The Lowdown on Shadow of the Gallifreyan

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What is Shadow of the Gallifreyan?

A collection of unofficial flash fiction pieces set in the Doctor Who universe, telling the stories of what happens next to the people and worlds the Doctor has encountered in his travels. The book is available in paperback and electronic form and has been written in aid of Shelter. The cover has been designed and illustrated by one our writers, the multitalented Simon Brett.

Where did the idea come from?

The title is based on The Shadow of the Galilean, a 1986 book by the German theologian Gerd Theissen. It tells the story of Andreas, a wealthy grain merchant who lived in first century Sepphoris. He is on a mission to find out who Jesus is, but is always one step behind him. So he never gets to meet Jesus, and must make his own conclusions from the shadows he left behind.

What’s different about this book?

We tasked our writers with taking the perspective of a character from a televised Doctor Who story, the more obscure the better! There may be one or two surprises along the way, but as a rule the Doctor and his companions are not active characters. It gives us a chance to consider what happens to those who must pick up the pieces after the events of the TV story have played out.

Can you give us some examples?

They range from the policeman in An Unearthly Child to Karvanista in Flux – friends, foes and those indifferent to the Doctor. We’ve got historical figures, including King John (The King’s Demons), King James the First (The Witchfinders), Vincent van Gogh (Vincent and the Doctor) and Agatha Christie (The Unicorn and the Wasp), and other humans such as Ping Cho (Marco Polo), Samantha Briggs (The Faceless Ones), Mollie Dawson (The Evil of the Daleks), Ann Talbot (Black Orchid), and Jeff (The Eleventh Hour). Plenty of aliens also have their say - a Foamasi (The Leisure Hive), Gibbis the Tivolian (The God Complex), a Vervoid (The Trial of a Time Lord), Tzim-Sha the Stenza (The Woman Who Fell to Earth) and many more. The book covers 177 different Doctor Who stories in total, from all eras of the series to date.

What about the stories where there are no guest characters or where everyone died?

There are indeed a few awkward ones, but we had some really fun and creative pitches for them. In fact, these were the ones that were most popular with our prospective writers! You’ll have to read the book to find out how, for instance, Horror of Fang Rock and Warriors of the Deep were tackled. But other stories in the collection do include memories from a character who died. Fortunately, the Doctor Who universe has readymade ways around that.

This is book one, does that mean others are planned?

We hope to finish the project with at least every televised story covered, but there is scope for more.

What was it like putting this collection together?

Working with 65 different writers, all of whom have given up their time and talents for free in order to raise money for Shelter, makes this Altrix’s most ambitious project yet. But we have to say, everyone rose to the challenge and were brilliant to work with. Perhaps the hardest editorial choice was how to structure the book. We didn’t want to follow an established list because as a reader it’s more fun not quite knowing what to expect next, but at the same time, we didn’t want it to be completely random. Starting and ending the book with the thoughts of a fictional compiler helped in that respect.

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Shadow of the Gallifreyan

It's been a quiet year for Altrix, but we've been busy at work behind the scenes. Our next charity Doctor Who anthology, in aid of Shelter, will be our first release in 2023. We are delighted to reveal this superb cover art by writer and illustrator Simon A Brett. Simon is a regular member of the Strangers in Space  podcast and the artist behind the stunning cover for Paul's Professor Howe book The Holy Hotel, 

Featuring flash-fiction from a huge variety of writers and fans, Shadow of the Gallifreyan tells the stories of what happened next to some of the people and places the Doctor left behind on their adventures. How would the Doctor be remembered, did things go as they would have liked or expected? 

These stories are told from the perspective not of the Doctor's regular companions, but often from characters we might have even forgotten about. Some get their happy endings, others not so much, but for all of them life would never be the same again.

More news early next year, but in the meantime a very happy holiday season to all our readers!

Paul and Kara. 

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Master Switches - An Interview with Kara Dennison

 

In our penultimate Master Switches interview, Altrix co-founder Kara Dennison takes us to "The One Place" both the Doctor and the Master are trying not to go...

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? 

I've got one foot in journalism and the other in fiction, and it's a bit weird. There's one half of my life's Venn Diagram that knows me for my work at Crunchyroll, Otaku USA, and Sci-Fi Magazine. There's another half that's familiar with my fiction and essays. So I ride this line of way too much anime knowledge and very odd choices in story themes.

Oh, and I'm co-owner of Altrix. I feel like that might be important.

What made you want to write a story for Master Switches?

I'm always a fan of examining the dichotomy of the Doctor and the Master, for one. For two, Master Pieces was a lot of fun to work on, and the brief for this one was even cooler — the Doctor inadvertently helping the Master. Of course, I'll always work with Paul whenever he asks.

How would you describe your story in a nutshell?

The Master spent a lot of time on the hunt for more lives, and "The One Place" sees him encountering the Doctor right at a time when the two of them have that looming mortality in common. The TVM Master (the "Bruce" Master?) lures the Eleventh Doctor to an experimental spaceship where there was a serum in development that could potentially refresh their regeneration cycles.

What made you decide which Master and Doctor combo to go with?

I've always been interested in the Doctor and Master's common ground. At their best, they both complement and conflict with each other. So I wanted to find another of those links. The Eleventh Doctor is, as far as he knows, at the end of his rope life-wise. Putting him opposite the TVM Master was an interesting prospect, since they're both in a similar position but approaching it differently. I also wanted to see what I could do with this Master and if I could make him sufficiently threatening — I'll leave that to the readers to decide.

How did you find the writing process?

I've only written for the Eleventh Doctor once before, in Ginger Hoesly's fanzine A Pile of Good Things, so I'm not as used to him as others. And I'd never written for Eric Roberts's Master before. It was a challenge, but they're both characters you can get a rhythm down for eventually — especially the Doctor. Once you can imagine Matt Smith going off on a verbal marathon, you just follow along as best you can.

Which aspects of your story are you most proud of?

I think I achieved what I was going for: this examination of the similarities between the Doctor and the Master, which they alternately do and don't want to acknowledge. I've also managed to wedge a Die Hard reference in, which seems right and proper for this Master.

What’s your favourite line from your story?

My actual favorite line is too wrapped up in the ending to isolate. An alternate one I like is the Master having had about enough of the Doctor bragging about his TARDIS: “Yeah, yeah, I know. Your girlfriend’s SO great.”

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Book Announcement: Master Switches

 

Coming Soon: Master Switches: More Misadventures in Space and Time.

Altrix Books is delighted to announce that the follow up to 2019's Master Pieces will soon be available for a limited time. As we lead up to publication, we will be running a series of interviews with the writers who have all given up their time for free in order to raise money for The Stroke Association.

But in the meantime, here is the blurb and a sneak peek at Ginger Hoesly's stunning cover art:

After a series of adventures without the Doctor, the many incarnations of the Master are back to doing what they do best: scheming to bring down their greatest adversary. The proverbial thorn in the side has made a hobby out of thwarting the Master’s plans for universal domination. But even the Doctor can’t always be the hero, the victor, and the star. Sometimes, the Master must take the Doctor’s place…

Master Switches is an unofficial charity anthology in aid of The Stroke Association. Featuring stories by Jon Arnold, Andrew Blair, Kara Dennison, Paul Driscoll, Kenton Hall, Stephen Hatcher, Paul Hiscock, Matthew Kresal, Gary J Mack, Greg Maughan, Iain McLaughlin, Ellen Montgomery, Nathan Mullins, Gerard Power, Rachel Redhead, Graham Tedesco-Blair and Joshua Wanisko.

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Happy Doctor Who Day!

 

Happy Birthday Doctor Who!

It has been wonderful reading so many posts today celebrating yet another milestone for the longest running science-fiction series. Like lots of our friends and supporters, Kara and Paul have enjoyed travelling with the Doctor as fans and artists and we can’t wait to see where that blue box will take us next.

Altrix Books started out as an imprint for a charity book based on the Time War and although we have spread our wings, we are continuing to publish Doctor Who related books. Now would be a great time to pick up Army of Ghosts, a collection of engaging essays on some of Doctor Who’s forgotten stories that covers every decade of the series. Provocative, nostalgic and though-provoking, this would make a great addition to any Doctor Who collection.

Also from today you can pick up a copy of the 1987 fannual published by Terraqueous Distributors. It features some stunning artwork from our artist Ginger Hoesly and contributions from many Altrix Books friends and alumni. Order here from Lulu.

Raise a toast to the Doctor! They have been fantastic, all of them. (the featured illustration is by the fittingly named Imogen Newman. Check out the official Doctor Who Facebook page for this and more birthday delights).

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FROM OUR CREATORS: A New Charity Project for Doctor Who Fans

While Altrix is proud to put out original content, we and our contributors have strong roots in charity projects. From those we've put out ourselves to the many anthologies and works of the people and groups we work with, it's an enduring theme. So we're always happy to be able to promote charity endeavors outside our own.

The latest on our radar is Red Velvet, and it hails from our regular cover artist and designer Ginger Hoesly. This marks her fourth such project (the first three having raised more than $5,000 for various charities so far) — and rather than a zine or an artbook, this is a calendar.

The collection of Twelfth Doctor art includes works from artists known around the Doctor Who fan community (including Ginger herself), and has the option of digital and physical goods as well. There's a set for just about any budget — and proceeds go to the Humanitarian Aid Program for Venezuela.

Plus, you can get digital and overstock copies of her three previous zines — The Hybrid, Moon Man, and A Pile of Good Things — on the site as well. These zines include works from Altrix creators Paul Driscoll and Kara Dennison, as well as previous contributors including Michael O'Brien and Sophie Iles.

Head over to rathzem.com to make a purchase for a good cause. And look forward to more work from Ginger here on Altrix soon!

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COMING SOON: Master Pieces

Altrix Books is delighted to announce some details about our next charity anthology, and it's one of special interest to fans of the BBC hit series Doctor Who. Our chosen charity for this collection is The Stroke Association.

For centuries, whether by design or default, the Master has lived in the shadow of another Time Lord. An obsession and fierce rivalry with the Doctor has been at the heart of countless evil schemes, causing him to once observe that ‘a universe without the Doctor scarcely bears thinking about’.

The Master is usually trying to steal something from the Doctor(s) – their lives, their TARDIS, their companions, their precious Earth, their morality – but even when the renegade’s old friend isn’t the focus of the latest twisted plan, the Doctor is meant to notice and attempt to thwart it.

So what happens when the Doctor doesn’t show up? Can the Master emerge from the shadow of being the Doctor’s arch-enemy? Is there really no pleasure, no mischief, and no reward to be had in a world without the Doctor?

Edited by Paul Driscoll and conceived by Scott Claringbold (Red Ted Books) Master Pieces features stories from Ian McLaughlin, Kara Dennison, Chris McKeon, Scott Claringbold, Mike Morgan, Jon Arnold, Tim Gambrell, Rachel Whitehead, Daniel Wealands, Simon A Brett, Steve Hatcher, Lee Rawlings, Dan Barratt, Mark McManus, Paul Driscoll, Nathan Mullins, Daniel Tessier, and Richard Gurl.

Cover art/design and order information coming soon!

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Black Archive Research: Doctor Who (1996)

Both Kara and Paul have been privileged to write for Obverse Books' Black Archive range. As part of his research for volume 25 "Doctor Who (1996)", Paul carried out an extensive survey on the reception of the TV movie starring Paul McGann. The results inform every chapter of the book but for reasons of space could only appear in summary form. With kind permission of the Black Archive range editor, Philip Purser-Hallard, the full survey findings are available online here:

THE DOCTOR WHO TV MOVIE SURVEY FINDINGS

They offer some fascinating insights that will no doubt be of interest to researchers and fans alike.

The book itself is available to order along with the other volumes in the range, including Kara's study of the Peter Capaldi episode Heaven Sent. The full catalogue can be accessed here:

http://obversebooks.co.uk/theblackarchive/

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