Time Traveller's Diary (novel)

Time Traveller's Diary was a book written by Chris Farnell and published by BBC Children's Books in 2020.

	BBC Children's Books
	Chris Farnell
	5 November 2020
	384 pages
	ISBN 9781405940863

Publisher's summary

Whether you're sight-seeing in the constellation of Kasterborous or slumming it on planet Earth, you need to be able keep track of things - especially if you're a time traveller. This handy Time Lord-approved diary is perpetual, so will work whichever year you land in, and with a day to a page there's plenty of room to record your adventures or plan your next move.

It's also packed with useful information about holidays and anniversaries from all over the galaxy, from New Year's Day (1st January) to the Second Manifestation of Kroll (12th December 2528.) There's even a section of Useful Information, including international dialling codes, conversion tables for weights and measures, quantum mechanical equations, and how to tell a Silurian from a Sea Devil.

Plot

A human time traveller keeps a diary, recording various points throughout time and space to keep things straight because they are not adapted to time travel. During their travels, the time traveller becomes trapped away from their time machine on an invisible flying saucer with a cybernetic velociraptor above Carcassonne, France on 17 February 1283 at two o'clock in the afternoon. While hiding from the velociraptor, the time traveller pens a note at the front of the diary asking whoever finds it to help and bring tranquiliser darts and a large butterfly net.

Characters

• Time traveller

Worldbuilding

• The Daleks celebrate a holiday called "Extermination Day" on every other day of their calendar.

Notes

• This novel is one of a relatively small percentage of Doctor Who media which their creators have referred to with the term of "canon", which is controversial in the Doctor Who fandom.

Continuity

• The most conquered planet in the galaxy, Tivoli, (TV: The God Complex, Before the Flood) is conquered by many species over the centuries, including the Hath, (TV: The Doctor's Daughter) Ogrons, (TV: Day of the Daleks) Uvodni, (TV: Warriors of Kudlak) Voord, (TV: The Keys of Marinus) Stenza, (TV: The Woman Who Fell to Earth) Raxacoricofallapatorians, (TV: Aliens of London/World War Three) Judoon, (TV: Smith and Jones) Kraal, (TV: The Android Invasion) Terileptils, (TV: The Visitation) Vinvocci, (TV: The End of Time) Shakri, (TV: The Power of Three) and Drahvin. (TV: Galaxy 4)
• The employees of the Bank of Karabraxos were given their first and only day off on 2 January 4196, which was traditionally a bank holiday in Scotland, Earth. (TV: Time Heist)
• A "mysterious figure" dressed as a monk was seen attempting to sell King Æthelred I of the Saxons used stun blasters in 871 before a battle. (TV: The Time Meddler)
• The Cybermen invaded Earth in December 1986. (TV: The Tenth Planet)
• Event One, the Big Bang that precipitated the creation of the universe, took place in the year 13,500,017,903 BC. (PROSE: Transit)
• The planet Voga was discovered in the 29th century. (TV: Revenge of the Cybermen ^[+]Loading...["Revenge of the Cybermen (TV story)"])
• The British Empire's adoption of the Gregorian calendar in 1752 resulted in the loss of eleven days; it is recommended that time machines are not set to visit these dates. (PROSE: The Book of the War)
• Humans discovered the cure for Petrifold Regression in 5,000,001,023. (TV: New Earth)
• 4 January marked the observation of the Rites of the Tin Vagabond. (TV: The Satan Pit ^[+]Loading...["The Satan Pit (TV story)"], Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane? ^[+]Loading...["Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane? (TV story)"])
• Birth rates skyrocket across the Adipose nursery worlds as host species try to stick to their New Year's resolutions to lose weight. (TV: Partners in Crime ^[+]Loading...["Partners in Crime"])
• 6 January is the first day of the great Star Whale migration. (TV: The Beast Below ^[+]Loading...["The Beast Below (TV story)"])
• The capture of King Richard I of England (TV: The Crusade) prolonged the reign of King John of England (TV: The King's Demons) and the Cyborg Sheriff of Nottingham. (TV: Robot of Sherwood)
• Disputed reports suggest that Vlad the Impaler (AUDIO: Son of the Dragon) was a rogue Saturnyn. (TV: The Vampires of Venice)
• 23 December is the date of the Crystal Feast in Sardicktown and on the planet Ember. (TV: A Christmas Carol)
• Charles Dickens gave a reading in Cardiff on 24 December 1869. (TV: The Unquiet Dead)
• Invasions on Christmas include the Cybermen in 1851, (TV: The Next Doctor) the Great Intelligence in 1892, (TV: The Snowmen) the Sycorax in 2006, (TV: The Christmas Invasion) the Racnoss in 2007, (TV: The Runaway Bride) the Master in 2009, (TV: The End of Time) the Kantrofarri in 2014, (TV: Last Christmas) and the Harmony Shoal in 2016. (TV: The Return of Doctor Mysterio)
• The people of Sto believe that humans start boxing on 26 December. (TV: Voyage of the Damned)
• President Richard Nixon says "You don't know who might be listening..." (TV: The Impossible Astronaut ^[+]Loading...["The Impossible Astronaut (TV story)"]/Day of the Moon ^[+]Loading...["Day of the Moon"])
• Apalapucia sees several New Year's Days in a row depending on the timestream. (TV: The Girl Who Waited ^[+]Loading...["The Girl Who Waited (TV story)"])
• 25 October is the flocking of the Quantum Shades. (TV: Face the Raven)
• Toast falls butter-side down. (PROSE: The Secret in Vault 13 ^[+]Loading...["The Secret in Vault 13 (novel)"])

External links

• Official Time Traveller's Diary page at Penguin Books