# Doctor Who- books and audio...worth checking out? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 23, 2014, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-books-and-audio-worth-checking-out/699301 "2014-09-23T03:20:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-books-and-audio-worth-checking-out/699301/1 "2014-09-23T03:20:41Z")
With the return of a new season of Doctor Who I am once again finding myself totally obsessed with the Doctor. Unfortunately I am more or less out of easily accessible\* episodes of the TV series (old or new) that I haven’t seen and I want something NEW!:mad:. I was thinking of checking out some of the audio productions from Big Finish or maybe trying to find some novels, but are they any good or will I just end up disappointed? If they are good, what do you guys recommend? \*By easily accessible I mean streaming on Netflix. I know I could track down other stuff, but that’s a project for another time. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-books-and-audio-worth-checking-out/699301/2 "2014-09-23T04:11:24Z")
The audio productions I’ve listened to (admittedly not many) have been pretty good. They were Eighth Doctor episodes–apparently unlike his single (well, double now) appearance in the canonical series, he’s heavily involved in the Big Finish productions. I’ve wanted to like the books, but the ones I’ve read have not impressed me much, sadly. Maybe I just haven’t found the good ones, or maybe Doctor Who just doesn’t translate well to text. I’m not sure. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-books-and-audio-worth-checking-out/699301/3 "2014-09-23T05:14:57Z")
The old [Target Books](http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Target_Books_novelisations_covers) paperback adaptations of the TV series were brilliant, and avidly collected now, although some of them are now available in [downloadable form.](http://kickass.to/567-doctor-who-ebooks-epub-and-mobi-t8067520.html) Back before home video they were the only way you could experience the old episodes, and for some of the lost ones they still are. My son has my old collection now, and is adding to it when he comes across them from time to time in old bookstores. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-books-and-audio-worth-checking-out/699301/4 "2014-09-23T13:44:22Z")
The Big Finish audios that I’ve heard have varied from OK to really quite good - much like the TV show. They’ve got some good people working on them. ---
**Author:** ![Toucanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Toucanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toucanna)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-books-and-audio-worth-checking-out/699301/5 "2014-09-23T17:18:01Z")
[QUOTE=NAF1138] {snip} I was thinking of checking out some of the audio productions from Big Finish or maybe trying to find some novels, but are they any good or will I just end up disappointed? If they are good, what do you guys recommend? [/QUOTE] I find the reviews on [The Discontinuity Guide](http://www.whoniverse.net/discontinuity?qt-discontinuity_index=1#qt-discontinuity_index) helpful. It has sections with reviews on the reboot episodes (but, only up to _The Eleventh Hour_), novels, novellas and “spin-offs” (which, sadly, is nowhere near complete). Anyway, I sure wish I’d read their review of Mark Gatiss’ _St. Anthony’s Fire_ before I went through the hassle of requesting it from Interlibrary Loan. What a stinker! I’ll PM you about some streaming options. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-books-and-audio-worth-checking-out/699301/6 "2014-09-23T17:28:03Z")
> [@Penfeather](#): > > The old [Target Books](http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Target_Books_novelisations_covers) paperback adaptations of the TV series were brilliant, and avidly collected now, although some of them are now available in [downloadable form.](http://kickass.to/567-doctor-who-ebooks-epub-and-mobi-t8067520.html) Back before home video they were the only way you could experience the old episodes, and for some of the lost ones they still are. My son has my old collection now, and is adding to it when he comes across them from time to time in old bookstores. The Target Books sound right up my alley, thanks! To the people who have hear the BF audio productions, how long is an “episode”? They are (mostly) available for download for $3, and while I don’t want to be cheap, that seems sort of pricy if I am just getting a half hour or hour long adventure. (totally reasonable if it’s novel length though) ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-books-and-audio-worth-checking-out/699301/7 "2014-09-23T20:17:11Z")
> [@NAF1138](#): > > The Target Books sound right up my alley, thanks! > > To the people who have hear the BF audio productions, how long is an “episode”? They are (mostly) available for download for $3, and while I don’t want to be cheap, that seems sort of pricy if I am just getting a half hour or hour long adventure. (totally reasonable if it’s novel length though) Be warned, collecting them can be addictive: there are a _lot_. They’re pretty well-written, too: pitched at a kids/young adult level, but _smart_ kids. They never shied away from describing something as an "iridescent hexapod"and letting you go figure it out. ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-books-and-audio-worth-checking-out/699301/8 "2014-09-23T20:26:08Z")
You can check BBC Radio 4extra for some streaming episodes. [This link may only work for a few days.](http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01psb69) The Target books look like something I should check out some time. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-books-and-audio-worth-checking-out/699301/9 "2014-09-23T22:05:46Z")
Somebody should really collect and release the [old 70s Target covers.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e1/Doctor_Who_and_the_Seeds_of_Doom.jpg) [KKLAK!](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7a/Doctor_Who_and_the_Dinosaur_Invasion.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-books-and-audio-worth-checking-out/699301/10 "2014-09-24T00:06:13Z")
What are the best 8th Doctor audio shows to get?