1992 / Ebook / 158 pages / UK****
The weird, bloodthirsty YA fantasy is toned down as the Knightmare novellas become more appropriately kid-friendly and on brand. For once, I would have actually enjoyed this one as a child, but I went for the worse one with Hugo Myatt staring ominously out of the cover; a poor decision that didn't bode well for my gamebook prospects. The gamebook part was always the main appeal of these, and I was content to ride that economised loop of trial, error and junior riddles as many times as it took to get there.
Phil Farrand, The Nitpicker's Guide for Next Generation Trekkers, Volume II
1995 / Ebook / 407 pages / USA***
"And now the conclusion." Picking up from its premature predecessor to cover the final season and first film, bringing things bang up to date for about a year, this then fills out the remaining four fifths or so of its runtime by going back over the rest of the series with input from readers to catch the subtler, duller and more pointlessly critical nits he missed. My enthusiasm for the craft has worn off a bit, but I still need to read his Deep Space Nine guide the next time I want to watch four sevenths of that series.
Adrian Rigelsford, Classic Who: The Hinchcliffe Years – Seasons 12–14
1995 / Ebook / 128 pages / UK***
I'm picky when it comes to 'Who, old and new, so I enjoyed this celebration of the only stretch of the 20th century series that I really dig. A laid-back chat with the producer – his late script editor occasionally chipping in from beyond the grave – it's a very narrow peek through the studio keyhole, more interesting for the retrospective musings on what worked, what didn't and what might have been.
Peter David, Bill Mumy, J. Michael Straczynski, Howard Weinstein and artists, Star Trek Comics Classics: The Return of the Worthy
**
Peter David helps Bill "Lost in Space" Mumy to pen a vague tribute to his show I never saw before bowing out; J. Michael "Babylon 5" Straczynski makes his sole, unremarkable contribution to the Star Trek universe (Deep Space Nine plagiarism notwithstanding); and new regular Howard Weinstein bodes ill for the future of the series. There's a running theme of post-apocalyptic memoriam, so it's perhaps fitting that this was the last of these collections released. They arguably put out one too many already.
2016 / Ebook / 96 pages / UK
***
These retro TV historians helped to make the difficult majority of Doctor Who and Blake's 7 more entertaining, so it was disappointing to only find out about this other sequel after I'd already struggled through the nonsensically drawn-out boring landmark show alone. Turns out I wouldn't have got much more out of it though, least of all clarifications.
