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MrL_JaKiri posted:What's this now? These are the US versions of the Target novelizations that were put out before the series was widely distributed here. Given that this was possibly someone's first exposure to Doctor Who, there's an "Introduction to the cast of characters" page in each one. They're also notable for having a typically asinine introduction by one Harlan Ellison, where he attempts to win over young converts by poo poo-talking their favorite sci-fi franchises: Harlan Ellison posted:Let me conclude this paean of praise with these thoughts: hating Star Wars and Star Trek is not a difficult chore for me. I recoil from that sophomoric species of creation that excuses its simplistic cliche structure and homage to the transitory (as does does Star Wars) as violently as I do from that which sententiously purports to be deep and intellectual when it is, in fact, superficial self-conscious twaddle (as does Star Trek). Charming. I still remember reading that as a kid and thinking "what is wrong with this guy?"
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Jan 14, 2016 20:23
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They should have just kept trying every year to get him until he was free.
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Jan 14, 2016 20:29
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After The War posted:These are the US versions of the Target novelizations that were put out before the series was widely distributed here. Given that this was possibly someone's first exposure to Doctor Who, there's an "Introduction to the cast of characters" page in each one.
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Jan 14, 2016 20:36
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CobiWann posted:And now we'll never have Alan Rickman making an appearance on the show. The real life Doctor and the real life Master faked their deaths so they can chase each other around the universe some more  Rhyno posted:Could they have afforded him? Had he ever said he liked DW enough to want to be on it? It's not a matter of if they could afford him, it was Alan Rickman's destiny to be the Master and it was foolish of him to fight it for so long. I hope Charles Dance learns his lesson.
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Jan 14, 2016 22:17
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After The War posted:Charming. I still remember reading that as a kid and thinking "what is wrong with this guy?" Which is really everyone's reaction to Harlan Ellison.
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Jan 14, 2016 22:28
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Random Stranger posted:Which is really everyone's reaction to Harlan Ellison. Actually he owns. quote:DID HARLAN REALLY MAIL A DEAD GOPHER TO AN EDITOR? http://harlanellison.com/text/newsfaq.txt
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Jan 15, 2016 00:59
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Stabbatical posted:Actually he owns. See, that makes me hope the publishing company held on to the rights to spite the rear end in a top hat. Throwing a tantrum to get your way shouldn't work. We spend years trying to teach kids that, then years more teaching them that if you call the cable guy a stupid prick he'll give you a refund.
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Jan 15, 2016 01:19
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Random Stranger posted:Which is really everyone's reaction to Harlan Ellison. My "favorite" Harlan Ellison story is that a few years ago he was getting rid of a lot of his books, so he put them up for sale. He did this by posting a catalog online and having his wife take requests over the telephone. In 2010.
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Jan 15, 2016 01:45
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Gaz-L posted:See, that makes me hope the publishing company held on to the rights to spite the rear end in a top hat. Throwing a tantrum to get your way shouldn't work. We spend years trying to teach kids that, then years more teaching them that if you call the cable guy a stupid prick he'll give you a refund. Well the contract stipulated that the rights would revert back to him if they did the thing he did. Throwing a tantrum is a bad thing but he was, legally speaking, right.
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Jan 15, 2016 01:53
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Rochallor posted:My "favorite" Harlan Ellison story is that a few years ago he was getting rid of a lot of his books, so he put them up for sale. He did this by posting a catalog online and having his wife take requests over the telephone. In 2010. He does that every year, usually to raise funds for charity. He sells some awesome stuff, too.
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Jan 15, 2016 02:53
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Cliff Racer posted:Well the contract stipulated that the rights would revert back to him if they did the thing he did. Throwing a tantrum is a bad thing but he was, legally speaking, right. Right. And when you have a contract dispute with your publisher you have your agent deal with it, or your lawyer. You don't send rotting gopher carcases through the mail.
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Jan 15, 2016 03:03
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Harlan Ellison does, which is why he owns.
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Jan 15, 2016 03:40
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2house2fly posted:Harlan Ellison does, which is why he owns. Apparently Night Dive were dreading dealing with him regarding the rights to republishing I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream... only to find out he was all too happy for them to do it.
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Jan 15, 2016 04:28
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2house2fly posted:Harlan Ellison does, which is why he owns. Wow, he put the health of some teenagers in the mail room at risk by mailing rotting meat, and probably didn't bother the guy he was mad at in the slightest, what a badass!
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Jan 15, 2016 04:39
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That is pretty badass.
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Jan 15, 2016 05:45
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my god what have I done
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Jan 15, 2016 05:45
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Gaz-L posted:Wow, he put the health of some teenagers in the mail room at risk by mailing rotting meat, and probably didn't bother the guy he was mad at in the slightest, what a badass! Literally hitler.
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Jan 15, 2016 05:46
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EDIT: Screwed this up. Nevermind.
TL fucked around with this message at 16:50 on Jan 15, 2016 |
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Jan 15, 2016 06:46
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harlan ellison does indeed own https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj5IV23g-fE
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Jan 15, 2016 11:59
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It's missing from his Wikipedia entry (how strange!), but I used to think Harlan Ellison was a harmless (albeit leaning heavily on the cranky) eccentric until he groped Connie Willis onstage at the Hugos in 2006. Now I just think he's a desperately sad old man who shouldn't be allowed out on his own, and no amount of him praising Terrance Dicks in those intros to the US Who novelisations can really change that for me. If I'd known about him sending bricks and dead animals and whatnot through the postal system to people he has a professional disagreement with, then I guess I could have revised my opinion of him even before 2006. The more you know, etc. Also, given the news we've had so far this week, I just checked, and Terrance Dicks is 80. He's still got at least another twenty years with us, right? 
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Jan 15, 2016 13:00
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Terrance Dicks is the pseudonym of half a dozen lisping writers
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Jan 15, 2016 14:38
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pinacotheca posted:It's missing from his Wikipedia entry (how strange!), but I used to think Harlan Ellison was a harmless (albeit leaning heavily on the cranky) eccentric until he groped Connie Willis onstage at the Hugos in 2006. Now I just think he's a desperately sad old man who shouldn't be allowed out on his own, and no amount of him praising Terrance Dicks in those intros to the US Who novelisations can really change that for me. Robert Holmes once wrote that Terrence Dicks ate kippers with vinegar instead of butter, so Dicks must be planning to live to be about 120.
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Jan 15, 2016 14:41
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Davros1 posted:Robert Holmes once wrote that Terrence Dicks ate kippers with vinegar instead of butter, so Dicks must be planning to live to be about 120. Pickled in time!
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Jan 15, 2016 14:44
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Oh, for goodness' sake. The Seeds of Doom for me tonight, then.
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Jan 15, 2016 17:47
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 The SkyPuncher is the first private spaceflight. But Ephraim Salt's visionary project has gone horribly wrong - the ship is falling out of the sky and there seems no way to stop it. Ianto Jones thought the flight would be sabotaged. The only problem is... he's on board. Gareth David-Lloyd is Ianto Jones in Torchwood: Fall to Earth X X X X X Cast Gareth David-Lloyd (Ianto Jones) Lisa Zahra (Zeynep) Written By: James Goss Directed By: Scott Handcock Produced by: James Goss Script edited by: Steve Tribe Trailer - http://www.bigfinish.com/releases/popout/fall-to-earth-1295 X X X X X Torchwood: Fall to Earth, the second in Big Finish's Torchwood line, is an audio worth listening to. A two-hander radio play, Fall to Earth is well written and amazingly acted while making a solid attempt to play on the listener's emotions. Billionaire Ephraim Salt had grand plans for the launch of his new plane, the Skypuncher, packed with celebrities and dignitaries from all walks of life...along with the plane's new bartender, one Ianto Jones, who snuck on board to ensure everything involving Earth's first private spaceflight went off without a hitch. With any initial voyage however, there are a few snags – everyone on board except for Ianto is dead, the flight controls have locked the Skypuncher into a decaying orbit that will cause it to burn up in Earth's atmosphere, and there's a saleswoman on his Smartphone trying to see Ianto a life insurance policy... The first release in the Torchwood line,The Conspiracy, focused solely on Captain Jack Harkness and his discovery of a vast global network known only as “The Committee,” a group of aliens dedicated to stripping Earth of its resources and leave it a barren husk. It was a fine story that suffered from a lot of set-up exposition for the long-term story as well as Jack having to do a few stupid things to advance the plot. Fall to Earth continues the “Committee” arc, as the group has their reasons for hijacking the Skypuncher that are slowly revealed during the course of the story. But the focus of the story is on Ianto Jones and his attempts to survive as the spaceplane plunges towards Earth with the assistance of a plucky telephone saleswoman named Zeynep. The script by James Goss (who has done a TON of script work for Big Finish's various audio lines as well as plenty of short stories, novels, and audiobooks), with an assist from editor Steve Tribe (who has written numerous guidebooks and companions for both Doctor Who and Sherlock) moves very quickly with very little filler. Everything happens for a reason. It could be Zeynep, using her computer's new super search engine abilities to find the Skypuncher's flight manual, telling Ianto how to unlock the plane's autopilot before it crashes into a piece of space debris, with alarms blaring and Ianto yelling for help. It could be a moment of humor as Ianto desperately buys a pet insurance policy so he can stay on the phone a little longer with Zeynep, his only lifeline. It could be a quiet moment as Ianto takes a breather while explaining to Zeynep just why he ended up on the Skypuncher – to do something Jack Harkness would have done instead of just being the guy who fetched coffee and looked good in a suit. And it could be Zeynep realizing just why the Skypuncher has been hijacked and what its final destination truly is. Goss' script deftly mixes humor and moments of tension, both loud and bombastic AND quiet and understated, to tell its story. The only narrative misstep comes with the “zombie” attack. The passengers of the Skypuncher are revealed to have been killed by a poison in their drinks, and apparently the poison causes Ephraim Salt (and just him) to either become a zombie or an Infected and attack Ianto. It provides for a few good moments of shock and humor, but it just feels a bit out of place, unless the poison comes back in a future story. One of the themes for Torchwood, and your mileage may vary on how well it's been pulled off over the years, is “Doctor Who for grownups.” While this has lent itself at time to sex and violence, it's also given moments as the moral dilemma in Children of Earth. Fall to Earth doesn't reach the levels of Children of Earth, but the big moment of truth at the end as well as the emotional lead-up to it is very well done. It's the kind of thing Joseph Lidster would have compressed into 30 seconds, whereas Goss takes all of the secret agent things Ianto had implied throughout the course of the story and lets Zeynep be brutally honest about them. It's some of the best writing and acting I've heard from Big Finish. Having spent the entire script building a relationship between Ianto and Zeynep, the final minutes where Zeynep calls Ianto out on Torchwood and the decisions they've made and the decision Ianto is asking her to make is the payoff to everything that's come before. That moment works thanks to the efforts of the two actors who carry the entirety of Fall to Earth on their shoulders. Gareth David Lloyd played Ianto Jones through two series of Torchwood before dying during the events of Children of Earth. The best way to describe Ianto's contribution to Torchwood was best summed up by Jack Harkness – cleanup, getting the team from Point A to Point B, and looking good in a suit. His presence and screen time would grow over the course of the show, eventually becoming Jack's boyfriend in the second series, but there was always an aura of resentment surrounding Ianto for being “the reliable one.” I believe Fall to Earth takes place between Season 1 and Season 2, as there's a definite sense that Ianto is trying to prove himself to Torchwood, to Jack, and to himself as well. David-Lloyd plays up both the bitterness of Ianto and the fact that, well, he's not a secret agent. He panics time and time again, snapping at his situation and throwing sarcasm in Zeynep's direction. There's no sense of “Ianto Jones, Super Agent” here. It's a character making a very bad decision for a very good reason (keeping an eye on Earth's first private spaceflight) and getting in way over his head. David-Lloyd does a drat good job with it, given the listener a sense of both Ianto's vulnerability but also his dedication to trying to do the right thing...or make the right sacrifice. And on the other side of the phone, Lisa Zahra is an absolute revelation at Zeynep, the insurance saleswoman. Zahra has starred in numerous threatre productions in Wales, and her experience on stage shines through in the audio format. Starting off as a call centre drone desperate to stick to the sales script no matter how crazy the man on the other end of the phone is, Zeynep slowly gets drawn into Ianto's desperate flight. The by-the-numbers “performance” breaks down as we learn more and more about Zeynep, her family, and her life...all punctuated by the fact that she is still on a sales call, and has to deal with her manager, the time spent on the call, and how she has to keep selling Ianto policies to stay on the line with him. The listener becomes invested into the relationship between the pair, hundreds of miles apart, as Zeynep tries to keep Ianto alive. When the tables get turned near the end of the story and it's Ianto's turn to keep Zeynep alive, she doesn't become a damsel in distress. Instead, Zeynep calls Ianto out on what he does, what Torchwood does, and how a single person doesn't matter to them in the long run. It's natural and fits in with how Torchwood's method of operations worked at that time during the show's run. It's Zahra who brings Zeynep to life, and its why her final moments on the phone with Ianto are so gripping. Torchwood: Fall to Earth is 55 minutes of a masterpiece. I listened to it straight through in one sitting, dying to know where the story was going next. If you're a fan of Torchwood, purchasing this audio should be a no-brainer. If you're considering getting into Torchwood, this story is a fine place to start. If you're just a fan of radio plays, then Fall to Earth is definitely worth a listen as its simply a well-done piece of audio. Pros + Fast paced script + Great performances by Gareth David-Lloyd and Lisa Zahra + Moments of levity and tension Cons - The “zombie” Ephraim Salt Cobi's Synopsis – A script laced with humor and tension, backed by two great performances, helps to place the two-hander Fall to Earth as one of the best Torchwood stories ever produced. Next up - Gwen and Rhys are about to discover that Torchwood stays with you for the rest of your life... Eva Myles is Gwen Cooper and Kai Owen is Rhys Williams in...Torchwood: Other Lives
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Jan 15, 2016 18:30
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pinacotheca posted:Oh, for goodness' sake. Good thing I got the DVD from a mysterious stranger!
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Jan 15, 2016 19:23
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MrL_JaKiri posted:Good thing I got the DVD from a mysterious stranger! This wasn't my intention for the Secret Santa at all! No deaths just so there's the perfect gift! 
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Jan 15, 2016 19:34
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Sick at home watching "Terror of the Autons.". Owns so far. Doctor who owns. But I liked Liz.
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Jan 16, 2016 03:22
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CommonShore posted:Sick at home watching "Terror of the Autons.". Owns so far. Doctor who owns. But I liked Liz. Since you're not feeling well, why not have a little sit-down on this comfy plastic chair?
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Jan 16, 2016 06:05
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CommonShore posted:Sick at home watching "Terror of the Autons.". Owns so far. Doctor who owns. But I liked Liz. Pertwee was terrified of working with John; he was a former sailor who did radio comedy, she was a stage actress who had worked with Olivier. Not really related to what you said, just interested
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Jan 16, 2016 10:40
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Caroline John is great and it's a massive shame we only got one season of her.
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Jan 16, 2016 12:03
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CobiWann posted:If you're considering getting into Torchwood, this story is a fine place to start. Well, it's better than some of the other options... 
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Jan 16, 2016 12:31
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Sept: The War Doctor vol 3: Agents of Chaos. Feb, 2017: The War Doctor vol 4: Causalities of War. The man once known as the Doctor is reunited with Leela.
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Jan 16, 2016 15:00
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Davros1 posted:Feb, 2017: The War Doctor vol 4: Causalities of War. The man once known as the Doctor is reunited with Leela.  I'd pay to hear those two read from the phone book.
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Jan 16, 2016 15:06
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After The War posted:I'd pay to hear those two read from the phone book. Agreed. Unrelated:  The internet is a strange, strange place.
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Jan 16, 2016 15:34
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MrL_JaKiri posted:Pertwee was terrified of working with John; he was a former sailor who did radio comedy, she was a stage actress who had worked with Olivier. Sure, he was also cagey about Delgado joining the cast because in his view Delgado was a "proper actor" who intimidated him before they became friends.
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Jan 16, 2016 15:34
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ThaGhettoJew posted:
Shia-as-7 was my Facebook profile pic for a while. It cracks me up.
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Jan 16, 2016 18:04
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Davros1 posted:Sept: The War Doctor vol 3: Agents of Chaos. I hope to God she lectures him about the sanctity of life 
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Jan 16, 2016 21:43
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ThaGhettoJew posted:Agreed. Brandon Bird rules and is a nice guy.
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Jan 16, 2016 23:16
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ThaGhettoJew posted:The internet is a strange, strange place. You mean wonderful place. The internet is a wonderful, wonderful place.
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Jan 16, 2016 23:45
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