Eoin Colfer Revealed as First Doctor Who Short Story Author

Posted on January 9, 2013

Eoin Colfer, the author of the bestselling Artemis Fowl series will write the first Doctor Who short story. The announcement was made on Facebook today. The identities of the famous children's authors writing the stories are being revealed one by one. The stories will be sold in a collection by Puffin in the fall to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who.

Colfer's story in set in early 20th-century London and stars the First Doctor who was played on television by William Hartnell in the 1960s. The short story is called "A Big Hand for the Doctor."

You can read a brief excerpt at here on The Guardian's website. Colfer told The Guardian that he wanted to write about the First Doctor because "he is a bit of a grump...Subsequent Doctors became more chipper and almost childlike and I found the first Doctor interesting because he was not so developed and I could have a little leeway with the character."

Colfer read Doctor Who stories as a boy, then watched Hartnell's characterization and says Hartnell is just who he pictured when he read the stories.