The Rescue (novelisation)

The Rescue was a novelisation based on the 1965 television serial The Rescue.

Publisher's summary
From his one previous visit the Doctor remembers the inhabitants of the planet Dido as a gentle, peace-loving people.

But when he returns, things have changed dramatically. It seems that the Dido have brutally massacred the crew of the crashed spaceliner Astra. Even now they are threatening the lives of the sole survivors, Bennett and the orphan girl Vicki.

Why have the Didoi apparently turned against their peaceful natures? Can Bennett and Vicki survive until the rescue ship from Earth arrives? And who is the mysterious Koquillion?

Chapter titles
''Note: This is how the chapters are listed in the Table of Contents. The actual chapter headings are simple ordinal numbers (1-15).''
 * Prologue
 * Chapter One
 * Chapter Two
 * Chapter Three
 * Chapter Four
 * Chapter Five
 * Chapter Six
 * Chapter Seven
 * Chapter Eight
 * Chapter Nine
 * Chapter Ten
 * Chapter Eleven
 * Chapter Twelve
 * Chapter Thirteen
 * Chapter Fourteen
 * Chapter Fifteen
 * Epilogue

Deviations from televised story

 * In this novel the natives who surprise Bennett are a male and a female (they both appeared to be male on screen). They are killed by the crew of the rescue ship.
 * The novel includes scenes set on board the rescue ship.
 * Dido is presented as a dying planet that will soon be uninhabitable, unlike the television story.
 * The TARDIS nearly crashes into the rescue ship twice.
 * An epilogue is added.

Writing and publishing notes

 * Author Ian Marter died in October 1986, nearly a year before the initial hardcover publication of The Rescue. It was the last of several novelisations that Marter had completed before his death to be published.
 * An editor's note was added to the book to acknowledge Marter's passing: "Shortly after completing work on The Rescue Ian Marter died. It was a great loss to his publishers and to the world of Doctor Who as a whole. Ian loved his work on Who both as an actor and a writer of many of the novelisations of the TV shows. He especially enjoyed and appreciated the interest fans showed in his work. And in his absence, it's to all his fans that I'd like to dedicate this, his last book. NR"
 * The first cover design showing Koquillion standing holding a power tool was rejected.

British publication history

 * Hardback (August 1987)


 * W.H.Allen & Co. Ltd. UK ISBN:0491033176, copies priced £7.95 (UK))
 * Paperback (January 1988)


 * Target / W.H. Allen & Co. Ltd. One single paperback edition, estimated print run: 23,000, priced £1.95 (UK).

Audiobook
This Target Book was released on 4 April 2013 complete and unabridged by BBC Audio and read by Maureen O'Brien.

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.