The Library of St. John the Beheaded
Encyclopedia
The Library of St. John the Beheaded is an institution in the fictional world of Dr Who. Created by Andy Lane
for his novel All-Consuming Fire
, it is described as being under the control of the Roman Catholic Church
which uses the Library as a depository for banned literature. The Library plays on the same ideas about the possible contents of a Vatican controlled collection such as in The DaVinci Code.
district of London
, used as a setting for crime stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie
as it was one of London’s ancient ‘rookeries’, tightly packed slums of poverty and lawlessness. The area was depicted on television in the Channel 4
drama ‘City of Vice
’.
In the Library, the contemporary Seventh Doctor
, played on television by Sylvester McCoy
, encounters his Third Incarnation as played by Jon Pertwee
in a reference back to the several comments made by the Third Doctor
to his own connections to London’s exclusive clubs and societies.
authors of the New Adventures
; others include a house in Allen Road, Kent, and an asteroid housing The Braxiatel Collection which had its origins in a casual remark made on television and which gave rise to the recurring character of Irving Braxiatel
.
Andy Lane
Andrew Lane , who also writes as Andy Lane, is a British author and journalist. He has written a number of spin-off novels in the Virgin New Adventures range and audio dramas for Big Finish based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who , as well as assorted non fiction books based...
for his novel All-Consuming Fire
All-Consuming Fire
All-Consuming Fire is an original novel written by Andy Lane and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The novel is a crossover with Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional detective Sherlock Holmes featuring the characters of both Holmes and Doctor Watson, and also...
, it is described as being under the control of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
which uses the Library as a depository for banned literature. The Library plays on the same ideas about the possible contents of a Vatican controlled collection such as in The DaVinci Code.
Real-World Context
The Library is located in the Seven DialsSeven Dials
Seven Dials is a small but well-known road junction in the West End of London in Covent Garden where seven streets converge. At the centre of the roughly-circular space is a pillar bearing six sundials, a result of the pillar being commissioned before a late stage alteration of the plans from an...
district of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, used as a setting for crime stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
as it was one of London’s ancient ‘rookeries’, tightly packed slums of poverty and lawlessness. The area was depicted on television in the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
drama ‘City of Vice
City of Vice
City of Vice is a British historical crime drama television series set in Georgian London and was first screened on 14 January 2008 on Channel 4. It is produced by Touchpaper Television part of the RDF Media Group. The series mixes fiction with fact following the fortunes of the famous novelist...
’.
In the Library, the contemporary Seventh Doctor
Seventh Doctor
The Seventh Doctor is the seventh incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by the actor Sylvester McCoy....
, played on television by Sylvester McCoy
Sylvester McCoy
Sylvester McCoy is a Scottish actor. As a comic act and busker he appeared regularly on stage and on BBC Children's television in the 1970s and 80s, but is best known for playing the seventh incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction television series Doctor Who from 1987 to...
, encounters his Third Incarnation as played by Jon Pertwee
Jon Pertwee
John Devon Roland Pertwee , was an English actor. Pertwee is best known for his role in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, in which he played the third incarnation of the Doctor from 1970 to 1974, and as the title character in the series Worzel Gummidge...
in a reference back to the several comments made by the Third Doctor
Third Doctor
The Third Doctor is the third incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by actor Jon Pertwee....
to his own connections to London’s exclusive clubs and societies.
Similar Locations
The Library was one of several recurring locations employed by the Virgin BooksVirgin Books
Virgin Books is a United Kingdom book publisher 90% owned by the publishing group Random House, and 10% owned by Virgin Enterprises, the company originally set up by Richard Branson as a record company.-History:...
authors of the New Adventures
New Adventures
New Adventures is a British dance company, specialising in contemporary dance. Founded by the choreographer Matthew Bourne in 2002, the company developed from an earlier company Adventures in Motion Pictures, which was later dissolved....
; others include a house in Allen Road, Kent, and an asteroid housing The Braxiatel Collection which had its origins in a casual remark made on television and which gave rise to the recurring character of Irving Braxiatel
Irving Braxiatel
Irving Braxiatel or Cardinal Braxiatel is a fictional character from the Virgin New Adventures—spin-off novels based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who. He subsequently became a regular character in novels and audio dramas in the Bernice Summerfield universe...
.