Doctor Who: Myths and Legends

Epic Tales From Alien Worlds

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Pub Date Jun 29 2017 | Archive Date Nov 15 2017

Description

For thousands of years, epic stories have been passed down from Time Lord to student, generation to generation. The truth of these tales was lost millennia ago, but the myths and legends themselves are timeless.

These are the most enduring of those tales. From the princess Manussa and her giant snake Mara, to the Vardon Horse of Xeriphin, these stories shed light on the universe around us and the beings from other worlds that we meet. Myths hold up a mirror to our past, present and future, explaining our culture, our history, our hopes and fears.

A collection of epic adventures from the Time Lords’ mist-covered past, Myths and Legends is an unforgettable gallery of heroes and villains, gods and monsters.

For thousands of years, epic stories have been passed down from Time Lord to student, generation to generation. The truth of these tales was lost millennia ago, but the myths and legends themselves...


A Note From the Publisher

About the Author:

Richard Dinnick writes for TV, novels and comics.

Richard won the BBC Writersroom opportunity and was one of a handful of writers selected for NBC Universal’s Development Initiative in 2015 and again in 2016. He is also currently developing his first original IP with Legendary Entertainment and writing for the third series of THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO! for ITV and Amazon Studios.

He was Lead Writer on the Disney Hungama show EENA MEENA DEEKA and staff writer on the BBC’s BAFTA Award-winning TREE FU TOM.

Richard is the lead writer on Titan Publishing‘s 12th DOCTOR range of comics and is series writer on Running Press’s best-selling line of DOCTOR WHO books. Richard has also many DOCTOR WHO audio scripts and works of non-fiction to his name.

He has a track record in developing shows for existing IP and is also developing his own projects: NO KIDDING – a workplace drama cantered around a group of nursery school workers and THE LAST HORSEMAN – a fantasy drama that takes a look the Horsemen of the Apocalypse from a different angle.

A judge for the Children’s BAFTA Awards, Richard also writes prose and audio scripts for MGM’s STARGATE SG-1 and Sherlock Holmes – including adapting THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES and writing his own stories for Titan Publishing’s range of books.

About the Author:

Richard Dinnick writes for TV, novels and comics.

Richard won the BBC Writersroom opportunity and was one of a handful of writers selected for NBC Universal’s Development...


Marketing Plan

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* National consumer print, online and broadcast media campaign *

* Q&A author interviews and excerpts available upon request *

* Influencer outreach to Amazon top reviewers & Goodreads librarians...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781785942495
PRICE £12.99 (GBP)
PAGES 288

Average rating from 89 members


Featured Reviews

Time Lords have been an advanced culture for thousands of years and have the stories to show for it. Even though some tales have long been forgotten, many are still remembered and have become myths and legends. There are stories about other worlds, other cultures and, of course, their home world. These stories shed a light on this ancient civilization and give readers a deeper understanding about Time Lords. These myths and legends are not about the Doctor, yet readers may see his hand at work in some of the stories. Doctor Who: Myths and Legends is a fun read for all Doctor Who fans.

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This is a fascinating collection of short stories, each is easily read and self-contained. The styles vary from those that are quite light and suitable for quite a young audience, whilst others are darker and more philosophical. Characterisation and world building are effective given the short scope of each tale.

Given the length of each story this is a collection that can easily be sampled when you have a free moment. Each story is based with a different location, backstory and characters, as such they could potentially be developed more fully. Certainly they each feel as though they are scenes from a much bigger picture and yet they do not coalesce.

Recommended read.

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Mythology and the Time Lords mix as we hear the stories of the universes’ past.




I love Doctor Who, it is my second favourite fandom of all time – sorry, I saw Buffy first – and I’ve been on a big Doctor Who kick lately thanks to going to the Doctor Who Experience the week before it closed. So I read this at the perfect time.

I should probably mention that I have a bit of a collection of Doctor Who tie in books and don’t usually like them that much, and I usually hate short stories. That being said I loved this book. It was so much fun.

Like I said, it’s a collection of short stories based mainly on Greek/Roman mythology, but in space … I just realised, the only other short story anthology I liked was based on mythology too – Vacui Magia. Does that say anything about me?… Anyway, the stories are:

The Mondas Touch

The Terrible Manussa

The Unwanted Gift of Prophecy

The Evil And The Deep Black Sky

Jorus And The Voganauts

The Vardon Horse

Defiance Of The New Bloods

The Kingdom Of The Blind

The Labyrinthine Web

The Angels Of Vengeance

The Jeopardy Of Solar Proximity

The Multi-Faceted War

The Enigma of Sisterhood

Pandoric’s Box

The contents does tell you the myth each story is based on but some are reasonably obvious by the title, if you know anything on mythology. It also quickly becomes apparent as you read them, especially with the names of some of the characters. There were a couple of stories I found myself skimming but they generally corresponded with the myths I’m not really interested in. Have to say that my favourite was ‘The Unwanted Gift of Prophecy’, mainly because it’s set within one of my favourite episodes and one of my favourite characters, reasonably like the myth too.

I liked the last story as well but I was slightly disappointed that it wasn’t about the Pandorica. Admittedly, it makes more sense what it actually is about so not that upset.

While I still remember, just want to mention there’s pictures. Not many, about one for each story, but still they’re there. They’re actually really good, nice and simple, though some show characters that are in the story but aren’t named, who you may or my not recognise.



Now let’s talk about it in terms of Doctor Who since it is set in that universe.

The Doctor is in a couple of stories, at least I’m pretty sure he is. He never gives his name so you can only guess by what he does, what he looks like or wearing … or the use of the sonic screwdriver. Sometimes he also gives references like having a companion called Handles, which helps tell which incarnation he is. My favourite name for him was “my best enemy”. Take a guess who called him that.

Though he’s in them he’s never the main character, they just show how he likes to travel through time and no matter how small the Doctor has made an impact on history, not just on Earth.

There are also a lot of well known characters like the Master, possible reference to River, Rassilon and Omega. Minor spoiler, but it seems that the Master has helped kill him/herself three times now.

You get to see different planets and creatures from both new and classic Who. There’s one story that’s in relation to a 5th Doctor story ‘The Kings Demons’, then there’s the Weeping Angels, Cybermen and Vampires.

I mentioned Buffy being my first love so seeing vampires made my day. They’re mentioned in a couple of stories as they are intertwined in Time Lord history. I was sort of aware of this because of fanfiction – don’t judge me – but it was so interesting to see. I loved that there were non-human vampires, there’s a Saturnyn vampire (‘Vampires of Venice’), which I’d never even thought of.

All in all these are a great set of stories, both as Doctor Who tie-ins and on their own. I loved all the references to both new and classic Who and how it felt that each story could be expanded with or without the Doctor. And it’s always fun to find out more about the Time Lords and Ladies of Gallifrey. Really is a must read for lovers of either sci-fi, mythology adaptations or Doctor Who.

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There've been several Doctor Who books in this mould lately - Time Lord Fairy Tales, The Twelve Doctors of Christmas - all beautifully presented and illustrated hardback books which look just gorgeous on the shelf and are equally enjoyable to read. I'm sure the physical copy of Myths and Legends will be the same - hence it does lose something in the ebook format, but the stories themselves are equally fun to read.

There are fourteen stories here, subtitled "Epic Tales from Alien Worlds" and written by Richard Dinnick. While they clearly take place within the Doctor Who universe (there's an introduction by Chancellor Drakirid, Historian to the Bureau of Ancient Records on Gallifrey), the Doctor himself pops up only occasionally in different incarnations and is never named as such. There are plenty of familiar friends and enemies, though - including the Doctor's best frenemy in various guises! - and well known figures from Gallifreyan history.

Rather like the previous Time Lord Fairy Tales, a number of stories are clearly based on familiar tales. Quite a few also fit neatly into Time Lord history and fill in some gaps - the last one, Pandoric's Box, being particularly notable in this regard.

All in all, despite the main man being mainly absent, this was a fun read, and yes I will probably buy the hardback...

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The Doctor Who publishing program lately has been focusing on theme anthologies, sometimes aimed at younger readers -- Christmas stories, American adventures, stories about Ashildr or River Song. This one's a recasting of familiar classical myths and legends from Earth as Gallifreyan tales, science fiction stories of other worlds. Some familiar elements from the original and new series appear, and the stories' protagonists may just meet someone whose description sounds more than a little familiar. (Hint: it's the Doctor. And sometimes someone else, like a certain archeologist.)

On its own, it's an entertaining enough collection of short stories, with some evident understanding of both mythology and Doctor Who, and I can see how this kind of storytelling keeps things fresh, introducing new viewpoint characters. But I do wish we could get more proper Doctor Who novels like we used to get.

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I've been a fan on and off of doctor who since I was about 11 so i was intruiged to read this! I'd never read a book that is based from a tv series before.
This collection of stories was so fun and enjoyable. Some of the stories were better than others, but overall the book was a nice read!
It was a refreshing change to what I normally read, as i don't tend to read short stories very often

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A collection of short stories to thrill Doctor Who fans and with any type of collection like this there will be some you love more than others but all have that distinct flavor we come to expect when exploring the universe through the eyes of THE DOCTOR.

We get to revisit battle with the much loved Daleks along with a host of enemies from both the Classic Era and New. You’re treated to an intrepid examination of the Timelord history dotted with heroes and Mythical Timelords that will leave you drooling over the pages.

This is a wonderful way to introduce the wonder and mysticism of the Timelords to younger generations and makes for a fun way to wile away the hours for those who can recite the Doctors in order.

There is a TON of information, history and characters that will be exploding out from this novel to the point you practically need index cards to keep everything straight. Each story is written in a manner that makes them easy to read with a fluctuation between light plots for any type of audience to ones full of darkness that will have you thinking on deeper levels. Despite the shortness of each story they somehow still manage to feel full of context, deep world building and excellent character development.

You can skip around to read them in whatever order you would like as they are self-contained which allows you to take an afternoon to go through the whole thing in one sitting or stretch out the excitement by reading them piecemeal.

Word of caution: this collection isn’t so much about The Doctor as the world in which they inhabit. Temper your expectation lest you be disappointed and do not take time to enjoy this for what it has to offer.

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A great book to read about the myths and legends........ wonderful

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I liked the Doctor Who spin on the myths and legends. Most worked pretty well with the one they were associated with. My reason for the 3 star is the fact that I like Doctor Who with my Doctor Who reads. As a sci fi read it was a good book. Without the Doctor it lacked that snarkiness, one liners, energy type flow. I received a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

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I'm a huge Whovian as well as a fan of mythology and legends so when I saw Doctor Who: Myths and Legends available on NetGalley I didn't hesitate to request it. Needless to say I was beyond thrilled when I got approved for this title. I'm also really glad that it ended up being as amazing as I hoped it would be.

The book contains 14 short stories in the world of Doctor Who that are all retellings of certain mythology and legends that I'm sure everyone is familiar with. Some stories were better than others but I definitely liked them all. Some stories were even brilliant, in my humble opinion. My favorite story was The Enigma of Sisterhood. Below you'll find all the titles and my rating for the stories. Also contained in this book are some truly amazing illustrations made by Adrian Salmon. These were a big part of why I loved it so much.

The titles of all the stories + my ratings for them:

The Mondas Touch {Based on the story of King Midas} 5/5 ★

The Terrible Manussa {Based on the story of Medusa} 4/5 ★

The Unwanted Gift of Prophecy {Based on the story of the Cumaean Sybil} 5/5 ★

The Evil and the Deep Black Sky {Based on the story of Cylla and Charybdis} 3/5 ★

Jorus and the Voganauts {Based on the Argonauts' encounter with the clashing rocks of Symplegades} 4/5 ★

The Vardon Horse {Based on the story of the Wooden Horse of Troy} 3/5 ★

Defiance of the New Bloods {Based on the story of Prometheus} 4/5 ★

The Kingdom of the Blind {Based on the Argonauts' escape from the Cyclops} 3/5 ★

The Labyrinthine Web {Based on the story of Theseus and the Minotaur} 4/5 ★

The Angels of Vengeance {Based on the story of the three Furies and Orestes} 5/5 ★

The Jeopardy of Solar Proximity {Based on the story of Daedalus and Icarus} 5/5 ★

The Multi-Faceted War {Based on the story of Hercules and the Hydra} 3/5 ★

The Enigma of Sisterhood {Based on the lesser-known second riddle of the Sphinx} 5/5 ★

Pandoric's Box {Based on the story of Pandora} 4/5 ★

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As soon as I saw this collection I was deeply curious and excited because it couldn't come at a better time. Waiting for the Christmas special is difficult and I am always wanting more Doctor Who!
Based on the introduction included you immediately know this book was written on Gallifrey for other Time Lord's learning and enjoyment. I believe a better title for this book was directly mentioned here: Time Lords Myths and Legends. Our beloved Doctor does pop in and help in his own style (depending on which Doctor you get since this mixes the classic and new regenerations) but not enough for him to be in the title. This wonderful compilation of stories is based on Greek Mythology ranging from Medusa to Icarus to Thor. There are many stories interwoven with Time Lord lore and our own Greek mythology to excite your imagination and leave you wondering enough to re-read some of these tales. We get insights to parts of Gallifrey we've never known and see some familiar whovian foes like Cybermen, Daleks, Sontarans and The Master. We also get to see just how extensively advanced Time Lord civilization was compared to our own due to the author's extensive knowledge and crafty writing skills. I very much enjoyed every magical tale here and can't wait to see how beautiful this collection will be in print. The small illustrations included are fantastic, just enough to help guide your imagination in a little deeper into the story. I really enjoyed getting glimpses of many of the versions of the Doctor and hope to see more collections from this author in the future. This book is great for whovians ages 12 and up based on but parents should always read first (because you will love it too). I highly recommend this book for any Doctor Who fan craving just a little more.

This ARC was given by the publisher and NetGalley for a fair and honest review.

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This is a whole collection of myths and legends that are based in Doctor Who world. The myths and legends are the following:
The Mondas Touch
The Terrible Manussa
The Unwanted Gift of Prophecy
The Evil And The Deep Black Sky
Jorus And The Voganauts
The Vardon Horse
Defiance Of The New Bloods
The Kingdom Of The Blind
The Labyrinthine Web
The Angels Of Vengeance
The Jeopardy Of Solar Proximity
The Multi-Faceted War
The Enigma of Sisterhood
Pandoric’s Box
This is the first Doctor Who book I have read. I found it really interesting at learning these things about the world that I didn't have a lot of insight too. This book kept me hooked in. I did not want to put the book down till I was finished with it. I enjoyed the small illustrations in the book. One for each myth and legend. I did feel that some of the myths and legends were lacking is some details and just felt like some of it was still missing while other ones had a lot of detail and was great. All of the myths and legends have Time Lords related things in them. All in all if you are a Doctor Who fan then this book is for you!

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This is a cute and charming collection of short stories, all set in the Dr. Who universe. Most of them are re-imaginations of Greek Myths and include familiar characters, planets and species. Time Lords and Gallifrey are heavily featured, with appearances from the Daleks, Ice Warriors, Vampires and many more.

The stories are written in a simple but fairly descriptive fashion. I was not the biggest fan of the writing style, it seemed a bit childish and flat. I would place this on a middle grade level. That being said, I understand that a lot of background information needed to be packed into a few pages for each of these stories, and the result is decent. The stories are easy to follow and definitely stand on their own.

There is definitely variation when it comes to the quality and depth of the stories. An avid fan would definitely love this collection, and if you're not as rusty as me when it comes to your Doctor Who trivia, you'll definitely enjoy most of them. My favorite ones are Defiance of the New Bloods, The Angels of Vengeance and The Enigma of Sisterhood. My least favorite one is probably The Kingdom Of The Blind.

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NetGalley Review

As an avid reader and a big fan of Doctor Who, I knew I couldn't just pass this book by. I was hesitant at first, Doctor Who is very easy to mess up. However, since this was a collection of stories, I think Dinnick managed to find something all Whovians could relate to and love.

In the end; however, some stories fell a little flat whereas others had more pizzaz. I loved the historical aspect of the book. Just because I'm a fan of Doctor Who doesn't mean that I live and breathe it. It was nice to recall some of the information that I had forgotten and learned more about the myths and legends themselves.

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As a die-hard Whovian, it should come as no surprise that I jumped at the chance to read and review Richard Dinnick‘s latest offering, DOCTOR WHO : MYTHS & LEGENDS Epic Tales From Alien Worlds, when it was made available for request on NetGalley.

THOUGHTS:
As a long-time lover of Greek Mythology, I was delighted to discover that this anthology was actually a collection of fourteen short stories based on well-known; and much loved; Greek Myths.

During his introduction, Chancellor Drakirid; Historian to the Bureau of Ancient Records on Gallifrey; makes reference to the repeated appearance of an unknown man at various points within the legends.
"He is never given the same name twice and always seems to wear a different face."
Now, who does that remind you of?

Each offering is a retelling of a classic tale; such as The Mondas Touch, inspired by the story of King Midas, in which we meet Queen Lydia as she is presented with a legendary metal gauntlet purported to have special powers. On donning the glove, she soon discovers it does indeed have the power to upgrade both the planet’s technology and her Royal guards…. I’m sure you can work out what happens next!

Tales of King Minos, his Labyrinth, and the Minotaur it held, were a firm favourite during my Classical studies class at school (many years ago!); therefore I was looking forward to reading The Labyrinthine Web in which a Gallifreyan colony finds that the arrival of a Racnoss ship brings invasion. Enslaved by Messothel, commander of the spider-like craft, the Time Lords are first forced to build the titular Labyrinthine Web then to draw lots to become tributes within the hatchery it holds. Will the scientific minds of this outpost of Gallifrey be able to outsmart their oppressors? You’ll need to read it to find out!

Another personal favourite was The Angels of Vengeance, a tale based on the story of the three Furies and Orestes. I’ve always had a soft spot for the Weeping Angels, and their use as a means of execution in this tale is an interesting take on them.

Each short story is well-written and offers an intriguing SciFi twist to well-known tales of ancient mythology.

RATINGS & RECOMMENDATIONS:
I rate this legendary anthology 5 out of 5 stars.
I recommend DOCTOR WHO: MYTHS & LEGENDS to readers of all ages; in particular fans of Doctor Who, lovers of myths and legends; especially Greek mythology; and those who enjoy retellings of classic tales.

DISCLOSURE:
I received a digital copy of DOCTOR WHO: MYTHS & LEGENDS, via NetGalley and free of charge, for the purpose of supplying an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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This is my review from Goodreads:

I received this courtesy of Smith Publishing and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I should preface this review by saying that I'm usually not a fan of collections of short stories only because they lack the continuity that I like when I'm reading a novel. I made an exception for this because I LOVE Doctor Who and I really enjoy Greek myths.

The concept was fantastic, the execution in terms of the writing style, was not so much to my liking. But that's just me. I had a hard time getting into some of the stories because they were either too short or the writing was just too flat.

That being said, I actually really did enjoy reading a few of the stories. I loved the Angels of Vengeance, The Labyrinthe Web, Defiance of the New Bloods, The Jeopardy of Solar Proximity, and the Unwanted Gift of Prophecy. They were easier to read and the inclusion of some of the current characters in a few of these was a nice touch. I also have a soft spot for the Weeping Angels and for any stories dealing with taking out the Daleks.

I haven't followed Doctor Who throughout the years so I found some of my history and knowledge lacking. I mean, I watched it as a child but it scared the hell out of me and I don't remember too much. I only really started getting into it again starting with the 9th doctor. Some of the timelords that figured pretty prominently, I had actually never heard of before including Rassilon and Omega. I also had no idea who the vampires were, or the Ice men but it was fascinating reading about them.

Overall, as I was reading this, I was wishing that all of these could or would be made into actual episodes or specials because I don't think the writing necessarily did it justice. I liked it though, I just didn't love it. However, if you're a hardcore Whovian, I definitely recommend picking this up. It was fresh and it provided a creative spin to the history of the Doctor Who universe with the addition of myths.

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This is a great set of short stories. I have the doctor who fairy tales collection and love it so jumped at the opportunity to read this. There are fourteen short stories based on various myths and legends. Fantastic for any doctor who fan

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This isn't your typical Doctor Who novel or short story collection. A) The Doctor himself seldom appears in any significant manner. B) It takes place entirely in space, focusing mainly on aliens and the development of the Time Lords. C) Many of the stories parallel familiar legends.

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Really enjoyed the stories! Some familiar characters and species, some not. The histories were cool too!

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I love Doctor Who, so I was super excited when I was approved for this galley on NetGalley!

This is a collection of myths and legends from the Doctor Who universe. The stories feature some of my favourite creatures, like the Cybermen and Daleks.

I loved how these stories are taken from real ancient myths and legends, using Doctor Who characters, such as “The Mondas Touch” based on The Midas Touch, and “The Vardon Horse” based on the story of the Trojan horse. I love Greek mythology so I appreciated the way that the Doctor Who universe was blended with these ancient stories.

Sometimes there was a grey haired man, who could travel in time, that appeared in the stories. I wish this appearance of the Doctor happened more often because it was funny to see the reactions of the other creatures to this strange man.

At times the stories were quite detailed and spoke about things that were scientific, so I kind of got lost. But otherwise I loved this book! It’s a great collection of Doctor Who stories.

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Anything Doctor Who, I'll pick up and love. And I did exactly that for this book.

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As any whovian will attest we love stories about aliens, and this story collection was no different. This collection features 14 stories loosely based on Greek myths from earth but reimagined in alien worlds. I like getting more stories from my favorite universes and this collection was no different. As with any collection I didn't love every story but I liked a lot of them. I liked that all the stories were written by the same author, it added some consistency to the rest of the collection. Any whovian will like reading these, and they would be good for tiny whovians who want one more story before bed.

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Doctor Who Myths and Legends is a brilliant new Doctor Who short story collection. I liked the different types of story (some were lighter and others more philosophical) and thought they made fantastic scifi retellings of well known myths and legends. A must read for any Doctor Who fan!

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Richard Dinnick’s “Doctor Who: Myths and Legends” is a collection of over a dozen short stories geared for younger readers. They are basically retellings of Greek mythology – Medusa, King Midas, Icarus, Promethus, Pandora, and so on. The quality is a bit varied – I definitely found some of the stories more enjoyable and well-written than others – but none of them are duds! Each story is stand-alone, so you don’t have to read them in order.

There are also quite a few enemies that Whovians will find familiar – Daleks, Sontarans, Cybermen, the Weeping Angels, the Racnoss, even the Master. There is also a strange figure who shows up repeatedly, although never with the same name or face, frequently in the nick of time. Hmm….. wonder who THAT could be!

The focus of the book is not the Doctor but his home planet of Gallifrey. So it is not really a Doctor-centric book. But it’s a great way to pass some time while waiting for the Christmas Special!

I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

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Attention all whovians! If you are a whivian then this is definitely the book for you.
This book gives an indepth background of how the Timelords evolved, their cast system and motivations. The descriptions are in depth and the characters, although unknown, are well developed.
I loved how the book gave the history of almost all the TV episodes. I would love to see these incorporated into the shows as well.

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Enjoyable short story selection featuring different incarnations of The Doctor and linked (obviously) by well known Myths and Legends.
Just right for dipping into when you have a spare 10 minutes or so

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This collection of short stories is great for fans of Doctor Who and even for those who are not familiar with the programme. Full of myths and legends, not only from the Time Lords' points of view but also from many of the other aliens and races found in the series. I even found myself rooting for the Sontarans at one point!

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Any time I get a chance to read something from Doctor Who, I go for it. I was especially pleased by this selection as I'm always pleased by different mythologies being well-incorporated. The only downside for me was that it felt a bit jilted a at times instead of cohesive and some of the endings felt too abrupt to me. I couldn't, in good consciousness, give it a 4-star rating but I'd definitely give it a 3.5 if I could give half stars. I think if you're a fan of the series, current or past, you'll definitely enjoy this book and you'll enjoy it even more if you've read much mythology. Overall an enjoyable book and I hope the publisher decides to do more in a similar vein.

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If you're looking for an analysis of how these myths and legends fit into the core Doctor Who world/fandom or something like that, you're looking in the wrong place. If you want a review of how much you'd like this collection of short stories even if you're not a hardcore fan, I guess that's where this review would fit. (Note: I have watched some Doctor Who as my siblings are fans, but I'm generally too lazy to follow a TV series. Don't kill me.)

Doctor Who: Myths and Legends is a collection of shorts, mostly based in/around Gallifrey, or at least various Time Lords, that makes for light sci-fi reading. This is probably harsh judgement, based off the fact that I've just finished reading Paula Guran's Swords Against Darkness, but it is what it is: light reading. The stories are short, in some cases, almost simplistic, and some feel as if they end too abruptly. Some background knowledge about the Doctor Who universe is encouraged; I'm guessing that a true fan would decipher what was going on in The Unwanted Gift of Prophecy better than I did.

However, the stories are based on myths (well-known examples include King Midas, Medusa, the Trojan Horse, and Pandora's box; others are a little more obscure), so anyone interested in retellings of myths would probably like these science-fiction spins to those classic tales. Doctor Who fans need not fret - Lord High President Rassilon makes multiple appearances, as does the Doctor, though not in every single story. You will also meet the Daleks and the Weeping Angels.

The stories I enjoyed particularly include The Mondas Touch, The Terrible Manussa, The Angels Of Vengeance, The Jeopardy Of Solar Proximity, and The Multi-Faceted War.

Note: I received an e-galley of this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Well, I have to say this did not disappoint! Before I go any further, this was an awesome read! The title is a bit misleading, though. It says, "Myths & Legends" in the title, but reads more like factual or historical tales from alien worlds in the Doctor Who universe. That could have been intentional, but it does feel a bit strange that it did not read as myths or legends of events but rather of actual events themselves.

Additionally, sorry to disappoint those who might have been hopeful that Doctor Who would be the main feature of the novel - he is most certainly not though he is alluded to in some of the tales.

So now that we have those two points down, I'm really excited to talk about the diversity of this book. You'll see so many alien species - known and possibly new (this is my first Who novel, so perhaps some that were foreign to me have appeared before). The book talks vividly about the worlds these aliens come from, what they look like, government, and sometimes social structure! It really is fascinating. Before you know it, you've been sucked into each tale and you want to know more about the alien people's histories, culture, people, and more. That's the one downside to this book, I think. The short tales are so excellently written and vivid in detail, that you're left wanting "more" from each tale and there isn't any.

Some feature information that preludes events in the most recent seasons of Doctor Who and give a bit more background on things that happened in the show, which also ties in beautifully. The Doctor does make some cameos in a tale or two, without being named, so that was also very intriguing because it makes you truly wonder how much he was involved in that we aren't aware of, which is something I am always wondering while watching the show itself. What does he get up to when he is companion-less?

Overall, without giving too much more away I highly recommend adding this collection of Tales from the Doctor's universe, especially if you're wondering about other Alien peoples and events that aren't featured on the show. It is vibrantly written, draws you in, and leaves you wanting more! There is no bumpy transition or gaps based on the format we're used to either, thankfully! I will definitely be picking this up for myself in physical version to add to my bookshelf. I hope you do too.

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A great set of fourteen short stories about legends and myths. My daughter is a great fan of Dr. Who and would just love this selection of stories.

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For the true Doctor Who fan, this book is a good study on the basic symbolism of the series. Each entry in the book introduces a new villain alongside a new alien race' each side is in a bid for its life and/or its ongoing power.

Also, in each story, an underlying theme presents itself--survival at any and all costs. The question--does survival mean violence, strategy, wisdom, chicanery, luck or, perhaps, a combination of all of these? Reading these tales gives the reader food for thought on just how far our world has come--or has it???

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I don't quite know what I love more, Doctor Who or Mythology, but having the opportunity to read myths from the Doctor's world. Many of my students don't enjoy reading, so being able to share shorter stories should be a great way to allow them to get their feet wet. I already know several students who won't be able to wait to get their hands on this!

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Doctor Who is one of my favorite shows so of course, I requested this one. These stories will capture Doctor Who fans.

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I really enjoyed Doctor Who: Myths and Legends. Trust me when I say you don't have to be a fan to enjoy the intergalactic fun this title provides. Anyone who is looking for great sci-fi read don't hesitate to pick this up!

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Man, I love Doctor Who and books like this are the reason why. There's always something new to explore in this world, so many tales to be told and I doubt I'll ever get sick of them. This book was a great addition to those tales.

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god, i love doctor who and everything about it
i loved these stories a lot but i kind of wish they were longer? i couldn't really get into some of them. but the book is damn good, im so buying it in paperback

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