Since 2009, BBC Books have published several short story anthologies based on the TV series Doctor Who. Unlike their novels and audiobooks, which are published under the title of New Series Adventures, or their previous short story range Short Trips (1998–2000), these books are not considered part of a series, but are published irregularly and generally as stand-alones.
Previously, BBC had licensed out the rights to produce original prose fiction based on Doctor Who twice: to Virgin Publishing from 1994 to 1997, who published short story collections under the title Decalog; and to Big Finish Productions (better known for producing audio plays based on Doctor Who since 1999) from 2002 to 2009, who published their own line also titled Short Trips.
The Doctor Who Stories (2009) A book containing fourteen stories, with one of each previously appearing in each fourteen volumes of the Doctor Who Files series (published by BBC Children's Books), and another, previously unpublished, story.
Tales of Trenzalore: The Eleventh Doctor's Last Stand (2014) All these stories take place during the Eleventh Doctor's centuries-long defence of the town of Christmas on the planet Trenzalore, as depicted in the 2013 Christmas special "The Time of the Doctor".
Title Plot Enemy Author "Let it Snow" Ice Warriors Justin Richards "An Apple a Day..." Krynoid George Mann "Strangers in the Outland" Autons Paul Finch "The Dreaming" Aliganza Torp meets a sepulchral undertaker in a dark place who questions him about his name as well as the Doctor's. The undertaker explains that the Doctor thinks so little of him because he won't reveal his name. Then he tells Aliganza to hold out his hand. the Mara, the Krotons Mark Morris
The Shakespeare Notebooks (2014) Following the Tenth Doctor's encounter with William Shakespeare as depicted in the 2007 episode "The Shakespeare Code", this anthology is presented as a series of found documents, mostly alternative drafts to or author's notes about Shakespeare's plays, that demonstrate encounters with or visions of the Doctor.
All stories were written (without individual authorship being given) by James Goss, Julian Richards, Justin Richards and Matthew Sweet.
Title Plot Featuring References "Notes on a Play" Eleventh Doctor Hamlet "Exits and Entrances" Seventh Doctor As You Like It "The True Tragedy of Macbeth" The Doctor and companions unwittingly take the place of the three witches in informing Macbeth and Banquo about their futures. Second Doctor, Jamie, Zoe Macbeth "Cymbeline" Eleventh Doctor Cymbeline "Diary Extract" The Doctor sits in on a meeting between Shakespeare and Richard Burbage, giving his advice on their next play. Fifth Doctor Twelfth Night "The Dream" First Doctor A Midsummer Night's Dream "A Prologue" War Doctor the prologue to Henry V "The True and Most Excellent Comedie of Romeo and Juliet" The Doctor and friends try to help Romeo and Juliet fake their deaths without killing themselves. Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory Romeo and Juliet "The Tempest - A Work in Progress" Tenth Doctor The Tempest "Exit, by Another Means" - The Winter's Tale "The Winter's Tale" Eleventh Doctor The Winter's Tale "Antony and Cleopatra" the Mara Antony and Cleopatra "Troilus and Cressida" The Doctor returns to Troy to help bring about the end of the Trojan War. First Doctor Troilus and Cressida "Pericles" Romana I Pericles, Prince of Tyre "Coriolanus" - Coriolanus "Master Faustus" Christopher Marlowe receives a visit on the eve of his murder from a traveller in time who offers to help him change his future. the Master Faustus, the Last Night "The Sonnets" A series of sonnets describing the Doctor in different incarnations or during different adventures. several Doctors Shakespeare's sonnets "As You Like It" Sixth Doctor, Peri As You Like It "Double Falsehood" The Doctor takes Alexander Pope and Lewis Theobald back to Shakespeare's time to see an original performance of a play recently resurfaced in Theobald's possession of which Pope is critical. Ninth Doctor Double Falsehood "Hamlet" The Doctor interrupts Hamlet's famous graveside speech to retrieve a skull he believes is a Fendahl. Fourth Doctor Hamlet "Timon of Athens" "Axonia" Timon of Athens "Hamlet's Soliloquy" The Doctor helps Shakespeare write Hamlet's "To be, or not to be" speech, offering critiques along the way. Fourth Doctor Hamlet "Academic Notes" Sixth Doctor Julius Caesar "Ye Unearthly Childe" A retelling of "An Unearthly Child", the very first episode of Doctor Who. First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara "Appendix - The Last Will" Tenth Doctor, Donna
Time Trips (2015) These stories were first published as a series of e-books, appearing every month or so in 2014. The hardcover collected edition features an additional, original story printed on the dust jacket.
Title Plot Featuring Author "The Death Pit" Hotel receptionist Bryony notices guests keep disappearing, and can't find anyone interested in helping her investigate until the Doctor, trying to find Chicago, shows up. Fourth Doctor A. L. Kennedy "Into the Nowhere" To the Doctor's delight and Clara's astonishment, they land on a planet that's truly unknown—it's not on any maps, and it has no name. What could be so terrible that its existence has been erased? Eleventh Doctor, Clara Jenny Colgan "Keeping Up with the Joneses" The Doctor needs time to repair the TARDIS after hitting a temporal mine, but somehow finds himself inside a Welsh bed and breakfast run by a strangely familiar-looking Christina. The TARDIS seems to have enveloped Christina's entire town—and something else is trapped inside with it. Tenth Doctor Nick Harkaway "Salt of the Earth" Before their vacation on an Australian salt lake can get rolling, the Doctor and Jo find themselves looking into mysterious sculptures made of salt that look an awful lot like real people, in great pain. Third Doctor, Jo Trudi Canavan "A Handful of Stardust" When the Doctor discovers John Dee and his assistant have come across a "great disturbance in the cosmos" in 1572, he realizes they are all in terrible danger, not helped by the appearance of Dee's new associate claiming the academic rank of Master. Sixth Doctor, Peri Jake Arnott "The Bog Warrior" To guarantee peace, Prince Zircon has to choose a bride from the Bog People, dead men and women who have been resurrected, but he's in love with the enslaved Princess Ash, whose parents were deposed by the current Queen. Tenth Doctor Cecelia Ahern "The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Time Traveller" Struggling to get back to UNIT HQ, his body being destroyed by radiation, the Doctor arrives in the perfect village, where everyone is happy. But where is he really? Third Doctor Joanne Harris "The Anti-Hero" The Doctor is keen to explore the ancient Musaeum of Alexandria, and Zoe is keen to correct the advanced but outdated science of the era. An encounter with the legendary inventor Hero may turn out not to be a friendly visit, however. Second Doctor, Jamie, Zoe Stella Duffy "The Long Way Down" When the Doctor tries to install a flower box on the TARDIS while in flight, Clara must determine how to make the most of a split-second decision. Twelfth Doctor, Clara Jenny Colgan
The Scientific Secrets of Doctor Who (2015) A guide to some scientific elements of the Doctor Who universe, this volume featured a short story accompanying each chapter. Title Plot Featuring Author Concept "Sunset Over Venus" Twelfth Doctor, Clara Mark Wright "Alien Life and Other Worlds" "The Lost Generation" Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane George Mann space travel "The Room with All the Doors" Trapped in an endless series of empty rooms, the Doctor and the narrator must try to guess how and why they are there. Second Doctor James Goss the multiverse "The Hungry Night" Ninth Doctor Jonathan Morris the TARDIS's energy source "All the Empty Towers" When the TARDIS lands in Blackpool in 2089 instead of 2015, the Doctor and Clara get a glimpse of what the planet's future holds. Twelfth Doctor, Clara Jenny Colgan the future of the Earth "Rewriting History" When the Doctor leaves Martha with only a sock, she receives a visit from her future self, warning her to end her travels in time... Tenth Doctor, Martha James Swallow the laws of time "Silver Mosquitoes" Twelfth Doctor, Clara LM Myles the practicalities of time travel "In Search of Lost Time" Eleventh Doctor Una McCormack time and memory "Natural Regression" Forced to land during the Last Great Time War, the Doctor meets a stranded group of scientists. Eighth Doctor Justin Richards "What is a Time War?" "Potential Energy" Sixth Doctor, Peri Jacqueline Rayner "The History of Earth" "The Arboreals" First Doctor, Susan Marc Platt evolution "The Piper" Third Doctor, Jo Mark Morris "Man and Machine" "The Girl Who Stole the Stars" Seventh Doctor, Ace, Raine Andrew Cartmel artificial intelligence "The Mercy Seats" Twelfth Doctor David Llewellyn "Entropy and Death" "The Constant Doctor" The Doctor takes his friends to watch a re-enactment of a time he saved a planet, while they discuss how little they know about his recent change. Fifth Doctor, Adric, Nyssa, Tegan; Twelfth Doctor Andrew Smith regeneration
The Time Lord Letters (2015)
The Dangerous Book of Monsters (2015)
Time Lord Fairy Tales (2015)
The Legends of Ashildr (2015) Stories of Ashildr, the woman who lived, in the many years between the Doctor's first two encounters with her in "The Girl Who Died" and "The Woman Who Lived". Authors are Justin Richards, James Goss, David Llewellyn and Jenny Colgan.
The Legends of River Song (2016) Five stories featuring the adventures of River Song, the Doctor's time-travelling wife, both with and without the Doctor. The stories' authors are Jenny Colgan, Jacqueline Rayner, Steve Lyons, Guy Adams and Andy Lane.
Twelve Doctors of Christmas (2016) Title Plot Featuring Author "All I Want for Christmas" First Doctor, Barbara, Ian and Vicki Jacqueline Rayner "A Comedy of Terrors" Second Doctor, Jamie and Zoe Colin Brake "The Christmas Inversion" Third Doctor, Jo, Yates, Jackie Tyler Jacqueline Rayner "Three Wise Men" Fourth Doctor Richard Dungworth "Sontar's Little Helpers" Fifth Doctor, Tegan and Turlough Mike Tucker "Fairy Tale of New New York" Sixth Doctor, Mel Gary Russell "The Grotto" Seventh Doctor, Ace Mike Tucker "Ghost of Christmas Past" Eighth Doctor Scott Handcock "The Red Bicycle" Ninth Doctor, Rose Gary Russell "Loose Wire" Tenth Doctor Richard Dungworth "The Gift" Eleventh Doctor Scott Handcock "The Persistence of Memory" Twelfth Doctor, the Monk Colin Brake
The American Adventures (2016) Six stories, all written by Justin Richards, depicting adventures the Twelfth Doctor takes between his travels with Clara Oswald, and all taking place in the United States at various points in the nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
Myths and Legends (2017) Stories based on Greek myths, presented as a collection of myths from many worlds in a Time Lord archive. All stories were written by Richard Dinnick.