Now We Are Six Hundred
Sep. 27th, 2017 04:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shivverYes, I realize this is old news, but I got my copy of Now We Are Six Hundred in the mail last night and enjoyed it so much I had to talk about it.
Now We Are Six Hundred is a book of Doctor Who children's poetry, though there's plenty in it for adults. It's written by James Goss, who wrote Dead Air (which you might remember me gushing about as the best DW audio book ever [but not audio play; that's a different beastie altogether]) and "Death and the Queen", my favorite of the Tenth Doctor Adventures vol. 1. The book is illustrated by none other than RTD himself, and I must say, he is an incredible cartoon artist. Some people are just so talented.
The book is fashioned after Now We Are Six, a book of children's poetry by A. A. Milne, and many of the poems copy the style/meter of the poems in that book, while others copy other poems or are completely original. The pieces are all different: there are some about specific people, some about specific episodes, some about eras, some about concepts or themes... All kinds of things. They tend to be sweet or funny, but there are some serious and heartrending pieces as well.
The poems also cover the entire history of DW; for example, there's one specifically about the Second Doctor's adventures with Jamie and Zoe, and even Adric got a poem. The modern DW poems focus more on the first four seasons than on the latter six, even though, as far as I can tell from interviews on the web, RTD didn't have input on the content of the poems.
In general, it's a fun read. The overall feeling is whimsical, but there are some gems of real meat in there (hm, that metaphor really didn't work, but I'm leaving it in because it's horridly silly). To whet your appetite, here are photos of the first poem. Enjoy!
Now We Are Six Hundred is a book of Doctor Who children's poetry, though there's plenty in it for adults. It's written by James Goss, who wrote Dead Air (which you might remember me gushing about as the best DW audio book ever [but not audio play; that's a different beastie altogether]) and "Death and the Queen", my favorite of the Tenth Doctor Adventures vol. 1. The book is illustrated by none other than RTD himself, and I must say, he is an incredible cartoon artist. Some people are just so talented.
The book is fashioned after Now We Are Six, a book of children's poetry by A. A. Milne, and many of the poems copy the style/meter of the poems in that book, while others copy other poems or are completely original. The pieces are all different: there are some about specific people, some about specific episodes, some about eras, some about concepts or themes... All kinds of things. They tend to be sweet or funny, but there are some serious and heartrending pieces as well.
The poems also cover the entire history of DW; for example, there's one specifically about the Second Doctor's adventures with Jamie and Zoe, and even Adric got a poem. The modern DW poems focus more on the first four seasons than on the latter six, even though, as far as I can tell from interviews on the web, RTD didn't have input on the content of the poems.
In general, it's a fun read. The overall feeling is whimsical, but there are some gems of real meat in there (hm, that metaphor really didn't work, but I'm leaving it in because it's horridly silly). To whet your appetite, here are photos of the first poem. Enjoy!
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no subject
Date: 2017-09-28 04:13 am (UTC)“Trudges off to Amazon to buy another amazing book I don’t have time to read.”
You’re right, the illustrations are amazing! If I ever meet RTD, I want him to draw himself as the Doctor, saying “Quel formage, Davros!”
no subject
Date: 2017-10-01 09:05 pm (UTC)And yes, I want to see that drawing! You must make him draw that!
no subject
Date: 2017-09-28 02:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-09-28 02:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-09-28 05:12 pm (UTC)Oh, I love RTD's Ten! He's so skinny, and look at that hero coat! I can't stop looking at him. And Four. And everyone else. I loved RTD's drawings in "The Writer's Tale", and it's mostly the pictures I'd like to see from this book. Are you saying there's something to read for adults as well? I hope I'll get the book in my hands one day and see for myself. I'm not that keen on ordering it online, but if I see it on a convention or happen to go to London again (DT, when are you doing theatre again?), I'll have a look.
no subject
Date: 2017-10-01 09:12 pm (UTC)What I love about that Ten is the eyebrow. :D I find myself staring at a lot of the pictures in the book. The poems are great, but the pics make it.
But now I really, really want to meet James Goss. I'm loving his work so much.
no subject
Date: 2017-09-28 08:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-10-01 09:13 pm (UTC)I thought the book had come out a month ago and I was late to the party. I'm happy to find that I'm not!
no subject
Date: 2024-03-04 06:21 pm (UTC)I love the drawings and that seems like a cute poem
no subject
Date: 2026-01-04 02:57 am (UTC)That art is cute 🥰.