Meglos (novelisation)

Novelisation

 * This novelisation is based on the original television serial DW: Meglos which was written by John Flanaghan and Andrew McCulloch and shown from 27 September 1980.
 * The cover and information shown on the right is for the original Target novel and features the artwork of Andrew Skilleter. (See below for information on other editions which were published 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 a bank manager. His abduction 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.
 * 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 were never able to come to an agreement with Douglas Adams over 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