THE BACKROOM BOOKCASE - DOCTOR WHO TARGET NOVELISATIONS

Time once more to return to the dusty shelves of the backroom's bookcase.

Last time we visited we looked at horror and sci-fi movie and TV novelisations, in that article I mentioned that Target books produced a series of novelisations based on Doctor Who. Published between the early 70's and the early 90's this range of books novelised (nearly) every television story of the classic era of Doctor Who. 

The range was revived a few years ago and started to novelise episodes of the modern era of Doctor Who to great critical acclaim, and to the joy of older fans (like me) who grew up reading these brilliant little books.

In light of Doctor Who returning to our TV screens I thought it would be as good a time as any to look at some of my favourite Target novelisations. In no particular order here goes...

K9 AND COMPANY BY TERRENCE DUDLEY

Released as part of Target's Companions of Doctor Who range this is a solid novelisation of a rushed and lacklustre TV story. The Doctor himself doesn't actually appear, instead the story deals with K9 and ex-companion Sarah Jane Smith (as well as Sarah's annoying know it all teenage nephew - Brenden) fighting devil worshippers in a picturesque English village at Christmas time.

Dudley expands the setting from the few interior sets and location shots that we see in the TV version to a fully realised, living breathing village  - he gives it a sense of place that the original is lacking.

Sarah Jane is a lot grumpier than we ever see her be on television (and slightly less likeable) but she becomes a much more realistic character because of this. She's stressed, nowhere near as infallible, and in a constant state of agitation at the smug robot dog and smart arse teenager she's been saddled with.

Dudley also ups the supernatural element of the story. This becomes most apparent in the scene where the local village policeman is scared to death by something whilst riding his bike at night. On TV you just see what looks like a car headlight rushing towards him, whereas here he's subjected to a full on paranormal encounter (complete with the spectral bleating of disembodied goats) before finally dying.

The story's climax where Sarah and K9 are engaged in a frantic cross country race against time to stop Brenden being sacrificed at the stroke of midnight is also expanded upon and becomes much more tense and satisfying. It's also a very Christmassy book and its become a festive tradition of mine to read it every year.

DOCTOR WHO AND THE CAVE MONSTERS BY MALCOLM HULKE

The third Doctor stars in Malcom Hulke's adaptation of Doctor Who and the Silurians (here re-named simply Cave Monsters). Once more Hulke fleshes out the TV story massively. 

Theres a great chapter told from one of the Silurian's point of view and a nicely ramped up amount of body horror when the Silurians decide to unleash a plague upon mankind. The disease's symptoms are a lot more graphic and gruesome than would have been allowed on 1970's teatime telly.

My primary school library had a copy of this which I read many times before I eventually bought my own. It was the first Doctor Who book I ever read and it remains one of the key books of my childhood.

THE INVASION BY IAN MARTER

This story of the second Doctor battling a Cyberman invasion of Earth has always been a favourite of mine. The TV original is a classic, the book is - if anything - even better. 

Writer Ian Marter (who played the fourth Doctor's companion Harry Sullivan) really ups the grittyness quotient, adding descriptive violence and even a dash of swearing - 12 year old boys must have absolutely lapped this one up. It's all done with just enough restraint and class not to seem completely OTT. It all just adds to the story's grim atmosphere and makes the book feel more "adult" as a result.

DOCTOR WHO AND THE DAEMONS BY BARRY LETTS

I just had to add this one to my list of recommendations, it was - jointly - the first Doctor Who novel I ever owned, and also the first book I ever read entirely in one sitting. So gripped was 12 year old me that I simply couldn't put it down.

Barry Letts expands the setting of the village of Devil's End, we get the characters of the villagers being expanded upon nicely. The whole thing feels a lot more expansive than it was on TV.

Theres also a really creepy "folk horror" vibe to the whole story, so fans of that sub-genre could do a lot worse than give this one a quick read.

FURY FROM THE DEEP BY VICTOR PEMBERTON

This tale of the second Doctor encountering malignant, sentient seaweed on a remote oil drilling platform has a great sense of place and atmosphere about it. With its evocative descriptions of lonely, windswept beaches in the winter and the grey stormy seas, the reader feels thrust into the very heart of the story.

Once more, this one has a much more adult feel to it and comes across like a legitimate horror novel in it's own right. At almost twice the length of a normal Target (apparently the editors thought it was so good they didn't want to cut it down to the range's normal word count, so they released it uncut), this is also a bumper bargain of a book.

ROSE BY RUSSEL T. DAVIES 

The first of the revived range of modern Targets now, with (fittingly) the adaptation of the first TV story of the modern series. RTD takes his original script and expands it into a movie style blockbuster. Giving us scenes of devastation, action and destruction that could never have been achieved on a 2005 BBC budget.

We also get some nice expansions of the supporting characters (particularly Clive and his "shed of secrets") and the Ninth Doctor seems even more battle scarred and gruff than he ever was onscreen. We also get a tantalising glimpse of some potential future incarnations of the Doctor that have yet to be seen in the show, which is always fun.

DOCTOR WHO AND THE AUTON INVASION BY TERRENCE DICKS

Terrence Dicks was THE definitive author of the original Target books - he wrote at least sixty (probably more) of the damn things after all, so I had to include one of his books here. The Auton Invasion (based on Jon Pertwee's first TV story - Spearhead From Space) is Dick's first Target novel and still holds up as one of his very best.

As with RTD's Rose novelisation, Dicks expands the original Auton invasion of Earth to cinematic proportions. We get to see a Britain on the verge of total breakdown due to the alien invaders. Martial law is declared, paranoia sweeps the land, helpless humans are butchered in the streets by the killer plastic dummies.

The Nestene Consciousness (the alien mind behind the Autons) is much more effective here as well. On TV it was just a bunch of green rubber tentacles in a vat, here it's a nightmarish Lovecraftian horror. An object lesson in just how much better a book can realise these details.

DALEK BY ROBERT SHEARMAN

Lots of great character work in this one. Each character is given thier own individual chapter that recounts thier respective backstories. It reads more like an anthology of short stories than an actual novel. All the stories are great though - particularly "The Torturer's Tale" which makes an effective horror short in its own right.

We also get a chapter told from the lone Dalek's point of view, which is...incitefull to say the least. You'll never look at the Daleks in quite the same way again after reading this, and the description of what a Dalek's extermination ray REALLY does to it's victim's bodies will stay with you in all the wrong (and best) ways...

DOCTOR WHO AND THE DALEKS BY DAVID WHITTAKER

The very first Doctor Who novel ever written and still one of the best. From it's rewritten alternate opening on Barnes Common (which reads like a pulp noir crime novel) to it's sweeping retro sci-fi descriptions of the Dalek's homeworld, Skaro. This is a novel of high adventure with a heart and soul shot right through it.

This book has captured the imaginations of generations of readers and still weaves its magic today.

DAY OF THE DOCTOR BY STEVEN MOFFAT 

From a retro classic to a modern classic. Moffat's novelisation of his own script of Doctor Who's 50th anniversary story is one of the best things hes ever written. It's multi-layered and multi-viewpoint narrative draws you in. Moffat pulls a few literary tricks out the hat, including a chapter with the same events told (and retold) from the perspective of three different characters.

As with his TV scripts Moffat does sometimes get a little too clever for his own good. He does have a tendency to slide into "can you see what I just did there" mode, but when a book is as good as this then its entirely forgivable.

This book gets so far into the Doctor's mind and what makes them tick (all of them) that you'll never see him (or her) in the same light ever again. It's a character study, it's a deconstruction of who the Doctor is and what he stands for, it's an epic, it's a myth. By turns absolutely bonkers and totally brilliant. Read it.

THE GIGGLE BY JAMES GOSS

Finally, from one milestone anniversary to the next with James Goss' adaptation of the final story of Doctor Who's 60th anniversary.

The Giggle is told entirely from the point of view of The Celestial Toymaker himself (although we don't realise this at first), consequently it's absolutely insane. 

We even get a chapter thats told in the style of a "Choose Your Own Adventure/Fighting Fantasy" game book which has the reader (playing as the Doctor and Donna) going round in circles (this manages to be strangly stressful - it really does look like you're not going to be able to finish reading the story without "cheating" at one point).

By turns unsettling, funny, camp and massively inventive (just like the episode that spawned it). This is a great book that shows that even after all these years the Target novels remain essential reading for any Doctor Who fan.

Long may they continue.