Doctor Who Encyclopedia (Doctor Who (BBC Hardcover)) [Hardcover]

Gary Russell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 13, 2007 | Series: Doctor Who (BBC Hardcover) (Book 44)

The definitive A-Z packed with never seen before photos, concept drawings and special effects artwork this is a must for every fan of the new series Doctor Who. Covering both Christopher Eccelston and David Tennant's Doctors this encyclopedia is the perfect companion for anyone wishing to know more about the Doctor, the Tardis, his friends and enemies and the worlds through which he travels. This is the Doctor Who book all the fans have been waiting for. It is written by Gary Russell the author of the bestselling Doctor Who: Inside Story.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gary Russell is one of the script editing team for Doctor Who, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures, and the author of many novels and reference books in the Doctor Who range. A former editor of Doctor Who Magazine, he also was the producer of Doctor Who audio dramas for Big Finish Productions for eight years. He lives in Cardiff. --This text refers to the Digital edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Random House UK (November 13, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1846072913
• ISBN-13: 978-1846072918
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #694,844 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #47 in Books > Education & Reference > Encyclopedias > Science Fiction & Fantasy

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun and engrossing reference book for "New Who", March 10, 2008

By 

Karen F. Blocher "fantasy writer and blogger" (Tucson, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Doctor Who Encyclopedia (Doctor Who (BBC Hardcover)) (Hardcover)

I suppose one could use Doctor Who: The Encyclopedia to actually look things up, but really, I think it's more fun to start with the letter A and peruse its entries in order. This ensures that you don't miss any of the goodies within, while providing almost as chaotic a tour of the worlds of Doctor Who as one might get in the TARDIS itself.

Take the letter D, for example. Here you learn why Madame de Pompadour was once called Madame d'Etoiles, what newspaper the Absorbaloff was reading when Ursula noticed his alien hands, the name of the beach where Rose said goodbye to the Doctor, the human name of the Slitheen in charge of the North Sea Boating Club, the provenance of the Doctor's claim that Martha was from Freedonia, the name of the Cabinet minister who called Saxon "insane" - and, of course, quite a bit about the words "Doctor" and "Daleks." The above list doesn't cover even half of the D entries found in the book, ranging in length from a sentence to an entire page each.

Doctor Who: The Encyclopedia covers the first three seasons of the 2005-present revival of the series, plus the occasional mention of real-world creators of songs, films, etc. that appear in the show. I imagine the book could prove invaluable for the novice Doctor Who fan in learning more about the show's characters and continuity. Even a serious Doctor Who addict such as myself will find nuggets of forgotten or unsuspected detail, such as corporate information gleaned from a reception guest's telephone, or character names that were never actually heard on screen, or simply went by too fast.

To keep the book to a manageable length (and possibly for licensing reasons), virtually nothing from the 1963-1989 adventures is mentioned unless it has been referenced in the new series, in which case a few older details are sometimes included. A few entries are misleadingly incomplete as a result. Aside from some awkward or repetitive wording, this is my only quibble with the book. I'm glad I bought it, and will almost certainly buy it again if there is a second edition after more adventures are aired, providing a basis for the not-yet entries author Gary Russell teases in his introduction.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Strangely Obsessive, August 9, 2008

By 

Rodney Meek (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Doctor Who Encyclopedia (Doctor Who (BBC Hardcover)) (Hardcover)

As another reviewer has noted, this encyclopedia focuses virtually exclusively on the adventures of the "new" Doctors from the series reboot, covering Eccleston's single season and Tennant's first two. It's very handsomely illustrated with numerous color photos and packed with short and pithy entries and character biographies. It is NOT an episode guide, so be certain you know that you're getting a quick reference manual and not detailed synopses and reviews.

There's a lot of material here, but a surprising amount of it smacks of filler. For instance, every song that was ever heard for more than three pico-seconds in any episode is included here--along with separate entries for the band or singer. And in some cases, for the composer. So, we get to read a bit about Jeff Lynne--because he wrote an ELO song that was featured in one episode. That's...just a little oddly obsessive to me. Where do you draw the line? Why not comment on the brand of spark plugs used by a taxi the Doctor rode in?

Another minor annoyance is that the author seems to pay overwhelming attention to two animated episodes ("Attack of the Graske" and "The Infinite Quest") that are probably not canonical and that are not very likely to be known to American viewers. I mean--sometimes it seems that every third or fourth entry pertains to one of these. It's a bit frustrating.

The wealth of photos makes this a pretty good value, but overall this encyclopedia just seems a bit lightweight and has a lot of questionable entries. Try to get someone to buy it for you as a gift.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for the trivia buff, January 28, 2008

By 

Misty Hertzig - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Doctor Who Encyclopedia (Doctor Who (BBC Hardcover)) (Hardcover)

I loved this book. I read a little at a time when I am in between things. It is great for the current Doctor Who fan or for anyone who would like to get into the show.