Lance Parkin: Difference between revisions
From Tardis Wiki, the free Doctor Who reference
m (Bot: Cosmetic changes) |
|||
| (6 intermediate revisions by 4 users not shown) | |||
| Line 28: | Line 28: | ||
{{simplequote|I like the book, and at the time I was preparing the original submission (Autumn [[1993]]), it was one of the best of the range. It's still very popular - which is why the blurb I wrote for ''Just War'' makes it sound like a sequel! There were problems, though: my main criticism being the depiction of [[Hitler]]. The frightening thing, to my mind, is that Hitler wasn't possessed by the devil or the [[Timewyrm]]; he was just an ordinary man. [[Oskar Steinmann|Steinmann]] is a reaction to the Exodus Hitler — a talented, intelligent, cultured man who chooses to be a [[Nazi]]. That is much scarier than the thought he's been hypnotised by aliens. ...Hitler, of course, isn't mentioned once in Just War — I wanted to try and explore the Nazi mentality without needing to refer to him."|[http://nzdwfc.tetrap.com/archive/tsv48/lanceparkin.html TSV 48 Lance Parkin interview by Paul Scoones]}} | {{simplequote|I like the book, and at the time I was preparing the original submission (Autumn [[1993]]), it was one of the best of the range. It's still very popular - which is why the blurb I wrote for ''Just War'' makes it sound like a sequel! There were problems, though: my main criticism being the depiction of [[Hitler]]. The frightening thing, to my mind, is that Hitler wasn't possessed by the devil or the [[Timewyrm]]; he was just an ordinary man. [[Oskar Steinmann|Steinmann]] is a reaction to the Exodus Hitler — a talented, intelligent, cultured man who chooses to be a [[Nazi]]. That is much scarier than the thought he's been hypnotised by aliens. ...Hitler, of course, isn't mentioned once in Just War — I wanted to try and explore the Nazi mentality without needing to refer to him."|[http://nzdwfc.tetrap.com/archive/tsv48/lanceparkin.html TSV 48 Lance Parkin interview by Paul Scoones]}} | ||
In the three years between writing ''The Infinity Doctors'' and ''Father Time'', Parkin worked as a storyline editor for ''[[Emmerdale]]''. He also wrote a synopsis for a book that was to have been published in the slot that ''[[Parallel 59 (novel)|Parallel 59]]'' occupies, known as ''[[Enemy of the Daleks (novel)|Enemy of the Daleks]]''.<ref name="BBC interview">[http://web.archive.org/web/20061212182253/http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news/cult/news/drwho/2004/01/01/13699.shtml BBC Website Interview with Lance Parkin 01 January 2004] via [http://www.archive.org/web/web.php Internet Archive: Wayback Machine]</ref> | In the three years between writing ''The Infinity Doctors'' and ''Father Time'', Parkin worked as a storyline editor for ''[[Emmerdale]]''. He also wrote a synopsis for a book that was to have been published in the slot that ''[[Parallel 59 (novel)|Parallel 59]]'' occupies, known as ''[[Enemy of the Daleks (unproduced novel)|Enemy of the Daleks]]''.<ref name="BBC interview">[http://web.archive.org/web/20061212182253/http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news/cult/news/drwho/2004/01/01/13699.shtml BBC Website Interview with Lance Parkin 01 January 2004] via [http://www.archive.org/web/web.php Internet Archive: Wayback Machine]</ref> | ||
Parkin has said that he "relies on 'continuity references' in my books, and I still do to an extent – but references to the spirit, not the letter. It's good to be looking forward, not back. It's good to have the Doctor centre stage, as the protagonist." In particular following events of ''[[The Ancestor Cell (novel)|The Ancestor Cell]]''/''[[The Burning (novel)|The Burning]]''.<ref name="BBC interview" /> | Parkin has said that he "relies on 'continuity references' in my books, and I still do to an extent – but references to the spirit, not the letter. It's good to be looking forward, not back. It's good to have the Doctor centre stage, as the protagonist." In particular following events of ''[[The Ancestor Cell (novel)|The Ancestor Cell]]''/''[[The Burning (novel)|The Burning]]''.<ref name="BBC interview" /> | ||
| Line 35: | Line 35: | ||
When writing ''[[The Gallifrey Chronicles (novel)|The Gallifrey Chronicles]]'' he noted, "It seems absolutely bizarre to say it at this point but the BBC were keeping their options open. If Doctor Who had bombed on telly, it would have been over and done in thirteen weeks. So part of the brief was to leave things open just in case the EDAs needed to pick up just where they'd left off!"<ref name="Unreality interview" /> | When writing ''[[The Gallifrey Chronicles (novel)|The Gallifrey Chronicles]]'' he noted, "It seems absolutely bizarre to say it at this point but the BBC were keeping their options open. If Doctor Who had bombed on telly, it would have been over and done in thirteen weeks. So part of the brief was to leave things open just in case the EDAs needed to pick up just where they'd left off!"<ref name="Unreality interview" /> | ||
However Parkin has noted concerning ''The Gallifrey Chronicles'' and its relation to the new [[Series 1 (Doctor Who)|series]] | However Parkin has noted concerning ''The Gallifrey Chronicles'' and its relation to the new [[Series 1 (Doctor Who 2005)|series]] | ||
{{simplequote|It's not an open ending - we know what happens because we saw the result on telly. The Doctor gets his memory back, the Doctor restores Gallifrey, the Doctor wins . . . then at what must be his all time high, it's all taken from him. And it's this great big epic story full of mysteries and huge events far too grand to spell out in a book on or TV. A lot of people, wanted a book where the Doctor was led to a big glowing ball of his memories and he grabbed it with both hands and went '[[Drahvin]]s . . . [[Voord]] . . . [[Nimon]]s . . . that bit in ''[[The Dæmons (TV story)|The Dæmons]]'' where [[Bessie]]'s got a remote control . . . I remember it all!' and I understand that impulse, but . . . well, we know he got his memories back. We don't need to see and be spoonfed everything.|<ref name="Unreality interview" />}} | {{simplequote|It's not an open ending - we know what happens because we saw the result on telly. The Doctor gets his memory back, the Doctor restores Gallifrey, the Doctor wins . . . then at what must be his all time high, it's all taken from him. And it's this great big epic story full of mysteries and huge events far too grand to spell out in a book on or TV. A lot of people, wanted a book where the Doctor was led to a big glowing ball of his memories and he grabbed it with both hands and went '[[Drahvin]]s . . . [[Voord]] . . . [[Nimon]]s . . . that bit in ''[[The Dæmons (TV story)|The Dæmons]]'' where [[Bessie]]'s got a remote control . . . I remember it all!' and I understand that impulse, but . . . well, we know he got his memories back. We don't need to see and be spoonfed everything.|<ref name="Unreality interview" />}} | ||
| Line 119: | Line 119: | ||
=== Reference Books === | === Reference Books === | ||
* ''[[A History of the Universe]]'' | * ''[[A History of the Universe (reference book)|A History of the Universe]]'' | ||
* ''[[AHistory]]'' | * ''[[AHistory]]'' | ||
* ''[[Unhistory]]'' | * ''[[Unhistory]]'' | ||
| Line 125: | Line 125: | ||
=== Cancelled books === | === Cancelled books === | ||
* ''[[Enemy of the Daleks (unproduced novel)|Enemy of the Daleks]]'' | * ''[[Enemy of the Daleks (unproduced novel)|Enemy of the Daleks]]'' | ||
* ''[[To Hold Back Death (novel)|To Hold Back Death]]'' | * ''[[To Hold Back Death (unproduced novel)|To Hold Back Death]]'' | ||
* ''[[Horror of Det-Sen (novel)|Horror of Det-Sen]]'' | * ''[[Horror of Det-Sen (unproduced novel)|Horror of Det-Sen]]'' | ||
== External links == | == External links == | ||
{{fpx}} | |||
{{official website|theeyeless.blogspot.com/|Official blog}} | {{official website|theeyeless.blogspot.com/|Official blog}} | ||
{{facebook|lance.parkin}} | {{facebook|lance.parkin}} | ||
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071014194738/http://lostluggage.org.uk/?p=60 Doctor Who and Mythology, by Lance Parkin] | * [https://web.archive.org/web/20071014194738/http://lostluggage.org.uk/?p=60 Doctor Who and Mythology, by Lance Parkin] | ||
| Line 151: | Line 151: | ||
[[fr:Lance Parkin]] | [[fr:Lance Parkin]] | ||
[[Category:Bernice Summerfield novelists]] | [[Category:Bernice Summerfield novelists]] | ||
[[Category:Doctor Who short story writers]] | [[Category:Doctor Who short story writers]] | ||
Latest revision as of 20:26, 3 November 2024
Lance Parkin is an author who has written professional Doctor Who fiction since the 1990s. He is one of the few authors to write for both the 1963 and 2005 version of the programme — though much of his fiction has actually been based on the 1996 iteration. Indeed, he was notably the first author to write original prose for the Eighth Doctor in The Dying Days. He was also the author chosen to deliver the nominal 35th anniversary story, The Infinity Doctors, and the final volume in the Eighth Doctor Adventures range, The Gallifrey Chronicles. In 2008, he wrote for the Tenth Doctor in The Eyeless.
He is further notable for his work with Big Finish Productions, where he is arguably most known for writing the Sixth Doctor adventure, Davros. He has also written most of the non-fiction book AHistory that attempts to make a consistent and linear timeline for all Doctor Who stories.
Outside of Doctor Who, he has written things like (with Mark Jones) Dark Matter, a guide to the author Philip Pullman.
Writing novels[[edit] | [edit source]]
Parkin's shortest ever pitch for a novel was, "I'll set it on Mars!", when Virgin editor Rebecca Levene said that she needed a Bernice Summerfield book in six weeks.[1]
His final pitch to Levene was for The Dying Days and went (something like), "Twenty years ago Dan Dare discovered the truth about Mars, and Francis Urquart (the Prime Minister from the House of Cards series) put him in prison. Now he's escaped."[1]
Parkin has noted that Just War was a reaction to Timewyrm: Exodus.
"I like the book, and at the time I was preparing the original submission (Autumn 1993), it was one of the best of the range. It's still very popular - which is why the blurb I wrote for Just War makes it sound like a sequel! There were problems, though: my main criticism being the depiction of Hitler. The frightening thing, to my mind, is that Hitler wasn't possessed by the devil or the Timewyrm; he was just an ordinary man. Steinmann is a reaction to the Exodus Hitler — a talented, intelligent, cultured man who chooses to be a Nazi. That is much scarier than the thought he's been hypnotised by aliens. ...Hitler, of course, isn't mentioned once in Just War — I wanted to try and explore the Nazi mentality without needing to refer to him.""
In the three years between writing The Infinity Doctors and Father Time, Parkin worked as a storyline editor for Emmerdale. He also wrote a synopsis for a book that was to have been published in the slot that Parallel 59 occupies, known as Enemy of the Daleks.[2]
Parkin has said that he "relies on 'continuity references' in my books, and I still do to an extent – but references to the spirit, not the letter. It's good to be looking forward, not back. It's good to have the Doctor centre stage, as the protagonist." In particular following events of The Ancestor Cell/The Burning.[2]
On the EDAs as a whole; "I think that particularly from The Burning to, say, Time Zero, they're just about all as good as the NAs, which is about the highest praise I have for Doctor Who."[3]
When writing The Gallifrey Chronicles he noted, "It seems absolutely bizarre to say it at this point but the BBC were keeping their options open. If Doctor Who had bombed on telly, it would have been over and done in thirteen weeks. So part of the brief was to leave things open just in case the EDAs needed to pick up just where they'd left off!"[3] However Parkin has noted concerning The Gallifrey Chronicles and its relation to the new series
"It's not an open ending - we know what happens because we saw the result on telly. The Doctor gets his memory back, the Doctor restores Gallifrey, the Doctor wins . . . then at what must be his all time high, it's all taken from him. And it's this great big epic story full of mysteries and huge events far too grand to spell out in a book on or TV. A lot of people, wanted a book where the Doctor was led to a big glowing ball of his memories and he grabbed it with both hands and went 'Drahvins . . . Voord . . . Nimons . . . that bit in The Dæmons where Bessie's got a remote control . . . I remember it all!' and I understand that impulse, but . . . well, we know he got his memories back. We don't need to see and be spoonfed everything."
Credits[[edit] | [edit source]]
Novels[[edit] | [edit source]]
Virgin New Adventures[[edit] | [edit source]]
Virgin Missing Adventures[[edit] | [edit source]]
Virgin Bernice Summerfield New Adventures[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Beige Planet Mars (with Mark Clapham)
BBC Past Doctor Adventures[[edit] | [edit source]]
BBC Eighth Doctor Adventures[[edit] | [edit source]]
BBC New Series Adventures[[edit] | [edit source]]
Big Finish Bernice Summerfield series[[edit] | [edit source]]
Faction Paradox[[edit] | [edit source]]
Time Hunter[[edit] | [edit source]]
Short Stories[[edit] | [edit source]]
Virgin Decalogs[[edit] | [edit source]]
Short Trips[[edit] | [edit source]]
- A Town Called Eternity (with Mark Clapham, in Short Trips and Side Steps)
- The Exiles (in Short Trips: A Universe of Terrors)
- Doing Time (in Short Trips: Steel Skies)
- Echo (in Short Trips: Life Science)
- Observer Effect (in Short Trips: 2040)
Big Finish Bernice Summerfield series[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Paydirt (in A Life of Surprises)
- Anightintheninthage (in Collected Works)
- A Game of Soldiers (in Secret Histories)
- Winging It (in Present Danger)
Iris Wildthyme[[edit] | [edit source]]
- The Mancunian Candidate (in Wildthyme on Top)
- Lilac Mars (with Mark Clapham, in Iris Wildthyme of Mars)
Audio[[edit] | [edit source]]
Doctor Who Main Range[[edit] | [edit source]]
Bernice Summerfield[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Just War (adapted by Jacqueline Rayner)
- Professor Bernice Summerfield and the Extinction Event
- Venus Mantrap (with Mark Clapham)
I, Davros[[edit] | [edit source]]
Novel Adaptations[[edit] | [edit source]]
BBV Productions[[edit] | [edit source]]
Comics[[edit] | [edit source]]
Comeuppance Comics[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Miranda - Writer / Letterer
Reference Books[[edit] | [edit source]]
Cancelled books[[edit] | [edit source]]
External links[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Lance Parkin at the Faction Paradox wiki
- Official blog
- Official Facebook page
- Doctor Who and Mythology, by Lance Parkin
- Lance Parkin by Paul Scoones (Interview) - TSV 48
- Throwback Interview: Lance Parkin (2006)
- INTERVIEW: FTN interviews Doctor Who writer Lance Parkin
- Doc Oho's Reviews: Lance Parkin Q & A Part One
- Doc Oho's Reviews: Lance Parkin Q & A Part Two
- Unreality SF Lance Parkin interview Part 1
- Unreality SF Lance Parkin interview Part 2
- A Sci-Fi Worlds Interview with Lance Parkin
- From Books to Bernice: An Interview with Lance Parkin
- BBC.co.uk website interview with Lance Parkin, 01 January 2004
- Outpost Gallifrey - Interview: Lance Parkin (archived)
Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Interview with Lance Parkin Interview by Graeme Burk (Originally published in Enlightenment, republished on Outpost Gallifrey via Internet Archive: Wayback Machine
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 BBC Website Interview with Lance Parkin 01 January 2004 via Internet Archive: Wayback Machine
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Unreality SF Lance Parkin interview Part 1
