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Doctor Who New Series anthologies
Doctor Who: Tales of Terror
A new spine-chilling collection of twelve short illustrated adventures packed with terrifying Doctor Who monsters and villains, just in time for Halloween 2017! The six authors featured are Jacqueline Rayner, Mike Tucker, Paul Magrs, Richard Dungworth, Scott Handcock and Craig Donaghy. The illustrator is Rohan Eason.
Each short story will feature a frightening nemesis for the Doctor to outwit, and each will star one incarnation of the Doctor with additional appearances from favourite friends and companions such as Sarah Jane, Jo and Ace.
Each short story will feature a frightening nemesis for the Doctor to outwit, and each will star one incarnation of the Doctor with additional appearances from favourite friends and companions such as Sarah Jane, Jo and Ace.
368 pages, Paperback
First published September 7, 2017
49 people are currently reading
530 people want to read
About the author
Jacqueline Rayner
133 books168 followersJacqueline Rayner is a best selling British author, best known for her work with the licensed fiction based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.
Her first professional writing credit came when she adapted Paul Cornell's Virgin New Adventure novel Oh No It Isn't! for the audio format, the first release by Big Finish. (The novel featured the character of Bernice Summerfield and was part of a spin-off series from Doctor Who.) She went on to do five of the six Bernice Summerfield audio adaptations and further work for Big Finish before going to work for BBC Books on their Doctor Who lines.
Her first novels came in 2001, with the Eighth Doctor Adventures novel EarthWorld for BBC Books and the Bernice Summerfield novel The Squire's Crystal for Big Finish. Rayner has written several other Doctor Who spin-offs and was also for a period the executive producer for the BBC on the Big Finish range of Doctor Who audio dramas. She has also contributed to the audio range as a writer. In all, her Doctor Who and related work (Bernice Summerfield stories), consists of five novels, a number of short stories and four original audio plays.
Rayner has edited several anthologies of Doctor Who short stories, mainly for Big Finish, and done work for Doctor Who Magazine. Beyond Doctor Who, her work includes the children's television tie-in book Horses Like Blaze.
With the start of the new television series of Doctor Who in 2005 and a shift in the BBC's Doctor Who related book output, Rayner has become, along with Justin Richards and Stephen Cole, one of the regular authors of the BBC's New Series Adventures. She has also abridged several of the books to be made into audiobooks.
She was also a member of Doctor Who Magazine's original Time Team.
Her first professional writing credit came when she adapted Paul Cornell's Virgin New Adventure novel Oh No It Isn't! for the audio format, the first release by Big Finish. (The novel featured the character of Bernice Summerfield and was part of a spin-off series from Doctor Who.) She went on to do five of the six Bernice Summerfield audio adaptations and further work for Big Finish before going to work for BBC Books on their Doctor Who lines.
Her first novels came in 2001, with the Eighth Doctor Adventures novel EarthWorld for BBC Books and the Bernice Summerfield novel The Squire's Crystal for Big Finish. Rayner has written several other Doctor Who spin-offs and was also for a period the executive producer for the BBC on the Big Finish range of Doctor Who audio dramas. She has also contributed to the audio range as a writer. In all, her Doctor Who and related work (Bernice Summerfield stories), consists of five novels, a number of short stories and four original audio plays.
Rayner has edited several anthologies of Doctor Who short stories, mainly for Big Finish, and done work for Doctor Who Magazine. Beyond Doctor Who, her work includes the children's television tie-in book Horses Like Blaze.
With the start of the new television series of Doctor Who in 2005 and a shift in the BBC's Doctor Who related book output, Rayner has become, along with Justin Richards and Stephen Cole, one of the regular authors of the BBC's New Series Adventures. She has also abridged several of the books to be made into audiobooks.
She was also a member of Doctor Who Magazine's original Time Team.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
October 16, 2018
The Doctor versus monsters, what else do you need?!
The rating is an average sum of each rating that I give to the short tales featured in the anthology.
MURDER IN THE DARK
Rating: *** (3 stars)
The First Doctor, along with Steven Taylor & Dodo, arrive to a mansion in the middle of a Halloween party, however the party is way more than it seems, and escaping from there can be more tricky that you may imagine.
SOMETHING AT THE DOOR
Rating: *** (3 stars)
The Second Doctor has the TARDIS traveling through the time vortex, meanwhile Ben and Polly are showing the whereabouts of the time machine to the recently arrived Jamie McCrimmon, they find an Oujia Board in an odd room of the TARDIS, and they're too imprudent to try it out...
...big mistake!
THE MONSTER IN THE WOODS
Rating: **** (4 stars)
The Third Doctor takes Jo Grant to a trip on Bessie, following a signal that shouldn't exist, meanwhile three young brothers are in the grasp of a dangerous being in the deep of the woods.
TOIL AND TROUBLE
Raring: *** (3 stars)
The Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane and Harry facing a wicked coven of alien witches.
MARK OF THE MEDUSA
Rating: **** (4 stars)
The Fifth Doctor takes his entourage (Tegan, Turlogh & Kamelion) to the inauguration of a museum in the future where the best art & cultural pieces of Earth will be there, when a lethal monster is unleashed there.
TRICK OR TREAT
Rating: ***** (5 stars)
The best short tale in the anthology!
The Sixth Doctor must face alone an insiduous old foe who will put in the balance, the mental sanity of the Time Lord. Showing that some stories may not end when you think first.
THE LIVING IMAGE
Rating: **** (4 stars)
The Seventh Doctor and Ace arrive to Victorian London, just in time to deal against a vicious foe who thrives in paintings.
ORGANISM 96
Rating: ***** (5 stars)
The Eighth Doctor gets onboard of a cruise liner, right in the middle of a killing spree, and while he points out at once who is the culprit...
...it isn't that evident to the crew and passengers!
THE PATCHWORK PIERROT
Rating: **** (4 stars)
The Ninth Doctor meets an odd circus where an old foe taking a different appearance is menacing everyone!
BLOOD WILL OUT
Rating: ***** (5 stars)
The Tenth Doctor and Donna are trapped by a group of known villains risking the safety of the entire universe!
THE MIST OF SORROW
Rating: ***** (5 stars)
The Eleventh Doctor must struggle to save a family who is menaced by some of the scariest beings in the universe!
BABY SLEEPY FACE
Rating: *** (3 stars)
The Twelfth Doctor takes a pair of siblings as unexpected companions to deal of the unusual merge of two old foes, rising a new kind of threat.
The rating is an average sum of each rating that I give to the short tales featured in the anthology.
MURDER IN THE DARK
Rating: *** (3 stars)
The First Doctor, along with Steven Taylor & Dodo, arrive to a mansion in the middle of a Halloween party, however the party is way more than it seems, and escaping from there can be more tricky that you may imagine.
SOMETHING AT THE DOOR
Rating: *** (3 stars)
The Second Doctor has the TARDIS traveling through the time vortex, meanwhile Ben and Polly are showing the whereabouts of the time machine to the recently arrived Jamie McCrimmon, they find an Oujia Board in an odd room of the TARDIS, and they're too imprudent to try it out...
...big mistake!
THE MONSTER IN THE WOODS
Rating: **** (4 stars)
The Third Doctor takes Jo Grant to a trip on Bessie, following a signal that shouldn't exist, meanwhile three young brothers are in the grasp of a dangerous being in the deep of the woods.
TOIL AND TROUBLE
Raring: *** (3 stars)
The Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane and Harry facing a wicked coven of alien witches.
MARK OF THE MEDUSA
Rating: **** (4 stars)
The Fifth Doctor takes his entourage (Tegan, Turlogh & Kamelion) to the inauguration of a museum in the future where the best art & cultural pieces of Earth will be there, when a lethal monster is unleashed there.
TRICK OR TREAT
Rating: ***** (5 stars)
The best short tale in the anthology!
The Sixth Doctor must face alone an insiduous old foe who will put in the balance, the mental sanity of the Time Lord. Showing that some stories may not end when you think first.
THE LIVING IMAGE
Rating: **** (4 stars)
The Seventh Doctor and Ace arrive to Victorian London, just in time to deal against a vicious foe who thrives in paintings.
ORGANISM 96
Rating: ***** (5 stars)
The Eighth Doctor gets onboard of a cruise liner, right in the middle of a killing spree, and while he points out at once who is the culprit...
...it isn't that evident to the crew and passengers!
THE PATCHWORK PIERROT
Rating: **** (4 stars)
The Ninth Doctor meets an odd circus where an old foe taking a different appearance is menacing everyone!
BLOOD WILL OUT
Rating: ***** (5 stars)
The Tenth Doctor and Donna are trapped by a group of known villains risking the safety of the entire universe!
THE MIST OF SORROW
Rating: ***** (5 stars)
The Eleventh Doctor must struggle to save a family who is menaced by some of the scariest beings in the universe!
BABY SLEEPY FACE
Rating: *** (3 stars)
The Twelfth Doctor takes a pair of siblings as unexpected companions to deal of the unusual merge of two old foes, rising a new kind of threat.
May 15, 2023
Murder in the Dark by Jacqueline Rayner - 3/5
The first doctor, Dodo, and Steven arrive at a mansion and take part in a children’s Halloween party. They have a bit of fun at first and play some Halloween-themed games. But those games quickly take a turn for the wicked. For example, when Steven tries his hand at apple bobbing, the apples bite back. It doesn’t take long for the Tardis crew to realize that someone is pulling the strings from behind the scenes. Someone who likes the play games. And the doctor will need to use his wits to escape.
It’s a simple and fun little story where the doctor and his companions play some children’s games. The story’s also quite smart by starting the story with a cool little reference to the Monoids from the classical serial The Ark. This immediately establishes the characters and the period of the show we find ourselves in.
Something at the Door by Mike Tucker - 4/5
Jamie has just joined the Tardis crew, so Ben and Polly are showing him around. They go into one particular room and find an Ouija board. They are a bit reluctant to make contact with the spiritual world at first, especially the more superstitious Jamie. But since they think it’s just a silly game, they see no harm in trying it out. They quickly regret it.
Exploring the Tardis itself is a concept that’s been done before, but it’s done just a few select times and not always with the best results. Because this can be a very tricky concept to get right. Some things are simply best left to the audience’s imagination. That’s why, after all these years of Doctor Who awesomeness, the Tardis still has so much untapped potential as a storytelling device. This story handled the exploration of the Tardis quite well by keeping it contained and simple, and by leaving some things to our imagination, which is very much appreciated.
The Monster in the Woods by Paul Magrs - 3/5
Three children visit a metal monster in the woods. We quickly learn that the monster is a Dalek. And it’s pretty friendly towards the children. Because it needs their help to repair some damaged parts.
The concept of a Dalek seemingly being good at first has been done many times before. Still a pretty good story though. Since the focus of this story is on the children, the third doctor and Jo don’t get much time to establish themselves here.
Toil and Trouble by Richard Dungworth – 3,5/5
Three Carrionite witches summon Sarah Jane Smith, hoping to extract the real name of the doctor out of her, so they can break their curse. Meanwhile their reapers attack the Tardis, to keep the fourth doctor and Harry distracted, so they don’t notice their friend is missing.
Basically a fun little sequel to the new series episode The Shakespeare Code, starring the fourth doctor, Sarah Jane Smith and Harry.
Mark of the Medusa by Mike Tucker – 2,5/5
The fifth doctor, Tegan and Turlough go to a party in space for the opening of a museum, where they listen to a long and boring speech. Then a monster starts attacking people.
It’s an okay sequel to Kinda and Snakedance, mixed with some Greek mythology in the form of Medusa, hence the title.
Trick or Treat by Jacqueline Rayner – 3,5/5
Four children break through the Tardis door to ask a very simply question: trick or treat? The sixth doctor quickly realizes these children are being controlled by someone behind the scenes. Someone who’s looking to get even with the doctor.
It’s very clever of the writer to make this a direct sequel to the first story in the collection. It raises the stakes from the get go. And even if you were not familiar with the classic villain of these stories before, you already know who this person is because of the first story, and why he wants to get back at the doctor.
The Living Image by Scott Handcock - 2/5
Something from another dimension is trying to break through a painter’s painting. The seventh doctor and Ace try to stop it.
The concept is good. And the seventh doctor and Ace are one of my favorite Tardis teams, but even they couldn’t save this one. The story is just a bit too uneventful and boring.
Organism 96 by Paul Magrs – 3,5/5
A cruise ships picks up an old lady who was just floating in the water, in the middle of the sea. She says she’s lost her memories. But one passenger doesn’t believe her. He’s keeping an eye on her from a distance. And when bodies start dropping like flies, the eight doctor must step up to the plate and find a way to show everyone her true form.
It’s like a little mystery story with a science fiction twist. Maybe a bit too short, but quite enjoyable.
The Patchwork Pierrot by Scott Handcock – 1/5
The ninth doctor goes to a circus and finds an old enemy there.
A very good concept, but the execution makes this a bit of a boring read.
Blood Will Out by Richard Dungworth - 3/5
The tenth doctor and Donna hear a scream and go out to investigate. And the doctor quickly comes across an old enemy he never wanted to see again.
A mirror maze at a fair is a creepy atmospheric setting. And it’s a cute little sequel to the episodes Human Nature and The Family of Blood. Though maybe not a sequel that was necessary.
The Mist of Sorrow by Craig Donaghy - 3/5
A family finds themselves trapped in a car, surrounded by Weeping Angels. Luckily for the family, the eleventh doctor is there to save the day.
The combination of the eleventh doctor and the Weeping Angels is just a very easy recipe for success. Maybe not the greatest or most original Weeping Angels story, but definitely entertaining.
Baby Sleepy Face by Craig Donaghy - 3/5
Twins see lights coming from an abandoned doll factory and go out to investigate. When they realize what’s happening, they run. And the twelfth doctor quickly comes to their rescue.
A quick little story pitting the twelfth doctor against the Autons.
Overall, a solid collection of middle grade Doctor Who horror stories.
The first doctor, Dodo, and Steven arrive at a mansion and take part in a children’s Halloween party. They have a bit of fun at first and play some Halloween-themed games. But those games quickly take a turn for the wicked. For example, when Steven tries his hand at apple bobbing, the apples bite back. It doesn’t take long for the Tardis crew to realize that someone is pulling the strings from behind the scenes. Someone who likes the play games. And the doctor will need to use his wits to escape.
It’s a simple and fun little story where the doctor and his companions play some children’s games. The story’s also quite smart by starting the story with a cool little reference to the Monoids from the classical serial The Ark. This immediately establishes the characters and the period of the show we find ourselves in.
Something at the Door by Mike Tucker - 4/5
Jamie has just joined the Tardis crew, so Ben and Polly are showing him around. They go into one particular room and find an Ouija board. They are a bit reluctant to make contact with the spiritual world at first, especially the more superstitious Jamie. But since they think it’s just a silly game, they see no harm in trying it out. They quickly regret it.
Exploring the Tardis itself is a concept that’s been done before, but it’s done just a few select times and not always with the best results. Because this can be a very tricky concept to get right. Some things are simply best left to the audience’s imagination. That’s why, after all these years of Doctor Who awesomeness, the Tardis still has so much untapped potential as a storytelling device. This story handled the exploration of the Tardis quite well by keeping it contained and simple, and by leaving some things to our imagination, which is very much appreciated.
The Monster in the Woods by Paul Magrs - 3/5
Three children visit a metal monster in the woods. We quickly learn that the monster is a Dalek. And it’s pretty friendly towards the children. Because it needs their help to repair some damaged parts.
The concept of a Dalek seemingly being good at first has been done many times before. Still a pretty good story though. Since the focus of this story is on the children, the third doctor and Jo don’t get much time to establish themselves here.
Toil and Trouble by Richard Dungworth – 3,5/5
Three Carrionite witches summon Sarah Jane Smith, hoping to extract the real name of the doctor out of her, so they can break their curse. Meanwhile their reapers attack the Tardis, to keep the fourth doctor and Harry distracted, so they don’t notice their friend is missing.
Basically a fun little sequel to the new series episode The Shakespeare Code, starring the fourth doctor, Sarah Jane Smith and Harry.
Mark of the Medusa by Mike Tucker – 2,5/5
The fifth doctor, Tegan and Turlough go to a party in space for the opening of a museum, where they listen to a long and boring speech. Then a monster starts attacking people.
It’s an okay sequel to Kinda and Snakedance, mixed with some Greek mythology in the form of Medusa, hence the title.
Trick or Treat by Jacqueline Rayner – 3,5/5
Four children break through the Tardis door to ask a very simply question: trick or treat? The sixth doctor quickly realizes these children are being controlled by someone behind the scenes. Someone who’s looking to get even with the doctor.
It’s very clever of the writer to make this a direct sequel to the first story in the collection. It raises the stakes from the get go. And even if you were not familiar with the classic villain of these stories before, you already know who this person is because of the first story, and why he wants to get back at the doctor.
The Living Image by Scott Handcock - 2/5
Something from another dimension is trying to break through a painter’s painting. The seventh doctor and Ace try to stop it.
The concept is good. And the seventh doctor and Ace are one of my favorite Tardis teams, but even they couldn’t save this one. The story is just a bit too uneventful and boring.
Organism 96 by Paul Magrs – 3,5/5
A cruise ships picks up an old lady who was just floating in the water, in the middle of the sea. She says she’s lost her memories. But one passenger doesn’t believe her. He’s keeping an eye on her from a distance. And when bodies start dropping like flies, the eight doctor must step up to the plate and find a way to show everyone her true form.
It’s like a little mystery story with a science fiction twist. Maybe a bit too short, but quite enjoyable.
The Patchwork Pierrot by Scott Handcock – 1/5
The ninth doctor goes to a circus and finds an old enemy there.
A very good concept, but the execution makes this a bit of a boring read.
Blood Will Out by Richard Dungworth - 3/5
The tenth doctor and Donna hear a scream and go out to investigate. And the doctor quickly comes across an old enemy he never wanted to see again.
A mirror maze at a fair is a creepy atmospheric setting. And it’s a cute little sequel to the episodes Human Nature and The Family of Blood. Though maybe not a sequel that was necessary.
The Mist of Sorrow by Craig Donaghy - 3/5
A family finds themselves trapped in a car, surrounded by Weeping Angels. Luckily for the family, the eleventh doctor is there to save the day.
The combination of the eleventh doctor and the Weeping Angels is just a very easy recipe for success. Maybe not the greatest or most original Weeping Angels story, but definitely entertaining.
Baby Sleepy Face by Craig Donaghy - 3/5
Twins see lights coming from an abandoned doll factory and go out to investigate. When they realize what’s happening, they run. And the twelfth doctor quickly comes to their rescue.
A quick little story pitting the twelfth doctor against the Autons.
Overall, a solid collection of middle grade Doctor Who horror stories.
September 26, 2017
This has some great storys,we have Weeping Angles, Autons,Daleks,The Family.of Blood,Cybermen & very odd Hartnell enemy alone with Hartnell & Colin's story crossing & Sarah -Jane Crossover to 10Th Doctor sequel.
November 2, 2021
average rating: 3.41 stars. although a couple of gems in here, the majority were rather mediocre. i was expecting great things after the sheer genius of the dw short story collection Twelve Angels Weeping, but que sera sera.
each story has one incarnation of the doctor (war doctor excluded), which is a fantastic way to structure a dw short story collection. that's... probably the best thing i can say about this book. except from the illustrations, those were pretty excellent too.
murder in the dark - 3 stars
pretty enjoyable. i would probably have enjoyed it more had i been familiar with the celestial toymaker, but my classic who knowledge has a lot of gaps (and really, so do most people's, so i shouldn't have to be familiar with the backstory to like it.)
something at the door - 5 stars
i absolutely adore the TARDIS and anything that explores the TARDIS beyond the main control room. i understand they want to preserve the TARDIS's aura of mystery, but there's so much untapped potential so i love it when stories explore that further. there's creepy shit in there, bro. definitely the stand-out story of the pack, and the only one i rated five stars - although the next one was close.
the monster in the woods - 4.5 stars
although one could say daleks are overused, it's undeniable they are a core part of doctor who, and it's always a pleasure when someone has a somewhat unusual take on them - and there was absolutely fantastic doctor characterisation to boot.
toil and trouble - 4 stars
it's sarah motherfucking jane, so i might be a bit biased because she's my favourite companion of all time. it also referenced one of my favourite tenth doctor stories, which is clever - in a franchise about time travel, it's great when stories including the previous doctors take heed of that and have enemies go further down the doctor's timeline to fuck with his previous incarnations. it was a bit too cliche and cheesy for me to give it 5 stars, though.
mark of the medusa - 3.5 stars
again, probably would have enjoyed this a little more had i been familiar with the original episode this references.
trick or treat - 4 stars
definitely one of the more unsettling stories; true psychological horror. the less i tell you, the better.
the living image - 3 stars
pretty bland, i'm afraid. i was going to say i've never really liked the seventh doctor very much, but lungbarrow is one of my favourites and i like ace a lot, so i'm not sure that's a very good excuse. this was just a pretty boring story.
organism 96 - 1.5 stars
quite discriminatory against tentacle monsters, to be honest. i was hoping for a subversion, not a, "ooh, it's tentacley and evil". the monster's backstory also sucked bigass balls. i love the eighth doctor to pieces as well, so i was really hoping to love his story.
the patchwork pierrot - 2 stars
carnivals are one of those classic horror tropes that can very easily become a cliche, and i'm afraid that's what happened here. there was also some very stong cybermen lore implication that seemed to have just been created for a cheap thrill, ignoring the fact that it throws a spanner into the whole of the cybermen's story. again, i get that they wanted to include a classic dw villain, but they should have created a new villain entirely if they really wanted to keep that plot.
blood will out - 4 stars
HELL YEAH, IT'S DONNA NOBLE! in addition to my second-favourite companion making a reappearance, i really liked the return of the family of blood - that's one of the tenth doctor's darkest hours, a glimpse of pure fucking malice, and it's always fun to revisit.
the mist of sorrow - 2.5 stars
the weeping angels are anoother villain i find immensely overrated. i'm mentioning this book again, but twelve angels weeping had an excellent take on them. this was just, "family in car get surrounded by angels and the doctor appears to save them". yawn.
baby sleepy face - 4 stars
despite the horrific title, this was actually pretty fun. cliche, but 12 is my favourite doctor and his characterisation was pretty good (if a little exaggerated).
each story has one incarnation of the doctor (war doctor excluded), which is a fantastic way to structure a dw short story collection. that's... probably the best thing i can say about this book. except from the illustrations, those were pretty excellent too.
murder in the dark - 3 stars
pretty enjoyable. i would probably have enjoyed it more had i been familiar with the celestial toymaker, but my classic who knowledge has a lot of gaps (and really, so do most people's, so i shouldn't have to be familiar with the backstory to like it.)
something at the door - 5 stars
i absolutely adore the TARDIS and anything that explores the TARDIS beyond the main control room. i understand they want to preserve the TARDIS's aura of mystery, but there's so much untapped potential so i love it when stories explore that further. there's creepy shit in there, bro. definitely the stand-out story of the pack, and the only one i rated five stars - although the next one was close.
the monster in the woods - 4.5 stars
although one could say daleks are overused, it's undeniable they are a core part of doctor who, and it's always a pleasure when someone has a somewhat unusual take on them - and there was absolutely fantastic doctor characterisation to boot.
toil and trouble - 4 stars
it's sarah motherfucking jane, so i might be a bit biased because she's my favourite companion of all time. it also referenced one of my favourite tenth doctor stories, which is clever - in a franchise about time travel, it's great when stories including the previous doctors take heed of that and have enemies go further down the doctor's timeline to fuck with his previous incarnations. it was a bit too cliche and cheesy for me to give it 5 stars, though.
mark of the medusa - 3.5 stars
again, probably would have enjoyed this a little more had i been familiar with the original episode this references.
trick or treat - 4 stars
definitely one of the more unsettling stories; true psychological horror. the less i tell you, the better.
the living image - 3 stars
pretty bland, i'm afraid. i was going to say i've never really liked the seventh doctor very much, but lungbarrow is one of my favourites and i like ace a lot, so i'm not sure that's a very good excuse. this was just a pretty boring story.
organism 96 - 1.5 stars
quite discriminatory against tentacle monsters, to be honest. i was hoping for a subversion, not a, "ooh, it's tentacley and evil". the monster's backstory also sucked bigass balls. i love the eighth doctor to pieces as well, so i was really hoping to love his story.
the patchwork pierrot - 2 stars
carnivals are one of those classic horror tropes that can very easily become a cliche, and i'm afraid that's what happened here. there was also some very stong cybermen lore implication that seemed to have just been created for a cheap thrill, ignoring the fact that it throws a spanner into the whole of the cybermen's story. again, i get that they wanted to include a classic dw villain, but they should have created a new villain entirely if they really wanted to keep that plot.
blood will out - 4 stars
HELL YEAH, IT'S DONNA NOBLE! in addition to my second-favourite companion making a reappearance, i really liked the return of the family of blood - that's one of the tenth doctor's darkest hours, a glimpse of pure fucking malice, and it's always fun to revisit.
the mist of sorrow - 2.5 stars
the weeping angels are anoother villain i find immensely overrated. i'm mentioning this book again, but twelve angels weeping had an excellent take on them. this was just, "family in car get surrounded by angels and the doctor appears to save them". yawn.
baby sleepy face - 4 stars
despite the horrific title, this was actually pretty fun. cliche, but 12 is my favourite doctor and his characterisation was pretty good (if a little exaggerated).
June 15, 2021
"Fear makes companions of us all." - The Doctor
To begin this review, I must admit I am rather biased toward anything in the Doctor Who franchise. I absolutely adore Doctor Who and everything and anything about it. I have read several Doctor Who books before and have always enjoyed the extra dip into the Whoiverse.
My attention was drawn to Doctor Who: Tales of Terror not only because it is a Doctor Who book but because of the absolutely gorgeous cover. The black silhouette of the Tardis, the bright, almost neon, green background, and the lettering is brilliantly done.
This collection has twelve horror stories centering around the adventures of the Doctor, in his first twelve incarnations, from the First Doctor through the Twelfth Doctor. Personally, I'm a newbie in the Whovian community. I began watching around 2012 with the Ninth Doctor in the New Doctor Who series. It makes sense then that I enjoyed the last four stories the most, given that they were focused on the four Doctors that I know the best.
The stories in this collection are:
1. Murder in the Dark
2. Something at the Door
3. The Monster in the Woods
4. Toil and Trouble
5. Mark of the Medusa
6. Trick or Treat
7. The Living Image
8. Organism 96
9. The Patchwork Pierrot
10. Blood will Out
11. The Mist of Sorrow
12. Baby Sleepy Face
These stories feature some of the most popular Doctor Who villains as well as some less frequently seen faces. I loved every story and almost all of them kept me interested and engaged. I think my favorites were "The Patchwork Pierrot," "The Mist of Sorrow" and "Baby Sleepy Face."
From what I could tell, the authors truly mastered their specific Doctor, from their personalities to their favorite expressions.
Overall, this collection of stories is very fun on its own and even more enjoyable if you are into Doctor Who.
To begin this review, I must admit I am rather biased toward anything in the Doctor Who franchise. I absolutely adore Doctor Who and everything and anything about it. I have read several Doctor Who books before and have always enjoyed the extra dip into the Whoiverse.
My attention was drawn to Doctor Who: Tales of Terror not only because it is a Doctor Who book but because of the absolutely gorgeous cover. The black silhouette of the Tardis, the bright, almost neon, green background, and the lettering is brilliantly done.
This collection has twelve horror stories centering around the adventures of the Doctor, in his first twelve incarnations, from the First Doctor through the Twelfth Doctor. Personally, I'm a newbie in the Whovian community. I began watching around 2012 with the Ninth Doctor in the New Doctor Who series. It makes sense then that I enjoyed the last four stories the most, given that they were focused on the four Doctors that I know the best.
The stories in this collection are:
1. Murder in the Dark
2. Something at the Door
3. The Monster in the Woods
4. Toil and Trouble
5. Mark of the Medusa
6. Trick or Treat
7. The Living Image
8. Organism 96
9. The Patchwork Pierrot
10. Blood will Out
11. The Mist of Sorrow
12. Baby Sleepy Face
These stories feature some of the most popular Doctor Who villains as well as some less frequently seen faces. I loved every story and almost all of them kept me interested and engaged. I think my favorites were "The Patchwork Pierrot," "The Mist of Sorrow" and "Baby Sleepy Face."
From what I could tell, the authors truly mastered their specific Doctor, from their personalities to their favorite expressions.
Overall, this collection of stories is very fun on its own and even more enjoyable if you are into Doctor Who.
October 26, 2017
I've always felt that Doctor Who could work well as a Halloween special, so when this book was announced I was quite excited about it.
This collection contains 6 Authors each sharing two short stories for the current 12 Doctors.
There's the usual mix bag and the usual foes feature.
We get a mixer of Doctor's facing enemies from their era, yet again Eleventh is facing The Weeping Angles (How many times now?). Whilst some incarnations facing villains you don't usually associate with, these were my favorite.
The book is clearly aimed at kids and even a few mentions of adventures that only those that know the complete history of the show will appreciate, I can't help but feel this collection could have been better.
I would add that each story has it's only accompanying illustrations, each really captures the relevant story and really adds something that felt lacking in a few of the stories.
This collection contains 6 Authors each sharing two short stories for the current 12 Doctors.
There's the usual mix bag and the usual foes feature.
We get a mixer of Doctor's facing enemies from their era, yet again Eleventh is facing The Weeping Angles (How many times now?). Whilst some incarnations facing villains you don't usually associate with, these were my favorite.
The book is clearly aimed at kids and even a few mentions of adventures that only those that know the complete history of the show will appreciate, I can't help but feel this collection could have been better.
I would add that each story has it's only accompanying illustrations, each really captures the relevant story and really adds something that felt lacking in a few of the stories.
October 16, 2023
(Synopsis) - A new spine-chilling collection of twelve short illustrated adventures packed with terrifying Doctor Who monsters and villains, just in time for Halloween. Each short story will feature a frightening nemesis for the Doctor to outwit, and each will star one incarnation of the Doctor with additional appearances from favourite friends and companions such as Sarah Jane, Jo and Ace.
(Review) - You didn't think I was going to go a month without posting anything about Doctor who! Obviously you don't know me im unhinged, this is my ultra lord! Haha but in all seriousness I had gotten this one last Christmas and have been saving it for Halloween for a while as i do love me a short story collection and this one was a fun collection of stories, not really spooky but I wasn't surprised as this was for all audiences of the DW fan base. That being said some where plenty creepy especially those focusing on the weeping angels as they will never not be terrifying. Now not all where great but that is to be expected with these collections. One of the most memorable stories is with the 10th doctor and Donna called "blood will out" where the doctor meets the family again who he last saw in season 3 where they tried to still his time lord energy and he punished them for it! It was one of the best episodes of that season and to get the continuation of that story I really enjoyed it. And that is why i read these collections for the lore continuity that you sometimes get in them. So overall if your looking for a creepy DW fix then this is the book for you, otherwise go watch blink if you really want to be terrified!
4/5 Stars GoodReads ⭐⭐⭐⭐
85/100 GingerPoints 🔥
(Review) - You didn't think I was going to go a month without posting anything about Doctor who! Obviously you don't know me im unhinged, this is my ultra lord! Haha but in all seriousness I had gotten this one last Christmas and have been saving it for Halloween for a while as i do love me a short story collection and this one was a fun collection of stories, not really spooky but I wasn't surprised as this was for all audiences of the DW fan base. That being said some where plenty creepy especially those focusing on the weeping angels as they will never not be terrifying. Now not all where great but that is to be expected with these collections. One of the most memorable stories is with the 10th doctor and Donna called "blood will out" where the doctor meets the family again who he last saw in season 3 where they tried to still his time lord energy and he punished them for it! It was one of the best episodes of that season and to get the continuation of that story I really enjoyed it. And that is why i read these collections for the lore continuity that you sometimes get in them. So overall if your looking for a creepy DW fix then this is the book for you, otherwise go watch blink if you really want to be terrified!
4/5 Stars GoodReads ⭐⭐⭐⭐
85/100 GingerPoints 🔥
January 7, 2021
A set of short, sweet slices of creepiness, one story per Doctor. It neatly divides into 6 stories that are first rate works of compact effectiveness (especially the 3rd and 8th Doctor stories by Paul Magrs), and 6 stories that are perfectly serviceable, if rather unexceptional...including one that feels like a very unnecessary and insubstantial sequel to a much more powerful story. It passed the time...and occasionally, it passed it with depth and poignancy.
October 7, 2022
Some of the Doctors were a bit out of character at times (I felt this about 8 in particular), but it was a fun Halloween-themed read.
February 29, 2024
While kiddier than I expected when I saw it on the library shelf, Tales of Terror proved a fun distraction, a lovely reprieve of fun grade-school spooks. It's very pre-teens around a campfire telling stories featuring beloved characters. Simple, charming illustrations, similar to some of the animated reconstructions but done in linework. Easter eggs abound, especially in the classic Doctor stories. I was pleasantly surprised with the focus on companions in the classic era when their characterization sometimes felt like an afterthought, and let down a bit by how little companion content the new era stories brought. Oh well, at least we got Donna Noble!
•
•
•
Murder in the Dark
"Bath time for fruit?"
An odd en media res opening; we are given no idea what brought the TARDIS to this place.
A surprisingly violent yarn with a solid resolution, and it was good to spend time with the criminally underappreciated Dodo (though also a shame to get so little of the Doctor).
I let out an audible 'oof' at "masked mandarin"; there were a handful of dated references that track for the 1960s when the story would have aired if written for television, but not the 2017 publication date for the short story. Between all of that, and the relative strength of what comes later, this is a bit of a rough opening
4/10
.
Something at the Door
"What I recited was in fact a rather delicious recipe for Bajaxx Stew". Oh to have a home-cooked meal on the TARDIS.
My dearly beloved Jamie grapples with shiny things, new words, and possession??? Poor man had a hell of a day.
A simple possession story, this feels especially campfire-y, without standing out narratively beyond the characters involved. That said, the Doctor barely appears again, and it's up to Ben, a character I've never spared much thought towards, to carry the narrative. It wins points back for a brave reference to the Brain of Morbius, Jamie's accent, and for staging a slumber party horror story onboard the TARDIS.
7/10
•
The Monster in the Woods
"Oh really, Jo. Why have you got cat ears and whiskers on?"
Well hey, Bessie! (I love that weird little car).
Solo Dalek stories usually the scariest, but not so here; the monster of the title is a bit toothless and the real scare factor is the Doctor's determination, and a desperate miscalculation of his that almost proves fatal. It doesn't quite come together at the end, considering the emotional stakes, and the Doctor's unexpected development ends up feeling muted. The kid characters get a bizarre amout of focus (a theme that recurs late in the collection), but at least this Doctor gets some meaty material.
6/10
•
Toil and Trouble
"An *anacronism*, man!"
What a fun story! Quick and intense pace, competent companions, moments of eerie atmosphere, and an unparalleled amount of classic/new crossover. Between Sarah Jane (a 3rd and 4rd Doctor companion, later meeting 10 and 11 and getting her own multi-year series) resisting the Carrionites (a 10th Doctor villain) and the 4th Doctor worrying about Reapers (a 9th Doctor villain who seem otherwise forgotten about in canon), with Tardis rooms seen in 11's company, we're folding in beats associated with at least five different regenerations (a stark contrast to 3 reversing the polarity of the neutron flow just because he's famous for it). It's also, curiosuly, our second story with Time Vortex creatures; I'm sensing a theme. Just a good all-canon-encompassing tale, a cracking anachronism.
9/10
•
Mark of the Medusa
"We certainly banished it from *your* subconcious"
A fun slow reveal of an opening, followed by a somewhat rushed collection of rather fun ideas, ending quite predictably. With some more padding, this could have made a decent (if trite) episode, just as much a Davies era vibe as a Nathan-Turner one, but as is, it falls flat. It was good to see Kamelion (a grand idea of a character marred by shoddy execution due to tech and budget limitations) who due to his nature, I hope is a novel mainstay. Our TARDIS team is, alas, rather dull, with the reliably good Tegan/5 pairing hardly appearing together, and the either flat or very interesting Turlough in his less engaging mode.
In today's Reptile Report, we have a snake villain: welcome back, Mara (another character that works better outside of the constraints of the time).
6/10
•
Trick or Treat
"I don't suppose *you* could tell me what's going on?"
A fitting title for an unpredictable Doctor, and a story that accurately reflects the quality of much of his era. "Creature comes into the TARDIS in flight" has already been done to death in this collection. I felt good about spotting the initial twist based on the jellybaby comment, but then it tied back to the first story and it all just sort of failed to gel for me. The solution felt deeply underwhelming, and nothing here really popped (a common problem with 6th Doctor stories, and one that inevitably colors my relationship to this). I already didn't find the first story to be the strongest of the bunch, and following it up this way ultimately felt like a disservice to both stories. If I loved anything, it was the Toymaker's meta comments on the original series' infamously poor production design, that brought nearly as much sardonic joy as when I actually saw the rubber dinosaur and Christmas tinsel it's referencing.
3/10
•
The Living Image
"'I know how this sounds, but trust me, I know what I'm doing.' The Doctor removed his hat and struck a pose."
Dreary, rainy 19th century London. What a fun location for a ghost story, and this has some of the best atmosphere in the collection. And it caps off with a classic "The End...or is it?" ending. Just a nice, solid little story.
8/10
•
Organism 96
"'I'm sorry I doubted your sanity and ran away.'
'That often happens. No hard feelings.'"
Marie's was a fun POV, fitting for the Doctor with the least drawn-out onscreen personality and the story with the most comedic tone. It all ends a bit abruptly with a few weird bits in the last act (the pacing of the bomb exchange was rather ridiculous), but overall, a fun enough tale. Weird flex having Russian scientists be behind an eldritch horror, but I guess so it goes.
6/10
•
The Patchwork Pierrot
"Sorry to have kept you. Is this a private party or can anyone join in?"
There's criminally little 9th Doc mainline content, and I definitely need to delve into more secondary media. This story has some dicey prose and POV inconsistencies (I wouldn't exactly call it well-written), but it perfectly captures Eccelston's energy as the Doctor.
This story gets points for some genuine terror in its descriptions, and loses them with a weak ending. Not everything can be saved with one of my beloved "The End...or is it?" conclusions, and occasionally a story is made a little worse for it
5/10
•
Blood Will Out
"Any nearer, missy, and I'll...I'll...pop your balloon!"
This almost worked. So very almost. 10 and Donna are one of my favorite TARDIS teams, and this story is set *exactly* where my partner and I are in our rewatch. We start with a fun subversion with fun house mirrors, and continue into a fitting followup to a fan favorite episode, with the Doctor's rather torturous solution to the Family's reign of terror being its own undoing. But alas, the ending. Buildup deserving of an episode, cut off abruptly by the short story's status as a short story. Add several spelling and grammar mistakes, and some clunky prose, and what could have been one of my favorite of the collection felt in dire need of an extra edit pass, and ended with a splat.
5/10
•
The Mist of Sorrow
"'Keep being cute.' 'Easy!'"
Ah, the Weeping Angels. A perfect monster for a horror short. The magical purple mist crucial to the plot really sold the atmosphere. The Martin family, while trite, are cute, and sell a certain fairy tale vibe that so many of 11's best stories bring. This wasn't really among his best stories, and I didn't quite buy his voice, which bugged me, but for a solid Doctor-lite story anyway, that wasn't too much of a bother. And while I'm a little bummed that a favorite Doctor was in so little of the story, he has so few stories that rely on him being seen from the outside (really just The Lodger, otherwise he's a very centrally-written Doctor) that getting this angle on him felt earned.
6/10
•
Baby Sleepy Face
"Not the right time, Doctor Disco."
From the blurb on the back, I was rather expecting a follow-up to Listen. Though I suppose solving the mystery of the blanket figure would do that episode a disservice.
The title is deeply upsetting. The story, more fun! The horrific imagery gets little focus, and like the last story, this is a fairly conventional "family gets into trouble and is saved by the Doctor halfway through" arc, though at least this time the Doc gets decent page-time, and a much truer voice. It's fun, even with the odd Voltron-baby-doll climax, and unlike the last few stories, feels like a complete, if brief, narrative.
7/10
A very mixed bag, both of concepts and execution, but worth the time for fans! And picking up a strange book in a library is always worth the time. I'm spooked and satisfied, 6/10
•
•
•
Murder in the Dark
"Bath time for fruit?"
An odd en media res opening; we are given no idea what brought the TARDIS to this place.
A surprisingly violent yarn with a solid resolution, and it was good to spend time with the criminally underappreciated Dodo (though also a shame to get so little of the Doctor).
I let out an audible 'oof' at "masked mandarin"; there were a handful of dated references that track for the 1960s when the story would have aired if written for television, but not the 2017 publication date for the short story. Between all of that, and the relative strength of what comes later, this is a bit of a rough opening
4/10
.
Something at the Door
"What I recited was in fact a rather delicious recipe for Bajaxx Stew". Oh to have a home-cooked meal on the TARDIS.
My dearly beloved Jamie grapples with shiny things, new words, and possession??? Poor man had a hell of a day.
A simple possession story, this feels especially campfire-y, without standing out narratively beyond the characters involved. That said, the Doctor barely appears again, and it's up to Ben, a character I've never spared much thought towards, to carry the narrative. It wins points back for a brave reference to the Brain of Morbius, Jamie's accent, and for staging a slumber party horror story onboard the TARDIS.
7/10
•
The Monster in the Woods
"Oh really, Jo. Why have you got cat ears and whiskers on?"
Well hey, Bessie! (I love that weird little car).
Solo Dalek stories usually the scariest, but not so here; the monster of the title is a bit toothless and the real scare factor is the Doctor's determination, and a desperate miscalculation of his that almost proves fatal. It doesn't quite come together at the end, considering the emotional stakes, and the Doctor's unexpected development ends up feeling muted. The kid characters get a bizarre amout of focus (a theme that recurs late in the collection), but at least this Doctor gets some meaty material.
6/10
•
Toil and Trouble
"An *anacronism*, man!"
What a fun story! Quick and intense pace, competent companions, moments of eerie atmosphere, and an unparalleled amount of classic/new crossover. Between Sarah Jane (a 3rd and 4rd Doctor companion, later meeting 10 and 11 and getting her own multi-year series) resisting the Carrionites (a 10th Doctor villain) and the 4th Doctor worrying about Reapers (a 9th Doctor villain who seem otherwise forgotten about in canon), with Tardis rooms seen in 11's company, we're folding in beats associated with at least five different regenerations (a stark contrast to 3 reversing the polarity of the neutron flow just because he's famous for it). It's also, curiosuly, our second story with Time Vortex creatures; I'm sensing a theme. Just a good all-canon-encompassing tale, a cracking anachronism.
9/10
•
Mark of the Medusa
"We certainly banished it from *your* subconcious"
A fun slow reveal of an opening, followed by a somewhat rushed collection of rather fun ideas, ending quite predictably. With some more padding, this could have made a decent (if trite) episode, just as much a Davies era vibe as a Nathan-Turner one, but as is, it falls flat. It was good to see Kamelion (a grand idea of a character marred by shoddy execution due to tech and budget limitations) who due to his nature, I hope is a novel mainstay. Our TARDIS team is, alas, rather dull, with the reliably good Tegan/5 pairing hardly appearing together, and the either flat or very interesting Turlough in his less engaging mode.
In today's Reptile Report, we have a snake villain: welcome back, Mara (another character that works better outside of the constraints of the time).
6/10
•
Trick or Treat
"I don't suppose *you* could tell me what's going on?"
A fitting title for an unpredictable Doctor, and a story that accurately reflects the quality of much of his era. "Creature comes into the TARDIS in flight" has already been done to death in this collection. I felt good about spotting the initial twist based on the jellybaby comment, but then it tied back to the first story and it all just sort of failed to gel for me. The solution felt deeply underwhelming, and nothing here really popped (a common problem with 6th Doctor stories, and one that inevitably colors my relationship to this). I already didn't find the first story to be the strongest of the bunch, and following it up this way ultimately felt like a disservice to both stories. If I loved anything, it was the Toymaker's meta comments on the original series' infamously poor production design, that brought nearly as much sardonic joy as when I actually saw the rubber dinosaur and Christmas tinsel it's referencing.
3/10
•
The Living Image
"'I know how this sounds, but trust me, I know what I'm doing.' The Doctor removed his hat and struck a pose."
Dreary, rainy 19th century London. What a fun location for a ghost story, and this has some of the best atmosphere in the collection. And it caps off with a classic "The End...or is it?" ending. Just a nice, solid little story.
8/10
•
Organism 96
"'I'm sorry I doubted your sanity and ran away.'
'That often happens. No hard feelings.'"
Marie's was a fun POV, fitting for the Doctor with the least drawn-out onscreen personality and the story with the most comedic tone. It all ends a bit abruptly with a few weird bits in the last act (the pacing of the bomb exchange was rather ridiculous), but overall, a fun enough tale. Weird flex having Russian scientists be behind an eldritch horror, but I guess so it goes.
6/10
•
The Patchwork Pierrot
"Sorry to have kept you. Is this a private party or can anyone join in?"
There's criminally little 9th Doc mainline content, and I definitely need to delve into more secondary media. This story has some dicey prose and POV inconsistencies (I wouldn't exactly call it well-written), but it perfectly captures Eccelston's energy as the Doctor.
This story gets points for some genuine terror in its descriptions, and loses them with a weak ending. Not everything can be saved with one of my beloved "The End...or is it?" conclusions, and occasionally a story is made a little worse for it
5/10
•
Blood Will Out
"Any nearer, missy, and I'll...I'll...pop your balloon!"
This almost worked. So very almost. 10 and Donna are one of my favorite TARDIS teams, and this story is set *exactly* where my partner and I are in our rewatch. We start with a fun subversion with fun house mirrors, and continue into a fitting followup to a fan favorite episode, with the Doctor's rather torturous solution to the Family's reign of terror being its own undoing. But alas, the ending. Buildup deserving of an episode, cut off abruptly by the short story's status as a short story. Add several spelling and grammar mistakes, and some clunky prose, and what could have been one of my favorite of the collection felt in dire need of an extra edit pass, and ended with a splat.
5/10
•
The Mist of Sorrow
"'Keep being cute.' 'Easy!'"
Ah, the Weeping Angels. A perfect monster for a horror short. The magical purple mist crucial to the plot really sold the atmosphere. The Martin family, while trite, are cute, and sell a certain fairy tale vibe that so many of 11's best stories bring. This wasn't really among his best stories, and I didn't quite buy his voice, which bugged me, but for a solid Doctor-lite story anyway, that wasn't too much of a bother. And while I'm a little bummed that a favorite Doctor was in so little of the story, he has so few stories that rely on him being seen from the outside (really just The Lodger, otherwise he's a very centrally-written Doctor) that getting this angle on him felt earned.
6/10
•
Baby Sleepy Face
"Not the right time, Doctor Disco."
From the blurb on the back, I was rather expecting a follow-up to Listen. Though I suppose solving the mystery of the blanket figure would do that episode a disservice.
The title is deeply upsetting. The story, more fun! The horrific imagery gets little focus, and like the last story, this is a fairly conventional "family gets into trouble and is saved by the Doctor halfway through" arc, though at least this time the Doc gets decent page-time, and a much truer voice. It's fun, even with the odd Voltron-baby-doll climax, and unlike the last few stories, feels like a complete, if brief, narrative.
7/10
A very mixed bag, both of concepts and execution, but worth the time for fans! And picking up a strange book in a library is always worth the time. I'm spooked and satisfied, 6/10
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2020
All of a sudden I find myself hungry for more Doctor Who content. Not having indulged much in the way of literature, an anthology collection seemed a sensible place to begin my binge. An e-book copy of Tales of Terror has been waiting on my tablet device for months: twelve tales featuring twelve Doctors dealing with creepy and disturbing threats often set around Halloween.
As I've come to expect from anthology collections, this was a mixed bag. Most of the stories were harmless fun, a couple made me cross but a handful were engaging additions to the wild and whacky Doctor Who 'canon'. One thing that I unanimously liked across all stories was the way that the authors captured the different incarnations of the Time Lord. There was really only one instance of feeble characterisation, the Eighth Doctor in Organism 96 by Paul Magrs, but then so many writers seem to treat this version of the Doctor with kid gloves. It was the only serious weak point in the collection for me.
The rest of the writing was generally good in a way that enhanced the Doctor's core character and the show's style. It was even outrageously creative in the contributions of Jacqueline Rayner. Suffice to say I was looking for some decent Doctor Who mini-adventures and that is exactly what I got. I recommend Tales of Terror to fellow Whovians and even newcomers to the series who are seeking a spooky introduction...
Notable Stories
• Murder in the Dark by Jacqueline Rayner – this carefully crafted set-up story makes good use of the First Doctor and companions.
• The Monster in the Woods by Paul Magrs – Jo’s inability to trust the Third Doctor’s motive enhanced the quaint plot for me.
• Trick Or Treat by Jacqueline Rayner – this Sixth Doctor reprisal of Murder in the Dark took a striking metatextual turn.
As I've come to expect from anthology collections, this was a mixed bag. Most of the stories were harmless fun, a couple made me cross but a handful were engaging additions to the wild and whacky Doctor Who 'canon'. One thing that I unanimously liked across all stories was the way that the authors captured the different incarnations of the Time Lord. There was really only one instance of feeble characterisation, the Eighth Doctor in Organism 96 by Paul Magrs, but then so many writers seem to treat this version of the Doctor with kid gloves. It was the only serious weak point in the collection for me.
The rest of the writing was generally good in a way that enhanced the Doctor's core character and the show's style. It was even outrageously creative in the contributions of Jacqueline Rayner. Suffice to say I was looking for some decent Doctor Who mini-adventures and that is exactly what I got. I recommend Tales of Terror to fellow Whovians and even newcomers to the series who are seeking a spooky introduction...
Notable Stories
• Murder in the Dark by Jacqueline Rayner – this carefully crafted set-up story makes good use of the First Doctor and companions.
• The Monster in the Woods by Paul Magrs – Jo’s inability to trust the Third Doctor’s motive enhanced the quaint plot for me.
• Trick Or Treat by Jacqueline Rayner – this Sixth Doctor reprisal of Murder in the Dark took a striking metatextual turn.
February 24, 2022
More of a 2.5*
I was really disappointed with this after reading The Wintertime Paradox collection last year. I didn't get any feelings of nostalgia or really feel like I was with any specific Doctor (the exception to this being the Eleventh Doctor - the author nailed 11's voice in that one). I was also expecting to be a bit more scared given the title and that this was a Halloween release.
You win some, you lose some, I guess.
I was really disappointed with this after reading The Wintertime Paradox collection last year. I didn't get any feelings of nostalgia or really feel like I was with any specific Doctor (the exception to this being the Eleventh Doctor - the author nailed 11's voice in that one). I was also expecting to be a bit more scared given the title and that this was a Halloween release.
You win some, you lose some, I guess.
October 12, 2017
I was actually left feeling a little disappointed with this. It was very average overall. There were a couple of gems, my favourite was probably 11's story, very Blink-esque in its format. There are good moments throughout but overall I think the stories are quite forgettable. Shame, really.
May 6, 2022
This book is written for children. I should have checked the copyright page ahead of time, but it's released by BBC Children's Books. Thus it was not the terror-filled collection I was hoping for when I started reading it.
February 18, 2021
Spoopy.
October 18, 2021
Murder in the Dark
By Jacqueline Rayner
Not a great start of this anthology really, I believe that this one is trying a bit hard to have some scare or at least creepy but it's just a typical Doctor Who story, it really drops the whole scare factor when the main villain of the story reveals to be. - 5/10
Something at the Door
By Mike Tucker
Okay, I like the premise for this short story but it's not really new, it's basically a group of people messing around an Ouija Board and they just let in a Demon or some kind of evil spirit, but Doctor Who edition, even the Monster in this story is really an allegory of Demons/evil spirits, the characterization is good, the story is not bad it's just it's not new and that;'s just really not adding kind of scary factor into this, but of course that is just me. - 6/10
The Monster in the Woods
By Paul Magrs
This is not as bad as the other two but it just felt so typical and it has a very good start as well, I will give credit that this can be like a Doctor Who episode but I believe that this could be more better than it should focus more of the children in this story, The Doctor should appear like close to the end of the Story, Paul should've expressed more of the Urban Tale Monster in the Woods which have the revelation of the Monster to have more effect to it, it just happened way too quickly and Jo Grant just didn't need to be in it, she barely did anything. - 6/10
Toil and Trouble
By Richard Dungworth
This one is bored me immediately after a good start of the story may be perhaps that I really not many Monsters from The Shakespeare Code which an episode that I didn't much care about this, and believe me I enjoyed The Carrironite Curse than this one, and the names for them is just ridiculously funny. - 4/10
Mark of the Medusa
By Mike Tucker
Now it just feels like this is going to get really repetitive, the story is rather good, is it scary? No, is it spooky? No. Is there anything much to say, It would be better as if wasn't part of this Anthology? 7/10
Trick or Treat
By Jacqueline Rayner
Rayner really must of like the Toymaker because this is her second story in the book to feature, but this one I actually do enjoy a lot, definitely better than the first one - 7/10
The Living Image
By Scott Handcock
Not scary but this story does have some creep factor with this story but one thing is that I couldn't help if these are the Boneless or not, but since they can speak so it's more likely a no, but this one is not that bad. - 7/10
Overall
Couldn't review the rest because I have lost interest to continue on, like the remaining stories are Organism 96, The Patchwork Pierrot, Blood will Out, The Mist of Sorrow, and Baby Sleepy Face.
So yeah I wasn't having a good time with this anthology, Like don't get me wrong some of the stories are good, but if want Doctor Who stories to scare you or to creep you out, just watch the Episodes or listen to the Big Finish audios because you definitely not gonna get any from this book.
Now I will be versing this with Short Trips: A Universe of Terrors.
By Jacqueline Rayner
Not a great start of this anthology really, I believe that this one is trying a bit hard to have some scare or at least creepy but it's just a typical Doctor Who story, it really drops the whole scare factor when the main villain of the story reveals to be. - 5/10
Something at the Door
By Mike Tucker
Okay, I like the premise for this short story but it's not really new, it's basically a group of people messing around an Ouija Board and they just let in a Demon or some kind of evil spirit, but Doctor Who edition, even the Monster in this story is really an allegory of Demons/evil spirits, the characterization is good, the story is not bad it's just it's not new and that;'s just really not adding kind of scary factor into this, but of course that is just me. - 6/10
The Monster in the Woods
By Paul Magrs
This is not as bad as the other two but it just felt so typical and it has a very good start as well, I will give credit that this can be like a Doctor Who episode but I believe that this could be more better than it should focus more of the children in this story, The Doctor should appear like close to the end of the Story, Paul should've expressed more of the Urban Tale Monster in the Woods which have the revelation of the Monster to have more effect to it, it just happened way too quickly and Jo Grant just didn't need to be in it, she barely did anything. - 6/10
Toil and Trouble
By Richard Dungworth
This one is bored me immediately after a good start of the story may be perhaps that I really not many Monsters from The Shakespeare Code which an episode that I didn't much care about this, and believe me I enjoyed The Carrironite Curse than this one, and the names for them is just ridiculously funny. - 4/10
Mark of the Medusa
By Mike Tucker
Now it just feels like this is going to get really repetitive, the story is rather good, is it scary? No, is it spooky? No. Is there anything much to say, It would be better as if wasn't part of this Anthology? 7/10
Trick or Treat
By Jacqueline Rayner
Rayner really must of like the Toymaker because this is her second story in the book to feature, but this one I actually do enjoy a lot, definitely better than the first one - 7/10
The Living Image
By Scott Handcock
Not scary but this story does have some creep factor with this story but one thing is that I couldn't help if these are the Boneless or not, but since they can speak so it's more likely a no, but this one is not that bad. - 7/10
Overall
Couldn't review the rest because I have lost interest to continue on, like the remaining stories are Organism 96, The Patchwork Pierrot, Blood will Out, The Mist of Sorrow, and Baby Sleepy Face.
So yeah I wasn't having a good time with this anthology, Like don't get me wrong some of the stories are good, but if want Doctor Who stories to scare you or to creep you out, just watch the Episodes or listen to the Big Finish audios because you definitely not gonna get any from this book.
Now I will be versing this with Short Trips: A Universe of Terrors.
October 27, 2017
Overall I give this book 3.5 stars out of five. Please find below my thoughts on each individual story:
Murder in The Dark Story 3/5 Illustrations 2/5 Total 5/10
Not a bad story to begin this collection of Doctor Who spooky stories and I loved the characters within it as they weren’t the typical First Doctor companions that everyone focuses on. This worked on a level but also didn’t work on a level as I didn’t know these characters as well as Susan, Barbara and Ian. Also, the villain in this piece I felt was quite weak and didn’t really appear until close to the end of the story. Overall just Ok. The illustration for this story also felt let it down somewhat.
Something at The Door Story 3/5 Illustrations 3/5 Total 6/10
This story in my opinion was a bit of a typical Doctor Who story, and I felt that the villain of this piece was extremely underwhelming. The illustration in this story was just OK. I felt that maybe it could have gone somewhere different in how it was resolved as the climax of the story was a bit underwhelming. Overall it was just OK.
The Monster in The Wood Story4 /5 Illustrations4 /5 Total 8/10
This was a really good story. Really enjoyed how Paul Magrs wrote the Third Doctor and Jo’s relationship. He managed to give it some depth whilst also keeping the comical side of their relationship. The kids in this story were a little annoying but bearable and the villain of the piece one of Doctor Who’s most famous monsters was excellent, and I loved the humanising of this character that gave this story a twist I wasn’t expecting. All in all, a really good story brought together by a stunning illustration by Rohan Eason.
Toil and Trouble Story 4/5 Illustration 5/5 Total 9/10
Fantastic story. Loved the nod to a modern-day companion even though this was a 4th doctor story. Both companions in Harry and Sarah Jane were well rounded however it felt a little tropey in terms of Sarah Jane falling into the damsel in distress role when from the series we know she is a little more kick ass. The Doctor was beautifully characterised as his fourth incarnation in all his eccentric glory. Good to get to see more of the Carrionites who I feel could probably be used more within the TV series. Overall my favourite story so far within this collection. Also, the illustration by Rohan Eason is absolutely beautiful.
Mark of The Medusa Story 4/5 Illustration 2.5/5 Total 6.5 /10
Really good story. This was definitely the scariest of the stories so far. However, I felt that the companions were a little bit underused and the 5TH incarnation of the Doctor was just Ok but nothing amazing. The villain of this piece was truly terrifying and because I haven’t had a lot of contact with this particular enemy of Doctor Who that made it all the scarier. The illustration for this was Ok but not as stunning as some of the other illustrations contained within this collection. Good story with ok characters and a plot that actually went somewhere.
Trick or Treat Story 5/5 Illustration 3/5 Total 8/10
Absolutely brilliant story. Really good characterisation of both the 6th Doctor (who is my least favourite doctor in terms of the TV show) and the villain of this piece. Loved the twists and turns of this story and also the call back to the first story in this collection which featured the same villain. This story was the most psychological of the collection as the twists and turns of this story messed with my head as much as the Doctor’s head was messed with by the villain. The strongest story so far. Loved it. The illustration by Rohan Eason was good as well.
The Living Image Story3 /5 Illustration 3 /5 Total 6/10
Interesting historical story set in Victorian London. The seventh Doctor is excellently written as is Ace, his companion in this story. The villain in this story is very similar to the swarm in the Second doctors story however it is slightly more interesting than that creature. Setting it in Victorian London gave it a ghostly quality that I really enjoyed and I loved Ace kicking arse. Overall a good story but nothing amazing and the illustration contained in this story was just OK.
Organism 96 Story 4/5 Illustration 3/5 Total 7 /10
I really enjoyed this story. Although the monster in it was ugly there was actually quite a sweet storyline running through it concerning the Colonel doing something extremely heroic. Really liked the heroine in this and thought the little easter eggs in some of the ship’s crew names was clever little things. The illustration for this story was OK but not amazing.
The Patchwork Pierrot Story 4.5/5 Illustration 4/5 Total 8.5/10
Really good story from one of my least favourite doctors. I loved how emotive this story was and I really liked the character of Mona. The character of the villain and the story arc worked really well and was a twist on the normal incarnation of this particular Doctor Who monster. Absolutely beautiful illustration by Rohan Eason. Overall I really enjoyed this story for what it was a twist on the Frankenstein story with one of Doctor Who’s favourite monsters.
Blood Will Out Story4 /5 Illustration 2/5 Total 6 /10
Blood Will Out is a good 10th Doctor story featuring Donna as his companion. Overall I really enjoyed this story as it brought back a villain from a two parter that was an excellent villain and I wished they had done more with in the TV series. Characters were excellent and the overall story arc flowed nicely and had a satisfying conclusion. However the illustration let it down somewhat.
The Mist Of Sorrow – Story4 /5 Illustration4 /5 Total 8 /10
Really nice story about the importance of family and togetherness. It features one of my favourite villains from the modern era of Doctor Who and they are used well in this story. I loved the characters including the 11th Doctor who I don’t particularly enjoy as a character but he was immensely likeable in this. The illustration for this story was really good and furthered the story.
Baby Sleepy Face – Story 3/5 Illustration3 /5 Total 6/10
Baby Sleepy Face was a good 12th Doctor story but I didn’t love it as much as other stories in the collection. It was intriguing for the author to use an uncommon villain as the main villain. The illustration didn’t support the story in the best way but was brilliantly drawn.
Murder in The Dark Story 3/5 Illustrations 2/5 Total 5/10
Not a bad story to begin this collection of Doctor Who spooky stories and I loved the characters within it as they weren’t the typical First Doctor companions that everyone focuses on. This worked on a level but also didn’t work on a level as I didn’t know these characters as well as Susan, Barbara and Ian. Also, the villain in this piece I felt was quite weak and didn’t really appear until close to the end of the story. Overall just Ok. The illustration for this story also felt let it down somewhat.
Something at The Door Story 3/5 Illustrations 3/5 Total 6/10
This story in my opinion was a bit of a typical Doctor Who story, and I felt that the villain of this piece was extremely underwhelming. The illustration in this story was just OK. I felt that maybe it could have gone somewhere different in how it was resolved as the climax of the story was a bit underwhelming. Overall it was just OK.
The Monster in The Wood Story4 /5 Illustrations4 /5 Total 8/10
This was a really good story. Really enjoyed how Paul Magrs wrote the Third Doctor and Jo’s relationship. He managed to give it some depth whilst also keeping the comical side of their relationship. The kids in this story were a little annoying but bearable and the villain of the piece one of Doctor Who’s most famous monsters was excellent, and I loved the humanising of this character that gave this story a twist I wasn’t expecting. All in all, a really good story brought together by a stunning illustration by Rohan Eason.
Toil and Trouble Story 4/5 Illustration 5/5 Total 9/10
Fantastic story. Loved the nod to a modern-day companion even though this was a 4th doctor story. Both companions in Harry and Sarah Jane were well rounded however it felt a little tropey in terms of Sarah Jane falling into the damsel in distress role when from the series we know she is a little more kick ass. The Doctor was beautifully characterised as his fourth incarnation in all his eccentric glory. Good to get to see more of the Carrionites who I feel could probably be used more within the TV series. Overall my favourite story so far within this collection. Also, the illustration by Rohan Eason is absolutely beautiful.
Mark of The Medusa Story 4/5 Illustration 2.5/5 Total 6.5 /10
Really good story. This was definitely the scariest of the stories so far. However, I felt that the companions were a little bit underused and the 5TH incarnation of the Doctor was just Ok but nothing amazing. The villain of this piece was truly terrifying and because I haven’t had a lot of contact with this particular enemy of Doctor Who that made it all the scarier. The illustration for this was Ok but not as stunning as some of the other illustrations contained within this collection. Good story with ok characters and a plot that actually went somewhere.
Trick or Treat Story 5/5 Illustration 3/5 Total 8/10
Absolutely brilliant story. Really good characterisation of both the 6th Doctor (who is my least favourite doctor in terms of the TV show) and the villain of this piece. Loved the twists and turns of this story and also the call back to the first story in this collection which featured the same villain. This story was the most psychological of the collection as the twists and turns of this story messed with my head as much as the Doctor’s head was messed with by the villain. The strongest story so far. Loved it. The illustration by Rohan Eason was good as well.
The Living Image Story3 /5 Illustration 3 /5 Total 6/10
Interesting historical story set in Victorian London. The seventh Doctor is excellently written as is Ace, his companion in this story. The villain in this story is very similar to the swarm in the Second doctors story however it is slightly more interesting than that creature. Setting it in Victorian London gave it a ghostly quality that I really enjoyed and I loved Ace kicking arse. Overall a good story but nothing amazing and the illustration contained in this story was just OK.
Organism 96 Story 4/5 Illustration 3/5 Total 7 /10
I really enjoyed this story. Although the monster in it was ugly there was actually quite a sweet storyline running through it concerning the Colonel doing something extremely heroic. Really liked the heroine in this and thought the little easter eggs in some of the ship’s crew names was clever little things. The illustration for this story was OK but not amazing.
The Patchwork Pierrot Story 4.5/5 Illustration 4/5 Total 8.5/10
Really good story from one of my least favourite doctors. I loved how emotive this story was and I really liked the character of Mona. The character of the villain and the story arc worked really well and was a twist on the normal incarnation of this particular Doctor Who monster. Absolutely beautiful illustration by Rohan Eason. Overall I really enjoyed this story for what it was a twist on the Frankenstein story with one of Doctor Who’s favourite monsters.
Blood Will Out Story4 /5 Illustration 2/5 Total 6 /10
Blood Will Out is a good 10th Doctor story featuring Donna as his companion. Overall I really enjoyed this story as it brought back a villain from a two parter that was an excellent villain and I wished they had done more with in the TV series. Characters were excellent and the overall story arc flowed nicely and had a satisfying conclusion. However the illustration let it down somewhat.
The Mist Of Sorrow – Story4 /5 Illustration4 /5 Total 8 /10
Really nice story about the importance of family and togetherness. It features one of my favourite villains from the modern era of Doctor Who and they are used well in this story. I loved the characters including the 11th Doctor who I don’t particularly enjoy as a character but he was immensely likeable in this. The illustration for this story was really good and furthered the story.
Baby Sleepy Face – Story 3/5 Illustration3 /5 Total 6/10
Baby Sleepy Face was a good 12th Doctor story but I didn’t love it as much as other stories in the collection. It was intriguing for the author to use an uncommon villain as the main villain. The illustration didn’t support the story in the best way but was brilliantly drawn.
July 4, 2018
The Doctor Who character is supposed to have certain feel to it, an electrostatic broadcast of maniac, spring-heeled energy, bursts of enthusiasm and wide-eyed wonder at the stars, yet a hidden sadness too which needs frequent distraction (and attention) to stop him (soon to be her) going mad under the weight of eternity and outliving all his friends. This should be played as a quite brilliant and still child-like soul that sees the Universe as a shiny new train set to play with, rewire the physical laws of and look for beings and principles to protect in other races’ messes. He also becomes the things he hates the most (life-takers, haters), so has an existential struggle to know himself and that’s why he needs an audience of companions in his travelling circus to root him in a frame of reference that reminds him what’s normal and balanced. He also gets all the best lines because, in common with bi-polar euphoric/depressives, he has a speedy wit and instant surreal and witty sense of banter. He isn’t Spock. This book should have fulfilled that remit, so that’s what I wanted to assess it against.
I can imagine whoever commissioned this thought it was a commercially realistic idea because it fills the niche of Doctor, in a variety of coats and faces, against Halloween monsters and also picks an alternative event in the seasonal calendar, having over-exploited Christmas Specials. It's a project then, a commercial writing job rather than a labour of love. They've briefed a bunch of pro writers, set a deadline in time for Halloween 2017 and invested in a flashy cover which actually glints. I see they've also got another title in this series called The Twelve Doctors of Christmas, so didn't break with the silvery jingling noises for long (small bells or money spinning opportunism?).
The idea in this is for twelve different doctors (consecutive - but why, given the temporally non-linear character?) and their respective companions to have twelve different adventures with the usual array of naughty adversaries. There is some crossover of characters, but those points are mostly touches that only obsessive Whovians will spot, be delighted by and earn themselves another pot noodle.
The bug-eyed monsters are all the Time Lord's regular playmates: daleks, cybermen, weeping angels, the Family of Blood, the Celestial Toymaker, the three witches, living plastic and a sort of gorgon in an orbiting museum that I didn't quite understand (in terms of motivation anyway) and a disguised squid on a cruise ship (Cold War failed experiment) that's getting jiggy with the octogenarians for reasons known only unto itself. A final fling of the slimy tentacle?
The story of the broken dalek that lives in the woods and persuades children to fetch replacement parts until it gets bored and incinerates them for being annoying was quite a funny idea, with its little tin belly popping-full of toy soldiers. It might as well have been a robot man with a belly full of little toy daleks, as they both counterpoint their dangerous and toy-like qualities.
The weeping angels story was in the style of a camping trip goes wrong but the wolves in the mist that hunt the lost souls turn out to be alien. It was a welcome change to an outdoor style anyway. However, in this story the angels never go beyond being a kind of pack, a faceless group of thugs. In contrast, each weeping angel in the television shows has a certain individual and personal predatory sense to it, scaring you in a polite and elegant way, when played by the hauntingly beautiful siren Sarah Louise Madison. Ethereal, definition: extremely delicate, light and elfin in a way that seems to be not of this world.
The Toymaker Halloween party story was the most gruesome, as passing around body parts is tastelessly diseased, especially when followed up later in the book by the creepy "you've been inside this false reality for years" angle. The murderous stalker cyberman on the flying trapeze was too far out of character for me, like Stephen King going all Monty Python. Then there was a giant animated wicker man made from possessed plastic dollies that was a spiritual cousin to the marshmallow man in Ghostbusters.
The book is slightly too “slasher fic” in my opinion but it fills the Halloween fiction niche adequately, also managing to differentiate the voices of all those doctor and assistant actors so you click that they are still in character. I would have liked to see K9 and Nardol somewhere in this though. Ideally, Nardol caught riding K9 in the bath and Martha Jones walking in and just staring at him.
Is it any good? Not especially, apart from the dickie dalek in the woods who's worried about property developers exposing him. It's a commercial read that doesn't really add anything inspired to the Doctor Who cannon, instead just getting on the bandwagon and tapping into the children's pocket money stream. That's perhaps undeserved and too cynical because this collection of stories represents a hell of a lot of work, although if you were to experiment by asking anyone who's read this if they are likely to keep it and read it again, the answer is surely a predictable No. It's okay if you read it once and have the actors' pictures in your mind's eye, but no, it’s not for reading again - and, I guess, thanks all the same though for stirring the television memories.
These stories are standing on the shoulders of giants, obviously, so it is appropriate nostalgia but I think only a reminder of what people liked about the originals. When a school friend recites a funny sketch from television, you smile at the memory of the show, not your friend’s effort, unless they find a way to improve upon the material. This book tried to run at the same standard as the sharp screenplay and script writing in the rebooted series (Ecclestone onward) but it didn't achieve full equivalence or show any identifiable moments of improvement. There weren't any imaginative new monsters either – and the angelic Sarah’s poise and Tom Baker's charming wit were also something this spin-off project couldn't capture.
I can imagine whoever commissioned this thought it was a commercially realistic idea because it fills the niche of Doctor, in a variety of coats and faces, against Halloween monsters and also picks an alternative event in the seasonal calendar, having over-exploited Christmas Specials. It's a project then, a commercial writing job rather than a labour of love. They've briefed a bunch of pro writers, set a deadline in time for Halloween 2017 and invested in a flashy cover which actually glints. I see they've also got another title in this series called The Twelve Doctors of Christmas, so didn't break with the silvery jingling noises for long (small bells or money spinning opportunism?).
The idea in this is for twelve different doctors (consecutive - but why, given the temporally non-linear character?) and their respective companions to have twelve different adventures with the usual array of naughty adversaries. There is some crossover of characters, but those points are mostly touches that only obsessive Whovians will spot, be delighted by and earn themselves another pot noodle.
The bug-eyed monsters are all the Time Lord's regular playmates: daleks, cybermen, weeping angels, the Family of Blood, the Celestial Toymaker, the three witches, living plastic and a sort of gorgon in an orbiting museum that I didn't quite understand (in terms of motivation anyway) and a disguised squid on a cruise ship (Cold War failed experiment) that's getting jiggy with the octogenarians for reasons known only unto itself. A final fling of the slimy tentacle?
The story of the broken dalek that lives in the woods and persuades children to fetch replacement parts until it gets bored and incinerates them for being annoying was quite a funny idea, with its little tin belly popping-full of toy soldiers. It might as well have been a robot man with a belly full of little toy daleks, as they both counterpoint their dangerous and toy-like qualities.
The weeping angels story was in the style of a camping trip goes wrong but the wolves in the mist that hunt the lost souls turn out to be alien. It was a welcome change to an outdoor style anyway. However, in this story the angels never go beyond being a kind of pack, a faceless group of thugs. In contrast, each weeping angel in the television shows has a certain individual and personal predatory sense to it, scaring you in a polite and elegant way, when played by the hauntingly beautiful siren Sarah Louise Madison. Ethereal, definition: extremely delicate, light and elfin in a way that seems to be not of this world.
The Toymaker Halloween party story was the most gruesome, as passing around body parts is tastelessly diseased, especially when followed up later in the book by the creepy "you've been inside this false reality for years" angle. The murderous stalker cyberman on the flying trapeze was too far out of character for me, like Stephen King going all Monty Python. Then there was a giant animated wicker man made from possessed plastic dollies that was a spiritual cousin to the marshmallow man in Ghostbusters.
The book is slightly too “slasher fic” in my opinion but it fills the Halloween fiction niche adequately, also managing to differentiate the voices of all those doctor and assistant actors so you click that they are still in character. I would have liked to see K9 and Nardol somewhere in this though. Ideally, Nardol caught riding K9 in the bath and Martha Jones walking in and just staring at him.
Is it any good? Not especially, apart from the dickie dalek in the woods who's worried about property developers exposing him. It's a commercial read that doesn't really add anything inspired to the Doctor Who cannon, instead just getting on the bandwagon and tapping into the children's pocket money stream. That's perhaps undeserved and too cynical because this collection of stories represents a hell of a lot of work, although if you were to experiment by asking anyone who's read this if they are likely to keep it and read it again, the answer is surely a predictable No. It's okay if you read it once and have the actors' pictures in your mind's eye, but no, it’s not for reading again - and, I guess, thanks all the same though for stirring the television memories.
These stories are standing on the shoulders of giants, obviously, so it is appropriate nostalgia but I think only a reminder of what people liked about the originals. When a school friend recites a funny sketch from television, you smile at the memory of the show, not your friend’s effort, unless they find a way to improve upon the material. This book tried to run at the same standard as the sharp screenplay and script writing in the rebooted series (Ecclestone onward) but it didn't achieve full equivalence or show any identifiable moments of improvement. There weren't any imaginative new monsters either – and the angelic Sarah’s poise and Tom Baker's charming wit were also something this spin-off project couldn't capture.
January 30, 2021
https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/3585682.html
This is a set of twelve Doctor Who short stories for YA readers, themed around Halloween, each of them featuring a different Doctor, usually with an old enemy (the Celestial Toymaker appears twice). The six authors are all well established - Jacqueline Rayner, Mike Tucker, Paul Magrs, Richard Dungworth, Scott Handcock and Craig Donaghy (was not sure of the last, but he has a long track record scripting comics for DWM). Rayner's Sixth Story, "Trick or Treat", is the standout of the collection, though Magrs' Third Doctor story, "The Monster in the Woods", is good too and none of them is actively bad.
This is a set of twelve Doctor Who short stories for YA readers, themed around Halloween, each of them featuring a different Doctor, usually with an old enemy (the Celestial Toymaker appears twice). The six authors are all well established - Jacqueline Rayner, Mike Tucker, Paul Magrs, Richard Dungworth, Scott Handcock and Craig Donaghy (was not sure of the last, but he has a long track record scripting comics for DWM). Rayner's Sixth Story, "Trick or Treat", is the standout of the collection, though Magrs' Third Doctor story, "The Monster in the Woods", is good too and none of them is actively bad.
February 7, 2025
Really enjoy the cover art for this. Unfortunately stories were mid tear adventures and weren’t scary. Didn’t feel like they were written like the Doctor. Unfortunately didn’t pull me into the whoniverse like some other Doctor who books have done. It wasn’t bad by any means but it was just meh.
January 22, 2019
3.25 stars.
Tales of Terror is an okay short story collection. There's some good stories but there's also some I didn't like.
Murder in the Dark.
4 stars.
Murder in the Dark is a good story which has a reappearance by a villain from the 1st Doctor's era. It was interesting to see this villain again since he was a good villain but has only appeared in one Doctor Who story (which is now missing).
Anyhow, there are creepy elements to this. The story is set out in a way that keeps you guessing as to what's was going on. It all made sense at the end of the book at the end of the story.
Something at the Door.
4.5 stars.
Something at the Door is one of my favourites in this collection. The new villain is interesting due to it coming from the time vortex by something similar to a ouija board. I enjoyed how different it was as that's never been explored in Doctor Who. Mike Tucker captured the characters of the 2nd Doctor, Jamie, Polly and Ben really well and they all worked well together as a team.
The Monster in the Woods.
3 stars.
The Monster in the Woods is an alright story but it felt like something was missing. It didn't have a creepy vibe like the first two stories had. It's just a bit meh, for me, but Paul Magrs captured the characters of the 3rd Doctor and Jo Grant really well.
Toil and Trouble.
4 stars.
Toil and Trouble is a bit of a weird story and I'm not sure if it fits into the timeline well but Doctor Who is kinda infamous for plot holes so I'll let it slide. There's a reappearance of a villain from the 10th Doctor era and it was interesting to see that villain again even though I don't think that it works or that they needed to make an appearance again. But I love that the 4th Doctor, Harry and Sarah Jane are in this story as you don't see many featuring this TARDIS team.
Mark of the Medusa.
4 stars.
Mark of the Medusa again has another reappearance of a villain. This time it's a villain from the 5th Doctor's era. I'm not a big fan of this reappearance because I wanted something different from the story. But I enjoyed the story overall from the way Tegan, Kamelion, Turlough and the 5th Doctor were written and the setting of the story.
Trick or Treat.
5 stars.
Trick or Treat is one of my favourites in this collection. The more I think about this story, the more I love it. It features a reappearance of a villain from the 1st Doctor's era that links in with the 1st Doctor's story in this collection. Trick or Treat is well written but it I definitely loved more towards the end when everything comes together and you know what's going on. It was also interesting to see a 6th Doctor story without a companion as it's something you don't see often but I thought it worked well.
The Living Image.
4 stars.
The Living Image has a villain which is both different and interesting (FINALLY). The villain added to the story it was telling which is mainly about grief. Scott Handcock captured the characters of Ace and the 7th Doctor really well in this story.
Organism 96.
4.5 stars.
Organism 96 is one of my favourites in this collection. It's a really interesting story that depicts the humans as the villain as well as the organism. It makes you think was the organism the monster or were the humans, who made it, the monsters?
The Patchwork Pierrot.
4 stars.
The Patchwork Pierrot has the reappearance of a villain and Scott Handcock does something completely different with this villain that makes it unique, creepier and more gory. I personally think that you could only get away with doing something like that in the books or on audio and not the actual show, which is why I'm glad it's in this collection. Scott Handcock has also captured the character of the 9th Doctor really well.
Blood Will Out.
2 stars.
I'm personally not a fan of Blood Will Out because it featured reappearance of villains, from the 10th Doctor's era, whose stories had all ended well to begin with. It just felt dragged on from that two parter in series 3 and didn't add anything to their stories. I just felt there was no point to story really.
The Mist of Sorrow
2.5 stars
The Mist of Sorrow is a bit of a meh story that featured another reappearance of a villain. There's not much else I have to say about this story so I'm going to leave it there.
Baby Sleepy Face
3 stars.
Baby Sleepy Face is an alright story that featured another reappearance of a villain. I'm personally not a fan of how the characters were written in this story. But it added something new to the villain which I enjoyed and is the only reason why it got 3 stars.
Overall: Tales of Terror is an average short story collection with some stories that are absolutely brilliant, some stories that are okay and some stories that are not so brilliant.
My main issue with this collection is that it featured too many reappearances of villains (9 in total). I would have personally preferred it to have had more different and new villains.
If they re-release this to fit in a 13th Doctor story, I can't see myself buying it because I didn't enjoy this collection as much as I had hoped. In my opinion there are better collections out there.
Tales of Terror is an okay short story collection. There's some good stories but there's also some I didn't like.
Murder in the Dark.
4 stars.
Murder in the Dark is a good story which has a reappearance by a villain from the 1st Doctor's era. It was interesting to see this villain again since he was a good villain but has only appeared in one Doctor Who story (which is now missing).
Anyhow, there are creepy elements to this. The story is set out in a way that keeps you guessing as to what's was going on. It all made sense at the end of the book at the end of the story.
Something at the Door.
4.5 stars.
Something at the Door is one of my favourites in this collection. The new villain is interesting due to it coming from the time vortex by something similar to a ouija board. I enjoyed how different it was as that's never been explored in Doctor Who. Mike Tucker captured the characters of the 2nd Doctor, Jamie, Polly and Ben really well and they all worked well together as a team.
The Monster in the Woods.
3 stars.
The Monster in the Woods is an alright story but it felt like something was missing. It didn't have a creepy vibe like the first two stories had. It's just a bit meh, for me, but Paul Magrs captured the characters of the 3rd Doctor and Jo Grant really well.
Toil and Trouble.
4 stars.
Toil and Trouble is a bit of a weird story and I'm not sure if it fits into the timeline well but Doctor Who is kinda infamous for plot holes so I'll let it slide. There's a reappearance of a villain from the 10th Doctor era and it was interesting to see that villain again even though I don't think that it works or that they needed to make an appearance again. But I love that the 4th Doctor, Harry and Sarah Jane are in this story as you don't see many featuring this TARDIS team.
Mark of the Medusa.
4 stars.
Mark of the Medusa again has another reappearance of a villain. This time it's a villain from the 5th Doctor's era. I'm not a big fan of this reappearance because I wanted something different from the story. But I enjoyed the story overall from the way Tegan, Kamelion, Turlough and the 5th Doctor were written and the setting of the story.
Trick or Treat.
5 stars.
Trick or Treat is one of my favourites in this collection. The more I think about this story, the more I love it. It features a reappearance of a villain from the 1st Doctor's era that links in with the 1st Doctor's story in this collection. Trick or Treat is well written but it I definitely loved more towards the end when everything comes together and you know what's going on. It was also interesting to see a 6th Doctor story without a companion as it's something you don't see often but I thought it worked well.
The Living Image.
4 stars.
The Living Image has a villain which is both different and interesting (FINALLY). The villain added to the story it was telling which is mainly about grief. Scott Handcock captured the characters of Ace and the 7th Doctor really well in this story.
Organism 96.
4.5 stars.
Organism 96 is one of my favourites in this collection. It's a really interesting story that depicts the humans as the villain as well as the organism. It makes you think was the organism the monster or were the humans, who made it, the monsters?
The Patchwork Pierrot.
4 stars.
The Patchwork Pierrot has the reappearance of a villain and Scott Handcock does something completely different with this villain that makes it unique, creepier and more gory. I personally think that you could only get away with doing something like that in the books or on audio and not the actual show, which is why I'm glad it's in this collection. Scott Handcock has also captured the character of the 9th Doctor really well.
Blood Will Out.
2 stars.
I'm personally not a fan of Blood Will Out because it featured reappearance of villains, from the 10th Doctor's era, whose stories had all ended well to begin with. It just felt dragged on from that two parter in series 3 and didn't add anything to their stories. I just felt there was no point to story really.
The Mist of Sorrow
2.5 stars
The Mist of Sorrow is a bit of a meh story that featured another reappearance of a villain. There's not much else I have to say about this story so I'm going to leave it there.
Baby Sleepy Face
3 stars.
Baby Sleepy Face is an alright story that featured another reappearance of a villain. I'm personally not a fan of how the characters were written in this story. But it added something new to the villain which I enjoyed and is the only reason why it got 3 stars.
Overall: Tales of Terror is an average short story collection with some stories that are absolutely brilliant, some stories that are okay and some stories that are not so brilliant.
My main issue with this collection is that it featured too many reappearances of villains (9 in total). I would have personally preferred it to have had more different and new villains.
If they re-release this to fit in a 13th Doctor story, I can't see myself buying it because I didn't enjoy this collection as much as I had hoped. In my opinion there are better collections out there.
August 25, 2020
OK ok ok, so I just finished the anthology Tales of Terror, and it was,,, fine???? I mean, it wasn’t bad????
Tales of Terror is a collection of short horror stories with each of the Doctors, some of them by himself in his adventures and some others with companions. Now, if you’re looking for really creepy stories, this is not the place. They are fun and they are some things that are eerie but that’s it.
It has lots of easter eggs which are really fun, like with the story of the 4th Doctor and the Carrionites, or the Tenth Doctor story in which we have the return of the Family of Blood, this time with Donna as his companion.
The only really creepy story I think it’s the First Doctor story (which later connects with the 6th Doctor story) which has a creepy party, with creepy people in masks, and kids playing creepy kids games. (Why are kids always so creepy???).
My favourite story was the Eighth Doctor’s. His personality is the best, he’s so funny and awkward and flirty and I can’t believe we only have the movie and that little The Night of the Doctor special for on screen appearances. Like, wow?? He’s hot even on paper! (I think I’m going to get some of his novels and audio dramas because he truly is the best in this collection).
So here’s the thing, are you looking for some small adventures? This book is for you. Are you looking for more character construction or some plot? Search somewhere else.
I think this book probably works better on audiobook but I already had the kindle edition so yeah. Also, they should probably have an updated edition with a 13th Doctor story because that would be amazing.
If you try the audiobook please let me know how it was and maybe I’ll give it a try.
Tales of Terror is a collection of short horror stories with each of the Doctors, some of them by himself in his adventures and some others with companions. Now, if you’re looking for really creepy stories, this is not the place. They are fun and they are some things that are eerie but that’s it.
It has lots of easter eggs which are really fun, like with the story of the 4th Doctor and the Carrionites, or the Tenth Doctor story in which we have the return of the Family of Blood, this time with Donna as his companion.
The only really creepy story I think it’s the First Doctor story (which later connects with the 6th Doctor story) which has a creepy party, with creepy people in masks, and kids playing creepy kids games. (Why are kids always so creepy???).
My favourite story was the Eighth Doctor’s. His personality is the best, he’s so funny and awkward and flirty and I can’t believe we only have the movie and that little The Night of the Doctor special for on screen appearances. Like, wow?? He’s hot even on paper! (I think I’m going to get some of his novels and audio dramas because he truly is the best in this collection).
So here’s the thing, are you looking for some small adventures? This book is for you. Are you looking for more character construction or some plot? Search somewhere else.
I think this book probably works better on audiobook but I already had the kindle edition so yeah. Also, they should probably have an updated edition with a 13th Doctor story because that would be amazing.
If you try the audiobook please let me know how it was and maybe I’ll give it a try.
January 1, 2018
This collection of twelve short horror stories set in the “Doctor Who” universe was a fun read, with not too much to think about afterwards, with all twelve being relatively straightforward. The over reliance on pre-established villains/monsters make these stories feel more like glorified fan fiction, but that can be said of most licensed novels. None of the stories are particularly scary, or capture the voice of their specific Doctor that well, with the exception of maybe the Eleventh Doctor story, “The Mist of Sorrow,” which does both. The other standout is the Tenth Doctor story, “Blood Will Out.” Overall, it’s a fun collection with a lot of fan favourite characters. It won’t keep you awake all night, but there are a few well written gems.
April 17, 2022
not a particularly bad book, but not the best doctor who anthology. a lot of average stories with an odd terrible story. the art is distinct and creepy but you can already feel the horror of the imagery isn't going to be met in the writing. the premise of a horror novel for doctor who is never going to live up to the idea so of course its going to be a let down to a degree
March 16, 2018
I love all things Doctor Who (my wedding was Whovian themed for crying out loud), but this collection was only "meh." the best stories in it are the two involving the Celestial Toymaker. The rest were not much to write home about.
Only recommended for hardcore Whovians.
Only recommended for hardcore Whovians.
March 26, 2018
Delightfully fun!!!
And definitely creepy.
*grin*
I recommend this to all Whovians for some light entertainment.
Who can say no to more Who????
And definitely creepy.
*grin*
I recommend this to all Whovians for some light entertainment.
Who can say no to more Who????
November 26, 2019
I really wanted to like this book. I love Dr. Who and I knew I'd be biased.
January 16, 2018
“Doctor Who: Tales of Terror”
by Jacqueline Rayner, Mike Tucker, Paul Magrs, Richard Dungworth, Scott Handcock, Craig Donaghy, Rohan Eason.
Fun anthology of short stories. To be honest most of them were too nauseatingly ghastly for my liking, but to be fair, I guess that was the thematic intention. The third Doctor's tale was my favourite.
***
1- Murder in The Dark ***
2- Something at The Door ***
3- The Monster in The Woods ****
“'I'm reversing the polarity of this handy implement's neutron flow,' said the Doctor, buzzing it with his sonic screwdriver.' (p91)
4- Toil and Trouble ***
“A Time Lord could hardly be out of his proper temporal place. He belonged anywhere and anywhen.
Which is to say nowhere, thought the Doctor darkly.”
5- Mark of The Medusa ****
6- Trick or Treat ***
7- The Living Image ****
“Half an hour later, having said their farewells and indulged I a pot of restorative Ear Grey, the Doctor and Ace were back on the night-time streets of london, heading on the direction of the TARDIS.” (p209)
8- Organism 96 ****
“The stranger sat up in his sun lounger. 'Is there an emergency?' He started at once to gather up his belongings: his towel, his milkshake, his science-fiction paperback.” (p216)
9- The Patchwork Pierrot ****
“The Doctor was one of those people, Mona thought. Even behind his obvious swagger and bravado, she detected a sense of loss, as though his entire world had fallen away beneath him. She would never know how correct her perception was.” (p251)
“'You're more human than machine now,' the Doctor told it …
'But it – HURTS!' the Cyberman screamed at him.
'Yeah, I know. That's part of being human!'
The Cyberman started to sob, crumbling in a heap on the pile of rags.” (p271)
10- Blood Will Out Story ****
“The Doctor's expression was without a trace of pity. … Not for some time, Donna felt somewhat awed by her alien fried's quiet, righteous wrath. 'Remind me not to get on your bad side.'” (p295
11- The Mist Of Sorrow ****
12- Baby Sleepy Face ***
“The Doctor impatiently rummaged in his jacket pocket and pulled out bunch of small cards. He quickly flicked through them. 'Nope … Not this time … Save for later... No. Aha!' He started reading. 'Good work! You tried your hardest to stop an alien plot, invasion or mystery. Delete as appropriate. But this time you were unsuccessful.'” (p350)
“'There's an alien called the Nestene Consciousness,' the Doctor replied. 'It controls plastic. All plastic. …' ... 'And your dumb-dumb species has been dumping plastic and burying it for years.'” (p350)
“He began pressing bbuttons and pulling levers with all the verve and concentration of a concert pianist...” (p352)
“A booming robotic voice came from the giant doll. I'm Baby Sleeping Face.'
'Yeah? Well, I'm Doctor Angry Face,' said the Doctor, slamming the TARDIS doors shut.” (p354)
- - - -
by Jacqueline Rayner, Mike Tucker, Paul Magrs, Richard Dungworth, Scott Handcock, Craig Donaghy, Rohan Eason.
Fun anthology of short stories. To be honest most of them were too nauseatingly ghastly for my liking, but to be fair, I guess that was the thematic intention. The third Doctor's tale was my favourite.
***
1- Murder in The Dark ***
2- Something at The Door ***
3- The Monster in The Woods ****
“'I'm reversing the polarity of this handy implement's neutron flow,' said the Doctor, buzzing it with his sonic screwdriver.' (p91)
4- Toil and Trouble ***
“A Time Lord could hardly be out of his proper temporal place. He belonged anywhere and anywhen.
Which is to say nowhere, thought the Doctor darkly.”
5- Mark of The Medusa ****
6- Trick or Treat ***
7- The Living Image ****
“Half an hour later, having said their farewells and indulged I a pot of restorative Ear Grey, the Doctor and Ace were back on the night-time streets of london, heading on the direction of the TARDIS.” (p209)
8- Organism 96 ****
“The stranger sat up in his sun lounger. 'Is there an emergency?' He started at once to gather up his belongings: his towel, his milkshake, his science-fiction paperback.” (p216)
9- The Patchwork Pierrot ****
“The Doctor was one of those people, Mona thought. Even behind his obvious swagger and bravado, she detected a sense of loss, as though his entire world had fallen away beneath him. She would never know how correct her perception was.” (p251)
“'You're more human than machine now,' the Doctor told it …
'But it – HURTS!' the Cyberman screamed at him.
'Yeah, I know. That's part of being human!'
The Cyberman started to sob, crumbling in a heap on the pile of rags.” (p271)
10- Blood Will Out Story ****
“The Doctor's expression was without a trace of pity. … Not for some time, Donna felt somewhat awed by her alien fried's quiet, righteous wrath. 'Remind me not to get on your bad side.'” (p295
11- The Mist Of Sorrow ****
12- Baby Sleepy Face ***
“The Doctor impatiently rummaged in his jacket pocket and pulled out bunch of small cards. He quickly flicked through them. 'Nope … Not this time … Save for later... No. Aha!' He started reading. 'Good work! You tried your hardest to stop an alien plot, invasion or mystery. Delete as appropriate. But this time you were unsuccessful.'” (p350)
“'There's an alien called the Nestene Consciousness,' the Doctor replied. 'It controls plastic. All plastic. …' ... 'And your dumb-dumb species has been dumping plastic and burying it for years.'” (p350)
“He began pressing bbuttons and pulling levers with all the verve and concentration of a concert pianist...” (p352)
“A booming robotic voice came from the giant doll. I'm Baby Sleeping Face.'
'Yeah? Well, I'm Doctor Angry Face,' said the Doctor, slamming the TARDIS doors shut.” (p354)
- - - -
January 21, 2024
Diese Sammlung an Kurzgeschichten „Doctor Who – Geschichten des Grauens“ ist von mehreren Autoren geschrieben wurden. Ich persönlich würde es für Liebhaber der Science- Fiction- Serie Doctor Who empfehlen. Für Quereinsteiger, welche noch keine Berührungen mit Doctor Who hatten, würde ich eher andere Werke empfehlen.
Ich persönlich bin seit mehreren Jahren ein Fan der Serie Doctor Who. Und nur zu gerne lese ich auch mal ein Buch aus diesem Universum und bisher konnten mich die Werke immer auf ihre Art begeistern. Dieses Buch verspricht ein gewisses Gruselpotential und daher hatte ich mich voller Vorfreude in diese Geschichtensammlung gestürzt. Und meine Erwartungen wurden nicht enttäuscht.
Schon das Cover ist vielversprechend. Dargestellt ist die Tardis, welche von diversen Monstern umzingelt wird. Dies lässt auf tolle Geschichten mit den weinenden Engeln oder auch den Cyberman hoffen. Die farbliche Gestaltung ist gruselig angehaucht, sodass man als Leser auf diverse Schauermomente hoffen kann.
Dieses Werk umfasst zwölf Kurzgeschichten, welche aus der Feder von unterschiedlichen Autoren stammen. Dennoch ist hier kein allzu großer Umbruch oder Unterschied erkennbar. Der alltägliche Spruch, dass zu viele Köche den Brei verderben würden, ist hier nichtzutreffend. Jede Kurzgeschichte hat hier seinen besonderen Charme und weiß – teilweise Mal mehr Mal minder – zu überzeugen. Die jeweiligen Erzählstile sind insgesamt sehr angenehm und sorgen dafür, dass die Geschichten zügig und mit Genuss gelesen werden. Gelungen fand ich hier auch die Illustrationen, welche zu den Geschichten passen und auch in dieser dargestellt werden. Daher bekommt man beim Lesen der jeweiligen Kurzgeschichte auch noch einen gelungenen Eindruck vom Doctor oder auch den dortigen Gegebenheiten und Antagonisten.
In diesem Buch sind zwölf Kurzgeschichten zusammengefasst, wobei jede Geschichte eine andere Inkarnation des Doctors umfasst. Etwas schade finde ich, dass der Kriegsdoktor hier nicht mit thematisiert wird. Dafür sind für die anderen Inkarnationen jeweils eine Story dabei, sodass jeder hier auf seine Kosten kommt – egal welcher der persönliche Lieblingsdoctor ist. Ich fand es gelungen, dass sowohl die älteren Versionen als auch die neueren Doctoren ihren Raum bekommen und sich gegen diverse Antagonisten behaupten müssen. Dadurch entsteht auch ein wenig Abwechslung und es hat mir jedes Mal aufs Neue Spaß gemacht, mich in den neuen Gegebenheiten fallen zu lassen. Die Geschichten sind, jedes auf seine eigene Art, gruselig und nicht selten ist mir beim Lesen ein wohliger Schauer über den Rücken gelaufen. Viele Abenteuer muss sich der Doktor stellen und an seiner Seite sind seine unterschiedlichen Begleiter. In vielen Story läuft der Doctor zu Höchstform auf und weiß geschickt die Situation zu meistern. Abwechslungsreich werden die Geschichten gestaltet und auch die Hürden, welche bewältigt werden müssen, sind vielseitig und mitreißend – wissen, den Leser in den Bann zu ziehen. Daher verwundert es nicht, dass man quasi gebannt an den Seiten klebt und nur zu gerne wissen möchte, wie der Doctor mit seinen Begleitern sich aus dieser misslichen Lage befreit. Zügig lassen sich die jeweiligen Geschichten lesen und nur zu schnell ist auch dieses Abenteuer wieder vorbei. Da dies nur Kurzgeschichten sind, darf man hier keine große Charaktertiefe oder Entwicklung des Charakters erwarten. Aber als Liebhaber der Serie mindert dies nicht unbedingt meinen Lesegenuss. Es hat mir dennoch großen Spaß bereitet, den Doctor in seinen unterschiedlichen Inkarnationen zu begleiten und ich fand, dass die wesentlichen Charakterzüge der jeweiligen Inkarnation recht gut ausgearbeitet worden sind.
Auch die Antagonisten fand ich recht gelungen. Diese sind recht vielseitig und man trifft hier auf altbekannte und geliebte Antagonisten, aber auch neue Monster werden in die Geschichte eingebunden. Ich persönlich fand, dass dies ein gelungener Mix war und hatte auch hier meine große Freude.
Insgesamt konnte mich das Werk „Doctor Who – Geschichten des Grauens“ mit seinen zwölf Kurzgeschichten überzeugen und gut unterhalten. Die jeweiligen Geschichten weisen ein gewisses Gruselpotential auf und mir hat es Spaß gemacht, mit den jeweiligen Inkarnationen und seinen Begleitern diverse Abenteuer zu erleben und sich mutig gegen die Monster zu behaupten. Hier kommt jeder Doctor- Who- Fan auf seine Kosten. Von mir gibt es 4 Sterne und eine Leseempfehlung für Liebhaber der Serie Doctor Who.
Ich persönlich bin seit mehreren Jahren ein Fan der Serie Doctor Who. Und nur zu gerne lese ich auch mal ein Buch aus diesem Universum und bisher konnten mich die Werke immer auf ihre Art begeistern. Dieses Buch verspricht ein gewisses Gruselpotential und daher hatte ich mich voller Vorfreude in diese Geschichtensammlung gestürzt. Und meine Erwartungen wurden nicht enttäuscht.
Schon das Cover ist vielversprechend. Dargestellt ist die Tardis, welche von diversen Monstern umzingelt wird. Dies lässt auf tolle Geschichten mit den weinenden Engeln oder auch den Cyberman hoffen. Die farbliche Gestaltung ist gruselig angehaucht, sodass man als Leser auf diverse Schauermomente hoffen kann.
Dieses Werk umfasst zwölf Kurzgeschichten, welche aus der Feder von unterschiedlichen Autoren stammen. Dennoch ist hier kein allzu großer Umbruch oder Unterschied erkennbar. Der alltägliche Spruch, dass zu viele Köche den Brei verderben würden, ist hier nichtzutreffend. Jede Kurzgeschichte hat hier seinen besonderen Charme und weiß – teilweise Mal mehr Mal minder – zu überzeugen. Die jeweiligen Erzählstile sind insgesamt sehr angenehm und sorgen dafür, dass die Geschichten zügig und mit Genuss gelesen werden. Gelungen fand ich hier auch die Illustrationen, welche zu den Geschichten passen und auch in dieser dargestellt werden. Daher bekommt man beim Lesen der jeweiligen Kurzgeschichte auch noch einen gelungenen Eindruck vom Doctor oder auch den dortigen Gegebenheiten und Antagonisten.
In diesem Buch sind zwölf Kurzgeschichten zusammengefasst, wobei jede Geschichte eine andere Inkarnation des Doctors umfasst. Etwas schade finde ich, dass der Kriegsdoktor hier nicht mit thematisiert wird. Dafür sind für die anderen Inkarnationen jeweils eine Story dabei, sodass jeder hier auf seine Kosten kommt – egal welcher der persönliche Lieblingsdoctor ist. Ich fand es gelungen, dass sowohl die älteren Versionen als auch die neueren Doctoren ihren Raum bekommen und sich gegen diverse Antagonisten behaupten müssen. Dadurch entsteht auch ein wenig Abwechslung und es hat mir jedes Mal aufs Neue Spaß gemacht, mich in den neuen Gegebenheiten fallen zu lassen. Die Geschichten sind, jedes auf seine eigene Art, gruselig und nicht selten ist mir beim Lesen ein wohliger Schauer über den Rücken gelaufen. Viele Abenteuer muss sich der Doktor stellen und an seiner Seite sind seine unterschiedlichen Begleiter. In vielen Story läuft der Doctor zu Höchstform auf und weiß geschickt die Situation zu meistern. Abwechslungsreich werden die Geschichten gestaltet und auch die Hürden, welche bewältigt werden müssen, sind vielseitig und mitreißend – wissen, den Leser in den Bann zu ziehen. Daher verwundert es nicht, dass man quasi gebannt an den Seiten klebt und nur zu gerne wissen möchte, wie der Doctor mit seinen Begleitern sich aus dieser misslichen Lage befreit. Zügig lassen sich die jeweiligen Geschichten lesen und nur zu schnell ist auch dieses Abenteuer wieder vorbei. Da dies nur Kurzgeschichten sind, darf man hier keine große Charaktertiefe oder Entwicklung des Charakters erwarten. Aber als Liebhaber der Serie mindert dies nicht unbedingt meinen Lesegenuss. Es hat mir dennoch großen Spaß bereitet, den Doctor in seinen unterschiedlichen Inkarnationen zu begleiten und ich fand, dass die wesentlichen Charakterzüge der jeweiligen Inkarnation recht gut ausgearbeitet worden sind.
Auch die Antagonisten fand ich recht gelungen. Diese sind recht vielseitig und man trifft hier auf altbekannte und geliebte Antagonisten, aber auch neue Monster werden in die Geschichte eingebunden. Ich persönlich fand, dass dies ein gelungener Mix war und hatte auch hier meine große Freude.
Insgesamt konnte mich das Werk „Doctor Who – Geschichten des Grauens“ mit seinen zwölf Kurzgeschichten überzeugen und gut unterhalten. Die jeweiligen Geschichten weisen ein gewisses Gruselpotential auf und mir hat es Spaß gemacht, mit den jeweiligen Inkarnationen und seinen Begleitern diverse Abenteuer zu erleben und sich mutig gegen die Monster zu behaupten. Hier kommt jeder Doctor- Who- Fan auf seine Kosten. Von mir gibt es 4 Sterne und eine Leseempfehlung für Liebhaber der Serie Doctor Who.
November 9, 2019
Rather than write one massive review I thought I would go through each story individually so here we go:
⭐⭐⭐
A clever little story that keeps you guessing throughout with the return of a classic villain.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
A nice sci-fi spin on the demon summoning, exorcist type tale.
⭐⭐⭐
Some wonderful characterisation, nostalgia and a familiar enemy makes for a fantastic start to the story. It is a shame, however, that the tone of the climax is all over the places and retreads familiar ground.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
An absolute treat. Classic era heroes meet modern era monsters in a clever, time twisting tale. This was a return and a meeting that I never knew I wanted until reading.
⭐⭐⭐
It was okay, a clever twist and interesting predicament but nothing outstanding
⭐⭐⭐
A strong start but ultimately a story that treads the same ground as another in this collection
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Excellently written, atmospheric and perfect characterisation. Scott Handcock clearly understands doctor who and how to write it. I will be looking out for more of his work
⭐
Interesting setting but ultimately bland and completely the wrong kind if silly
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A very interesting take on another classic villain with a note perfect ninth doctor. Excellent writing and fantastic reading
⭐⭐⭐
Strong start, great returning villains but ultimately a little lack lustre when it comes to the climax
⭐⭐⭐⭐
A good, chilling story if a little overly sentimental on the family front. Great writing for the eleventh doctor
⭐⭐
Some creepy moments with the dolls and foreman but cheesy writing and a massively out of character doctor let's this story down. It also sits on the wrong side of silly.
All in all a great book. Some stories are better than others but the ones that stand out make for fantastic reading and fantastic doctor who.
⭐⭐⭐
A clever little story that keeps you guessing throughout with the return of a classic villain.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
A nice sci-fi spin on the demon summoning, exorcist type tale.
⭐⭐⭐
Some wonderful characterisation, nostalgia and a familiar enemy makes for a fantastic start to the story. It is a shame, however, that the tone of the climax is all over the places and retreads familiar ground.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
An absolute treat. Classic era heroes meet modern era monsters in a clever, time twisting tale. This was a return and a meeting that I never knew I wanted until reading.
⭐⭐⭐
It was okay, a clever twist and interesting predicament but nothing outstanding
⭐⭐⭐
A strong start but ultimately a story that treads the same ground as another in this collection
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Excellently written, atmospheric and perfect characterisation. Scott Handcock clearly understands doctor who and how to write it. I will be looking out for more of his work
⭐
Interesting setting but ultimately bland and completely the wrong kind if silly
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A very interesting take on another classic villain with a note perfect ninth doctor. Excellent writing and fantastic reading
⭐⭐⭐
Strong start, great returning villains but ultimately a little lack lustre when it comes to the climax
⭐⭐⭐⭐
A good, chilling story if a little overly sentimental on the family front. Great writing for the eleventh doctor
⭐⭐
Some creepy moments with the dolls and foreman but cheesy writing and a massively out of character doctor let's this story down. It also sits on the wrong side of silly.
All in all a great book. Some stories are better than others but the ones that stand out make for fantastic reading and fantastic doctor who.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews