Launched earlier this year as part of the new Ladybird Expert series, Battle of Britain is an accessible, insightful and authoritative account of the most famous aerial battle in history – featuring stunning art by “Johnny Red” artist Keith Burns…. Read More ›
Books
Cartoonists, writers all reveal “The Secret Life of the Pencil”
The Secret Life of The Pencil was published last week – a hardbound book of super-close-up photos of pencils! Before you start wondering if this is another example of University researchers getting money to engage in crazy studies, it’s not… Read More ›
Join Bram Stoker’s great grand-nephew for a literary fright night at Northumbria University
Dacre Stoker, the best-selling co-author of Dracula the Un-Dead, the official Stoker family endorsed sequel to Dracula, due for Release next year, is set to appear at Northumbria University next week. In his free public lecture, Stoker on Stoker, author… Read More ›
Crowdfunding Spotlight: cyberpunkdreams by Rob Chant
cyberpunkdreams is a great-looking dystopian world project, encompassing several different media including an illustrated collection of short stories that has already achieved its £4000 Kickstarter target, conceived by Cambridge-based author cyberpunk author Rob Chant. It’s a project by Late Night Games,… Read More ›
Gateway, the SF novels that inspired Marvel UK’s “Warheads”, comes to TV
The NBCUniversal-owned cable network owned Syfy has announced it is developing Frederik Pohl‘s award-winning best-seller Gateway as a series, novels that once inspired comic creator Paul Neary while he was developing Marvel UK’s Warheads back in the 1990s. First announced… Read More ›
In Review: Binary System by Eric Brown
By Eric Brown Publisher: Solaris (Rebellion) Out: Now The Book: After surviving a catastrophic starship blow-out, Delia Kemp finds herself stranded on the inhospitable, ice-bound world of Valinda, populated by the Skelt, a race of hostile aliens who will stop… Read More ›
WebFind: Meet the Spook Squad – Adventures Too Scary for Boys!
Meet the Spook Squad – Adventures Too Scary for Boys – an irresistible concept that applies to animation, toys, games, books and a wealth of potential merchandising opportunities. And, perhaps, comics too? The action is led by four feisty girls… Read More ›
“Doctor Who”? No, it’s “Doctor Men”! New Mr Men-inspired figures revealed
The new Doctor may be female – and there’s no knocking that here on downthetubes. But Doctor Who‘s men still rule the roost for a new range of Dr Men figures that will be distributed in the UK by RP2 Global,… Read More ›
Sneak Peek: Definitive “Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons: The Vault” book in the works, out in October
Following 2015’s hugely successful in-depth book Thunderbirds: The Vault by Marcus Hearn, author Chris Bentley has written Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons: The Vault, which will be published in October by Signum Books. Lavishly illustrated, judging from the teaser images released… Read More ›
In Review: Women Who Kill, illustrated by Sarah Tanat-Jones
By Sarah Tanat-Jones Publisher: Cicada Books Out: Now The Book: There is nothing more shocking or fascinating than the story of a homicidal woman. We are told that violence is a man’s domain – that a woman is pre-programmed to nurture and… Read More ›
Revealed – Untold Dalek History, in… DALEK! (What else could you call it?)
Comics author Cavan Scott (Doctor Who, Vikings) has revealed some details about DALEK, an untold history of the Doctor’s greatest foes, due for release from BBC Books later this year, co-written with George Mann and Justin Richards. “The book is… Read More ›
That’s Novel! Turn your house into a vintage library for a snip, thanks to Décor Books
Décor Books is a brand new website offering a collection of high quality modern and vintage books for interiors – sold by the metre from just £29. The site is the brainchild of Lauren Giles, who has a long-standing love… Read More ›
Dinosaur are Forever – TASCHEN’s new “Paleoart” book released
TASCHEN’s stunning-looking new book Paleoart: Visions of the Historic Past, featuring a wide range of gorgeous dinosaur and prehistoric animal-inspired visuals, has just been released. And yes, it’s not cheap at £75, but it looks absolutely gorgeous! It was 1830… Read More ›
Raymond Briggs graphic novels among British children’s favourite book in new poll
Two graphic novels by Raymond Briggs are in the Top 15 of a list of 20th century children’s books which are still being read today, in a new poll commissioned by the CILIP Carnegie & Kate Greenaway Medals. Top honours… Read More ›
“Into the Unknown”, the life story of “Quatermass” creator Nigel Kneale, gets updated re-release
As writer of the legendary Quatermass television serials and a string of unforgettable TV plays, Nigel Kneale is one of British popular culture’s most influential figures. Fully revised and updated, a new edition of Into the Unknown by Andy Murray… Read More ›
In Review: Sydney Newman – The Man Who Thought Outside the Box
By Ryan Danes Publisher: eye-imagine-digitalentropy Out: Now The Book: Exactly where did the idea of Doctor Who come from? What did Canadian Sydney Newman do that changed British culture forever? We can trace the show’s origins back to a BBC report on… Read More ›
Locus Award Finalists 2017 include MR Carey, Paul Cornell, Jo Walton
The Locus Science Fiction Foundation has announced the top ten finalists in each category of the 2017 Locus Awards. They include numerous British creators such as Stephen Baxter, MR Carey, Paul Cornell, Dermot Power, Alistair Reynolds, Charles Stross and Jo… Read More ›
Spectrum is Indestructible: a new Captain Scarlet book will include comic strip guides
Regular readers of downthetubes will recall we reported in 2016 that Chinbeard Books is to publish an unofficial guide to Gerry Anderson’s Captain Scarlet later this year, marking the character’s 50th anniversary since his debut on ITV. Spectrum is Indestructible… Read More ›
Explore the SF and Fantasy art of Patrick J. Jones
Back in 2009, I edited SciFi Art Now, a compendium of great art with a foreword from one of my favourite all-time SF artists Chris Foss. One of the artists who responded to my international appeal for art to be… Read More ›
Coming Soon: Dazzle Ships and the Art of Confusion
If you’re a fan of Commando comics, then you may want to check out Dazzle Ships: World War One and the Art of Confusion, out later this year. Yes, it’s nonfiction – but there is a comics connection. Written by… Read More ›