Full Circle (novelisation)

 was a novelisation based on the 1980 television serial Full Circle.

Publisher's summary
Romana has been recalled to Gallifrey by the Time Lords – a summons that cannot be ignored, despite her extreme reluctance to give up the freedom and excitement life as the Doctor's companion has brought.

The time traveller's course is set, the flight path is clear, estimated time of arrival on Gallifrey is in thirty-two minutes – then the unexpected happens...

The full significance of their temporary loss of control over the TARDIS is only gradually brought home to the Doctor. For it is not on Gallifrey that they land but on the terror planet Alzarius, and at a time when the legendary Mistfall comes again – when the giant scaly creatures that inhabit the planet's swamps leave the marshes and go on the rampage, leaving a trail of death and destruction in their wake...

Chapter titles

 * Prologue
 * 1) 'I Have Lost Control of the TARDIS'
 * 2) 'I'm an Elite'
 * 3) 'Master -- Alert'
 * 4) 'We're Taking Over Your Ship'
 * 5) 'We Don't Know What's Out There'
 * 6) 'You Will Answer the Questions, Doctor'
 * 7) 'A Little Patience Goes a Long Way'
 * 8) 'I am Beginning Surgery'
 * 9) 'One Secret Our Ancestors Kept For Themselves'
 * 10) 'We've Come Full Circle'
 * 11) 'We Cannot Return to Teradon'
 * 12) 'We're Trapped'

Deviations from televised story

 * In Chapter Five, Romana II utters the mild expletive, "Damn", which assuredly does not happen in the original story. Such language was forbidden of the Doctor and his companions on television at the time.
 * A prologue features the Starliner crashing.
 * The Marshmen dragging outlers under the water as a kind of planetary defence system.
 * Nefred interfaces with the system files.
 * The Doctor tries to save the marshchild after failing to save a "witch" from being burnt.
 * An additional scene features a spider jumping from K9's headless body onto the Doctor's face.

Writing and publishing notes

 * Producer John Nathan-Turner instructed that an epilogue written by Andrew Smith be deleted from the novelisation.
 * Dedication: ”To the cast, crew and production team of the television production Full Circle. Thank you.”

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


 * Paperback
 * Target

Audiobook
This Target Book was released on 29 January 2015 complete and unabridged by BBC Audio and read by Matthew Waterhouse with K9's voice by John Leeson.

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.