Perfect Timing was a series of two unofficial Doctor Who charity anthologies released in 1998 and 1999. The anthologies were privately printed and distributed by the editors in return for donations to the Foundation for the Study of Infant Death. As the anthologies featured contributions from many authors of official Doctor Who universe material, they are notable to this wiki.
Releases[]
Perfect Timing[]
Perfect Timing was published in November 1998 to celebrate Doctor Who's 35th anniversary. It was edited by Mark Phippen and Helen Fayle with help from Jay Eales. It was reprinted in 1999 with two additional stories. The Chairman of the Foundation for the Study of Infant Death, Colin Baker, wrote the introduction to the collection.
Publisher's summary[]
For 35 years the Doctor's adventures have been showcased on television, in comics, novels, videos, cereal packets and more recently on the internet.
This project, timed to be released to celebrate this anniversary, has brought together some of the very best "Who" writers. Some names may already be familiar to you, some should hopefully become so in the near future!
For this collection, they have all kindly donated original stories, poems and drabbles featuring the Doctor, his companions, and his world, from all eras of the show, and from the books - stories from the Doctor's past, present (and future!)
35 pieces to celebrates 35 years of time travel -- including:
- A brief encounter for the First Doctor and Susan - but what about those they leave behind?
- The Second Doctor pays a return visit to Venus for some Martial Arts instruction.
- Iris Wildthyme: The U.N.I.T. years...
- H. P. Lovecraft finds out that life can be stranger than fiction...
- Europa, the 32nd century. Miles Dahwood is having a spot of bother with his fiancée and Count Dracula...
- The Fourth Doctor and Romana II find that fiction can be stranger than reality... and the truth behind those missing Professor X episodes is finally revealed...!
- What is that has been hiding in the TARDIS -- and from the minds of the Fifth Doctor and his companions?
- The Sixth Doctor and Grant find themselves dealing with one of the deadliest menaces to Earth -- a psychotic, theme park Santa Claus!
- The Seventh Doctor and Chris find something nasty lurking in the semingly peaceful, cloistered heart of In'sav'aar...
- The Eighth Doctor visits some old friends, and pays a return visit to Tombstone, Arizona...
- A Future Doctor faces an old enemy -- and a personal pain...
Stories[]
| Title | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | Colin Baker | |
| The Use of the Myth | Paul Cornell | |
| Bear Paw Adventures | David J. Howe | |
| Always Let the Conscious Be Your Guide | Mark Clapham and Jim Smith | |
| Birth Pains | Damon Cavalchini | |
| Venusian Sunset | Paul Leonard | A tie-in to his novel Venusian Lullaby. |
| From the Cutting Room Floor | David A. McIntee | Deleted scenes from his novel The Dark Path. |
| Thicket of Thieves | Kathryn Sullivan | |
| The UNIT Things | Peter Anghelides | |
| Entertaining Mr. O | Paul Magrs | Featured licensed use of Iris Wildthyme and introduces her companion Tom. Reprinted in Bafflement and Devotion. Received a partial continuation in Talented Witches. |
| Masters of Terror | James Ambuehi and Laurence J. Cornford | |
| Baron (Count) Dracula and Count (Baron) Frankenstein | Stephen Marley | Features licensed use of Miles Dashing and Crocker. |
| The Aurelius Gambit | Helen Fayle | |
| Not Necessarily in That Order... | Paul Ebbs | |
| Child of Darkness | Daniel Blythe | |
| The Zargathon Menace | Jonathan Morris | Introduces the Zargathons, a member of this species would later appear in Death to the Doctor!. |
| One Perfect Twilight | Craig Hinton | |
| Ghost in the Machine | Trina L. Short | |
| The 6th Doctor Sends A Letter | Charles Daniels | |
| The Great Journey of Life Ends Here | Gary Russell | |
| Wish Upon a Star Beast | Steve Lyons | Features licensed use of Grant Markham. Lyons later used the Sixth Doctor and the Meeps again in The Ratings War. |
| Schrödinger's Botanist | Ian McIntire | Introduces Carmen Yeh, who would later appear in The Book of the War. Also features licenced use of Grant Markham. |
| Second Hand | Rob Stradling | |
| Doing It Right | Alan Taylor | |
| Cheeky Things | Erin Tumilty | |
| Chain Male | Keith Topping | Introduces Johnny Chess as an ex-husband of Tegan Jovanka, before his first appearance in Topping's novel Byzantium!. |
| Ascension | Stephen Graves | |
| Caveat Emptor | Susannah Tiller | |
| Doctor Patient Relationship | Kate Orman and Jon Blum | The original first chapter of Vampire Science, which featured Grace rather than Carolyn McConnell. |
| Worm | Lance Parkin | |
| The Ravages of Time | Mags L. Halliday | |
| Emerald Green | Mark Phippen | |
| Sad Professor | Nick Walters | |
| Transitions | Daniel Ben-Zvi | |
| Nightmare | Nathan Skreslet | |
| Dark Paragon | Jon Andersen | |
| Time Ruins[1] | Sarah Hadley | |
| What If We Went to Italy[1] | Tom Beck |
Perfect Timing 2[]
Perfect Timing 2 was released in December 1999. It was edited by Helen Fayle and Julian Eales.
Publisher's summary[]
Once again bringing you a selection of short stories and artwork by both fans and professional writers and artists, distributed in support of the Foundation for the Study of Infant Death, and featuring TV's favourite time traveller.
Stories[]
| Title | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | Colin Baker | |
| Foreword | Dez Skinn | |
| Alien Nation | Peter Anghelides | |
| I'll Name That Tune In One | ||
| "Past" | Lawrence Miles | |
| Darkness Before Me | Jim Campbell | |
| Identity Crisis | Nathan Skeslet | |
| Genesis of the Dustbins: A Report by Zoe Heriot | Charles Daniels | |
| A Handful of Silver | Mags L. Halliday | |
| Invasion of the Dinosaurs by Sarah Jane Smith | Mike Sivier | |
| Knitworld | Stephen Marley | |
| Goodbye Rembrandt | David J. Howe | |
| The Giving Invasion | Paul Leonard | |
| A Cup of Coffee | Daniel Ben-Zvi | |
| Kyreth | Kimberly Yale and John Ostrander | |
| The Effect of Dimensional Transcendence on Mozzarella Cheese[1] | Diane Duane | |
| Nameless | David Bickley | |
| Painting History | Damon Cavalchini | |
| "Present" | Lawrence Miles | |
| Black Snow | David Bishop | |
| Safe in the Knowledge | Mark Phippen | |
| Adjudicator's Holiday | Kathryn Sullivan | |
| Past Time Catching | Dave Stone | |
| Pulp Cutaway | David A. McIntee | |
| Isolation | Gareth Humphreys | |
| Quicksilver Bees | Martin Day | |
| First Person[2] | Philip Purser-Hallard | |
| Fishy Business | Lance Parkin | Features licensed use of Saldaamir and mentions Last Contact. |
| Empty Nest | Jon de Burgh Miller | |
| Cause and Effect | Rebecca Dowgiert | |
| The Hand of the Goddess | Susannah Tiller | |
| Unseen Rooms | Imran Inyat | |
| This Hollywood Life | Jonathan Dennis | |
| Fangrrl Life | Phil Pascoe | |
| "Future" | Lawrence Miles | |
| Mysterious Ways | Julian Eales | |
| Memories to Forget | Barry Williams | |
| Touching Indigo | R.J. Anderson | |
| Grey | Jon Andersen | |
| Apocalypse Angel | Finn Clark | |
| "Oblique" | Lawrence Miles | |
| The Next Universe but One | Dave Owen | |
| A Tapestry of Shadows | Alan Taylor | |
| It's Raining Again | Paul Magrs and Stewart Sheargold | Features licensed use of Iris Wildthyme. Reprinted in Bafflement and Devotion. |
| Unlimited | Ian McIntire | |
| Aria for the Broken Hearted | Richard Prekodravac | |
| From the Cutting Room Floor, Take 2 | Craig Hinton | Cut scenes from The Crystal Bucephalus. |
| Here Be Dragons | Helen Fayle | |
| "Absolute" | Lawrence Miles | |
| Toy Story | Set during Interference. Introduces Lolita, who would later appear throughout the Faction Paradox series. Later published by Mad Norwegian Press in their edition of Dead Romance. | |
| Afterward | Gary Gillatt |
Gallery[]
External links[]
- Doctor Who Reference Guide - Detailed Synopsis: Perfect Timing
- Doctor Who Reference Guide - Detailed Synopsis: Perfect Timing 2