Doctor Who and the Green Death (novelisation)

 was a novelisation based on the 1973 television serial The Green Death.

1975 Target Books edition
The Green Death begins slowly. In a small Welsh mining village a man emerges from the disused colliery covered in a green fungus. Minutes later he is dead. Unit, Jo Grant and Doctor Who in tow, arrive on the scene to investigate, but strangely reluctant to assist their enquiries is Dr Stevens, director of the local refinery Panorama Chemicals.

Are they in time to destroy the mysterious power which threatens them all before the whole village, and even the world, is wiped out by a deadly swarm of green maggots?

Chapter titles

 * 1) 'Wealth in our time!'
 * 2) The Doctor Plans a Holiday
 * 3) Land of My Fathers
 * 4) Into the Mine
 * 5) Escape!
 * 6) The Sluice Pipe
 * 7) The Egg
 * 8) The Maggots
 * 9) The Swarm
 * 10) The Green Death
 * 11) The Chrysalis
 * 12) One World, One People, One BOSS!

Deviations from televised story

 * The refinery is called Panorama Chemicals in the book, whereas in the TV version it's called Global Chemicals.
 * Dr Ralph Arnold Fell is renamed Dr Arnold Bell.
 * Jo wonders if the Doctor has fallen in love with her.
 * Elgin is reinstated into the events where he was replaced in the televised version by James.
 * The Doctor mourns killing the giant dragonfly.

Writing and publishing notes

 * An extract from the novelisation in which Dai Evans and Clifford Jones discuss the General Strike in 1926 was used to preface Chapter 3 of Dominic Sandbrook's modern history State of Emergency. The chapter in question, "Ghosts of 1926", is an account of the early 1970s strike actions in Britain.

British publication history

 * Hardback
 * W.H. Allen & Co. Ltd. UK


 * Paperback
 * Target

Re-issues:
 * 60p (UK)
 * 1979 Target Books with a new cover by Alun Hood priced 60p (UK)

Audiobook
This Target book was released on 11 September 2008 complete and unabridged by BBC Audio and read by Katy Manning.

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.