Time and the Rani (novelisation)

Novelisation

 * This novelisation is based on the original television serial (DW):  Time and the Rani  which was shown from 7th September 1987 and written by Pip and Jane Baker
 * The cover and information shown on the right is for the original Target novel and featured the photographic artwork of Chris Capstick. (See below for information on other UK and international editions which published with a different cover). The initial release carried a "FIRST EDITION" banner on the cover.
 * This first adventure of the Seventh Doctor was also the first novelisation of his era to be published; this was only also true of the Third and Fourth Doctors - all other Doctors had later stories published as their first novelisations.
 * This was the only Seventh Doctor novelisation to be released in a hardcover edition; chronologically it is also the last in the series to be released in that format (the actual final hardcover release was The Smugglers, a First Doctor story).

1987 edition
Assailed by violent bolts of multi-coloured energy, the TARDIS is blasted off-course and forced to land on the barren planet of Lakertya. The turbulence brings about the Doctor's sixth regeneration. But that is the least of his worries. He has been hijacked by that ruthless renegade Time Lady, the Rani. Why has the Rani brought the Doctor to Lakertya? What are the hideous Tetrap guards? Who are the eleven geniuses she has imprisoned in her stronghold? What is the vital significance of the asteroid of Strange Matter? And can the Doctor stop the Rani's diabolical scheme before it affects the whole of creation throughout time and space?

1991 edition
He glared bleakly at the Rani. "That asteroid's composed of strange matter! What monstrous experiment are you dabbling in now?"

Assailed by violent bouts of energy the TARDIS is blasted off course and forced to land on the barrent planet of Lakertya, and the violent buffeting triggers the Doctor's sixth regeneration. But that is the least of his worries. He has been hijacked by that ruthless renegade female Time Lord, the Rani.

Why has the Rani brought the Doctor to Lakertya? What are the hideous Tetrap guards? Who are the eleven geniuses she has imprisoned in her stronghold? What is the vital significance of the asteroid of Strange Matter? And can the Doctor stop the Rani's diabolical scheme before it affects the whole of creation throughout time and space?

Doctor Who - Time and the Rani is the first story to feature the seventh Doctor as played by Sylvester McCoy. This novelization is by Pip and Jane Baker, and is adapted from their original scripts.

Illustrations

 * None

Deviations from televised story
To be added

Writing and publishing notes

 * Prepared before transmission the original cover illustration for this title by Tony Masero showed the Tetraps asleep standing up. The mistake wasn’t realised until quite late and rather than turn the cover art upside down resulted in the one-off specicially commissioned photograph of the Tetraps hanging from the roof of the caves, that was used instead. Proof copies featuring this artwork were circulated.
 * This book should be numbered 128 not 127 as it is.
 * Inside back cover includes colour advert for Fantastic Doctor Who Posters Offer.

British publication history

 * Hardback (December 1987)


 * W.H.Allen & Co. Ltd. UK ISBN:0491031866, copies priced £7.95 (UK))
 * Paperback (May 1988)


 * Target / W.H. Allen & Co. Ltd. One single paperback edition, estimated print run: 23,000,  priced £1.99 (UK).
 * Paperback (1991)


 * Target / Virgin Publishing New cover artwork by Alister Pearson, estimated print run: 10,000,  priced £2.50 (UK).
 * Interior ISBN reads 0426202325 and the exterior ISBN 0426203313.

Editions published outside Britain

 * In Canada, the UK Target edition was distributed. Due to issues at the time involving trade tariffs and a weak Canadian dollar, the book initially carried a cover price above C$7, at a time when most paperbacks of the same format (and previous Target Doctor Who releases) were rarely more than C$4. This affected the next few Target releases before Canadian prices normalized.

External Sources

 * The Target Book by David J Howe (Telos Publishing 2007)
 * On Target a comprehensive guide to the Target novelisations by Tim Neal