THE hit BBC TV show may be off our screens at the moment (but the trailers have already started for it’s imminent return), but fans of Dr Who can still enjoy his adventures – both new and old.

Firstly, June saw the release of three brand new novels featuring the Eleventh Doctor, Amy and Rory; as plated by Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill.

All three novels were written by writers making their debuts as Dr Who authors.

Touched By An Angel features the Weeping Angels who have sent the unwitting Mark Whitaker back in time to change history.

With the Doctor and his companions whizzing here and there through different times in Mark’s history – they have to stop him from changing the past.

But what is it that he does?

Paradox Lost has the grey-skinned squall devouring minds in 1910, and a warning discovered in 2789 that can only be delivered to someone called The Doctor.

Borrowed Time features Andrew Brown as a man who never has enough time, but Messrs Symington and Blenkinsop offer to lend him some.

With all this borrowed time, it can only be a matter of time before they want to collect on their investments, and that’s where The Doctor, Amy and Rory come in.

Despite being first-timers, the three authors: Jonathan Morris, George Mann and Naomi Alderman, demonstrate a firm grasp of the concepts and characterisations that make up a good Dr Who adventure.

They also tell the story at a good pace with high drama and humour.

Fans of the original series can rejoice in the fact that some of the novelisations of the adventures from what they are now calling ‘Classic Who’ are now being re-issued.

Published on July 7th, these books were aimed at the children’s market when they first came out, and it could be said that they are aimed there now.

However, I think that it’ll be the older fans that will pick these up, especially as they are reasonably priced – unlike some of the second-hand dealers who charge a fortune for the original copies.

In this first batch of six, there are two stories from each of the first three Doctors.

The books of the First Doctor are Doctor Who and the Daleks and Doctor Who and the Crusaders.

The Dalek adventure was the second televised story and the first ever to be novelised. Coming out in 1964, it features a different version of how Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright met up with The Doctor and his grand-daughter Susan.

The Second Doctor turns up in Doctor Who and the Cybermen and Doctor Who and the Abominable Snowmen, whilst the Third Doctor stars in Doctor Who and the Auton Invasion (the first Third Doctor story) and Doctor Who and the Cave Monsters.

All these novels have the stories as originally written, plus forwards by the likes of Russell T Davies, Charlie Higson and Terrance Dicks (who wrote over 70 of these novelisations).

At the end of each book, there is a potted history of the actual novel.

New readers will find the books excellent introductions to the old Doctors (if they haven’t seen them on DVD) – and of course, some of these stories won’t appear on DVD as the filmstock has been wiped.

Older readers can of course relive the memories – memories of reading about the Doctor’s adventures as there were no repeats when they first came out.

And it’s not only the good doctor getting a literary airing, as there are three new novels featuring Torchwood.

All three are prequels to the events that are featured in the series Miracle Day the first one – First Born – is set in the Welsh village of Rawbone where Gwen, Rhys and their new baby Anwen are hiding out.

However, there’s something strange about the children – and why does everyone stare at Gwen and the baby?

After the Torchwood Hub was destroyed in Children of Earth, the government orders the excavation of the wreckage in Long Tome Dead. But since Torchwood had been collecting extra-terrestrial artefacts for more than a century, who knows what they’ll find.

Plus, the body of old Torchwood operative Suzie Costello (killed off in the first ever episode) is missing.

The third novel, The Men Who Sold the Earth, features CIA agent Rex Matheson investigating the disappearance of a cargo marked for Torchwood.

It’s been almost two years since the last Torchwood novels and they’ve been missed – I suppose the writers have been waiting to see exactly who will be in the new series; and unlike the Who books, these are being released at two-week intervals.

The writers are all old hands at Torchwood, accounting for over 25% of the previous books, therefore they all know what the series is all about and are faithful to the ideas and characters involved.

So, with a dozen new books to read- and more due later in the year – there can be no such thing as Who withdrawal symptoms.

The adventures continue…..

Dr Who: Touched By An Angel by Jonathan Morris.

ISBN 978-1-8499-0234-2. RRP £6.99.

Dr Who: Paradox Lost by George Mann.

ISBN 978-1-8499-0235-9. RRP £6.99.

Dr Who: Borrowed Time by Naomi A Alderman.

ISBN 978-1-8499-0233-5. RRP £6.99.

Doctor Who and the Daleks by David Whitaker.

ISBN 978-1-849-90195-6. RRP £4.99.

Doctor Who and the Crusaders by David Whitaker.

ISBN 978-1-849-90190-1. RRP £4.99.

Doctor Who and the Cybermen by Gerry Davis.

ISBN 978-1-849-90191-8. RRP £4.99.

Doctor Who and the Abominable Snowmen by Terrance Dicks.

ISBN 978-1-849-90192-5. RRP £4.99.

Doctor Who and the Auton Invasion by Terrance Dicks.

ISBN 978-1-849-90193-2. RRP £4.99.

Doctor Who and the Cave Monsters by Malcolm Hulke.

ISBN 978-1-849-90194-9. RRP £4.99.

Torchwood: First Born by James Goss.

ISBN 978-1-849-90283-0. RRP £6.99.

Torchwood: Long Time Dead by Sarah Pinborough.

ISBN 978-1-849-90284-7. RRP £6.99.

Torchwood: The Men Who Sold The World by Guy Adams.

ISBN 978-1-849-90285-4. RRP £6.99.