Penguin Books introduces a new Doctor Who Icons series with two new books which promise to be a thrilling journey through time celebrating the Doctor’s encounters with legendary figures from the past.

The Thirteenth Doctor meets the illustrious artist Frida Kahlo in Frida Kahlo and the Skull Children.

Some art can be deadly… Young Frida Kahlo is angry. Injured in a terrible accident, she lives with constant pain and worries that her dreams are unreachable. But when the TARDIS lands in Mexico City – drawn by a strange disturbance in its energy fields – Frida’s life is turned upside down. Aliens have arrived, taking over the bodies of children and killing anyone who gets in their way. With the fate of the Earth at stake, the Doctor and Frida must find a way to understand their alien invaders, and each other.

Frida Kahlo and the Skull Children is available to pre-order from Penguin Books for a 24 October release.

The Tenth Doctor meets the constantly curious Charles Darwin in Charles Darwin and the Silurian Survival.

Some discoveries should never be made… When Charles Darwin takes a break from a long sea voyage to look for shells on the Galapagos Islands, he finds two things that really shouldn’t be there. The first is a sunbathing Doctor. The second is a fresh Silurian skull… When more Silurians are discovered by Darwin’s crew – alive, this time – there is pandemonium. And when the island’s volcano starts erupting, years ahead of schedule, it looks like all-out war. The Doctor has his hands full. Can he keep Charles – and his evolutionary theory – alive? The history of science is at stake.

Charles Darwin and the Silurian Survival is available to pre-order from Penguin Books for a 21 November release.

Two more books in the Icons series are coming in 2025. The Fifteenth Doctor meets Shirley Jackson in a novel coming out 29 May and Sarah Jane Smith and the Fourth Doctor meet Fela Kuti in a novel coming out 31 July.