Chicks Unravel Time: Women Journey Through Every Season of Doctor Who ebook

by L.M. Myles

This book is a good one because it well obeys my cardinal rule of writing about any TV series: it comes from a place of love

Chicks Unravel Time book. The sister book to the 2011 Hugo Award-winning Chicks Dig Time. Myles bring together a host of award-winning female writers, media professionals and scientists to examine each season of new and classicDoctor Who from their unique perspectives.

This is a work of non-fiction. Unlike other fictional universes, the Doctor Who universe is created solely by fiction. To us, this is not a valid source

This is a work of non-fiction. To us, this is not a valid source. Information from this source can only be used in "behind the scenes" sections, or on pages about real world topics. Myles, in which several female writers discuss every season of Doctor Who.

Myles bring together a host of award-winning female writers, media professionals and scientists to examine each season of new and classic Doctor Who from their unique perspectives. Diana Gabaldon discusses how Jamie McCrimmon inspired her best-selling Outlander series, and Barbara Hambly (Benjamin January Mysteries) examines the delicate balance of rebooting a TV show.

In Chicks Unravel Time, a sister book to the Hugo Award-winning Chicks Dig Time Lords, a host of award-winning female writers, media professionals, and scientists to examine each season of new and classic Doctor Who. Contributors to this essay collection include Diana Gabaldon. Contributors to this essay collection include Diana Gabaldon (Outlander), Barbara Hambly, Seanan McGuire, Juliet McKenna, Tansy Rayner Roberts, Sarah Lotz, Martha Wells, Joan Frances Turner,Rachel Swirsky, Aliette de Bodard, and Amal El-Mohtar.

Women Journey Through Every Season of Doctor Wh. Thank you to everyone who voted for and supported Chicks Unravel Time. We are so incredibly pleased to have been nominated for a Hugo Award in the Best Related Works category. A special thank you to all of our fabulous contributors who made this project a success. We, literally, would not be here without you! lonestarcon3.

Together, let's build an Open Library for the World.

Myles (Mad Norwegian Press)

Myles bring together a host of award-winning female writers, media professionals, scientists and more to examine each season of new and classic Doctor Who from their unique perspectives. Diana Gabaldon discusses how Jamie McCrimmon inspired her best-selling Outlander series, and Barbara Hambly (the Benjamin January Mysteries, Star Wars: Children of the Jedi) examines the delicate balance of rebooting a series.

The sister book to the 2011 Hugo Award-winning Chicks Dig Time Lords In Chicks Unravel Time, editors Deborah Stanish (Whedonistas) and L.M. Myles bring together a host of award-winning female writers, media professionals, scientists and more to examine each season of new and classic Doctor Who from their unique perspectives. Diana Gabaldon discusses how Jamie McCrimmon inspired her best-selling Outlander series, and Barbara Hambly (the Benjamin January Mysteries, Star Wars: Children of the Jedi) examines the delicate balance of rebooting a series. Seanan McGuire (the Toby Daye series, Discount Armageddon) reveals the power and pain of waiting in Series Five, and Una McCormack (The King's Dragon) defends her claim that Sylvester McCoy's final year of Doctor Who is the show's best season ever. Other contributors include Juliet E. McKenna (Einarrin series), Tansy Rayner Roberts (Power and Majesty), Sarah Lotz (The Mall, Exhibit A), Martha Wells (The Cloud Roads), Joan Frances Turner (Dust), Rachel Swirsky (Fields of Gold), Aliette de Bodard (Obsidian and Blood series) and Amal El-Mohtar (The Honey Month).

Whitescar

This book is a good one because it well obeys my cardinal rule of writing about any TV series: it comes from a place of love. I get that there will be people who will not like certain aspects of Doctor Who or certain episodes. The show's been on too long for every episode to be genius. But both praise and bashing should come from an underlying appreciation of the show or, at the very least, the genre and medium. Too often when I read books like this I end up wondering whether the writers--supposed "fans"--even like the Doctor Who at all. There is no wondering that here. It is clear that every one of these writers is a fan, even when there are criticisms to make.

Of course, the "hook" of this volume is that the essays are all written by women. This does not lead to as many unique insights as one might expect but I did enjoy the varying analysis of the different female companions which comes up quite often here, as one would expect. There seemed to be a recognition of the fact that, for all the series is criticized for weak women, many of the companions are quite strong--Barbara, Liz, Sarah Jane, and Romana, to name a few. It may be the loss of stronger female that hurt the series in the eighties as Jennifer Pelland's excellent essay "The Problem with Peri" makes one think. But it's not all female companions. I also found Kelly Hale's essay on the TV movie to be top notch. Her argument that the TV movie despite its weaknesses and lack of success eventually led to the reboot of the series because of the novels and audio stories it inspired is compelling.

What is less compelling is the non-sequential ordering of the essays. Despite the "timey-wimey" argument for randomness made in the introduction, I did not find the argument or the ordering useful. Telling me I can flip around and read them in order if I want to is not much of a useful suggestion either, in my estimation. I think our editors would have been better off to take us through the journey of the show.

Still, these are quibbles. This is a strong collection of essays. Each one covers an entire season of the show in a manageable length, keeping the entire book manageable. It is a pleasure to read.

Winn

The folks at Mad Norwegian have done it again in this sequel to CHICKS DIG TIME LORDS. In this entry, thirty five women each tackle a season of Doctor Who, writing about diverse topics such as objection to the character of Peri, David Tennant's charisma, defense of Colin Baker's Doctor, appreciations of Patrick Troughton and Tom Baker, contrasts of the Doctor and the Master, and a chat about the unappreciated Liz Shaw. Diana Gabeldon talks about how companion Jamie MacCrimmon inspired her own Jamie in the "Outlander" series. Joan Turner examines how Barbara Wright tried to "right" history and save civilizations. Aliette de Bodard discusses racism in Season 14, especially in "Talons of Weng-Chiang." Laura McCullough reacts with pleasure to the science that crept into Season 18. Kelly Hale defends the television movie for giving us Paul McGann, who carried on in his own audio season.

Whether you're a new series fan or an old series fan, you will find something here to please you: discussions of feminism, character, companions. If you've only seen the new series, the essays about the classic episodes may lead you to new experiences as you look up those videos as well.

[Did get a chuckle out of the reference to the cut of David Tennant's "gib." I think they meant "jib." Evidently either the author or the proofreader isn't familiar with sailing.]

godlike

The essays in this book, all by female fans of Doctor Whok, is a "must-have-and-read" book for **every** Doctor Who fan.

I have been a long-time fan of Doctor Who, since before the re-boot. Amongst all the books that analyze Doctor Who philosophy, time travel science, Episode guides, lost episodes, etc, it is ever so refreshing to see heartfelt and well-thought out analyses of episodes and Doctors, their significance and relevance.

As a female fan who is not particularly adept at searching out need for more feminist themes anywhere in literature, I confess one of my favorite essays was by K. Tempest Bradford, regarding the lack of female characters throughout DW (other than companions.) I also highlight Diana Gabaldon, explaining that Jamie McCrimmon was her inspiration for her Outlander novels. But highlighting those two out of the 24 essays does the entire book and all its contributors a great disservice.

I am not saying that readers would agree with every opinion and insight in the book. But it is definitely a book that could be the center of many panel discussions, especially as Doctor Who moves further and farther into the television future, with hopefully new companions and eventually perhaps new Doctors.

Oh, just buy the book for yourself. Give it to your fandom friends. Think about what the ideas held within it. And go re-watch Classic Doctor Who and see if you maybe agree with some of the essays after all.

Marie P.

Braendo

The "Chicks Unravel Time" collection is the companion (see what I did there?) volume to the earlier "Chicks Dig Time Lords", and fills a similar purpose: Female writers and fans expressing their love for Doctor Who in all of its' forms. But "Unravel" takes it a step forward, focusing on each era of the nearly 50 year old series - even the TV movie - with each contributor celebrating the triumphs and willingly dissecting the flaws. Nothing is whitewashed, and the series' often problematic relationships with gender and the role of women in the show are given an honest discussion.

It's a fantastic piece for the Dr. Who fan, and a perfect Christmas gift.

JoJogar

This is a dellightful colection of essays by fans of Doctor Who. It's not exclusively female-centered; I think any fan would enjoy reading these writers' thoughts on the whole 50 years of the Doctor's sojourn.

blac wolf

Looking forward to seeing more from this show over this 50th year in e-book form. I'm looking forward to reading it again and again. They picked some of my favorite authors to contribute.