Some unabashed adverts. Sorry! (Some of the book images below come from the cover proofs and aren't always exactly what appeared on the shelves.)
Classic British TV, Paul Cornell, Martin Day,
Keith Topping.
September 1993. Guinness, 448pp, large format
paperback. £14.99. ISBN 0-85112-543-3. Out of print.
An
encyclopedia of c.100 popular British TV programmes, with critical
essays and technical information similar to the Between the Lines
information found on the Episode Guides page.
Plus generic chapter introductions and an author-based drama section,
photos, a decent-ish index, etc. Showing its age now - some of the text
is appalling - but we worked like Trojans on this one, and any first
book has got to be pretty special.
We compiled an errata for the second edition, but Guinness refused to print it. Click here if you want to see the list.
"A must for viewers who want to learn more about the genesis of their favourite programmes... An astutely-compiled encyclopaedia..." Daily Express
"Tells you all you never knew you wanted to know." Daily Telegraph
"Rich in detail and opinion, this faultlessly-researched and presented portmanteau of dissertations is always informative and never less than wholly entertaining. Hard to switch off once tuned into." Film Review (Book of the Month)
"Everything you always wanted to know and more. And we really mean everything."
Time Out
"The book is big on information, and anyone who can describe children's show Press Gang as 'possibly, the best show in the world' gets my vote."
Coventry Evening Telegraph
"A comprehensive guide to our television heritage." Elmwood College Cupar
"Fun for the cultist and lay viewer alike." The Glasgow Herald
"A book which television enthusiasts will adore." Hartlepool Mail
"An invaluable reference book." Jersey Evening Post
"The authors have left few stones unturned in their quest not just for accuracy but for remarkable detail."
Nottingham Evening Post
"The summaries of the genres and whole programmes are exhaustive, with wry humour and wonderful trivia tit-bits. Naturally, it's subjective, but it's more alive than a mere reference book. And it's worth noting that at 444 pages, it's large enough to balance the remote control and a large bowl of dry-roasted peanuts."
South Wales Echo
"A welcome volume... The book is invaluable for giving the background to, history of, and possible developments in the storylines of the great serials, soaps, dramas and comedy shows."
Stoke on Trent Evening Sentinel
The Avengers Programme Guide, Paul Cornell, Martin
Day, Keith Topping.
March 1994. Virgin, 368pp, paperback. £4.99.
ISBN 0-86369-754-2. Deleted.
An episode guide to that most 60s of
programmes, The Avengers. Also includes a couple of critical
essays and a few photos. It was our first attempt to do a fan's eye-view
book, i.e. concentrating on the wit, the champagne, the kinkiness, etc.
Behind-the-scenes anecdotes and opinions got us into trouble, though,
and the book was pulped. Grr. It's now as rare as hen's teeth - even
I've only got one copy - but I'm pleased to say that it was eventually issued in a revised format. (See The Avengers Dossier below.)
Doctor Who - The Discontinuity Guide, Paul Cornell,
Martin Day, Keith Topping.
May 1995. Virgin, 368pp, paperback.
£4.99. ISBN 0-426-20442-5. Out of print.
All the goofs, fluffs and collapsing
sets from our favourite SF show. Also has a serious point, as we try
hard to fit almost 30 years of contradictory information into one
sensible 'continuity'.
"This is really a Doctor Who continuity guide, and a pretty good one in that
respect... Most readers should find that as a guide to Who fact and continuity this is well worth a look."
DreamWatch
"This book is painstakingly researched and absolutely bursting at the seams with information...
Funny and informative..." TV Zone
Doctor Who - The Missing Adventures: The Menagerie.
May 1995. Virgin, 272pp, paperback. £4.99. ISBN
0-426-20449-2. Out of print.
The second Doctor, Jamie and Zoe have an exciting
adventure with lots of monsters. Critically-panned, but just to write it
was a dream come true. Some people claim to like it.
The New Trek Programme Guide, Paul Cornell, Martin
Day, Keith Topping.
August 1995. Virgin, 384pp, paperback. £5.99.
ISBN 0-86369-922-7.
A cheap and cheerful summary of all that is Star
Trek - The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine. Includes the
obligatory cast lists, plot summaries, technobabble and bad jokes. Also published in German as Der Neue Trek-Episodenführer by VGS of Köln!
Classic British TV - 2nd Edition, Paul Cornell,
Martin Day, Keith Topping.
September 1996. Guinness, 448pp, large format
paperback. £12.99. ISBN 0-85112-628-6. Out of print.
The revised
edition has lots more text, integrated photographs, and a whole clutch
of new programmes, including Brookside, One Foot in the
Grave, The Bill, AbFab and Cracker. The
rewrite almost killed our friendship - was it worth it...?
X-Treme Possibilities, Paul Cornell, Martin Day, Keith Topping.
March 1997. Virgin, 304pp, paperback. £4.99. ISBN 0-7535-0019-1.
Surprise, surprise, an X-Files Programme Guide for Virgin. We thought this would be the last book we'd write together as a threesome, and we were kind of right.
"From the trio that brought us Doctor Who - The Discontinuity Guide and The New Trek Programme Guide comes a thoroughly unauthorised and hugely entertaining romp through The X-Files. This is a fun book with enormous value for all players of Trivial Pursuit-type games and joiners of late night conversations at parties on culture, the paranormal, UFOs and the real meaning of life." Christianity
"Overall, this is a refreshing change from the usual po-faced attitude of
X-Files literature. There's an extremely high possibility that you'll enjoy it." 8/10
DreamWatch
"This is the book that explains it all. The authors trudge dutifully through every single episode, evaluating,
criticising, connecting. No doubt about it, fans: the truth is in here." The Irish Times
"The latest offering from Cornell and co. follows the pattern of their Doctor Who Discontinuity Guide and is every bit as engaging. This might not be a cure for Black Cancer, but it points the way." B+ SFX
"This is an impressively detailed and extremely witty study of the series." 7/10 TV Zone
Doctor Who - The Devil Goblins from Neptune, Keith Topping, Martin Day.
June 1997. BBC, 288pp, paperback. £4.99. ISBN 0-563-40564-3.
A really very serious Doctor Who novel, honest, guv. Click here for more details!
"It is tense, atmospheric and could easily have stepped out from the period of the show it claims to be set in... It is excellently written, and the book is superbly paced. Like the series at the time, the story is structured into seven episodes, each one building up to that traditional climax. Sadly, some of the impact that you'd get from the cliffhangers is lost, because you want to keep reading, and not put the book down."
Spark (Reading University Student Newspaper)
The Avengers Dossier, Paul Cornell, Martin
Day, Keith Topping.
February 1998. Virgin, 384pp, paperback. £5.99.
ISBN 0-86369-754-2. Out of print.
At long last our episode guide to The Avengers saw print (briefly!) with a (vague) essay on the movie.
Doctor Who - The Hollow Men, Keith Topping, Martin Day.
April 1998. BBC, 288pp, paperback. £4.99. ISBN 0-563-40582-1.
The seventh Doctor and Ace investigate a strange village. With (hopefully!) terrifying results.
Click here to see Robert Francis's (excellent) unofficial design, and to read the real blurb.
"(It) reads like a Stephen King novel transported from Maine to the West Country... An enjoyable... story." 8/10 TV Zone"It's often implausible, and echoes closely the format of the McCoy era in a way which borders on unoriginality... On the other hand, the characterisation is good, and the prose is smooth, evocative and dead easy to read." B-
SFX
The New Adventures: Another Girl, Another Planet, Martin Day, Len Beech (Steve Bowkett).
August 1998. Virgin, 272pp, paperback. £5.99. ISBN 0-426-20528-6.
A young woman is being stalked by a mysterious stranger, and when Bernice investigates she uncovers sabotage, political conspiracies and an age-old love affair that ended in disaster.
"The entire complement of characters [are] well-defined and remain easy to track... Although the skyscrapers and air-cars hint at a Philip K Dick capitalist dystopia, the book [concentrates] more on spy gadgets which, together with a deliberate blend of romance and surveillance, make it closer to Ian Fleming than anything else." Doctor Who Magazine
"Although
by no means a radical departure for the series, this makes a diverting
read." 7 DreamWatch
X-Treme Possibilities - 2nd Edition, Paul Cornell, Martin Day, Keith Topping.
November 1998. Virgin, 480pp, paperback. £6.99. ISBN 0-7535-0228-3.
A new edition to cover all five seasons, plus the movie. Our last book together, and, perhaps, our best.
Shut It!, Martin Day, Keith Topping.
March 1999. Virgin, 336pp, paperback. £5.99. ISBN 0-7535-0355-7.
A Programme Guide-style book on The Sweeney and The Professionals.
A great book, but... Never again!
Family Affairs episode 762. 29 February 2000, Channel 5.
Family Affairs episode 792. 11 April 2000, Channel 5.
Family Affairs episode 811 (uncredited scenes). 8 May 2000, Channel 5.
Family Affairs episode 907. 19 September 2000, Channel 5.
Family Affairs episode 946. 13 November 2000, Channel 5.
Family Affairs episode 956. 27 November 2000, Channel 5.
Family Affairs episode 975. 22 December 2000, Channel 5.
Family Affairs episode 1002. 30 January 2001, Channel 5.
Family Affairs episode 1018. 21 February 2001, Channel 5.
Doctor Who - Bunker Soldiers.
February 2001. BBC, 288pp, paperback. £5.99. ISBN 0-563-53819-8.
My last Who novel? I've said that before...
Click here to see earlier versions of the cover and to read the blurb, and to see my (occasionally rather pidgin!) Latin chapter titles translated.
"...good, and seemingly fresh... (It) doesn't just hold a mirror up to the past - it makes a Doctor Who story out of it." Doctor Who Magazine"I suggest that you lean back in a comfortable chair, pour yourself a nice glass of wine, put your favourite record on, and let [the author] take you to places you've never been and show you things you've never seen. This is solid entertainment from start to finish." 5/5 DreamWatch
"Bunker Soldiers is [an] accomplished piece
of work - although I suspect that for most readers it will prove far easier to
admire than to love." 7/10 TV Zone
I also contributed to the film dictionary Brewer's Cinema (Cassell, 1995). I have had articles, reviews, poetry and fiction published in All Torque, Alpha, Christianity, Cult TV, Doctor Who Magazine, Dreams from the Strangers' Cafe, DreamWatch, the NME, The Sword, the Times Educational Supplement, 21CC and Video Home Entertainment, and have written for the BBC's web site.