Product Description

The editor of "`Doctor Who' Magazine" presents an alphabetical guide to the "Doctor Who" universe, with entries such as "A for Adventures in Time and Space", "V for Violence" and "X for X-Rani and the Evil Mutants".

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #484231 in Books
• Published on: 1998-11-16
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 120 pages

Customer Reviews

Good, but...
Don't be misled - this isn't a history or encyclopedia, but a collection of 26 thoughtful and often amusing essays on aspects of Doctor Who, each inspired by a specific letter.

The essays run the gamut from a eulogy of Robert Holmes, to a study of Doctor Who's most surreal moments, to an examination of the odder corners of the Doctor Who canon (comic strips, Doctor Who Annuals). Gillat isn't afraid to be controversial, denouncing the graphic violence of the Colin Baker era, studying the sexual attitudes of the Doctor Who universe (ranging from progressive to primeval depending on individual scriptwriters), and suggesting that the frenzied fan response to the post "Revelation" postponement actively damaged the show. In the most shocking chapter, he examines the racial attitudes of early Doctor Who, and uncovers some disquieting facts about characterisation which I've never seen discussed in print before.

Unfortunately, I can only give this three stars because of the unjustifiable price. The illustrations are nice, but vital to the essays only in rare cases, and seventeen pounds is just ridiculous for what's here. If this was in paperback for five or six pounds it'd get five stars...

An imaginative approach offering some genuine insights
Gary Gillatt's first book is an imaginative combination of anecdotal storytelling, trivia collection and unversity thesis. The result is a completely unique book which looks at an established genre in a completely new way. Passing fans of the series will find enough to spur on their interest; complete die-hards will be encouraged to delve even further into the mythos of the 35-year-old series. And the author's photograph is quite flattering, too - what more could you want?

Not an A-Z of Doctor Who, but good for what it is.
Gary Gillat does a reasonable job, for a book that has been delayed too many times. However this isn't an A-Z of Dr Who, it takes an obscure angle to each letter. For example N is for "Not in front of the children" and proceeds to tell us about the more disturbing parts of the DW Universe. I was expecting, from the title, a sort of encyclopedia of Dr Who and looked at D for a Dalek section only to find no mention of our favourite pepperpots. The book has some excellent photographs that haven't been seen before and lots of interesting facts that even I didn't know, but a lot of this can be found in the excellent "TV Companion" also available from BBC Books. This is a good book, but worth the £17.99, I don't think so. Only buy this if you are a hardened fan, and need it to complete your collection.