Lance Parkin
Encyclopedia
Lance Parkin is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...

, best known for writing fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...

 and reference books for television series, in particular Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...

(and spin-offs
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...

 including the Virgin New Adventures
Virgin New Adventures
The Virgin New Adventures were a series of novels from Virgin Publishing based on the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who...

 and Faction Paradox
Faction Paradox
Faction Paradox is a fictional time travelling cult/rebel group/organized crime syndicate, originally created by the author Lawrence Miles. The Faction's belief-system as portrayed has some similarities to voodoo, and is sometimes described as such...

) and Emmerdale
Emmerdale
Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...

. He also worked on the Emmerdale television series as a production assistant.

Doctor Who

Parkin first became known in Doctor Who fan circles, writing both criticism and fan fiction. His most notable work was for Seventh Door Fanzines, including the novella Snare in the Odyssey series (which he edited for a period) and 1994's The Doctor Who Chronology, a detailed timeline of events in the Doctor Who universe. The Odyssey series later included novellas by Parkin's then-girlfriend Cassandra May and his later protégé Mark Clapham
Mark Clapham
Mark Clapham is a British author, best known for writing fiction and reference books for television series, in particular Doctor Who in his book : Who's Next....

.

Parkin went professional with Just War
Just War (Doctor Who)
Just War is a novel by Lance Parkin from the Virgin New Adventures. The New Adventures were based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...

, published in 1996, for Virgin's New Adventures
Virgin New Adventures
The Virgin New Adventures were a series of novels from Virgin Publishing based on the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who...

 series of original fiction Doctor Who novels. This was rapidly followed by A History of the Universe (a re-working of his Chronology) and a second novel, Cold Fusion
Cold Fusion (Doctor Who)
Cold Fusion is an original novel written by Lance Parkin and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Fifth Doctor, with Adric, Nyssa, and Tegan, immediately after Castrovalva...

, for Virgin's Missing Adventures
Virgin Missing Adventures
The Virgin Missing Adventures were a series of novels from Virgin Publishing based on the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who, which had been cancelled in 1989, featuring stories set between televised episodes of the programme. The novels were published from 1994 to 1997, and...

 series. Parkin proved immediately popular with his readership.

Virgin lost their licence to do Doctor Who fiction and Parkin landed the prestigious job of writing the last New Adventure to feature the character of the Doctor, 1997's The Dying Days
The Dying Days
The Dying Days is an original novel written by Lance Parkin and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was last of that range to feature the Doctor and the only one of that range to feature Paul McGann's Eighth Doctor. Thereafter the series centred around...

. This was also the only Virgin novel to feature the eighth incarnation of the Doctor
Eighth Doctor
The Eighth Doctor is the eighth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by Paul McGann...

, played in the 1996 Doctor Who television movie
Doctor Who (1996)
Doctor Who is a television movie based on the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Developed as a co-production amongst Universal Television, BBC Television, BBC Worldwide, and the American network FOX, the 1996 television film premiered on 12 May 1996 on CITV in Edmonton,...

 by Paul McGann
Paul McGann
Paul McGann is an English actor who made his name on the BBC serial The Monocled Mutineer, in which he played the lead role...

. The Virgin Who books went out of print with the loss of the Doctor Who licence and The Dying Days was one of a number of Virgin books that began to attract vastly inflated second-hand prices. Copies of The Dying Days went for over $100 and still regularly go for over £45. The New Adventures continued without the Doctor Who label and Parkin returned to the series with 1998's Beige Planet Mars, written with Mark Clapham.

Parkin continued writing official Doctor Who prose fiction for BBC Books
BBC Books
BBC Books is an imprint majority owned and managed by Random House. The minority shareholder is BBC Worldwide, the commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation...

, including a number of event books, including the 35th anniversary celebration The Infinity Doctors
The Infinity Doctors
The Infinity Doctors is a BBC Books original novel written by Lance Parkin and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...

. The Dying Days became the first of several Virgin Doctor Who books to be re-worked as e-books for the BBC's Doctor Who website. He wrote the last in BBC series of eighth Doctor novel adventures
Eighth Doctor Adventures
The Eighth Doctor Adventures are a series of spin off novels based on the long running BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who and published under the BBC Books imprint. 73 books were published overall...

, The Gallifrey Chronicles
The Gallifrey Chronicles (2005 novel)
For the John Peel book of the same name, see: The Gallifrey Chronicles The Gallifrey Chronicles is a BBC Books original novel written by Lance Parkin and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...

(2005). In 2006 he updated A History of the Universe for Mad Norwegian with AHistory: An Unauthorized History of the Doctor Who Universe. In June, 2008 it was announced that he would write a New Series Adventures
New Series Adventures (Doctor Who)
The New Series Adventures are a series of novels relating to the long-running BBC science fiction television series, Doctor Who. The 'NSAs', as they are often referred to, are published by BBC Books, and are regularly published in the spring and autumn of each year. Beginning and concluding with...

 novel, The Eyeless
The Eyeless
The Eyeless is a BBC Books original novel written by Lance Parkin and based on the long running science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Tenth Doctor. It was published in December 2008, alongside Beautiful Chaos and The Story of Martha...

, starring the Tenth Doctor
Tenth Doctor
The Tenth Doctor is the tenth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is played by David Tennant, who appears in three series, as well as eight specials...

 alone for release on Boxing Day
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...

 2008.

A trademark of Parkin's Doctor Who novels is the inclusion of a character written as if played by Ian Richardson
Ian Richardson
Ian William Richardson CBE was a Scottish actor best known for his portrayal of the Machiavellian Tory politician Francis Urquhart in the BBC's House of Cards trilogy. He was also a leading Shakespearean stage actor....

, beginning with Oscar Steinmann in Just War. Parkin has said "I’m sure there was a very good reason for that at one point, but if there is, I’ve forgotten it".

Other works

Around 1999, Parkin joined Virgin alumni Rebecca Levene
Rebecca Levene
Rebecca Levene is a British author and editor, best known for editing Virgin's New Adventures series of original fiction Doctor Who novels.-Biography:...

 and Gareth Roberts
Gareth Roberts (writer)
Gareth John Pritchard Roberts is a British television screenwriter and novelist, best known for his work related to the science-fiction television series Doctor Who...

 to work on the production team of television soap Emmerdale
Emmerdale
Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...

, though he also once appeared as an extra in the series. Though he never scripted episodes for television he later wrote both non-fiction (including 30 Years of Emmerdale) and fiction (Mandy's Secret Diary, Their Finest Hour) connected to the series. Since leaving Emmerdale he has not worked for TV but concentrates on books and comics.

Parkin wrote non-fiction as well, including guides to Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...

(Beyond the Final Frontier) and Philip Pullman
Philip Pullman
Philip Pullman CBE, FRSL is an English writer from Norwich. He is the best-selling author of several books, most notably his trilogy of fantasy novels, His Dark Materials, and his fictionalised biography of Jesus, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ...

's His Dark Materials
His Dark Materials
His Dark Materials is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Philip Pullman comprising Northern Lights , The Subtle Knife , and The Amber Spyglass...

series (Dark Matters: An Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to Philip Pullman's 'Dark Materials' Trilogy), both written with long-time friend Mark Jones, and Secret Identities: An Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to Alias
Alias (TV series)
Alias is an American action television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006...

with Mark Clapham
Mark Clapham
Mark Clapham is a British author, best known for writing fiction and reference books for television series, in particular Doctor Who in his book : Who's Next....

.

This was followed by Miranda
Miranda (Doctor Who)
Miranda is a fictional character from the Eighth Doctor Adventures novel series published by BBC Books; based upon the British science fiction television series, Doctor Who. She was, for a time, the adopted daughter and companion of the Eighth Doctor...

, a comic based on a character in his Doctor Who novel Father Time
Father Time (Doctor Who)
Father Time is a BBC Books original novel written by Lance Parkin and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Eighth Doctor and introduces the Doctor's adopted daughter Miranda.-External links:*...

. Published through the small independent company of Comeuppance Comics, it stalled after its third issue, but other comic work followed. Though in 2003 Comeuppance said it hoped to publish the three remaining issues at some point in the future nothing more was heard from them. With her creator's permission Miranda was killed off in the Doctor Who book Sometime Never...
Sometime Never...
Sometime Never... is a BBC Books original novel written by Justin Richards and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...

 by Justin Richards
Justin Richards
Justin Richards is a British writer. He has written science fiction and fantasy novels, including series set in Victorian or early-20th-century London, and also adventure stories set in the present day...

.

Parkin also wrote The Winning Side
The Winning Side
The Winning Side is the first in the series of Time Hunter novellas and features the characters Honoré Lechasseur and Emily Blandish from Daniel O'Mahony's Doctor Who novella The Cabinet of Light...

, the first in the Time Hunter
Time Hunter
The Time Hunter series of books is published by Telos Publishing Ltd. and features the characters Honoré Lechasseur and Emily Blandish from Daniel O'Mahony's Doctor Who novella The Cabinet of Light...

novella series, a spin-off from Telos Publishing
Telos Publishing
Telos Publishing Ltd. is a publishing company, originally established by David J. Howe and Stephen James Walker, with their first publication being a horror anthology based on the television series Urban Gothic in 2001...

's line of official Doctor Who novellas, and Warlords of Utopia
Warlords of Utopia
Warlords of Utopia is an original novel by Lance Parkin set in the Faction Paradox universe. It has been described as 'possibly [Parkin's] finest accomplishment to date'....

, the third in Mad Norwegian Press
Mad Norwegian Press
Mad Norwegian Press is an American publisher of science-fiction guides and novels. The company has worked with authors such as Peter David, Harlan Ellison, Robert Shearman, Lance Parkin, Elizabeth Bear, Mary Robinette Kowal, Seanan McGuire, Jody Lynn Nye, Catherynne M...

's Faction Paradox
Faction Paradox
Faction Paradox is a fictional time travelling cult/rebel group/organized crime syndicate, originally created by the author Lawrence Miles. The Faction's belief-system as portrayed has some similarities to voodoo, and is sometimes described as such...

series of novels.

Parkin has a regular column, "Beige Planet Lance" in the Doctor Who fanzine
Fanzine
A fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...

 Enlightenment, which is published by the Doctor Who Information Network.

Parkin has written the ashcan
Ashcan copy
An ashcan copy is a term that originated in the Golden Age of Comic Books, meant to describe a publication produced solely for legal purposes , and not normally intended for distribution.-Origins:...

 issue of a new comic book series created by Danish comics creator Hans Christian Vang, based upon The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is a short story by Washington Irving contained in his collection The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., written while he was living in Birmingham, England, and first published in 1820...

, which was published in 2011.

Doctor Who and related works

  • Virgin New Adventures
    Virgin New Adventures
    The Virgin New Adventures were a series of novels from Virgin Publishing based on the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who...

    /Virgin Missing Adventures
    Virgin Missing Adventures
    The Virgin Missing Adventures were a series of novels from Virgin Publishing based on the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who, which had been cancelled in 1989, featuring stories set between televised episodes of the programme. The novels were published from 1994 to 1997, and...

    :
    • Just War
      Just War (Doctor Who)
      Just War is a novel by Lance Parkin from the Virgin New Adventures. The New Adventures were based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...

      (1996; featuring the Seventh Doctor)
    • Cold Fusion
      Cold Fusion (Doctor Who)
      Cold Fusion is an original novel written by Lance Parkin and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Fifth Doctor, with Adric, Nyssa, and Tegan, immediately after Castrovalva...

      (1996; featuring the Fifth and Seventh Doctors)
    • The Dying Days
      The Dying Days
      The Dying Days is an original novel written by Lance Parkin and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was last of that range to feature the Doctor and the only one of that range to feature Paul McGann's Eighth Doctor. Thereafter the series centred around...

      (1997; featuring the Eighth Doctor)
    • Beige Planet Mars
      Beige Planet Mars
      Beige Planet Mars is an original novel by Lance Parkin and Mark Clapham featuring the fictional archaeologist Bernice Summerfield. The New Adventures were a spin-off from the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who....

      (with Mark Clapham
      Mark Clapham
      Mark Clapham is a British author, best known for writing fiction and reference books for television series, in particular Doctor Who in his book : Who's Next....

      , 1998; featuring Bernice Summerfield
      Bernice Summerfield
      Bernice Surprise Summerfield is a fictional character created by author Paul Cornell as a new companion of the Seventh Doctor in Virgin Publishing's range of original full-length Doctor Who novels, the New Adventures...

      )
  • BBC Books
    BBC Books
    BBC Books is an imprint majority owned and managed by Random House. The minority shareholder is BBC Worldwide, the commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation...

    ' Doctor Who series:
    • The Infinity Doctors
      The Infinity Doctors
      The Infinity Doctors is a BBC Books original novel written by Lance Parkin and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...

      (1998; featuring an unspecified Doctor)
    • Father Time
      Father Time (Doctor Who)
      Father Time is a BBC Books original novel written by Lance Parkin and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Eighth Doctor and introduces the Doctor's adopted daughter Miranda.-External links:*...

      (2001; featuring the Eighth Doctor)
    • Trading Futures
      Trading Futures
      Trading Futures is a BBC Books original novel written by Lance Parkin and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Eighth Doctor, Fitz and Anji...

      (2002; featuring the Eighth Doctor)
    • The Gallifrey Chronicles
      The Gallifrey Chronicles (2005 novel)
      For the John Peel book of the same name, see: The Gallifrey Chronicles The Gallifrey Chronicles is a BBC Books original novel written by Lance Parkin and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...

      (2005; the last novel in the regular series featuring the Eighth Doctor)
    • The Eyeless
      The Eyeless
      The Eyeless is a BBC Books original novel written by Lance Parkin and based on the long running science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Tenth Doctor. It was published in December 2008, alongside Beautiful Chaos and The Story of Martha...

      (December 2008; featuring the Tenth Doctor)
  • Big Finish Productions
    Big Finish Productions
    Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and audio plays based, primarily, on cult British science fiction properties...

    :
    • Just War
      Just War (Doctor Who)
      Just War is a novel by Lance Parkin from the Virgin New Adventures. The New Adventures were based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...

      (1999; Bernice Summerfield audio by Jacqueline Rayner
      Jacqueline Rayner
      Jacqueline Rayner is a best selling British author, best known for her work with the licensed fiction based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who....

      , based on the novel by Lance Parkin)
    • The Extinction Event
      The Extinction Event
      The Extinction Event is a Big Finish Productions audio drama featuring Lisa Bowerman as Bernice Summerfield, a character from the spin-off media based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.- Plot :...

      (2001; Bernice Summerfield audio)
    • Primeval
      Primeval (Doctor Who audio)
      Primeval is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.-Plot:When Nyssa's psychic abilities threaten her life, the Doctor takes her to ancient Traken...

      (2001; Doctor Who audio featuring the Fifth Doctor)
    • Davros
      Davros (Doctor Who audio)
      Davros is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.-Plot:...

      (2003; Doctor Who audio featuring the Sixth Doctor)
    • The Big Hunt
      The Big Hunt
      The Big Hunt is a novel by Lance Parkin, featuring Bernice Summerfield, a character from the spin-off media based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.-Synopsis:...

      (2004; Bernice Summerfield novel)
    • I, Davros: Corruption
      I, Davros: Corruption
      I, Davros: Corruption is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It stars Terry Molloy reprising his role as Davros, the twisted creator of the Dalek race...

      (2006; third title in I, Davros audio miniseries)
  • Other Doctor Who related works:
    • A History of the Universe (1996; reference book published by Virgin)
    • The Winning Side
      The Winning Side
      The Winning Side is the first in the series of Time Hunter novellas and features the characters Honoré Lechasseur and Emily Blandish from Daniel O'Mahony's Doctor Who novella The Cabinet of Light...

      (2003; Telos Publishing
      Telos Publishing
      Telos Publishing Ltd. is a publishing company, originally established by David J. Howe and Stephen James Walker, with their first publication being a horror anthology based on the television series Urban Gothic in 2001...

       Time Hunter
      Time Hunter
      The Time Hunter series of books is published by Telos Publishing Ltd. and features the characters Honoré Lechasseur and Emily Blandish from Daniel O'Mahony's Doctor Who novella The Cabinet of Light...

      novella)
    • Warlords of Utopia
      Warlords of Utopia
      Warlords of Utopia is an original novel by Lance Parkin set in the Faction Paradox universe. It has been described as 'possibly [Parkin's] finest accomplishment to date'....

      (2004; Mad Norwegian Press
      Mad Norwegian Press
      Mad Norwegian Press is an American publisher of science-fiction guides and novels. The company has worked with authors such as Peter David, Harlan Ellison, Robert Shearman, Lance Parkin, Elizabeth Bear, Mary Robinette Kowal, Seanan McGuire, Jody Lynn Nye, Catherynne M...

       Faction Paradox
      Faction Paradox
      Faction Paradox is a fictional time travelling cult/rebel group/organized crime syndicate, originally created by the author Lawrence Miles. The Faction's belief-system as portrayed has some similarities to voodoo, and is sometimes described as such...

      novel)
    • AHistory: An Unofficial History of the Doctor Who Universe (2006; revised and vastly expanded version of A History of the Universe; Mad Norwegian Press)

Other works

  • Emmerdale
    Emmerdale
    Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...

    : Their Finest Hour
    (2001; novel)
  • Alan Moore
    Alan Moore
    Alan Oswald Moore is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell...

     (Pocket Essentials: Comics)
    (2001)
  • 30 Years of Emmerdale (2002; reference work)
  • Beyond the Final Frontier (with Mark Jones, 2003; unauthorised guide to Star Trek)
  • Secret Identities: An Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to Alias
    Alias (TV series)
    Alias is an American action television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006...

    (with Mark Clapham
    Mark Clapham
    Mark Clapham is a British author, best known for writing fiction and reference books for television series, in particular Doctor Who in his book : Who's Next....

    , 2003)
  • Dark Matters: The Unofficial and Unauthorised to Philip Pullman
    Philip Pullman
    Philip Pullman CBE, FRSL is an English writer from Norwich. He is the best-selling author of several books, most notably his trilogy of fantasy novels, His Dark Materials, and his fictionalised biography of Jesus, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ...

    's International Bestselling 'His Dark Materials
    His Dark Materials
    His Dark Materials is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Philip Pullman comprising Northern Lights , The Subtle Knife , and The Amber Spyglass...

    ' Trilogy
    (with Mark Jones, 2007)
  • The Prisoner: The Other (planned, no release date set; novel based upon the TV series The Prisoner
    The Prisoner
    The Prisoner is a 17-episode British television series first broadcast in the UK from 29 September 1967 to 1 February 1968. Starring and co-created by Patrick McGoohan, it combined spy fiction with elements of science fiction, allegory and psychological drama.The series follows a British former...

    )

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK