Lethbridge-Stewart (series)
This page absolutely does contain spoilers either about the behind-the-scenes or narrative elements of stories which have not yet been published or broadcast. Please see our spoiler policy for our rules governing articles about such subjects.
Lethbridge-Stewart was a series of novels and short stories published by Candy Jar Books beginning in 2015. It was created by Andy Frankham-Allen (with input from Shaun Russell). Frankham-Allen also served as the head writer and range editor, with Shaun Russell, Hayley Cox, Will Rees, Lauren Thomas and Keren Williams serving as co-editors on various books. They starred recurring Doctor Who character Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart and co-starred Anne Travers.
The stories initially bridged the gap between The Web of Fear and The Invasion, but from The Laughing Gnome series (which debuted in August 2018) the range began to take place throughout Doctor Who's history. They were not licensed by the BBC but by the Haisman Literary Estate, the copyright holders for the character. They included various elements of other Doctor Who stories, by agreement/license of the original authors, such as Terrance Dicks, who wrote Horror of Fang Rock, and Gary Russell, who created the Vault in The Scales of Injustice.
The series built up a new team around Lethbridge-Stewart and Anne Travers, including William Bishop, Samson Ware, and Walter Douglas. It also featured recurring characters, both Harold Chorley and Private Evans come from The Web of Fear, while new characters were added to the roster; of note are Sally Wright, Lethbridge-Stewart's fiancee, Owain Vine, Lethbridge-Stewart's nephew, and Oliver Hamilton.
The series particularly delved deeper into the history and character of Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart, creating a whole family for him not previously seen on television. Family members included; Mary Gore, his mother, James Lethbridge-Stewart, his older brother who died in 1938, and Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, his father, a commander in the RAF who was declared Missing In Action at the end of World War II. It also debuted his children and grandchildren with Doris Lethbridge-Stewart, the Wilsons (son, Albert, daughter-in-law Tamara, and grandchildren Conall, Nick and Lucy). Lucy would later head her own series of spin-off novels, with guest appearances from various members of her family.
Along the way the series also delved into the Brigadier's ancestors and extended family, including cousins, uncle, and grandparents. Most notably in the short story anthology, Lineage.
The series also developed an extended family for Anne Travers and her father, Professor Travers. These included; Alun Travers, Anne's brother. Lyndon Travers, Anne's grandfather and Professor Travers' father. Margaret Travers, Anne's mother and Traver's wife, and Travers' twin, Vincent and his children. Ben Travers, from Horror of Fang Rock, was revealed to be the uncle of Professor Travers.
In addition to the novels, which initially followed an ongoing narrative, the short stories occasionally dipped into different periods of Lethbridge-Stewart's past and future. For instance, Ashes of the Inferno was set directly after the TV story, Inferno, and The Lock-In was set around the time of his death, with Of the Future exploring the divide between the Brigadier and his daughter, Kate, and the birth of his grandson, Gordy. The Enfolded Time brought focus on the UNIT dating controversy and could be said to finally solve the longstanding dating issues once and for all.
From late 2018, with The Laughing Gnome series of books, the range moved from the ongoing narrative that featured in the first fifteen novels, and began to dip into various periods of Lethbridge-Stewart's past, present and future.
Novels
Phase One
Phase Two
| Title | Writer(s) | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| Scary Monsters | Simon A. Forward | September 2018 |
| Fear of the Web | Alyson Leeds | October 2018 |
| The Danger Men | Nick Walters | December 2018 |
| Rise of the Dominator | Robert Mammone | February 2019 |
| Lucy Wilson and the Bledoe Cadets | Tim Gambrell | March 2019 |
| On His Majesty’s National Service | David A. McIntee | April 2019 |
Short stories
Novellas
| Title | Writer(s) | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| The Life of Evans | John Peel | May 2017 |
| The Flaming Soldier | Christopher Bryant | August 2017 |
| Travers & Wells | Robert Mammone | August 2017 |
| The Lost Skin | Andy Frankham-Allen | July 2018 |
Anthologies
External links
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
