Count Down to Doctor Who

This August brings with it a new season of the  BBC cult hit show Doctor Who, and while it is just around the corner, it still feels like an eternity to wait. Although I never get sick of rewatching past seasons, there are some other thing I can do to pass the time until my favorite show is back. Fill your July with these Doctor Who-related materials.

During his prolific career, Douglas Adams wrote three Doctor Who scripts. Two of them made it to the screen, but the third never aired. We can now read a novelized version of that last Doctor Who script, "Shada the Lost Adventure."  It is the perfect book to check out while we wait for season eight to begin. There are actually several great Doctor Who novels written over the years. Many of them are available as audiobooks; listening to them is a great way to get to know this British institution.

Neil Gaiman has written two fantastic Doctor Who episodes, but as many know he also has written some pretty great novels, including Neverwhere, which had a successful run as our spring 2011 One Book, One Chicago selection. The novel was based on his script for a BBC miniseries that is a lot of fun to watch. Other Gaiman works available as novels as well as films are Coraline and Stardust.

Did you watch the fan favorite Doctor Who episode "Blink?"  Did you instantly become a fan of  Carey Mulligan?  If so, watch her more recent work; it’s not SciFi but it’s still good. Check out her newest, Inside Llewyn Davis, or watch The Great Gatsby or Drive.