Doctor Who and the Planet of Evil (novelisation)

 was a novelisation based on the 1975 television serial Planet of Evil. The first edition's cover bore the title of Doctor Who - The Planet of Evil; however, the spine and copyright listing still used the Doctor Who and the... form, and subsequent paperback editions reverted to it.

1977 Target Books edition
The expedition to Zeta Minor began with eight men. Seven were murdered. One survived – but he was not the murderer.

DOCTOR WHO lands on the planet at the same time as the expedition's rescue team, and is immediately taken prisoner – the suspected murderer. But even stranger things soon begin to happen...

What terrible creature inhabits this wild, desolate planet, killing mercilessly, lurking in the murky depths of the Black Pool? Will anyone ever be allowed to leave – alive?

1982 Target Books edition
A survey team of eight men from the mighty Morestran Empire lands on Zeta Minor, a remote planet on the fringes of the universe. Before their expedition is over, seven of the men are mysteriously and horrifically murdered.

A distress signal brings the Doctor to the planet - but his good intentions are not appreciated. The commander of a Morestran rescue party, sent to investigate the disappearance of the survey team, is convinced the Doctor is the killer.

And while the Doctor is kept prisoner and powerless to act, the merciless hell-planet claims even more victims...

Chapter titles

 * 1) Killer Planet
 * 2) The Probe
 * 3) Meeting with a Monster
 * 4) Tracked by the Oculoid
 * 5) The Lair of the Monster
 * 6) The Battle for the Spaceship
 * 7) The Creature in the Corridor
 * 8) Marooned in Space
 * 9) Sentenced to Death
 * 10) The Monster Runs Amok
 * 11) An Army of Monsters

Deviations from televised story

 * The Morestrans wrap the TARDIS in plastic to teleport it.
 * Salamar and Morelli discuss the extinction of all life on Earth.

Writing and publishing notes

 * The inside page includes the comment: "THE CHANGING FACE OF DOCTOR WHO. The cover illustration of this book portrays the fourth DOCTOR WHO."
 * The cover of the 1977 edition is named as Doctor Who and the Planet of Evil on the spine and the title pages inside, but as Doctor Who - The Planet of Evil on the front cover — the word 'and' being omitted probably due to an error than lack of space.

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


 * Paperback
 * Target

Re-issues: 1982, with slightly revised cover design; title changed to Doctor Who and the Planet of Evil

Audiobook
This Target Book was released as an audiobook on 6 April 2023 complete and unabridged by BBC Audio and read by Tim Treloar.