Doctor Who and the Time Warrior (novelisation)

 was a novelisation based on the 1973 television serial The Time Warrior.

1978 Target Books edition
His spaceship crippled in an inter-stellar battle, the Sontaran warrior, Linx, is forced to crash-land on earth. He arrives in the Middle Ages, a time too primitive to provide the technology he needs to repair his ship. Allying himself with the local robber chief, Linx uses his powers to `borrow' scientists and equipment from twentieth-century earth.

Doctor Who tracks down the missing scientists and journeys into the past to save them. But can he defeat the ruthless Linx and his savage human allies before the course of human history is changed forever?

1993 Target Books edition
'IT WAS THE DEVIL'S WORK, CAPTAIN...THIS WIZARD THEY CALL THE DOCTOR THREW ALL THE FIRES AND STENCHES OF HELL AT US!'

Linx, the Sontaran Warrior, crash-lands his space-craft on Earth after being crippled by an inter-stellar battle with the Rutans. Unfortunately for him, he's landed in Medieval Wessex, where life is primitive and the technology to repair his hasn't been invented yet. He allies himself with the local bandit-chief Irongron, and builds a crude time-machine in order to snatch the people and equipment he needs from the twentieth century. Meanwhile, the Doctor, who is searching for these missing scientists, transports himself and Sarah Jane to their place of capture - the foul medieval lair of Irongron's castle, where the axe meets the ray-gun, in the hostile environment of the Middle Ages.

This was the first Doctor Who TV adventure which featured Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane the stowaway reporter, and revealed the name of the Time Lords' planet, Gallifrey.

Chapter titles

 * Prologue
 * 1) Irongron's Star
 * 2) Linx's Bargain
 * 3) Sarah's Bluff
 * 4) Irongron's Captive
 * 5) The Doctor Disappears
 * 6) A Shock for Sarah
 * 7) Prisoner in the Past
 * 8) The Robot Knight
 * 9) Linx's Slaves
 * 10) Irongron's Wizard
 * 11) The Rescue
 * 12) The Doctor's Magic
 * 13) Counter Attack
 * 14) The Robot's Return
 * 15) Shooting Gallery
 * 16) Return to Danger
 * 17) Linx's Departure

Deviations from televised story

 * An opening sequence of a space battle between the Sontarans and Rutans is added. The scout ship featured throughout the story is the last surviving component of a space cruiser pursued by nine Rutan attack craft.
 * A greater emphasis is placed on the Doctor's role as a spy for the Brigadier at the country house. The Time Lord has to request access to the TARDIS directly, rather than it already being provided for him on-site. Given the Doctor's propensity to abscond, the Brigadier has reservations about providing it, but instructs his men to carry out the instruction.
 * Cut scenes with Hal the Archer and the messenger boy are reinstated.
 * Sarah's first trip in the TARDIS is depicted. She hides in a wardrobe room, just off the main console room, and speculates as to the Doctor's affiliation with the Brigadier.
 * Linx makes it clear to the Doctor that the punishment circuit of the computer console will give him a lethal electrical charge if he attempts to leave it. He's trapped at the workstation long enough for the evening to arrive without him solving the puzzle.
 * Irongron, Bloodaxe and Linx travel to Sir Edward's castle on horseback.
 * The Doctor's reflective shield from the TARDIS survives his duel with Linx long enough for Rubeish to be transported back to the modern-day. Sarah searches for a weapon to strike the Sontaran's probic vent while the two fight.
 * Linx refrains from killing the Doctor and Sarah as he's wasted enough time disposing of Irongron. His ship is already on automatic countdown, so he believes they'll be destroyed in the blast regardless. The alien warrior is already dead from Hal's arrow by the time his hand comes down on the take-off button.
 * The destruction of Castle Irongron takes place at night. The Doctor, Sarah and Hal flee among the dead warlord's men. The Sontaran scout pod survives the explosion, rising into the sky on autopilot with its dead occupant, to rejoin the war above.

Writing and publishing notes

 * Robert Holmes submitted three pages towards 'his' novelisation of the story, before handing it over to Terrance Dicks (who used the notes as a prologue), to finish.

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


 * Paperback
 * Target

Re-issues:
 * 1993 Virgin Publishing with a new cover by Alister Pearson priced £3.50 (UK)

Audiobook
This Target Book was released as an audiobook on 13 November 2008 complete and unabridged by BBC Audio and read by Jeremy Bulloch.

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.

The audiobook version was re-released in October 2018 as part of The Second UNIT Collection box set.