Attack of the Cybermen (novelisation)

 was a novelisation based on the 1985 television serial Attack of the Cybermen.

1989 Target Books edition
A diamond raid in modern-day London...a secret base hidden deep in the heart of the city's sewer system...a cold and desolate planet light years from Earth...and a daring plan to alter the entire course of interplanetary history...

On twentieth-century Earth it appears that the Doctor's old enemy, Lytton, has allied himself with the ruthless Cybermen. The Cybermen have devised a scheme which, if successful, could completely destroy the web of time and bring the human race to its knees.

When the Cyber-planet of Mondas was destroyed in 1986 the Cybermen were forced to retreat to the planet Telos. Now they have journeyed back in time to prevent the destruction of their home world. And for Mondas to survive, the Earth must die...

1992 Target Books edition
LYTTON STEPPED FORWARD AND BOWED TO ONE OF THE CREATURES. 'WE ARE YOUR PRISONERS, LEADER,'

On twentieth-century Earth, the Doctor's old enemy, Lytton, appears to have allied himself with the ruthless Cybermen, who have devised a scheme which, if successful, could completely destroy the web of time and bring the human race to its knees. For when the Cyberplanet Mondas was destroyed in 1986, the Cybermen were forced to retreat to the planet Telos. Now they have journeyed back in time to prevent the destruction of their home world, and for Mondas to survive, the Earth must die...

Eric Saward's novelisation is based on the original story by Paula Moore, which featured Colin Baker in the role of the Doctor.

Chapter titles

 * 1) The Day Begins
 * 2) The Perfect Crime
 * 3) The Peripatetic Doctor
 * 4) The Search Begins
 * 5) A Close Encounter of a Very Nasty Kind
 * 6) Telos
 * 7) The Tombs of the Cybermen
 * 8) The Great Escape
 * 9) Caught
 * 10) The Final Encounter

Deviations from televised story

 * The opening scene with the sewer workers Bill and David does not appear.
 * The silvery metal used to make Cybermen bodies is called arnickleton.
 * Lytton's race is called the Charnels.
 * The novelisation restructures the story considerably: The first two chapters focus on Lytton's gang up to the point where they meet the Cybermen, after which the Doctor and Peri are introduced and followed to the same point, and there are no scenes set on Telos until the TARDIS is en route there.
 * The novel adds first names not given on screen: Charles Windsor "Charlie" Griffiths, Vincent Russell, Joe Payne, Eregous Bates and Lintus Stratton. Lytton's full name is given as Gustave Lytton, something the Doctor was already aware of.
 * Back story is provided for the gang members: Griffiths is a petty criminal who lives with his mother, Payne is a shady garage owner. Russell was assigned to Lytton when the police became curious about his lack of background, with both Lytton and Griffiths secretly aware he is a police officer.
 * Payne is a chain smoker and claims someone is following them so he can sneak a cigarette.
 * Threst is renamed Thrust.
 * The characters of Bates and Stratton are largely swapped round, with Bates becoming the more nervous.
 * Several sequences are removed, including the televised cliffhanger of the Cybermen about to kill Peri. It also removes some minor violence such as Bates squeezing Griffiths' hand.
 * The Cyber Controller does not appear until his encounter with Lytton.
 * The Doctor suspects Lytton didn't tell him he was working for the Cryons because he suspected the Doctor would not believe him.
 * Griffiths kills a Cyberman in the sewers with a machine gun.

Writing and publishing notes

 * One of the titles with the longest history is this title, originally discussed in June 1984 and finally published in 1989.
 * In dedication to the memory of Bob, the father, And the splendour of the indigenous Peoples of the Americas.
 * Back page includes un-illustrated Doctor Who Magazine advert.

British publication history
First publication: Paperback (April 1989) Re-issues: (October 1992)
 * Target / W.H. Allen & Co. Ltd. One single paperback edition, estimated print run: 21,000, priced £1.99 (UK).
 * Target / Virgin Publishing, with a new cover by Alister Pearson priced £2.99 (UK).

Audio book
In August 1995, BBC Audio released an abridged audio book version of the novel, read by Colin Baker.

It became part of the BBC MP3-CD Audio sampler Tales from the TARDIS Volume 1, "Ten hours on just one disc".