Hamster Book Club - The Doctor Who Book Club Podcast

Dylan and I tackle a collection of wonderfully eclectic and character driven 13th Doctor comics from the pages of DWM...

An iconic book (and absolutely deserving of the term), the NAs decide to take a toxic Doctor and give him some romantic therapy with amazing results...

Both the most stupid and the most frighteningly predictive book in the EDAs - somehow feel utterly disingenuous at times, and utterly riveting in others. Joe loves the chunky prose and action, Mark loves the exploration of Edinburgh. We come to praise this derided book, and discuss its flaws.

Michael is the law, and I am his scummy criminal bitch! Doctor Who meets Judge Dredd...kind of. This is an ugly, nasty, unfinished book but we still found quite a lot to recommend it.

If you are looking to explore the eighth Doctor books further, here is a series of readings - funny, tragic, exciting, silly, touching - which tell the story of Anji Kapoor, the eighth Doctor's companion.

Easily the angriest episode of The Hamster Book Club, we discuss a hugely problematic book and discuss how a range wasn't cancelled on the basis of its offensiveness from the off...

Who on Earth was Trix Macmillan? A short story that dives into the possible backstories of the Doctor's companion cut short because of the return of the New Series...

Lovely Luke Sims-Jenkins takes 90 minutes out of his day to celebrate and condemn his top and bottom ten Doctor Who books...

An unpopular book, at the end of a popular arc, and introducing a companion that used to be quite unpopular...but has matured into somebody quite popular! Phew!

In the third part of our TV Movie, ahem, celebration, we take a look at a witty, silly, nonsensical script full of engaging characters and great performances...so how does the novelisation fare?

For once, Mark and I don't know what to think of a book. Is it good? Bad? Cluttered? Fun? Does it have something to say? Cliched? Funny? Racist? All of the above...

Lovely Steven takes a deep dive into the Widerness Years to explore his favourite and least favourite Doctor Who books.

We have a great time discussing this deranged, hilarious, clever and profound 11th hour EDA. Anthony joins me for the maddest reading of am outrageous scene towards the end. You have been warned!

Content warning (from the off!) - mass murder, frenzied violence, rape, prostitutes, misogyny, racism, cannibalism, spewing maggots, infanticide & whistle tootling all discussed within!

Joe & Jon are in in love with this book, Luke likes it a lot but finds some faults, and Andrew (who hasn't read it before) isn't sure it is the book he wanted...plus can anyone help us sort out the mythology here?

The edited and scored version of our YouTube Live Event - Find Your Fate - go on the exciting, baffling and verbally eccentric adventure with us! Pell Mell!

A republish of one of my all time favourite book clubs - the delirious fun that Michael and I had with this book will stay with me forever...

A conversation I enjoyed so much with one of the most charming contributors to Hamster and is share our stories of how Dan struggled with EDAs and I struggled with NAs in the first half of their runs and how we came to love them in the second half of their runs. We'll talk Doctors, companions, arcs, development, stories (highs and lows).

A much derided episode gets a novelisation - is it a chance to iron out the kinks or does it highlight its flaws? Why does Luke love it despite himself?

More rankings of books as we add more top and bottoms to our lists -plus readings from Ken Moss, James Lark & Gareth Bowley.

A dark, funny, twisted, intelligent book that gives the three of us so much to chew on...

Dark times in the 'Earth is screwed' arc as the Doctor, Fitz and Anji are trapped in a version of the Earth with cannibal children, time experiments, seductive changes...

Joe & Michael talk about this extraordinary book that nobody read that covers themes that are conspicuously absent...everywhere in science fiction.

Republish of another top and bottom ten books - Luke dazzles us with his favourites and buries the books he hates!

Two wonderful twenty-somethings join me to bring a fresh look on original Doctor Who fiction. A three year gap in the relationship of the Doctor & Sam - who grows up and who remains fixed in the past?

A republish of a terrifically fun episode we had discussing the brand new 8th Doctor charity anthology Party Like It's 1998! All our dreams come true...

A fascinating examination of the left, a much more educational story than hit the screen, and characters given extra depth and nuance...

A huge surprise for me and one of Michael's favourite books that we have covered, this Telos Novella serves as both a wonderful exploration of the myth of the Doctor and as a pilot to the Time Hunter series...

Andrew, one of the earliest and loveliest contributors, a man whose opinion can floor us all and stand out in a crowd, gives us his (wonderfully both personal and controversial) top and bottom ten Doctor Who books.

Mark and Joe continue their way through the Sabbath arc, reveal what their own personal Schrodingers moment was in their lives, play the exciting new quiz game 'Physics or Bollocks' and do lots of admin for the upcoming arc! And have a great time with this pulpy thriller.

Bookclubber James Lark gives us the lowdown on his Doctor Who book journey and details his ten favourite and least favourite Doctor Who books. Plus a sneak peek at his podcast, Neurotic Literature!

What happens when four innocent bookclubbers are trapped with the pages of a torture zone with no hope of escape...? And what will the people of Hamster think?

Spy games! What happens when the Doctor inadvertently gets involved with Philby, Burgess and Mclean - the Cambridge spies? Is this a good use of the Earth Arc?

A creepy and clever NSA courtesy of range best Jonathan Morris. History and atmosphere and delicious Scottish dialect. So apologies to anyone Scottish for our accents in this.

Joe & Mark continue their waltz through the Sabbath arc in a rich, heady tale about seances, freaks, murder, Death, and time machines. A very popular book for a reason.

A republish of a conversation about a fun Terrance Dicks romp that ties into the Dreamwatch straight to video Shakedown production.

A smart, packed, sophisticated novel, which gives Mark and I a chance to discuss history, perception and the two can collide dramatically in modern times.

Three important narrators, the end of the war, unrequited love, murder and betrayal...the Earth Arc continues with its most impressive novel yet...

NSFW! A very kinky read, this! Jon and I slip into the world of the sex obsessed Claudia Marwood as she meets a mysterious Byronic stranger and indulges her every kink!

A blissful holiday road trip that takes in wonders, dangers and unforgettable creatures, explores the nature of storytelling, dazzles with wit and introduces the irrepressible Iris Wildthyme...

If you're a big fan of the idea of season 23a, then you're in for a treat! The return of the Toymaker, an old producer, a trip to Blackpool and video games gone bad...what could possibly go wrong?

The talented and all round lovely guy, Simon Guerrier joins me to talk about getting a break writing Doctor Who books, his time editing Bernice books, and gives huge insight into his David Whittaker and upcoming Terrance Dicks books...

A fascinating dive into a book that dishes up a romantically manipulative Doctor, the losses that are suffered during wartime and the psychological horror of facing those demons...

Joe, James, Jason & Ian have a feisty discussion about trains, semen, companion could have beens, a drunk Doctor and some substantial worldbuilding. Can a consensus be reached on the most controversial of Doctor Who books?

Join Joe, Jason, James & Ian as we read and critique the very first New Adventure - and it's a Target novel! Brilliant character insight, dynamic Dalek POVs and continuity heaven.Artwork by Dan Pinn Theme by James LarkReading by Ken Moss

A republish or an interview I conducted last year with the brilliant and imaginative Jonathan Morris to tie into our Anachrophobia discussion this week. Here he talks about all of his Doctor Who books to date.

Appropriately for a story about time going round and round, Anachrophobia gets a second airing on the book club but this time with focus on the Sabbath arc as Joe & Mark continue to explore the time travel horror in the second half of the EDAs...

Another book club tackles a Doctor Who arc in print - the 'Caught on Earth' arc that kick starts with The Burning. The Doctor has no memory, and a fiery force is tearing from the ground to take over the Earth...

We're going on holiday to a Dyson's sphere but there's been a murder...and it's down to the Doctor, Chris, Roz & Benny to figure out who did it. Along the way there is some stunning worldbuilding and extraordinary character development; particularly of Roz and Benny. A true pleasure to read.

A brand new short story, written by Benton & Hawthorne author and member of the Ham Fam, Lucy McCaul. A fun, lively mystery with a sting in the tale. Thank you Lucy for taking the time to write this in the opening month of the Hamster Book Club.