The Faceless Ones (novelisation)

 was a novelisation based on the 1967 television serial The Faceless Ones.

Publisher's summary
In the summer of 1966, thousands of young people are taking their holidays with Chameleon Tours. And not one of them is coming back.

When the TARDIS lands at Gatwick Airport the Doctor is drawn into a web of intrigue and deception. To add to his troubles, Polly mysteriously vanishes.

Or does she? The girl at the Chameleon Tours desk looks like Polly, and even sounds like her, but she claims she comes from Zurich.

Who is she really? Who is behind these abductions? And for what sinister purpose? Soon the Doctor and Jamie must face a desperate group of faceless aliens - the deadly Chameleons...

Chapter titles

 * 1) Obstruction on Runway Five
 * 2) The Suspects
 * 3) Man Without a Face
 * 4) The Transfer
 * 5) The Missing
 * 6) The Trap
 * 7) The Abductors
 * 8) The Secret of the Chameleons
 * 9) Death Ray
 * 10) Captured
 * 11) Spaceship
 * 12) The Traitor
 * 13) Flight Into Peril
 * 14) The Bluff
 * 15) The Deal

Deviations from televised story

 * The sonic screwdriver appears quite a few times in this story, whereas on television it was not introduced until the later adventure Fury from the Deep.
 * The Commandant is referred to on several occasions as "the Manager", with "Commandant" being a nickname rather than a title.
 * The Director states that processed humans die and the transference becomes permanent in four weeks, explaining why the originals of the Chameleon Tours staff are left behind at Gatwick.

Writing and publishing notes

 * Inside back cover colour details of Fantastic Doctor Who Poster Offers.
 * The cover for the original Target Books edition featured the artwork of David McAllister.

British publication history

 * Hardback (December 1986)


 * W.H.Allen & Co. Ltd. UK ISBN:0491036922, copies priced £7.25 (UK))
 * Paperback (May 1987)


 * Target / W.H. Allen & Co. Ltd. Single paperback edition, estimated print run: 32,500, priced £1.80 (UK).

Audiobook
This Target Book was released as an audiobook on 2 May 2019 complete and unabridged by BBC Audio and read by Anneke Wills.

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.