaran who can distinguish between two genders. He must have come out first from one of the cloning pods.
18. Amy’s Escapade: Amy makes a friend of a little boy and there are some Judoon too. And a food fight.
19. Rory’s Adventure: This one was like what Rory was doing while Amy was doing the stuff in the previous story.
20. The Fifty-year Delay: This one is Pat Rothfass’s writing career. Nah, it's not, but I wish. It’s four pages how much can really happen. It's about a train being super late. Don’t really know where the hero or the monster was.
21. Birth of a Legend: So this one takes place on the 30th of April- nah I kid you, it Dalek story. It is all about the beginning of the Cult of Skaro (you know, the Daleks that had pig people slaves in New York in the 1930's in that two parter with Andrew Garfield). Thanks to this story now whenever I see the Daleks fly I will always have “it rose majestically” in my head.
22. Lorna’s Escape: This goes for like under five pages (can’t be bothered counting despite having the book in my hands) and it is just this girl running with her dad, seeing the Doctor and going wow. The end
23. Going Off the Rails: Cybermen!! Finally. We have had a serious lack of the golden oldies here. Some kids build a train set (ah I remember the good old days) and then boom it’s a Cyberman. Cyberman tries to convert them, they don’t want to be, yadda yadda yadda.
24. Normality: Clara! About time she showed up. They talk about those floaty things in your eyes when you look at light too long and (of course) that they are aliens. Then Clara back at school teaching.
25. When the Wolves Came: This one is a Wheel of Time prequel when Elias becomes a Wolfbrother. Nah. I actually didn't write anything for this one, let me check... ok there's a kid who's scared and the Doctor saves him. Pretty standard.
26. Buyer’s Remorse: Doctor goes to a rainy planet (to which he quickly says ”Planet, I name thee ‘Wet’ ”). Then he buys some socks. He then has to enter an online chat forum type thing (don’t ask) where his username is JohnSmith12. Because of course it is. All felt a little Douglas Adams.
DONE. Phew.
Keeping this record was both a blessing and a curse. It was good because I could remember each story, but it also meant that I had my phone on hand while I was reading so if an obtrusive thought popped into my head, as they always do, then Wikipedia was right at hand to find out why the name Otto von Bismarck sounded so familiar. The combination of said thoughts paired with the almost limitless accessibility of the digital world (always a dangerous mix when it comes to my brain) would inevitably lead to me falling head first down a research rabbit hole, completely neglecting the book still open on my lap. The result: it took me 34 days to read this 334 page book. Not my typical reading speed.
1. The Stranger: War Doctor saves some kids during the Time War… or does he? We all know what he did in the Time War… The only War Doctor story, which is sad.
2. The Hero Factor: The Doctor’s reputation precedes him. It starts and is over pretty quickly. (Note from Future Me: this last sentence was true for pretty much all these stories.)
3. Mission to Galacton: Daleks do some stuff. It is weird seeing/hearing/reading Daleks giving like ship orders and stuff Star Trek style, because urgency is not really in their voice capacity. Plus, it is a Dalek story, and even when I have no audiobook with the narrator doing the voice, I can't help but do it in my head, so I always end up reading it slowly. It ends how you would expect a Dalek story to end: “DALEKS CONQUER AND DESTROY!!”
4. Stamp of Approval: Haha play on words. This one’s about stamp collecting. There’s some hypnosis stuff (but no Master) and ink. Lots of ink. The end.
5. The Final Darkness: This one is from the POV of the Sycorax. Yeah, those dudes who controlled all the people with blood. This is like the prequel to and their version of that episode (The Christmas Invasion…? I think that was what it was called) were they find the human blood in space they need to do that and then do it. There are also the following exclamations: “Sycorax rock!” “Sycorax strong!” and “Sycorax mighty!” Brilliant. Also this: “Now one third of all human scum are compelled to climb high buildings and stand on the brink of falling-down-ness.”
6. No Fun at the Fair: Yessssssss Slitheen. Shut up, I love them. They are funny. Also there is this exchange between Rose and the Doctor:
“ 'A Slitheen! In there!' She gestured towards the ghost train. 'Big, green, scary...'
'Sure it wasn't Frankenstein's Monster? Or your
mum in a mood?' "
7. Taking Mickey: Mickey Mouse! He gets in some trouble and needs help. But never mind he can do it by himself!
8. Needlepoint: Martha sees lots of old ladies. And they all like knitting to save energy. Aha! This is how we will fix global warming: knitting without any thread to make energy. Perfect. Nobel prize please.
9. A Dog’s Life: Guess who? K-9 obviously! And he saves Sarah Jane Smith. It is told from his perspective so reads like a series of log entries.
10. The Secret of the Stones: Not about the Rolling Stones unfortunately, but Stonehenge. But (spoiler) they don’t really find anything. Sad. I was kind of excited when I found out what this one was going to (actually) be about, but because these stories have such a minimal page count, little to nothing comes of it.
11. The Planet That Wept: “The dew dripped from the trees by the beach like teardrops. Twin suns sparkled on the azure waters.” Tatooine has water now!! “Then the face in the bark of the tree opened its eyes.” Ents!!!!!!!! And then it becomes a lazy climate change allegory. Remember Orphan 55? Like that… except this 10 page story had better pacing.
12. Disappearing Act: Yessssssss Ood “ 'I’d have gotten away with it if it weren’t for that meddling Doctor and his friend,' he raged.
'Quite possibly,' Agent Rayner agreed."
13. Once Upon a Time: Some story keeps changing. The whole thing. It keeps breaking its own rules, starting again from the beginning. Huh, sounds like Doctor Who today…
14. Best Friends: This one was sweet (and looking back probably the best story overall). Captain Jack helps out a little boy who is being used as a fair ground attraction answering any question about the future… until Jack asks him something that stumps him: “how will I die?”
15. Most Beautiful Music: This one is about David Bowie. Nah, but Donna says something that is kind of close: " 'So,' Donna said, 'apart from the most beautiful music in the universe - which Mum always told me was The Beatles anyway - what else should I watch out for?' " The Doctor seems to go from “I don’t know anything about it” to his usual info dumping, but maybe a bit too quickly.
16. Secret of Arkatron: The first 11 story. In a spooky museum but it has secrets. It tried to fit too much into the limited page count
17. Blind Terror: Sontar-ha! There is a very intelligent Sontaran who can distinguish between two genders. He must have come out first from one of the cloning pods.
18. Amy’s Escapade: Amy makes a friend of a little boy and there are some Judoon too. And a food fight.
19. Rory’s Adventure: This one was like what Rory was doing while Amy was doing the stuff in the previous story.
20. The Fifty-year Delay: This one is Pat Rothfass’s writing career. Nah, it's not, but I wish. It’s four pages how much can really happen. It's about a train being super late. Don’t really know where the hero or the monster was.
21. Birth of a Legend: So this one takes place on the 30th of April- nah I kid you, it Dalek story. It is all about the beginning of the Cult of Skaro (you know, the Daleks that had pig people slaves in New York in the 1930's in that two parter with Andrew Garfield). Thanks to this story now whenever I see the Daleks fly I will always have “it rose majestically” in my head.
22. Lorna’s Escape: This goes for like under five pages (can’t be bothered counting despite having the book in my hands) and it is just this girl running with her dad, seeing the Doctor and going wow. The end
23. Going Off the Rails: Cybermen!! Finally. We have had a serious lack of the golden oldies here. Some kids build a train set (ah I remember the good old days) and then boom it’s a Cyberman. Cyberman tries to convert them, they don’t want to be, yadda yadda yadda.
24. Normality: Clara! About time she showed up. They talk about those floaty things in your eyes when you look at light too long and (of course) that they are aliens. Then Clara back at school teaching.
25. When the Wolves Came: This one is a Wheel of Time prequel when Elias becomes a Wolfbrother. Nah. I actually didn't write anything for this one, let me check... ok there's a kid who's scared and the Doctor saves him. Pretty standard.
26. Buyer’s Remorse: Doctor goes to a rainy planet (to which he quickly says ”Planet, I name thee ‘Wet’ ”). Then he buys some socks. He then has to enter an online chat forum type thing (don’t ask) where his username is JohnSmith12. Because of course it is. All felt a little Douglas Adams.
DONE. Phew.
October 5, 2022
Collection of very short Doctor Who stories. A small handful of the tales were clever and fun, but most were really rather stupid. This is basically a pretty mediocre children's book. If you're a super die-hard Doctor Who fan and not put off by any excessive degree of silliness, you might like it; otherwise, give it a pass.
April 30, 2023
Of the 26 short stories, about 5 were actually really really good. About 2 or 3 disappointing, and the rest just fun. Like the quick-paced format, but some stories could have done with an extended page-count. Generally a bit too many Ten stories, Twelve could have been given more, because I love the grumpy witty old man
August 30, 2015
This book is a collection of short stories that were originally pubilshed back in the heyday of David Tennant's era.
A series of hardback tales, aimed at younger readers (7-10-ish, I would say), which then got reprinted into a lavish collected hardback.
Now, most (if not all) of them are reprinted in b-format paperback, with a few recent BBC Doctor Annual stories and three brand new shorts.
I almost didn't buy this book, since I bought the hardback 4-5 years back and never read it! But, the draw was a few new 12th Doctor tales and a new War Doctor story. To justify it further, I decided that my son would love to hear the older tales too.
It's a fairly standard release, all in all. Many stories too short to really critique to any depth. They are as pleasing as they are brief! Not a negative observation, I hasten to add.
The War Doctor story is a lovely little addition to a pretty much unknown era of the Doctor's life and is a worthy inclusion.
The final tale is a 12 Doctor tale sans companion where his TARDIS is stolen and he needs to bid it back. Nothing majorly breakthrough here, and am I mistaken to imagine one of the bidders is actually the frankly spectacularly Iris WIldthyme?
I like to think so.
The four tales I read captured each Doctor's voice well (well, Clara's in one), which is always a major bonus (if not a deal maker/breaker), so, when read by/with a younger fan would most probably deserve another half star (if only we could apply them!) ;) ).
A series of hardback tales, aimed at younger readers (7-10-ish, I would say), which then got reprinted into a lavish collected hardback.
Now, most (if not all) of them are reprinted in b-format paperback, with a few recent BBC Doctor Annual stories and three brand new shorts.
I almost didn't buy this book, since I bought the hardback 4-5 years back and never read it! But, the draw was a few new 12th Doctor tales and a new War Doctor story. To justify it further, I decided that my son would love to hear the older tales too.
It's a fairly standard release, all in all. Many stories too short to really critique to any depth. They are as pleasing as they are brief! Not a negative observation, I hasten to add.
The War Doctor story is a lovely little addition to a pretty much unknown era of the Doctor's life and is a worthy inclusion.
The final tale is a 12 Doctor tale sans companion where his TARDIS is stolen and he needs to bid it back. Nothing majorly breakthrough here, and am I mistaken to imagine one of the bidders is actually the frankly spectacularly Iris WIldthyme?
I like to think so.
The four tales I read captured each Doctor's voice well (well, Clara's in one), which is always a major bonus (if not a deal maker/breaker), so, when read by/with a younger fan would most probably deserve another half star (if only we could apply them!) ;) ).
July 17, 2020
I was really sad the moment I realized I had finished the whole book. This is a pretty nice collection. Of course, since it's a bunch of short stories written by different people, it is a mixed bag. But I think the good stories really outweighs the bad ones.
July 11, 2020
A fun read! Definitely targeted for the younger reader, but a fun diversion and the characters feel authentic.
September 21, 2024
A decent selection of stories, some previously published in 'Doctor Who' annuals, which captures the spirit of the series.
July 24, 2024
11th doctor cutie
October 25, 2021
Published to celebrate the tenth anniversary of modern Doctor Who in 2015, Heroes and Monsters is a collection of various short stories from across that decade. Taken from a variety of sources including annuals, storybooks and more, it's an eclectic mix, but one that shows the true range of the Doctor Who universe, and makes for a very enjoyable read.
The book begins with a brand new story written for John Hurt's War Doctor. The characterisation in this opening entry is brilliant, uniting this world-weary incarnation of our favourite Time Lord with a bunch of children and really highlighting the Doctor's dislike of war. Great stuff.
We then begin making our way through the reprinted stories in chronological order, although the lack of stories for Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor is surprising, although understandable given that his short TV tenure meant that Doctor Who fiction didn't really latch onto him.
The majority of stories in this book are based around adventures for David Tennant's Tenth Doctor, which is great, although perhaps they could have been spaced out a bit more to avoid repetition.
The childish roots occasionally show in some of the stories, but they're a great bunch, with some truly incredible plots on display.
(It should be mentioned that, due to recent events, an entire story around Noel Clarke's character of Mickey Smith may not be comfortable reading in 2021, and I wouldn't blame you for skipping it)
The Eleventh Doctor comes off less well in his reprinted material, the majority of his content coming from annuals in their most childish years. Of course, this is a book for all ages, and there are probably some time tots who'd be thrilled to read about Amy and Rory fighting off a platoon of Judoon with some doughnuts, but adult fans may be left unimpressed by those tales.
A new story, however, revolving around his schoolteacher companion Clara Oswald, should be right up your alley for the older fans, and handily helps to make her progression from nanny to teacher, which came out of nowhere on TV, feel more natural.
The final story of this collection is one of the best. The sole entry for Peter Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor, the grumpy Scottish Time Lord lands on a planet which is basically eBay, and tries to sell the TARDIS from under his feet! It's hilarious, and a great end to this fantastic collection.
There are also stories for some of the Doctor's greatest enemies scattered about, the Daleks, Cybermen and all the others each get a mention, including an exciting story for continuity fans which explains how the Cult of Skaro from the Tenth Doctor episodes came to be.
If there are any complaints I have to make, the excellent story Speech Day, featuring John Simm's "Harold Saxon" incarnation of the Master, is missing, which is odd seeing as it was included in the 2009 Doctor Who Stories book many of these other stories have been taken from.
There could also have been a little bit more representation of Donna Noble-but we have some, and some is better than none at all.
Overall, this is an excellent book, and comes highly recommended.
The book begins with a brand new story written for John Hurt's War Doctor. The characterisation in this opening entry is brilliant, uniting this world-weary incarnation of our favourite Time Lord with a bunch of children and really highlighting the Doctor's dislike of war. Great stuff.
We then begin making our way through the reprinted stories in chronological order, although the lack of stories for Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor is surprising, although understandable given that his short TV tenure meant that Doctor Who fiction didn't really latch onto him.
The majority of stories in this book are based around adventures for David Tennant's Tenth Doctor, which is great, although perhaps they could have been spaced out a bit more to avoid repetition.
The childish roots occasionally show in some of the stories, but they're a great bunch, with some truly incredible plots on display.
(It should be mentioned that, due to recent events, an entire story around Noel Clarke's character of Mickey Smith may not be comfortable reading in 2021, and I wouldn't blame you for skipping it)
The Eleventh Doctor comes off less well in his reprinted material, the majority of his content coming from annuals in their most childish years. Of course, this is a book for all ages, and there are probably some time tots who'd be thrilled to read about Amy and Rory fighting off a platoon of Judoon with some doughnuts, but adult fans may be left unimpressed by those tales.
A new story, however, revolving around his schoolteacher companion Clara Oswald, should be right up your alley for the older fans, and handily helps to make her progression from nanny to teacher, which came out of nowhere on TV, feel more natural.
The final story of this collection is one of the best. The sole entry for Peter Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor, the grumpy Scottish Time Lord lands on a planet which is basically eBay, and tries to sell the TARDIS from under his feet! It's hilarious, and a great end to this fantastic collection.
There are also stories for some of the Doctor's greatest enemies scattered about, the Daleks, Cybermen and all the others each get a mention, including an exciting story for continuity fans which explains how the Cult of Skaro from the Tenth Doctor episodes came to be.
If there are any complaints I have to make, the excellent story Speech Day, featuring John Simm's "Harold Saxon" incarnation of the Master, is missing, which is odd seeing as it was included in the 2009 Doctor Who Stories book many of these other stories have been taken from.
There could also have been a little bit more representation of Donna Noble-but we have some, and some is better than none at all.
Overall, this is an excellent book, and comes highly recommended.
June 8, 2016
My husband bought me this as he knows I like Doctor Who. It's a story collection featuring 26 adventures across time and space. The Heroes and Monsters Collection brings together short stories from the last ten years of Doctor Who. I was a bit disappointed in this. There are some good stories, but several fall flat.
A small quibble as well, I would have liked the list of authors to be a bit more prominent.
A small quibble as well, I would have liked the list of authors to be a bit more prominent.
June 17, 2020
An anthology of twenty-six short stories collecting ones previous published in The Doctor Who Files and the Official Annuals, as well as a few original ones too.
Including tales of the War Doctor as well as the Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors, this collection also features beloved companions like Rose, Captain Jack and Amy Pond, not to mention iconic villains such as the Cybermen, the Slitheen, the Sontarans and, of course, the Daleks.
A problem I often have with short story anthologies is that the stories don't have chance to develop the depth I'd like to see, but here it is the shortness of the stories that actually make for its strongest element.
Because none of them can develop into novel-length they tend to be fairly light reading which, if the short stories were just a bit longer, could have just felt like wasted time; however, here even the lightest (or worst) story never lingers long enough for its faults to become apparent.
Not enjoying seeing Rose chased around a funfair by a Slitheen? Doesn't matter because you'll be on to another story in no time.
There are also a couple of gems in here that I really enjoyed and which felt like important Who lore.
The first of these (and, in fact, the first story of the anthology) is 'The Stranger' by Gary Russell. Set amid the Time War it has a teacher on Gallifrey telling his students about the mythical hero 'the Doctor' whilst a grizzled warrior helps them to escape from the Daleks. It's a nice character moment for the awesome John Hurt incarnation as he sees that although he may not feel worthy of the title, to those he saves he's still the Doctor afterall.
My other favourite story was Justin Richards' 'Birth of a Legend' in which four Dalek commanders are recalled to Skaro to see the Dalek Emperor, who instructs them to form the Cult of Skaro. It's a nice bit of exploration of what the Time War looks like from the Dalek perspective, as well as interesting backstory for Dalek Sec and Dalek Caan; who had vital roles in the TV series.
So, although most of the stories here are short and unsophisticated, overall they make for a pretty enjoyable collection of tales featuring iconic and beloved incarnations of the Time Lord.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.com/ *
Including tales of the War Doctor as well as the Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors, this collection also features beloved companions like Rose, Captain Jack and Amy Pond, not to mention iconic villains such as the Cybermen, the Slitheen, the Sontarans and, of course, the Daleks.
A problem I often have with short story anthologies is that the stories don't have chance to develop the depth I'd like to see, but here it is the shortness of the stories that actually make for its strongest element.
Because none of them can develop into novel-length they tend to be fairly light reading which, if the short stories were just a bit longer, could have just felt like wasted time; however, here even the lightest (or worst) story never lingers long enough for its faults to become apparent.
Not enjoying seeing Rose chased around a funfair by a Slitheen? Doesn't matter because you'll be on to another story in no time.
There are also a couple of gems in here that I really enjoyed and which felt like important Who lore.
The first of these (and, in fact, the first story of the anthology) is 'The Stranger' by Gary Russell. Set amid the Time War it has a teacher on Gallifrey telling his students about the mythical hero 'the Doctor' whilst a grizzled warrior helps them to escape from the Daleks. It's a nice character moment for the awesome John Hurt incarnation as he sees that although he may not feel worthy of the title, to those he saves he's still the Doctor afterall.
My other favourite story was Justin Richards' 'Birth of a Legend' in which four Dalek commanders are recalled to Skaro to see the Dalek Emperor, who instructs them to form the Cult of Skaro. It's a nice bit of exploration of what the Time War looks like from the Dalek perspective, as well as interesting backstory for Dalek Sec and Dalek Caan; who had vital roles in the TV series.
So, although most of the stories here are short and unsophisticated, overall they make for a pretty enjoyable collection of tales featuring iconic and beloved incarnations of the Time Lord.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.com/ *
August 16, 2018
It's been a while since I've read any Doctor Who short fiction and I think this one hit all my good buttons. Of course, with any collection of short stories you'll have ups and downs, but there were more ups than not in this one.
I'll just put a few reviews of the ones I liked the best, in no particular order -
Amy's Escapade/Rory's Adventure - These two tied in so nicely and the concept was so great that I wish they could have been a two-parter in the TV show.
Buyer's Remorse - The TARDIS ends up on an auction block and the Doctor has to stop someone else from buying it. Extra points because it was the Twelfth Doctor and, again, I wish this could have been an episode on TV. Or even a short episode for Children in Need or something like that. If Peter Capaldi could have had excellent writing like that in his run, so many things would have been much better.
The Final Darkness - It's "The Christmas Invasion" from the Sycorax POV. I probably enjoyed it more than I should have.
Normality - Clara takes something she's learned from the Doctor and in turn teaches it to her students. A nice, relaxing story reminding us why the Doctor is so awesome.
Most Beautiful Music - Another great concept that would have been neat to see on TV. The twist probably would have been difficult to maintain, but these descriptions are so wonderful that I would like to see them visualized (then again, the reality probably wouldn't be as good as my imagination, so never mind).
The Hero Factor - The Tenth Doctor and Rose are always delightful and this story was a treat. As much as the Big Finish Ten/Rose boxed set disappointed me (not in the mood to argue about this, folks), this helped renew my faith in the pair. The spirit of their dynamic was very much present in this story, which is what I missed in their Big Finish outing.
Those are my thoughts on this collection. Other people probably have their favorites and that's great. That's how story collections are supposed to go.
I'll just put a few reviews of the ones I liked the best, in no particular order -
Amy's Escapade/Rory's Adventure - These two tied in so nicely and the concept was so great that I wish they could have been a two-parter in the TV show.
Buyer's Remorse - The TARDIS ends up on an auction block and the Doctor has to stop someone else from buying it. Extra points because it was the Twelfth Doctor and, again, I wish this could have been an episode on TV. Or even a short episode for Children in Need or something like that. If Peter Capaldi could have had excellent writing like that in his run, so many things would have been much better.
The Final Darkness - It's "The Christmas Invasion" from the Sycorax POV. I probably enjoyed it more than I should have.
Normality - Clara takes something she's learned from the Doctor and in turn teaches it to her students. A nice, relaxing story reminding us why the Doctor is so awesome.
Most Beautiful Music - Another great concept that would have been neat to see on TV. The twist probably would have been difficult to maintain, but these descriptions are so wonderful that I would like to see them visualized (then again, the reality probably wouldn't be as good as my imagination, so never mind).
The Hero Factor - The Tenth Doctor and Rose are always delightful and this story was a treat. As much as the Big Finish Ten/Rose boxed set disappointed me (not in the mood to argue about this, folks), this helped renew my faith in the pair. The spirit of their dynamic was very much present in this story, which is what I missed in their Big Finish outing.
Those are my thoughts on this collection. Other people probably have their favorites and that's great. That's how story collections are supposed to go.
July 6, 2020
I feel a little like I've had the old 'bait and switch' with this collection. On the back cover, you're promised stories from the 10th, 11th, 12th, and War Doctors. Technically, that is true, but so many of these stories focus on the 10th Doctor, that it's a tad overwhelming. The stories come off more like ideas or pitches for actual episodes than short stories. They are TOO short, to the point of being rushed. They are written well enough and the characterization is definitely there (so that you know which Doctor you're actually reading about) but I still finished this book marginally unsatisfied. Here's the breakdown of stories and who they focus on: War Doctor, 1; Tenth Doctor, 9; Eleventh Doctor, 3; Twelfth Doctor, 2. There's a smattering of other stories in here too- Jack Harkness has one, as well as K-9 and Sara Jane Smith, the Eighth Doctor, Amy, Clara, Rory and Mickey. There are a few villain tales thrown in for good measure, focusing on the Sycorax, Sontarans, Daleks and Cybermen. You need to really be familiar with modern Who to understand all the villains and the companions and the references here, by the way. This isn't for the casual reader- since the stories are so short, you need to be able to fill in the gaps yourself and move on. Not only that, you can't always tell by the title of the chapter what the story will be about- there's a silhouette on the title page of each chapter, but some are hard to decipher. Is that Jack Harkness or the Tenth Doctor? You decide! I actually had to make myself notes after reading the story to remind myself what each one was about and who it featured. If I had to choose favorite stories, I think I'd have to go with Most Beautiful Music (ft Donna and 10), Secret of Arkatron (ft Amy and 11), and The Final Darkness (Sycorax). All in all, I'd have to say that It's cute, it gives you a little taste of Doctor Who, and yet it doesn't quite scratch that itch. Better luck next time.
June 30, 2018
“Doctor Who: Heroes and Monsters”
A fun collection of 26 short stories about the Who-niverse! ****
“What? …. I'm not for hire!” - The Hero Factor (p34)
Kiwifruit (p35)
“It is this scribe's one hope that the freezing wastes of far space will help to soothe the burning, bitter blackness in our hearts at this defeat.” - 'The Final Darkness' (p74)
“You said there was no life here, no one at all.” - Martha
“But there was once. A great civilisation. Well, maybe great isn't the right word. They didn't take care of their home, this planet. War, pollution, toxic waste … The environment began to collapse and they never even noticed, not until it was too late.” - Doctor. 'The Planet That Wept' (p143)
“'Let me get this right,' Donna said. 'You just read a whole book of short stories?” - 'Once Upon a Time' (p163)
Error “.. realised how hard [it] means..” (p168)
Kelly Squires, I went to school with this person. (p303, 309)
Error - “Then,[needs a space here]the moment..” (p322)
A fun collection of 26 short stories about the Who-niverse! ****
“What? …. I'm not for hire!” - The Hero Factor (p34)
Kiwifruit (p35)
“It is this scribe's one hope that the freezing wastes of far space will help to soothe the burning, bitter blackness in our hearts at this defeat.” - 'The Final Darkness' (p74)
“You said there was no life here, no one at all.” - Martha
“But there was once. A great civilisation. Well, maybe great isn't the right word. They didn't take care of their home, this planet. War, pollution, toxic waste … The environment began to collapse and they never even noticed, not until it was too late.” - Doctor. 'The Planet That Wept' (p143)
“'Let me get this right,' Donna said. 'You just read a whole book of short stories?” - 'Once Upon a Time' (p163)
Error “.. realised how hard [it] means..” (p168)
Kelly Squires, I went to school with this person. (p303, 309)
Error - “Then,[needs a space here]the moment..” (p322)
May 3, 2025
https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/heroes-and-monsters-collection-by-justin-richards-et-al/
A collection of 26 short stories, 16 of them by Justin Richards, previously published in the Doctor Who annuals and other spinoff material. Eleven Tenth Doctor Stories, six Eleventh Doctor, two Twelfth, one with the War Doctor, and also a half-dozen Doctor-lite stories exploring a bit more of the Whoniverse. A couple of weak ones, but several corkers; having been mean to him in my last review, I particularly liked the pair of stories where Amy and Rory have the same adventure from opposite directions without either realising that the other is involved. Decent internal art. No artist or editor is credited.
A collection of 26 short stories, 16 of them by Justin Richards, previously published in the Doctor Who annuals and other spinoff material. Eleven Tenth Doctor Stories, six Eleventh Doctor, two Twelfth, one with the War Doctor, and also a half-dozen Doctor-lite stories exploring a bit more of the Whoniverse. A couple of weak ones, but several corkers; having been mean to him in my last review, I particularly liked the pair of stories where Amy and Rory have the same adventure from opposite directions without either realising that the other is involved. Decent internal art. No artist or editor is credited.
February 23, 2023
This isn't a wonderful book, but it's a lot of fun, and I found that the stories are short and entertaining in a way that the older Doctor Who novelizations were. For the most part, the stories were pretty good, although there were a few that could have been improved by better editing. I think two of my favorites were a pair that co-happened, with Rory and Amy experiencing different aspects of the same story, and one of the odd bits only coming together at the end.
The only disappointing thing, really, was that while the cover blurb said it had stories of the War Doctor plus 10th through 12th, all but a couple of stories were 10th and 11th. Nothing wrong with that, but I'd have like a bit more of the other two in the mix.
The only disappointing thing, really, was that while the cover blurb said it had stories of the War Doctor plus 10th through 12th, all but a couple of stories were 10th and 11th. Nothing wrong with that, but I'd have like a bit more of the other two in the mix.
May 1, 2018
Uma antologia de contos curtos, com aventuras dos vários Doctor Who, dos seus companions, amigos ou inimigos, um pouco por todo o tempo e espaço. Algumas são detalhes de episódios da série, outros remetem para momentos-chave, a maioria são pequenas vinhetas que exploram o universo Doctor Who. Leitura leve, sem complicações, como é habitual com este personagem. Pensado para crianças, encanta adultos, e é dos raros universos de ficção científica que assume o lado pulp de sense of wonder sem ser pretensioso. Sabe sempre bem mergulhar neste universo ficcional. Nas palavras do décimo Doctor, allons-y?
August 24, 2021
Like any anthology there's some good stories and some bad ones. I actually only read the first 70% ish of the book because they kind of go in order chronologically with the Doctor and companions starting with Nine and Rose and once Clara showed up in a story I knew I was entering the time period where I stopped watching the show [I think I'm missing a few seasons of Eleven and then all of Twelve since I only started watching again once Moffat left and Thirteen showed up]. Most of the stories are pretty entertaining but they're all also only about two thousand words long so there isn't a lot of depth to them. Definitely some good stuff if you're a big fan and I think most of the author's got the characters' voices down really well, but if you don't like *incredibly* short stories then this might be one to skip.
December 23, 2022
— Я хочу стать нормальной, — однажды сказала она.
Эти слова очень сильно задели Доктора: ведь он всегда считал, что «быть нормальным» — это самое унизительное, что только может быть в этом мире.
— Мир, в котором кончились истории. Представляешь, как это грустно?
Эта книга похожа на сборник фанфиков и именно это делает ее такой милой. Рассказы очень короткие, но такие "докторские", в них пойманы мельчайшие детали, которые хорошо были запечатлены в сериале. Поэтому уже по короткому описанию можно понять о ком речь. Рассказы от лица Доктора, Донны, Розы, Марты, Эми, Клары, далеков, других инопланетных тварей и даже от лица К-9. Но прочитав эту книгу, я в очередной раз подумала о том, что ну никак Доктор не может быть женщиной. Ведь когда странный незнакомец берет тебя за руку и говорит "бежим", то ты почему-то веришь ему и бежишь, что есть мочи, не отпуская его руку. Женщина в подобной ситуации у меня бы доверия не вызвала. Но возможно это мои личные отношения с Доктором :)
Эти слова очень сильно задели Доктора: ведь он всегда считал, что «быть нормальным» — это самое унизительное, что только может быть в этом мире.
— Мир, в котором кончились истории. Представляешь, как это грустно?
Эта книга похожа на сборник фанфиков и именно это делает ее такой милой. Рассказы очень короткие, но такие "докторские", в них пойманы мельчайшие детали, которые хорошо были запечатлены в сериале. Поэтому уже по короткому описанию можно понять о ком речь. Рассказы от лица Доктора, Донны, Розы, Марты, Эми, Клары, далеков, других инопланетных тварей и даже от лица К-9. Но прочитав эту книгу, я в очередной раз подумала о том, что ну никак Доктор не может быть женщиной. Ведь когда странный незнакомец берет тебя за руку и говорит "бежим", то ты почему-то веришь ему и бежишь, что есть мочи, не отпуская его руку. Женщина в подобной ситуации у меня бы доверия не вызвала. Но возможно это мои личные отношения с Доктором :)
January 20, 2024
A collection of short stories from roughly a decade of the show's lifespan, and very much a book of two halves. In fact, through reading this collection, you can feel the writers and the show itself aging with its audience. Simple tales set in cafes and holiday planets eventually give way to stories like Clara ruminating on the advantages to normality.
The overall quality of the stories can vary, but there's so many, and they are short enough for it to not really matter.
I would recommend this for people who grew up with the Davies and Moffat eras of the show, as it really is a microcosm of that decade and the show's evolution throughout it.
The overall quality of the stories can vary, but there's so many, and they are short enough for it to not really matter.
I would recommend this for people who grew up with the Davies and Moffat eras of the show, as it really is a microcosm of that decade and the show's evolution throughout it.
May 25, 2017
Antologia di racconti brevi, adatti ad un pubblico giovane.
Dal nono al dodicesimo Dottore, passando per il War Doctor e con l'incursione di alcuni nemici. Companion presenti quasi tutti, per 26 storie scritte da vari autori, tutti nomi conosciuti nel whoniverse (Gary Russell, Stephen Cole, Justin Richards, Jacqueline Rayner, Moray Laing e Jason Loborik).
Non tutti i racconti sono validi, alcuni sono piatti e senza mordente, altri divertenti e con i personaggi in parte. Alcuni esplorano eventi citati, ma mai raccontati, nella serie tv.
Classico prodotto per fan.
Dal nono al dodicesimo Dottore, passando per il War Doctor e con l'incursione di alcuni nemici. Companion presenti quasi tutti, per 26 storie scritte da vari autori, tutti nomi conosciuti nel whoniverse (Gary Russell, Stephen Cole, Justin Richards, Jacqueline Rayner, Moray Laing e Jason Loborik).
Non tutti i racconti sono validi, alcuni sono piatti e senza mordente, altri divertenti e con i personaggi in parte. Alcuni esplorano eventi citati, ma mai raccontati, nella serie tv.
Classico prodotto per fan.
December 20, 2020
First time to read a Doctor Who work! It’s a clever mix of stand-alone stories, prequel tales from tv episodes and some, we’ve seen on tv but through another character’s perspective. The scale of DW’s canvas helps making each story unique. Of course out of the 20 plus stories, some are more engaging than others.
I’m amazed how you can clearly identify which u of the doctor is involved, not just with the companion, but with the quirks of how they are written.
Specially loving the stories of 10th and Martha, 12th and even that standalone story of Sarah Jane and her dog.
I’m amazed how you can clearly identify which u of the doctor is involved, not just with the companion, but with the quirks of how they are written.
Specially loving the stories of 10th and Martha, 12th and even that standalone story of Sarah Jane and her dog.
January 22, 2018
Not only an effortless read, but a delightful one. Just like the TARDIS, this short story collection only appears small on the outside. Within each concise tale there is a limitless universe of wit, humour, poignancy & adventure. Don't be put off by its "young adult" appearance...this is as solid & satisfying a "Doctor Who" sampler as you are likely to find.
May 12, 2021
A lovely set of short stories set mainly around the 10th and 11th Doctor eras.
These are mainly from the Doctor Who Files (which I never got), and the annuals (which I did). There are 3 new stories, including a very good War Doctor one. There's some fun adventures, some bittersweet ones, and others just make you think. A very good read.
These are mainly from the Doctor Who Files (which I never got), and the annuals (which I did). There are 3 new stories, including a very good War Doctor one. There's some fun adventures, some bittersweet ones, and others just make you think. A very good read.
September 20, 2021
This story was advertiesd as multiple adventures with the doctor and diffrent incarnations.
There is one War Doctor story....
About Five 11th Doctor stories.....
Two 12th Doctor story.....
And about twenty of the 10th doctor.............
I like the 10th doctor but come on.
The stories themselves were really fun, nothing deep other then the one War Doctor story.
There is one War Doctor story....
About Five 11th Doctor stories.....
Two 12th Doctor story.....
And about twenty of the 10th doctor.............
I like the 10th doctor but come on.
The stories themselves were really fun, nothing deep other then the one War Doctor story.
October 8, 2024
This anthology came out to celebrate ten years of the Doctor Who revival, and I read it a few months away from the twentieth! This was a bit of a mixed bag, as Doctor Who anthologies can be. Most of the stories are very short, quite fast-paced and do nothing to add to the Whoniversal canon, but a few are quite sweet and overall this book is enjoyable.
January 22, 2022
☆☆☆¾
Really enjoyable collection of Doctor Who short stories, my favourites were definitely the Amy and Rory stories that were back to back and I also really enjoyed Buyer’s Remorse, there was not one story I disliked.
Really enjoyable collection of Doctor Who short stories, my favourites were definitely the Amy and Rory stories that were back to back and I also really enjoyed Buyer’s Remorse, there was not one story I disliked.
December 13, 2017
This really isn't my thing, but I love Doctor who so gave it a try.
May 26, 2018
Some of the stories were a little pointless and didn't really contribute much but overall an entertaining read.
November 28, 2018
A great book in the best Tradition of the good old Doctor. I dont want to spoil any fun, but its a great overview of the 10th,11th,12th Doctor and one of their greatest enemies.
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