Following the success of the three digital-only e-shorts published last Autumn and earlier this year (The Angel’s Kiss, Devil In The Smoke and Summer Falls, each of which tied into a particular episode), the 50th Anniversary 'eShorts' as well as Doctor Who novels with Michael Moorcock, Stephen Baxter and Alastair Reynolds, Time Trips is set to build on that success and expand the Doctor Who readership even further, with more A-list authors.
Time Trips is an attempt at getting Doctor Who further into the digital market long-term with high-profile commercial and literary writers. Each book is targeted at 10,000 words for their favourite Doctor. Authors confirmed so far include Nick Harkaway, AL Kennedy, Jenny Colgan and Trudi Canavan, with more to be announced shortly.
BBC Books Senior Editorial Director Albert De-Petrillo says, “Time Trips is a project I have long wanted to do. There’s a unique affection for Doctor Who amongst writers and readers across genres and I can’t believe our good luck to have Nick Harkaway, AL Kennedy, Jenny Colgan and Trudi Canavan on the launch list. It’s a truly formidable line-up, with more to come. This series really is taking Doctor Who fiction to a new level and I can’t wait for people to read these brilliant stories.”
AL Kennedy (The Blue Book, Paradise) says, “I was first introduced to Doctor Who when I was three or four and he has been a happy part of my life ever since. I am delighted to become in any way a part of his stories.”
Jenny Colgan (Amanda’s Wedding, Looking for Andrew McCarthy, The Good, the Bad and the Dumped, also a lifelong Doctor Who fan who write 2012's Dark Horizons) says, “It is such an honour to be part of the prestigous Time Trips line-up, with so many excitingly fresh perspectives on the Doctor’s life and adventures.”
Nick Harkaway (Angelmaker, The Gone-Away World) adds, “There is a list of calls you want and know you’ll never get – Joel Rubichon invites you to eat any time; Penelope Cruz needs a tango partner – and then someone calls and asks you if you want to write a story for a new BBC Books’ Doctor Who digital series. And that is the real thing and it feels every bit as fantastic as you would imagine. I’m sure the tango would be good too, mind you.”
BBC Books plan to release the first eBook towards the end of the year, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, with further stories to be published throughout 2014. Each story will be priced at £1.99. A print collection is due for release next year. Additional authors will be announced in the coming months.
The venture appears to be highly based on Puffin's 50th eBook series, which is also getting a paperback edition at the end of its run.
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