The Doctor is back – with a new face, a new companion, and brand-new adventures. The hit show returns to BBC1 on Saturday 11th May for the first series of a new era, with Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson taking over the reins of the TARDIS as the Fifteenth Doctor and companion Ruby Sunday, respectively.
Doctor Who
And the adventures aren’t confined to our TV screens. The Doctor’s universe is vast, complicated and exciting – and there are plenty of novels about our favourite Time Lord to get lost in. Or, if you’re more of a fact and trivia fan, you can dive into a range of non-fiction books exploring the Whoniverse. There are also a fair few classic science-fiction books that have inspired the show's storylines, which will have you feeling like a time-travelling pro.
So, when you feel like swapping your sonic screwdriver and psychic paper for the pages of an absorbing book, here are our top reads for any fan of Doctor Who :
Must-read Doctor Who books
Get to know the Fifteenth Doctor and his companion Ruby Sunday with Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson’s novelisation of the 2023 Christmas Special episode. When Ruby Sunday starts to experience undeniably bad luck, she meets the Doctor – and her world is turned upside down. In their first adventure together, the pair must fend off Goblins that are the culprits behind Ruby’s ill-fated life events. If you’re looking for your first Doctor Who read, this book is for you.
Conversely, why not travel back to the beginning of New Who with the novelisation of Rose ? Written by showrunner Russell T Davies, this book is the perfect introduction to what Doctor Who is all about. It tells the legendary story of how the Doctor and Rose Tyler were brought together, complete with deranged shop-window mannequins, a stranger on a mission, and an unlikely friendship. After watching her place of work explode, Rose Tyler is tasked with helping her mysterious new friend save the world from an alien threat, in an adventure that brings Doctor Who firmly into the 21st Century.
If you’re inspired by the Doctor’s time and space travels, you’ll know that the Whoniverse is full of wisdom and life lessons. The Daily Doctor is the perfect read for anyone who wants to live like the Doctor – with the help of quotes and musings for every day of the year. Doctor Who was born to be an educational show, and 60 years on, there are lessons of love, hope and optimism that viewers of any age can glean from the series. Delve into the pages of The Daily Doctor to incorporate the show’s magical wisdom into your own life.
Famed author Naomi Alderman contributed to the Doctor Who universe with electrifying results, making this a must for any Who fan’s to-read pile. In 2011, just a few years before publishing her hit sci-fi book The Power , she became the first Jewish woman to write a licensed Doctor Who book. Borrowed Time tells the story of Andrew Brown, a man who never seems to have enough time. Luckily, there’s a business for that, and he can borrow some at a reasonable interest rate. Sounds too good to be true, right? The Eleventh Doctor, Amy and Rory discover all is not as it seems as they race against the clock to save the day.
Want to know just about everything about the Doctor’s adventures? Whotopia delves into the characters, monsters, planets, and stories that make up the vast Whoniverse. Hear from companions, creatures and friends about their history, or explore the tech of the Doctor’s world – including spaceships, gadgets and robots. Whether you’re a dedicated fan or an eager newcomer, this is the perfect, all-encompassing read about the last 60 years of Doctor Who history.
From Rose Tyler to Agatha Christie, this is a true love letter to the female companions, friends, and even enemies and villains throughout show’s history. Expect beautiful illustrations and inspiring stories celebrating the strong, fascinating, and complex female characters who have always been the beating heart(s) of Doctor Who . The TARDIS is for everyone, and you’ll be amazed at the impact these brilliant women have had on the Doctor’s adventures. For those looking for a collection of tales to dip in and out of, this is the perfect Who read.
Sci-fi books to read if you love Doctor Who
In The Haunting of Villa Diodati (2020), the Doctor and her friends land in 1816, where they meet Mary Shelley just as she finds the inspiration for her novel Frankenstein (a series of creepy apparitions and paranormal events that turn out to be the work of a half-converted Cyberman). Frankenstein is widely known as the first modern science-fiction novel, telling the story of Victor Frankenstein, a man who uses dead bodies and electricity to create a horrific, reanimated creature – not unlike the humans who are "upgraded" to Cybermen in the Whoniverse. The book is a must-read for sci-fi lovers and has doubtless been a source of inspiration for Doctor Who over the years.
Written while Douglas Adams was script-editing on Doctor Who , The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy tells the story of Arthur Dent – the last surviving man following the destruction of Earth. Rescued from the demolition by Ford Prefect, an alien writer for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the novel follows their comedic adventures, with a further four books spanning the series. Adams wrote the Doctor Who television stories The Pirate Planet and Shada , and co-wrote the much-loved 1979 serial City of Death . His sci-fi comedy universe carries echoes of his contributions to Doctor Who , making this a great read for anyone looking for similar adventures through space.
Cited as inspiration for Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat during his time on the show, The Time Traveler’s Wife is perfect for fans of "timey-wimey" plots. Primarily a romance novel, it tells the story of Henry, a man with a condition that causes him to randomly time-travel as he gets pulled suddenly into his future or past. His wife, Clare, must deal with his absences and unpredictability, with heart-wrenching consequences.
A few of Doctor Who’s storylines have echoed themes of the novel, including the 2006 episode The Girl in the Fireplace and the ongoing relationship between the Doctor and River Song, who meet back-to-front and out of order throughout the series.
