Mission to the Unknown (novelisation)

Novelisation

 * This novelisation contains an adaptation of the prelude story to The Daleks' Master Plan, Mission to the Unknown  and the first six episodes of The Daleks' Master Plan itself. The second volume adapted the second six episodes. Not counting the four novelisations based on The Trial of a Time Lord, this marks the only instance of Target Books publishing an adaptation of a Doctor Who story in more than one volume. Mission to the Unknown, although linked to the main story, is officially considered a separate, standalone story by the BBC, making this volume the only occasion in which a Target novelisation actually adapted more than one serial.


 * John Peel referenced earlier versions of Terry Nation's original scripts while working on this story. Most authors of Doctor Who novelisations (other than the writers of the original stories) did not have access to earlier version of the scripts.


 * The cover and information on the right are for the original Target edition which featured the artwork of Alister Pearson. (See below for information on editions published with different covers).

1989 edition
Stranded in the jungles of Kembel, the most hostile planet in the Galaxy, Space Security agent Marc Cory has stumbled across the most deadly plot ever hatched-the Daleks are about to invade and destroy the Universe. Cory has to get a warning back to Earth before it’s too late-but the Daleks find him first.

Months later the First Doctor and his companions arrive on Kembal and find Cory’s message. But it may already be too late for Earth-the Daleks’ Masterplan has already begun…

Illustrations
None

Deviations from televised story

 * The Dalek Prime awaits the completion of the Dalek plan from Skaro. The Dalek Prime was an alternative of the Dalek Emperor for John Peel's never-produced War of the Daleks TV serial. A novel version of War of the Daleks was not published until 1997, by which point the Dalek Prime appeared or was mentioned in all of Peel's Dalek novelisation apart from The Power of the Daleks. It was later mentioned in Peel's Legacy of the Daleks.
 * Reference is made to the Daleks using taranium to power their time machines, something stated in Peel's novelisation of The Chase. It took the Daleks almost a century to acquire enough to power all the time machines in their Empire, but by 4000 they needed Mavic Chen's help to acquire more for the Time Destructor.

Writing and publishing notes

 * Features advert: “Are You buying Doctor Who Magazine?”
 * The story opens in Troy, picking up from the end of The Myth Makers. Since it also novelises Mission to the Unknown and the first half of The Daleks' Master Plan, the book includes the novelisation or partial novelisation of three different stories.

Additional cover images
To be added

British publication history
First Publication: Paperback (September 1989) Re-issues: (September 1990)
 * Target / W.H. Allen & Co. Ltd. One single paperback edition, estimated print run: 22,000,  priced £1.99 (UK).
 * Target / W.H. Allen & Co. Ltd., estimated print run: 6,000, priced £2.50 (UK).

Editions published outside Britain
To be added