Outside In


I wrote the 14th essay/review/thing in this wonderful book of essays/reviews/things about the original series of Doctor Who. Get it from Amazon.com

Reviews

“It’s thoughtful, insightful, and entertaining – and that’s perhaps the best recommendation a book can get.” Starburst

“…a revolutionary style of literature about a revolutionary television programme; a fantastic concept that will have you and any fellow Whovians amused, informed and angered, but always entertained.” Data Extract

Blurb

There are many books and websites that review all these Doctor Who stories – tales that fans know very well – but editor Robert Smith? (Who is the Doctor; Time, Unincorporated 2-3; Braaaiiinnnsss: From Academics to Zombies) set out to create an unprecedented archive of opinion from throughout the professional and fan communities, just in time for the 50th anniversary of the greatest television show in history!

The results are inventive, provocative, and always surprising. Smith? himself says: “It’s the biggest, wildest idea I ever had: as many reviews are there are classic series stories. That alone was a huge undertaking. But what really makes this shine is that I put in an additional requirement: say something different. In short, these aren’t your father’s reviews. What I wanted for OUTSIDE IN was takes on the classic series that make you go, ‘Wow, I never thought of that.’ Fortunately, that struck a chord with everyone and I mostly got to sit back and watch everybody bring their A-game to the table. Some reviews are thoughtful, some are funny, and some are utterly gonzo. I’ve had mock-angry letters to the BBC, transcripts of council meetings, even a recipe. There are flow charts, maps, TV scripts, timelines, Shakespearean plays… and, of course, intensely passionate and vocal opinions about the entirety of Doctor Who.

“You may not agree with everything that’s said in this book – indeed, I hope you don’t! – but the end result is something intensely personal that every Doctor Who fan will find resonates with them in some way. The watchword of the project is diversity. That’s one of the great strengths of fandom: put ten fans in a room and you’ll wind up with eleven opinions. It’s like the weather: endlessly discussable and if you don’t like what’s happening right now, there’ll be something else along shortly. OUTSIDE IN captures that essence, both in terms of the show itself and also its many-splendoured fandom.”

2 responses to “Outside In”

  1. […] Or if your pals prefer something a bit more doctorwhoey (which is completely a word and in no way something I’ve made up) then you could try Outside In. It’s on sale in the US at Amazon or from my website in the UK. […]