With all the attention given to Michael Moorcock’s The Coming of the Terraphiles, the arrival of another science fiction & fantasy giant on the DW literary scene this fall went almost completely unnoticed.

Brian Aldiss, whose writing career dates back to the 1940s and whose resume includes works ranging from Frankenstein Unbound, the Helliconia trilogy, and the short story that inspired the Kubrick/Spielberg film A.I., to editing the Galactic Empires collections, contributed an Eleventh Doctor short story, “Umwelts for Hire”, for the recently published Doctor Who: The Brilliant Book 2011.

Aldiss’ influence on British SF and on Doctor Who can be felt going all the way back to 1962, when a report by the BBC Survey Group identified him as a potential consultant for the BBC as it proceeded with plans to develop a science fiction series—which eventually became Doctor Who. Read about it here.

The Brilliant Book is an annual-style release by BBC Books looking at the making of Series 5. It’s got some great pictures (different ones than the usual promos), and a second short story about the Silurians. (Fans of published DW short fiction will have to make do with these, as Panini books cancelled the 2011 edition of the Doctor Who Storybook which otherwise would have been released a few months ago alongside the 2011 Annual.)

Meanwhile, fans of BBC Books’ Eleventh Doctor novels can rejoice that two new sets of novels have been announced for 2011, after the regular fall release was skipped in order to “clear the deck” for the Moorcock book. In the main range, April 28 (UK release) will see: Hunter’s Moon by Paul Finch, Dead of Winter by James Goss, and The Way Through the Woods by Una McCormack. June 23, meanwhile, will see Borrowed Time by Noami Alderman, Touched by an Angel by Jonathan Morris (I wonder who the villains might be in that one?), and Paradox Lost by George Mann.

Before that, a new series called Doctor Who Chapter Books launches. These are books aimed at younger readers, consisting of two novellas each. The first releases are due out in the UK in early February. I haven’t heard whether they’ll be distributed internationally.

As with most Doctor Who books, the actual Canadian release will likely be much later, if they’re available at all. Here in Calgary, no Chapters or Indigo stores bothered stocking the Moorcock novel (but it’s available in Saskatoon at McNally-Robinson, so I’m told). So it means more business for Amazon and Book Depository rather than local retail, I guess. The Brilliant Book is supposed to be available over here, but I’ve yet to see it in any of the stores.

One book you won’t find coming out in 2011 is the annual Quick Reads novella, for the first time since the literacy-promoting series of books was launched in 2006. A representative of Quick Reads has confirmed that it was decided to not go with a Doctor Who book this year. Although virtually unknown over here, past books featured the return of legendary DW writer Terrance Dicks, one was the first novel to feature Martha Jones, and the most recent release, The Code of the Krillitanes was the last original novel featuring the Tenth Doctor, being published shortly before Series 5 began airing.