Who-ology

If you've ever wondered what the galactic coordinates are to Gallifrey, or if you need to beef up your knowledge of sonic screwdrivers, or if you want to discover 40 different methods for destroying a Dalek, "Doctor Who: Who-ology" is the book for you. Coined as the "official miscellany" for the Doctor Who television series, readers will enjoy 384 pages full of cool factoids, tidbits, and nuggets to enhance their Doctor Who trivia knowledge base.

Authors Cavan Scott (also of Judge Dredd fame) and Mark Wright (regular contributor to Doctor Who Magazine) have invested an extensive amount of hours to compile a large collection information regarding not only the on-screen adventures of the ubiquitous Time Lord, but also intriguing behind-the-scenes production facts of the most successful and longest-running science fiction television series in the world.

Readers can expect to be treated with rich character summaries, important show timelines, episode listings, and informative actor biographies, including a rundown of the eleven men that have represented different iterations of the Doctor since the show began back in 1963.

The book does not disappoint visually either; it is presented in a nice hardback volume with an eye-catching full-color cover (courtesy of Lee Binding) and its pages are aptly illustrated by veteran Dr. Who Magazine artist Ben Morris. The stylized and simple images created by Morris provide a worthy balance to the informative text, and they aid in presenting a cohesive visual theme to the entire book.

I love the way the book is organized in a manner so that you can choose to dip into different sections or simply read straight through, "Who-ology" is fit for anyone who would want to be properly introduced or immersed into Who culture.

If you want to deepen your knowledge of the 11 different lives of the good Doctor as well as all of the monsters and companions he has encountered (and, in some cases, "snogged") along the way, "Who-ology" does not fail to deliver.

Jam-packed with captivating facts, figures, stories, and illustrations, you'll be able to instantly hold your own in any conversation about Trenzalore, Zygons, Silurians, elements of the TARDIS, or UNIT call signs. "Doctor Who: Who-ology" presents several key charts, tables and timelines to help you understand the incomparable journey of the universe's most famous time traveler.

For me, anyone who is interested in the show (or science fiction television in general) needs to have this book in their collection. This impressive tome can be enjoyed by all ages as a fun collection of Doctor Who trivia, worthy to be included in the library of every serious Doctor Who enthusiast.

Readers in the US may be wondering how we can review a book which is not due for release in the US until 11th June 2013!

As a dedicated Doctor Who Fan it was in the post to me here in the UK as soon as it was available here.

If you are in the UK and have still not bought yourself a copy or dropped subtle hints about it being the perfect gift for you then you can get your copy here:  Who-ology