Inferno (novelisation)

 was a novelisation based on the 1970 television serial Inferno.

Publisher's summary
Inferno is the name of a top-secret drilling project to penetrate the Earth's crust and release a major new energy source.

A crisis develops when a noxious liquid leaks out as drilling progresses – the green poison has a grotesquely debilitating effect on human beings.

As the Earth's plight worsens, the Doctor is trapped in a parallel world, unable to rescue the planet and its inhabitants from the destructive force of Inferno...

Chapter titles

 * 1) Project Inferno
 * 2) The Beast
 * 3) Mutant
 * 4) The Slime
 * 5) Dimension of Terror
 * 6) The Nightmare
 * 7) Death Sentence
 * 8) Countdown to Doom
 * 9) Penetration-Zero
 * 10) The Monsters
 * 11) Escape Plan
 * 12) Doomsday
 * 13) Return to Danger
 * 14) The Last Mutation
 * 15) The Doctor Takes a Trip

Deviations from televised story

 * The "door handle" is confirmed to be the sonic screwdriver.
 * Private Wyatt is on guard outside the Doctor's workshop at the Inferno Project, not Private Latimer.
 * As in the televised version, the Primords are never named — being referred to mainly as "mutants".
 * The Doctor deduces how the parallel Earth became a dictatorship.
 * Stahlman's motivation is explored in more detail.
 * Stahlman is said to have grown up in the ruins of post-war Germany (so he's either younger in the novelisation or the story is set circa 1990, unless he is describing the First World War).
 * The Doctor is traumatised by the destruction of the other Earth.
 * Stahlman is described as burly and Liz as having reddish-brown hair, neither of which entirely reflects their on screen appearance.
 * Stahlman's first name is given as Eric.
 * It is explained that the Doctor plans to use a power surge from the project's reactor to overload the blocks placed on the TARDIS.
 * Benton refers to Bromley by name: In the televised version, his surname is only given in the credits.
 * The character of Latimer is unnamed.
 * The location of the Inferno Project is changed from Eastchester to East Manchester. (Eastchester is referred to by name only once in the televised version, in a scene on the parallel world cut from the UK transmission of episode five but retained for overseas screening.)
 * The scene between Sir Keith Gold and Patterson prior to the car crash is removed. Sir Keith states he was unconscious for several hours after the accident, explaining his disappearance.

Writing and publishing notes

 * One of several titles commissioned by outgoing range editor Christine Donohoe and edited by Nigel Robinson.
 * This novelisation was later released as part of The UNIT Collection.

British publication history

 * Hardback
 * W.H. Allen & Co. Ltd. UK


 * Paperback
 * Target

Audiobook
This Target Book was released as an audiobook on 7 April 2011 complete and unabridged by BBC Audio and read by Caroline John.

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.

The audiobook was reissued on 5 April 2018 as part of The UNIT Collection.