Doctor Who and the Cave-Monsters (novelisation)

Doctor Who and the Cave-Monsters was the novelisation of Doctor Who and the Silurians. Interestingly enough, even though the serial it adapted was accidentally given a Target-style title, the novelisation didn't take the chance to carry the same title and instead gave it a completely different one.

1974 edition
All is not well at the Wenley Moor underground atomic research station: there are unaccountable loses of power-output; nervous breakdowns amongst the staff; and then – a death! UNIT is called in and the Brigadier is soon joined by DOCTOR WHO and Liz Shaw in a tense and exciting adventure with subterranean reptile men – SILURIANS – and a 40ft. high Tyrannosaurus rex, the biggest, most savage mammal which ever trod the earth!

"DOCTOR WHO, the children's own programme which adults adore ..." Gerard Garrett, The Daily Sketch

1992 edition
'If you really want to know what I think, the man simply died of fright...'

All is not well at the Wenley Moor underground atomic research station. Power is being unaccountably lost; the staff are on the verge of a strange nervous collapse and one man, his face horribly marked by some hideous claw, has been killed. The Silurians, ancient creatures who once ruled the Earth, are beginning to stir from their centuries-long slumber...

This is an adaption by Malcolm Hulke of his own original screenplay, which featured Jon Pertwee in the role of the Doctor and which was originally published under the title The Cave Monsters.

2011 BBC Edition
'Okdel looked across the valley to see the tip of the sun as it sank below the horizon. It was the last time he would see the sun for a hundred million years.'

UNIT is called in to investigate security at a secret research centre buried under Wenley Moor. Unknown to the Doctor and his colleagues, the work at the Centre has woken a group of Silurians - intelligent reptiles that used to be the dominant life form on Earth during prehistoric times.

Now they have woken, the Silurians are appalled to find 'thier' planet populated by upstart apes. The Doctor hopes to negotiate a peace deal, but there are those on both sides who cannot bear the thought of humans and Silurians living together. As UNIT soldiers enter the cave systems, and the Silurians unleash a deadly plague that could wipe out the human race, the battle for planet Earth begins.

This novel is based on 'The Silurians', a Doctor Who story which was originally broadcast from 29 January-14 March 1970.

Featuring the Third Doctor as played by Jon Pertwee, his companion Liz Shaw and the UNIT organisation commanded by Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart.

Chapter titles

 * 1) Prologue: The Little Planet
 * 2) The Doctor gets a message
 * 3) The Traitor
 * 4) Power Loss
 * 5) The Fighting Monster
 * 6) Into the Caves
 * 7) Quinn Visits His Friends
 * 8) Into an Alien World
 * 9) The Search
 * 10) Man Trap
 * 11) The Doctor Makes a Visit
 * 12) Goodbye, Dr Quinn
 * 13) The Prisoner
 * 14) Man from the Ministry
 * 15) Attack and Counter-Attack
 * 16) The Itch
 * 17) Epidemic
 * 18) A Hot World
 * 19) The Lie

Deviations from televised story

 * A prologue tells of the Silurians going into hiding to avoid catastrophe.
 * Each of the reptile men is given an individual name and personality.
 * All the scenes with Spencer and Davis in the caves all cut out; they are replaced by Quinn and the Brigadier explaining the events.
 * The Brigadier meets the Doctor and Liz at the lift when they arrive at the centre. In the televised episode, a soldier informs the Brigadier, who is in the conference room.
 * A UNIT corporal named Grover tells Liz that the Doctor is working on Bessie.
 * The Doctor's humming of Jabberwocky is removed.
 * A new scene features some security guards at the main gate checking the Doctor and Liz's passes. Liz gives password, which is "Silurians".
 * Liz goes straight from the conference room at the research facility to the medical bay. In the televised version, she briefly goes to the cyclotron room with the Doctor.
 * The scenes when the Doctor first visits the Cyclotron room are cut out.
 * Meredith is descirbed as a good-looking young man, while in the televised serial he is older.
 * More background is given to Miss Dawson; she is said to have lived in London her whole life, looking after her old mother, while all her other siblings went to America and Australia. Her mother then died, and she took the job at Wenley Moor. She is also given the first name of Phyllis.
 * The entire third chapter is devoted to Miss Dawson, inlcluding her past life and her experiences with Dr Quinn.
 * It is said Dr Quinn's wife died in a car accident some years before the events of this story. His first name is also changed from John to Matthew.
 * Quinn is the son of Sir Charles Quinn, a famous scientist.
 * At one point, the Doctor is referred to as "Doctor Who".
 * Major Baker is renamed "Major Barker".
 * The scenes featuring Roberts are different from the televised story: on-screen, Roberts tries to strangle Miss Dawson when she tries to shut off the reactor, but in the novelisation, Liz notices him drawing extinct animals on his clipboard. When the Doctor confronts him, Roberts tries to strangle Liz, but is hit by Barker with his revolver, killing him. He is also given the first name of George.
 * When Quinn goes to see the Silurians to warn them about UNIT, he speaks with Okdel in person, rather then over a speaker system as in the televised serial.
 * The Silurian that is wounded and forced to the surface is named as Morka. He is also the younger Silurian who kills the leader, a distinction which is not made clear in the television story (where the two are played by different actors).
 * Morka kills Squire by breaking his neck, rather then Squire dying of fright as in televised serial.
 * Captain Hawkins is demoted to Sergeant.
 * Only the Doctor, the Brigadier, Major Barker, Sergeant Hawkins and an unnamed soldier go into the caves to search for the Dinosaur. On-screen, there is more than one unnamed soldier.
 * Morka hides in the cellar of the barn at the farm. On-screen, there is no cellar, and the Silurian hides in the hay.
 * Major Barker is not guarded when he leaves the sickbay. On-screen, a UNIT sergeant is guarding Baker when he leaves.
 * In the book it is Dr Meredith who discovers the death of Quinn.
 * At the end, the Brigadier only seals the Silurians in the caves, as opposed to blowing them up. The Doctor's reaction is more muted.
 * Travis is now a female technician. She saves the day when the reactor overloads.
 * As one of the early titles in the Target range, the writer was encouraged to flesh out his script for the novelisation.
 * Chapter 8 titled "Into an Alien World" is written from Morka's point of view.
 * The back-cover blurb on the original edition features a scientific error, as the Tyrannosaurus rex is referred to as a mammal, when in fact dinosaurs were reptiles.
 * The fact that Silurians can cry, stated here, flatly contradicts Blood Heat.

British publication history
First publication:
 * Hardback
 * W.H. Allen & Co. Ltd. UK


 * Paperback
 * Target
 * 25p (UK)
 * 80c Australia

Re-issues:
 * 70p (UK) - £1.50

1992 Virgin Publishing with a new cover by Alister Pearson priced £2.99

Netherlands

 * Published as Doctor Who en de Holenmonsters.

Finland

 * Published as Tohtori Kuka Ja Luolahirviöt.

Portugal

 * Published as Douter Who E Os Monstros Das Cavernas.

Japan

 * Published as (transliteration): Senritsu! Chitei Monsutaa

Audiobook
This Target Book was released complete and unabridged by BBC Audio and read by Caroline John who played Liz Shaw.

The audio set of 4 CDs with an ISBN 1-4056-7799-6 was released in September 2007 priced £13.99 (UK)

The cover blurb and thumbnail illustrations were retained in the accompanying booklet with sleevenotes by David J. Howe. Music and sound effects by Simon Power.

It was later reissued as an MP3-CD alongside action figures of Amy Pond and a Silurian as part of Character Options' Panodrica wave.