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Doctor Who Target Books (Numerical Order) #19
Doctor Who and the Deadly Assassin
The Doctor is suddenly summoned to Gallifrey, the home of the Time Lords, where his ghastly hallucination of the President's assassination seems to turn into reality. When the Doctor is arrested for the murder, there is a hideous, dark, cowled figure gleefully watching in the shadows.
Faced with his old enemy, the Master, Doctor Who approaches defeat in a battle of minds in a nightmare world created by the Master's imagination. But the Master's evil intentions go much further — he has a Doomsday Plan. It is up to the Doctor to prevent him from destroying Gallifrey and taking over the Universe!
Doctor Who — awarded The Writers' Guild Award for the best British children's original drama script.
Faced with his old enemy, the Master, Doctor Who approaches defeat in a battle of minds in a nightmare world created by the Master's imagination. But the Master's evil intentions go much further — he has a Doomsday Plan. It is up to the Doctor to prevent him from destroying Gallifrey and taking over the Universe!
Doctor Who — awarded The Writers' Guild Award for the best British children's original drama script.
122 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 20, 1977
4 people are currently reading
339 people want to read
About the author
Terrance Dicks
329 books219 followersTerrance Dicks was an English author, screenwriter, script editor, and producer best known for his extensive contributions to Doctor Who. Serving as the show's script editor from 1968 to 1974, he helped shape many core elements of the series, including the concept of regeneration, the development of the Time Lords, and the naming of the Doctor’s home planet, Gallifrey. His tenure coincided with major thematic expansions, and he worked closely with producer Barry Letts to bring a socially aware tone to the show. Dicks later wrote several Doctor Who serials, including Robot, Horror of Fang Rock, and The Five Doctors, the 20th-anniversary special.
In parallel with his television work, Dicks became one of the most prolific writers of Doctor Who novelisations for Target Books, authoring over 60 titles and serving as the de facto editor of the range. These adaptations introduced a generation of young readers to the franchise. Beyond Doctor Who, he also wrote original novels, including children’s horror and adventure series such as The Baker Street Irregulars, Star Quest, and The Adventures of Goliath.
Dicks also worked on other television programmes including The Avengers, Moonbase 3, and various BBC literary adaptations. His later work included audio dramas and novels tied to Doctor Who. Widely respected for his clarity, imagination, and dedication to storytelling, he remained a central figure in Doctor Who fandom until his death in 2019, leaving behind a vast legacy in television and children's literature.
In parallel with his television work, Dicks became one of the most prolific writers of Doctor Who novelisations for Target Books, authoring over 60 titles and serving as the de facto editor of the range. These adaptations introduced a generation of young readers to the franchise. Beyond Doctor Who, he also wrote original novels, including children’s horror and adventure series such as The Baker Street Irregulars, Star Quest, and The Adventures of Goliath.
Dicks also worked on other television programmes including The Avengers, Moonbase 3, and various BBC literary adaptations. His later work included audio dramas and novels tied to Doctor Who. Widely respected for his clarity, imagination, and dedication to storytelling, he remained a central figure in Doctor Who fandom until his death in 2019, leaving behind a vast legacy in television and children's literature.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
February 11, 2022
One of the most interesting and memorable stories from the classic series helps make this an easy novelisation from the prolific Dicks to adapt.
The story itself is most noticeable for the first time that The Doctor is on a solo adventure, though a return of his archnemesis feels like a fitting additon to the precedings as The Master is at his most darkly sinister best.
The added information of Gallifery society peppered throughout makes this a quick fun read.
With so much being introduced in this story that would make such an impact on the series (including the much mentioned Twelve regeneration cycle limit), it's easy to see why it's so highly regarded.
The story itself is most noticeable for the first time that The Doctor is on a solo adventure, though a return of his archnemesis feels like a fitting additon to the precedings as The Master is at his most darkly sinister best.
The added information of Gallifery society peppered throughout makes this a quick fun read.
With so much being introduced in this story that would make such an impact on the series (including the much mentioned Twelve regeneration cycle limit), it's easy to see why it's so highly regarded.
June 30, 2015
It's rare to find a Doctor Who novel that will allow us inside the mind of the Doctor. More often than not, we'll see into the mind of his companions and those around him.
That makes a story like "The Deadly Assassin" difficult to adapt for the printed page since it's the only story in the classic canon that doesn't feature a companion for the Doctor. It's also a story whose third episode features a lot of action pieces and very little in the way of dialogue.
Because of this, Terrance Dicks' attempt to adapt the classic Robert Holmes four-parter falls a bit short. I can't help but wonder if Dicks had produced this story at the beginning or the end of his association with the Target range if he might have expanded some things a bit or made some different storytelling choices. As it is, this comes from the middle period when Dicks rarely had time to do more than adapt the shooting script for the printed page. He didn't have time to add the flourishes that made novels like "The Day of the Daleks" so memorable.
With two mysterious adversaries for the Doctor to battle (one works for the other), Dicks decides to give away the identity of one earlier in the novel than the televised story does. I can't help but wonder if it might have been better to let readers in on who is working for the Master rather than the Master himself. It's disappointing that one of the more pivotal and controversial stories in the classic series run only gets a novelization that's par for the course. Dicks tries his best, but this is a story that works better visually (at least the sections inside the Matrix do) than they do on the printed page.
Thankfully, the audio version features a reading by Geoffrey Beavers, the only actor who played the Master in the classic series who is still with us. Beavers reading is, as always, a delight and he brings a lot to the read, especially when called upon to read lines for the Master. You can just hear Beavers voice dripping with contempt as he channels the Master in this one. I can't help but wonder why this line hasn't seen fit to let Beavers read a story or two that doesn't feature the Master. I think he'd be great. Why not let him read "Day of the Daleks" -- one of the truly great entries from the Target line that hasn't yet been adapted for audio.
That makes a story like "The Deadly Assassin" difficult to adapt for the printed page since it's the only story in the classic canon that doesn't feature a companion for the Doctor. It's also a story whose third episode features a lot of action pieces and very little in the way of dialogue.
Because of this, Terrance Dicks' attempt to adapt the classic Robert Holmes four-parter falls a bit short. I can't help but wonder if Dicks had produced this story at the beginning or the end of his association with the Target range if he might have expanded some things a bit or made some different storytelling choices. As it is, this comes from the middle period when Dicks rarely had time to do more than adapt the shooting script for the printed page. He didn't have time to add the flourishes that made novels like "The Day of the Daleks" so memorable.
With two mysterious adversaries for the Doctor to battle (one works for the other), Dicks decides to give away the identity of one earlier in the novel than the televised story does. I can't help but wonder if it might have been better to let readers in on who is working for the Master rather than the Master himself. It's disappointing that one of the more pivotal and controversial stories in the classic series run only gets a novelization that's par for the course. Dicks tries his best, but this is a story that works better visually (at least the sections inside the Matrix do) than they do on the printed page.
Thankfully, the audio version features a reading by Geoffrey Beavers, the only actor who played the Master in the classic series who is still with us. Beavers reading is, as always, a delight and he brings a lot to the read, especially when called upon to read lines for the Master. You can just hear Beavers voice dripping with contempt as he channels the Master in this one. I can't help but wonder why this line hasn't seen fit to let Beavers read a story or two that doesn't feature the Master. I think he'd be great. Why not let him read "Day of the Daleks" -- one of the truly great entries from the Target line that hasn't yet been adapted for audio.
July 17, 2021
This is a novelization of the script for a four-part Doctor Who story that featured the fourth (and most popular) actor to play the Doctor, and was part of the fourteenth season of the show in 1976. The script was written by Robert Holmes, and the book is by Terrance Dicks, the most popular of the writers to adapt the teleplays to novel form. It's a little unique, because this was the first adventure in the whole run of the series in which The Doctor was on his own, without a companion. It was also the first story to be set entirely on his home world, Gallifrey, and so Dicks could have had some more fun describing the Time Lord costumes and architecture, but he was a little sparing in the details. It's a rather straight-forward murder mystery, with The Doctor cast as Holmes and his old adversary The Master cast as Moriarty. There's more of an internal aspect to the Doctor's viewpoint and thoughts in this one than in the other Doctor Who books I read since he's flying solo for the duration. There's much less dialog than usual as well, and it's one of the shortest books. The Doctor proves his innocence, of course, and The Master escapes, and it ends somewhat abruptly. It was fun, but I didn't think it added much to the television version.
July 24, 2019
Yes, I know Doctor Who doesn't exactly fit either science-fiction in its best sense or space-opera in its widest sense, but that's the closest I can come to cataloging it. Novelizations of television scripts can be problematic at best. Novelizations of scripts of beloved television episodes are even more problematic. With Doctor Who, wise readers should always be skeptical—unless, of course, the novels are by Terrance Dicks. Doctor Who and the Deadly Assassin dates back to the days of the Doctor’s hat and scarf era. Long-time aficionados who might have missed this novel (or episode) will be delighted to know that the plot involves the “Master.” Interestingly enough, it wasn’t until I read this novelization and processed the description of the “Master” that I realized that, written prior to the release of Star Wars: A New Hope, the description of the “Master” seems amazingly like the appearance of Darth Vader by the end of the film cycle.
Confession: I don’t remember seeing this episode so I had an advantage in seeing the events without visualizing the crude special effects during those earlier seasons. I can’t imagine how the necessary special effects were handled. Portions of this story are The Matrix well before that movie was filmed (that’s not a spoiler—you’ll have to discover what I mean).
The Doctor is called back to his home planet where he was educated and trained to become the Time Lord he is. Some background is filled in on why he is persona non grata on that planet. It also let us encounter former classmates and teachers (in addition to the “Master”). I thought that was particularly interesting in the way they had misjudged and, in some cases, feared the Doctor.
The book’s only major drawback may well have been a feature in the era (1970s in England) when it was published. The so-called “chapter books” were extremely good sellers and they fit the format of building upon a television script quite well. The only thing modern readers might not like is that the story is over almost before one knows it. Of course, it was perfect reading for me when I was taking the train on an interstate trip. It got me out of one state and into another, leaving me time to taste another literary effort.
Confession: I don’t remember seeing this episode so I had an advantage in seeing the events without visualizing the crude special effects during those earlier seasons. I can’t imagine how the necessary special effects were handled. Portions of this story are The Matrix well before that movie was filmed (that’s not a spoiler—you’ll have to discover what I mean).
The Doctor is called back to his home planet where he was educated and trained to become the Time Lord he is. Some background is filled in on why he is persona non grata on that planet. It also let us encounter former classmates and teachers (in addition to the “Master”). I thought that was particularly interesting in the way they had misjudged and, in some cases, feared the Doctor.
The book’s only major drawback may well have been a feature in the era (1970s in England) when it was published. The so-called “chapter books” were extremely good sellers and they fit the format of building upon a television script quite well. The only thing modern readers might not like is that the story is over almost before one knows it. Of course, it was perfect reading for me when I was taking the train on an interstate trip. It got me out of one state and into another, leaving me time to taste another literary effort.
October 10, 2022
The Deadly Assassin is one of my favorite Dr Who stories and probably in part due to the awesome "battle in the matrix" episode. Terrance Dicks does a decent job of adapting the teleplay into a book although it does suffer from his trademark lazy description. I'm giving this 5-stars because of Bob Holmes' great story.
March 3, 2024
Among the very best of the Doctor Who novelizations, thanks to the excellent source material written by Robert Holmes.
February 7, 2016
Here we encounter the Doctor in his first solo adventure. No companions, just the Doctor. After the events of The Hand of Fear, the Doctor travels back to Gallifrey to stop an assassination plot. This is one of the classic Doctor Who stories. When it aired it was the first in depth look at Gallifrey.
First off with the novelization, we are back to the Target style of writing. You won't find heavy details or in depth characterizations. Additionally you will not find any extended scenes. As far as the plot is concerned, it is not bad. Not too many issues.
With all that being said, it would have been nice if there had been extra materials were added to the story. However, with how far Doctor Who has been on since this aired, there probably would have been some contradictions if extra material has been added.
Again as with other Target books and easy read. It gets the job done of conveying the episode, but nothing more than that. One last item about this book, is that since the Doctor is without a companion, he does talk to himself a lot until he gets some allies. If you are a Doctor Who fan you will probably enjoy this book.
First off with the novelization, we are back to the Target style of writing. You won't find heavy details or in depth characterizations. Additionally you will not find any extended scenes. As far as the plot is concerned, it is not bad. Not too many issues.
With all that being said, it would have been nice if there had been extra materials were added to the story. However, with how far Doctor Who has been on since this aired, there probably would have been some contradictions if extra material has been added.
Again as with other Target books and easy read. It gets the job done of conveying the episode, but nothing more than that. One last item about this book, is that since the Doctor is without a companion, he does talk to himself a lot until he gets some allies. If you are a Doctor Who fan you will probably enjoy this book.
April 18, 2008
Doctor Who and his fellow Time Lords engage in a battle of wits over the Presidency of Gallifrey and control over time itself.
June 29, 2024
The novelisation of a Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) adventure.
Mysteriously recalled to his home planet Gallifrey, the Doctor finds himself framed for the murder of the President of the Time Lords. He then has limited time to prove his innocence whilst matching wits with one of his oldest enemies; the Master.
It's hard to grasp now just how much this one story expanded Doctor Who lore, with Gallifrey and the Time Lords only ever having been explored peripherally before this.
To a modern reader versed in Who lore, some of what we see here doesn't quite jibe with what we accept (the Time Lords don't call TARDISes TARDISes, for example) but I found it interesting to see elements introduced which would become foundational in all that comes after and I enjoyed seeing the way in which, at this point, both the Doctor and the Master are all but unknown on Gallifrey. Suffice to say that they'd become more famous later...
For me the absolute highlight of this book was seeing Tom Baker's brilliantly irreverent incarnation of the Doctor going up against the intractable and tedious rules and procedures of the Time Lords. You get a real sense of why the Doctor is seen as a renegade by the Time Lords, as well as exactly why he couldn't stand to live amongst them.
Unfortunately, this book has a huge downside, which is the extended sequence in which the Doctor and another rogue Time Lord fight through the simulated jungle environment within the Matrix (if only Keanu Reeves had been there to help...). It's overly-long, takes us away from the centrally interesting element of the Doctor being back on Gallifrey and doesn't even have the Doctor matching wits with the Master, with the antagonist being a one-and-done underling.
The whole sequence makes the rest of the book as a whole seem worse than it otherwise would.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *
Mysteriously recalled to his home planet Gallifrey, the Doctor finds himself framed for the murder of the President of the Time Lords. He then has limited time to prove his innocence whilst matching wits with one of his oldest enemies; the Master.
It's hard to grasp now just how much this one story expanded Doctor Who lore, with Gallifrey and the Time Lords only ever having been explored peripherally before this.
To a modern reader versed in Who lore, some of what we see here doesn't quite jibe with what we accept (the Time Lords don't call TARDISes TARDISes, for example) but I found it interesting to see elements introduced which would become foundational in all that comes after and I enjoyed seeing the way in which, at this point, both the Doctor and the Master are all but unknown on Gallifrey. Suffice to say that they'd become more famous later...
For me the absolute highlight of this book was seeing Tom Baker's brilliantly irreverent incarnation of the Doctor going up against the intractable and tedious rules and procedures of the Time Lords. You get a real sense of why the Doctor is seen as a renegade by the Time Lords, as well as exactly why he couldn't stand to live amongst them.
Unfortunately, this book has a huge downside, which is the extended sequence in which the Doctor and another rogue Time Lord fight through the simulated jungle environment within the Matrix (if only Keanu Reeves had been there to help...). It's overly-long, takes us away from the centrally interesting element of the Doctor being back on Gallifrey and doesn't even have the Doctor matching wits with the Master, with the antagonist being a one-and-done underling.
The whole sequence makes the rest of the book as a whole seem worse than it otherwise would.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *
April 26, 2021
An unusual book this one, being the only companionless story of the classic run, but certainly doesn't suffer for that, helped by some of the Time Lords filling in somewhat for the role of questioning the Doctor / being a stand in for the audience / reader.
First proper look at Gallifrey here, as I don't think the War Games gave that much of a view, and we learn a lot more about the Time Lords and their history, building on the Brain of Morbius, and while the latter featured a bad Time Lord other than the Master (and Monk really), this story cements really that the Time Lords can be as ruthless, ambitious, political and bad as humans can be, removing their mystique of overall aloofness that the stories prior gave.
The Master returns after a bit of an absence here, and comes across quite evil and cunning, without any trace of the warmth that Roger Delgado's Master had, and makes for a good adversary here.
The Doctor is in good form here, and is interesting to see how well the trap is formed for him at the beginning of the story, and how he couldn't prevent the immediate impacts of the trap.
Some good tension and action here, some of it quite adult really in terms of violence, and overall a good read.
First proper look at Gallifrey here, as I don't think the War Games gave that much of a view, and we learn a lot more about the Time Lords and their history, building on the Brain of Morbius, and while the latter featured a bad Time Lord other than the Master (and Monk really), this story cements really that the Time Lords can be as ruthless, ambitious, political and bad as humans can be, removing their mystique of overall aloofness that the stories prior gave.
The Master returns after a bit of an absence here, and comes across quite evil and cunning, without any trace of the warmth that Roger Delgado's Master had, and makes for a good adversary here.
The Doctor is in good form here, and is interesting to see how well the trap is formed for him at the beginning of the story, and how he couldn't prevent the immediate impacts of the trap.
Some good tension and action here, some of it quite adult really in terms of violence, and overall a good read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2020
I had only read about this episode in other reference material and the state of the Master but it was still completely different to finally experience it as a full story, even if in book form instead of as a TV serial. But at the same time I kind of wish that this Target adaptation had invested a bit more time to detail things more since the story was quite gripping all throughout.
This is definitely a key Fourth Doctor adventure that has him at his best and pitted against his arch-nemesis in such a unique challenge. It has all the elements of a whodunnit, even if the Doctor first gets clued into the case with a vision of an event that hasn't even happened yet.
The final solution to things was a very Doctor Who one and the fate of the Master was, of course, somewhat uncertain. But that's just how things are between these two. But this story is a rare one that gives us a better look at Gallifreyan society and introduced a lot of key artifacts that have played larger roles in later Doctor Who stories. And that just makes things even more interesting and memorable.
This is definitely a key Fourth Doctor adventure that has him at his best and pitted against his arch-nemesis in such a unique challenge. It has all the elements of a whodunnit, even if the Doctor first gets clued into the case with a vision of an event that hasn't even happened yet.
The final solution to things was a very Doctor Who one and the fate of the Master was, of course, somewhat uncertain. But that's just how things are between these two. But this story is a rare one that gives us a better look at Gallifreyan society and introduced a lot of key artifacts that have played larger roles in later Doctor Who stories. And that just makes things even more interesting and memorable.
July 13, 2023
Doctor Who and the Deadly Assassin (1977) by Terrance Dicks is the novelisation of the third serial of the fourteenth season of Doctor Who. It’s notable because it was the first serial where the Doctor had no companion and also because it was the first serial that was set on Galifrey.
The Doctor has a premonition that the President of the Time Lords is going to be assassinated. The Doctor travels to Galifrey and is then set up as an assassin. But it turns out that the Master is behind the schemes. The Doctor also goes into ‘The Matrix’ a great VR simulation.
The Deadly Assassin is quite a good Doctor Who serial. The book is an entertaining read.
The Doctor has a premonition that the President of the Time Lords is going to be assassinated. The Doctor travels to Galifrey and is then set up as an assassin. But it turns out that the Master is behind the schemes. The Doctor also goes into ‘The Matrix’ a great VR simulation.
The Deadly Assassin is quite a good Doctor Who serial. The book is an entertaining read.
August 13, 2023
This is one of the all time claasics and the sight of the decomposing master thrilled my horror loving childhood self.
Not sure if this story was trying to tap into the 70s political thriller fad if so the book fails miserably, plot holes you could drive a bus through and is such a shame if there was ever a Who story that could have been expanded upon it was this one. Its a rushed book which doesnt do the tv episodes justice the only enjoyable element is the 4th Dr's flippant remarks.
Heyho maybe its one of TDs early ones, not one of the best Who novelisations i have read.
Not sure if this story was trying to tap into the 70s political thriller fad if so the book fails miserably, plot holes you could drive a bus through and is such a shame if there was ever a Who story that could have been expanded upon it was this one. Its a rushed book which doesnt do the tv episodes justice the only enjoyable element is the 4th Dr's flippant remarks.
Heyho maybe its one of TDs early ones, not one of the best Who novelisations i have read.
March 30, 2025
An enjoyable read and appearance by the Master.
There is no companion in this story. Without a companion, the story characters get to shine a little more than usual.
The build out of Gallifrey and Time Lord society is interesting and adds a lot to Doctor Who lore. The action and whodunit aspect make this a fun, quick read.
There is no companion in this story. Without a companion, the story characters get to shine a little more than usual.
The build out of Gallifrey and Time Lord society is interesting and adds a lot to Doctor Who lore. The action and whodunit aspect make this a fun, quick read.
February 28, 2019
It's from the era when Terrance Dicks' novelizations were starting to get a bit stripped down for efficiency...but with material to work with that is this good, it's hard for Mr. Dicks not to let his enthusiasm show in the prose. A very enjoyable adaptation.
April 5, 2020
A good story. The Master returns and we get our first look at what would become the stereotypical Time Lords on Gallifrey look (High Collars, Skull Caps) and we start to dig a little more into actual Time Lord history.
October 22, 2023
Not my favorite story, but of course I love it because it’s doctor who! Same charm and positive messaging. Was missing more oompf from the other characters in this book, but the plot was interesting!
October 3, 2024
A pretty solid retelling of a well-regarded story. Dicks puts a lot of depth into the characters and, despite the setting’s history being given more wordage than the setting itself, manages to make the climactic moments within the story pretty exciting as well.
January 22, 2019
If you love the Doctor these old paperbacks can be fun but there are much better books featuring the doctor then these. Still i would be lying if i said i didn't enjoy it.
May 23, 2020
More five star nostalgia chow about which I cannot be objective at all. So much fun, it takes me right back to reading these Target Doctor Who novelizations in the backyard on a nice day.
March 2, 2021
Really good read the Master is at their most Mastery
October 3, 2022
An absolute classic Doctor Who story with the Master, politics, assassination and the fourth Doctor.
January 1, 2024
more fun with The Master
November 23, 2024
Solid Doctor vs Master adventure. The fourth Doctor is my Doctor.
October 11, 2020
pdf 102 pages
A perfectly serviceable retelling of the script with a few added details. I'm less enamoured with the story than others - I feel that Galiifrey worked better as a shadowy mystery rather than as here under the spotlight, even if the stultifying Time Lord routine may have given the Doctor the impetus to escape. As so often it is the highly ranked who are the source of corruption (see also Star Trek's High Command... ) - and does the comic turn of Runcible really serve a purpose?
There's also a massive continuity flaw at the end, I've just noticed on this rereading (concerning the Sash).
A perfectly serviceable retelling of the script with a few added details. I'm less enamoured with the story than others - I feel that Galiifrey worked better as a shadowy mystery rather than as here under the spotlight, even if the stultifying Time Lord routine may have given the Doctor the impetus to escape. As so often it is the highly ranked who are the source of corruption (see also Star Trek's High Command... ) - and does the comic turn of Runcible really serve a purpose?
There's also a massive continuity flaw at the end, I've just noticed on this rereading (concerning the Sash).
March 3, 2024
"When I bear this back to my TARDIS, it will give me supreme power over the universe. I shall be Master of all matter."
April 28, 2023
Rating between 4 & 5
A enjoyable and quick read from TD adapting a doctor who story that wasn’t without controversy on its first broadcast for the depiction of violence in the the matrix scenes. That is all smoothed over by TD in the novel and although they are exciting scenes in the plot they don’t necessarily stand out.
This was from the period when the target adaptations very rarely added anything to what was shown in tv and merely recapped the story within a set number of pages/words.
Somehow though TD’s writing, for me at least, does seem to elevate the story despite not adding much to it in the way of Gallifreyan history, backgrounds, descriptions of the capitol or the time lords. Perhaps it works so well because it is a solo Doctor story so the tv episodes and adaptor don’t have to spend time splitting the plot between the usual 2 or 3 viewpoints and can concentrate on propelling the story along at a nice pace.
Despite being way over the target age for readers, this was an enjoyable diversion into the past for me and reminded me of what started my love of reading.
Should this be a 4 or 5 star read - based on what is actually in the book then 4 but if counting nostalgia and enjoyment of original tv episodes then a 5.
Overall a definite recommendation.
A enjoyable and quick read from TD adapting a doctor who story that wasn’t without controversy on its first broadcast for the depiction of violence in the the matrix scenes. That is all smoothed over by TD in the novel and although they are exciting scenes in the plot they don’t necessarily stand out.
This was from the period when the target adaptations very rarely added anything to what was shown in tv and merely recapped the story within a set number of pages/words.
Somehow though TD’s writing, for me at least, does seem to elevate the story despite not adding much to it in the way of Gallifreyan history, backgrounds, descriptions of the capitol or the time lords. Perhaps it works so well because it is a solo Doctor story so the tv episodes and adaptor don’t have to spend time splitting the plot between the usual 2 or 3 viewpoints and can concentrate on propelling the story along at a nice pace.
Despite being way over the target age for readers, this was an enjoyable diversion into the past for me and reminded me of what started my love of reading.
Should this be a 4 or 5 star read - based on what is actually in the book then 4 but if counting nostalgia and enjoyment of original tv episodes then a 5.
Overall a definite recommendation.
July 25, 2011
One of the most important (and controversial) stories from the original Doctor Who TV series gets a standard Terrance Dicks novelization. A story that was full of suspense is hurt significantly by the revelation of the surprise villain's identity very early on in the story. The TV version also had some of the best characterization in terms of writing of any of the Who scripts and the novelization could have been an opportunity to nicely supplement that with some additional details about the society of the Time Lords or the backgrounds of the Time Lord characters. Sadly though, thanks largely to the standard "copy and paste the script” nature of Dicks writing of the novelizations at the time, this opportunity was not taken up. The real strength of the novelization lies then not in Dicks prose but in the quality of the original script from writer Robert Holmes. Also on the plus side is that the book is short and it makes for a fast, if of course far from great read.
In short The Deadly Assassin a great TV story but a standard novelization.
In short The Deadly Assassin a great TV story but a standard novelization.
December 5, 2012
I actually felt that this novelisation of Dick's went more into the background and characterisation of people than normal. He addressed the abrupt and gruf leaving of Sarah Jane before the start of this episode. Of course without Sarah (or another companion) this becomes a Doctor Who story (possibly the only Doctor Who story) without a single female character! Despite that it's a pretty good adventure (thankfully the time lords become less male as the series develops!) I do love Gallifrey and the politics and the Time Lord traditions. That said the actual episodes of these stories were kinda let down by the one where the doctor was being chased through a swamp sound stage. That part seemed to work much better in the book, possibly because it was shorter. It was also nice to read about all of Rassilon's artifacts (like the Eye of Harmony) that had just been mentioned in the Gallifrey audios I'd been listening to and see their first use. But they really should have had some women!!!
August 24, 2012
The most adventurous adventoures are my fsvorites, paticulatly when the Doctor is left to his own resources in one of the rare companionless episodes. Of course I know it won't last, but I do have Leela to look forward to ...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews