Meglos (novelisation)

Novelisation

 * This novelisation is based on the original television serial TV: Meglos, written by John Flanaghan and Andrew McCulloch and shown from 27 September 1980.
 * The cover and information on the right are for the original Target edition. It features the artwork of Andrew Skilleter. (See below for information on editions with different covers).

1983 edition
Zastor, Leader of the planet Tigella, rules a divided people. Savants and Deons are irrevocably opposed on one crucial issue – the Dodecahedron, mysterious source of all their power.

To the Savants the Dodecahedron is a miracle of science to be studied, observed and used to benefit Tigellan civilisation. To the Deons it is a god and not to be tampered with. When the power supply begins to fluctuate wildly the whole planet is threatened, but the Tigellans cannot agree how they should deal with the problem.

Zastor welcomes the arrival of the Fourth Doctor and invites him to arbitrate, but the Deons are suspicious of the Time Lord – and perhaps rightly so …

Illustrations

 * None

Deviations from televised story

 * The "abducted earthling" of the televised story is given a name — George Morris — and backstory as an assistant bank manager. His abduction by the Gaztaks, whom he believes at first are students carrying out one of their Rag Week pranks, is shown in the opening pages.
 * The novelization makes it clear the "Gaztak" is a broad term for mercenary bands, not referring only to Grugger's group.
 * Grugger's kicking of the immobile K9 has been omitted.
 * The Dodecahedron is twice referred to as a five-sided crystal. Which would be a pentahedron.
 * What the author likely meant is that the sides of a regular dodecahedron are pentagons, and that the twelve faces of the dodecahedron each have five edges.


 * The Doctor's claim to have seen the Dodecahedron on his previous visit is omitted.
 * The novel answers the question of how Meglos's species would be able to advance technologically as immobile cacti by their ability to take over the minds of other beings, implying that, despite what was shown, they are able to do it without technological adjuncts.
 * The novelization ends with George Morris returning to Earth.

Writing and publishing notes

 * The publication of this title completed the Fourth Doctor's novelisations, excluding The Pirate Planet, City of Death and the unbroadcast serial, Shada; Target Books never came to an agreement with Douglas Adams for the publications of these books. Target would publish one more Fourth Doctor novelisation eight years later with The Pescatons, a novelisation of the audio drama Doctor Who and the Pescatons.

British publication history
To be added

First Publication:
 * Hardback
 * W.H. Allen & Co. Ltd. UK


 * Paperback
 * Target

Re-issues:

Editions published outside Britain
To be added