With Paul Cornell recently featuring in both the Audio Club with Shadow of the Scourge and Book Club with Timewyrm: Revelation, it seems apt to discuss his wider contribution to the Whoniverse.
Often celebrated as one of the New Adventures best contributors he was, of course, the creator of the original space archaeologist Professor Bernice Surprise Summerfield. His books such as Revelation, Love and War and Human Nature are often ranked highly by fans and he was even the author chosen to write the 50th, celebratory, New Adventure - Happy Endings.
He also wrote the soon to be adapted for audio Missing Adventure, which launched the range, Goth Opera, as well as the first of the Doctor-less Benny New Adventures, Oh No It Isn’t.
On TV he was brought in to pen a story for the first series of the modern resurrection and gave us Father’s Day, following that up with an adaptation of his novel, Human Nature, for Series 3.
It’s fair to say his impact on the Whoniverse is signficant.
What are your thoughts on Paul Cornell?
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Well, don’t have much to say personally, except that “Fathers Day” was a great episode.
Looked over at his website:
https://www.paulcornell.com/
Seems like he’s working on a graphic novel with Rachael Smith called “Who Killed Nessie?”, which sounds fun…
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I haven’t seen much of it work outside TV, but Fathers Day and Family of Blood are both 8/10s for me
Looking at his other stuff, his lockdown shorts (Shadow of a Doubt and The Shadow in the Mirror) I both enjoyed when they came out, and The Four Doctors (the comic) is really solid, highly reccomend it
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Yes, they were two highlights of the lockdown releases.
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His Third Doctor Titan Comic mini-series is just the greatest love letter to the early 70’s. His love for the unlimited storytelling universe of the Doctor just really shines through in everything he makes!
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I wasn’t really aware he was behind the comics mentioned - I tend to gloss over the writers of those for some reason - but that makes me excited to check them out. I even have a hard copy of the 3rd Doctor one!
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I have loved paul cornell with all my being since having seen fathers day. Best doctor who writer
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Cornell was my favourite Who writer for a while until I discovered Robert Shearman, who ended up taking my top spot. Still, Human Nature is probably my favourite episode of the revival, though there a least four other episodes are nearly if not just as good.
Both Love and War and Goth Opera have been some of my favourite books I’ve read so far and I’m incredibly excited to get to his other books, mostly the original Human Nature.
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Haven’t read much of his EU stuff, but Human Nature/Family of Blood made my current top 25 stories list without a second thought, and Father’s Day was a strong contender for it. And the little short story sequel trilogy to Human Nature in the Adventures in Lockdown anthology were definitely a couple of my favorite short stories of 13’s.
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