Image via Giphy.
On the 23rd of November 1963, the day after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, a science fiction legend was born.
After its very low-key start, “the BBC expected Doctor Who to last a couple of years at the most”, the iconic programme has gone on to become the longest running science fiction show of all time, celebrating its sixtieth anniversary this year. It is still hugely popular and we in the library can’t wait to see the major Doctor Who exhibition coming to Tākina, Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre in 2024. In celebration of the anniversary, we are planning a few posts and podcasts about various aspects of this iconic science fiction series.
In this first instalment we are going to look at some of the literary influences on the show, especially the gothic horror inspirations. Doctor Who has always dabbled in gothic and horror tales, take for example the third Doctor story The Dæmons – a fabulous tale of the occult set in a sleepy English village”, or the recent story The Witchfinders. It was in the mid 1970’s when the, then new, producer Philip Hinchcliffe and script editor Robert Holmes took over the reins, and the series really wore those gothic literary inspirations on its sleeve. One example is the Tom Baker story Pyramids of Mars, where the Victorian fascination with Egyptology is heavily mined in “a tale that includes excellent robotic mummies”. Another example is The Brain of Moebius, which is heavily influenced by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, but this time with the body parts supplied by various alien species. Then there is the Talons of Weng-Chiang, set in the theatre district of Victorian London this Sherlock Holmes / Doctor Who pastiche even features the Giant Rat of Sumatra mentioned by Arthur Conan Doyle in “The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire“. Horror of Fang Rock is another tale of Gothic horror, this time the action is set in a Victorian lighthouse. There is a later Tom Baker story State of Decay, basically a reworking of Bram Stoker’s Dracula set on an alien world, and for this story the shows design team even used the gothic hammer horror aesthetic in its set design. Producer Philip Hinchcliffe is on record as saying, “What I liked to do was to go to a literary convention or a science fiction convention…and borrow the trappings of it, and then re-dress that up within the Doctor Who format.”
We have an extensive range of Doctor Who goodies in our catalogue; full story DVDs, graphic novels about all the Doctors, audiobooks, and novelisations for all ages (both of television stories and standalone works). You can browse our entire range here, and below are just a few taster picks.
Doctor Who and the Brain of Morbius, Terrance Dicks (Audiobook)Why do so many spaceships crashland on Karn, a bleak, lonely and seemingly deserted planet? Are they doomed by the mysterious powers of the strange, black-robed Sisterhood, jealously guarding their secret of eternal life? Or does the mad Dr Solon, for some evil purpose of his own, need the bodies of his victims? And more especially, the body of Doctor Who… Tom Baker, who played the Fourth Doctor in the BBC TV series, reads Terrance Dicks’ complete and unabridged novelisation, first published by Target Books in 1977.( Adapted from Overdrive description)
Doctor Who–The Sea Devils (TV Soundtrack), Malcolm Hulke (Audiobook)Visiting the Master in his high-security prison just off the south coast of England, the Doctor and Jo Grant’s curiosity is piqued by a recent spate of disappearing ships. Investigating a nearby sea fort, they encounter a ferocious amphibian creature – the cousin of a reptile race whom the Doctor met once before. These ‘Sea Devils’ have been revived from hibernation by the Master, whose scheme is being aided by the prison governor. Realising that the Master wants to create havoc on Earth, and to see humanity subjugated by the Sea Devils, the Doctor once again attempts to broker peace between the two races. But his efforts are hampered by the intervention of a government minister, whose sole aim is to wipe the sea creatures out. Battle ensues and control of the planet once more hangs in the balance…(Adapted from Overdrive description)
Doctor Who : the tenth doctor. Vol. 6, Sins of the father / Abadzis, Nick
“Trombones turn to terror when the Doctor, Gabby and Cindy visit New Orleans at the height of the jazz age… the Nocturnes are back! This time the threat comes from their terrifying chief, intent on enslaving the human race through sound! And speaking of enslaving, it would appear that Anubis is up to his old tricks – will the Doctor and his friends be able to stop this God from damaging the whole of Time? Could there be something even more sinister behind all of this, hidden in the shadows?” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Doctor Who : the thirteenth Doctor. Vol. 2, Hidden human history / Houser, Jody
“This critically acclaimed new story sees the Thirteenth Doctor, Rian, Yaz, and Graham stumble upon a sinister alien race with a thirst for human blood! Their second comic book adventure sees the gang track the Stilean Flesh Eaters throughout history, encountering friends, old and new, along the way. For once, the humans seem to know more about what’s going on than the Doctor, thanks to a podcast (Hidden Human History) that everyone is listening to — everyone except the Doctor, that is…”–Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)
Revelation of the Daleks / Saward, Eric
“Beware the hands that heal. The Doctor and Peri land on the planet Necros to visit the funerary home Tranquil Repose – where the dead are interred and the near-dead placed in suspended animation until such time as their conditions can be cured. But the Great Healer of Tranquil Repose is far from benign. Under his command, Daleks guard the catacombs where sickening experiments are conducted on human bodies. The new life he offers the dying comes at a terrible cost – and the Doctor and Peri are being lured into a trap that will change them forever.”(Adapted from Catalogue)
Doctor Who : the twelfth doctor. Vol. 2, Fractures / Morrison, Robbie
“Embargoed to 1st October, Simultaneous Release The Twelfth Doctor and Clara Oswald take a TARDIS trip into all-new adventures!First, they battle an enemy who can slide between the cracks of the universe and take over unwillinghuman hosts – the FRACTURES! Then, it’s a hard-fought battle against an alien invasion in 60s LasVegas – forcing the pair to team up with local gangsters…in GANGLAND!” (Adapted from Catalogue)
BBC Doctor Who : a brief history of Time Lords / Tribe, Steve
“The High Council, the Inner Council– in fact all the great minds of Gallifrey– are determined that you should never read this book. The history of the universe is re-written by its future, and when you hold this book in your hands is at least one truth. Of course it is also official hogwash, and the pages are time-sensitive. Still, some of it may be true….” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Doctor Who, the ninth doctor. Vol. 2, Doctormania / Scott, Cavan
“The Ninth Doctor, Rose, and Captain Jack continue their trip through the Universe! Someone is impersonating the Doctor — and has made him into a galactic celebrity! But something far more sinister is going on, as the trio are plunged into yet another shapeshifting civil war… The Slitheen are back! And just as they think their trip can’t get any worse, living gargoyles invade San Francisco and residents begin to fly…” (Adapted from Catalogue)
