By Jason Loborik, Neil Corry, Jacqueline Rayner, Andrew Darling, Kerrie Dougherty, David John and Simon Beecroft
DK Books, out now
A 12th Doctor update for the guide to the Time Lord
Although the title of this book may seem a little misleading (dictionaries by their usual definition are in alphabetical order, which this isn’t, but they can be used for lists of items in specific categories) this is another enjoyable DK contribution to the Doctor Who library. Adding or updating numerous entries to the 2007 version, it concentrates on the 21st century version of Who while not forgetting the series’ heritage.
There’s plenty of material for fans to peruse with information on many aspects of the Doctor’s lives, although I’m a little bemused that Jackson Lake gets a main entry while the 9th Doctor is limited to a brief box – and there are more pictures of the back of Eccleston’s head in the book than of his face! As you’d expect from DK, each diagram is labelled – even if these sometimes do feel a little forced (the Royal Attaché Case has a lock which is “a sign of top secret content”, as opposed to being simply a way to keep it fastened!). There’s something about pretty much every episode of the revived show, from Rose through to Time Heist, with some of the information revealed in the censored scene from Robots of Sherwood making its way in. I’m delighted that the full page devoted to Lis Sladen’s Sarah Jane Smith has been retained, alongside K9.
Verdict: If and when it’s updated again, then perhaps a reordering of the pages may make this a bit more user-friendly, but overall it’s a handy guide to the show. 8/10
Paul Simpson
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