The greatest sound in the universe

A quick primer on the Big Finish Whoniverse in advance of the Kate Stewart UNIT launch.

Leonard Nimoy

Leonard Nimoy has died. He will be remembered for the role of Spock, a defining alien character who let us see ourselves as others see us, as well as the kindness and wisdom he showed in life.

Clanbook: Gallifrey

On yon other blog, I was thinking about who to use as a photo reference for Tremere, a major Vampire: The Masquerade NPC, founder of one of the thirteen modern vampire Clans. I have now decided on Paul McGann.

Which, naturally, lead me to think which Clan his Doctor would best fit into.

And then which Clan all the Doctors would best fit. Of course, he’s really a Son of Ether. Or a True Fae.

Time on a bookshelf

Ten time travel books that should be filmed according to io9. Or, hey, ten time travel books worth checking out. I would not be surprised if The Shining Girls reaches cinema screens someday, for one. Doomsday Book and its sequels could follow Outlander into TV, perhaps?

Happy New Year Of The Sheep

This year is the Chinese year of the Sheep, as the cute animated Google Doodle shows. Compared to the horse there aren’t many good adventure hooks here...

Volta

A Google Doodle to mark the 270th birthday of Alessandro Volta, a key figure in the science of electricity. And an obvious target for time travellers looking to screw up human development!

Canada

As noted by Ian Watson, Fifty years ago today, this great symbol was first unveiled and made official. Happy anniversary to the Maple Leaf.

A fiftieth anniversary seems a fitting time to look at Canada in the Whoniverse once more.

Noted commentator Derek lives in and blogs about the Mysteries Of Montreal, in a level of detail that you could set a game there (quite possibly a Call of Cthulhu game) as well as dropping in briefly. (Edit: a new post on the flag!)

Born and raised Canadian Siskoid has commented at length about representation of Canada in various settings, like national superheroes and teams.

Thoughts on a good moment in Canadian history for the TARDIS to visit?

METAL!

Another anniversary today, another Friday the 13th... the 45th anniversary of the release of Black Sabbath, the first album by the band of the same name, and the birth of Heavy Metal.

Which may not seem like a very Doctor Who subject, but bear with me. Metal has a strong association with horror, fantasy and SF, going right back to the beginning - Black Sabbath refers to the title of a Mario Bava film.

So... time for some album title adventure hooks, drawn from assorted top ten lists as well as some personal favourites...

New core rulebook!

Cubicle 7 reveals the cover and updated contents for the Capaldi Edition.

Now DWRPG, not DWAITAS...

Looks like it will be a book rather than a box set, which means kids will have to locate d6s and make character sheets themselves, but much as I like box sets for players just starting we managed back in the day. Fingers crossed the adventures and characters will be available separately, like the Tennant and Smith Edition adventure books.

Kate Stewart's UNIT from Big Finish

News here of the first audio, starring Jemma Redgrave. Kate first appeared in a video spinoff before being brought to TV, but this is still rather big news - the first New Whoniverse BF audio.

Little House In A Big World

Lovely but inexplicable Google Doodle for the 148th birthday of Laura Ingalls Wilder, creator of the Little House On The Prairie book series, based on her own experiences growing up in rural 19th century America. Her early life before their success was quite tumultuous, and her stories of life at the edge could inform some adventures in the period.

Titan's Three Doctors in the UK

In an anthology comic collection which will be available all over, instead of just at Forbidden Planet. 84 pages per, so presumably a full issue per Doctor, which will be pretty good value.

Doctor Who Lego

Doctor Who Lego. That is all.

The Day Of Doctor Who

Colin Brockhurst of Vworp Vworp! presents merchandising from the 5th Anniversary Special... hang on...

Langston Hughes

A Google Doodle for the 113th anniversary of Langston Hughes, poet and author, best know for I Dream A World. He had his share of adventures, speaking out for equality and civil liberties, visiting the Soviet Union and influencing the Harlem Renaissance.