Doctor Who and the Dalek Invasion of Earth (novelisation)

Doctor Who and the Dalek Invasion of Earth
Based on:	The Dalek Invasion of Earth
Doctor:	First Doctor
Companion(s):	Susan, Barbara, Ian
Main enemy:	Daleks, Robomen
Main setting:	London, 2167
Key crew
Publisher:	Target Books, W.H. Allen
Writer:	Terrance Dicks
Read by:	William Russell, Nicholas Briggs
Cover by:	Chris Achilleos
Release details
Release number:	17 (given to later editions)
Release date:	24 March 1977
Format:	Hardcover and paperback editions; 142 pages
ISBN:	ISBN 0-426-11244-X
Publication order
← Previous	Doctor Who and the Seeds of Doom
Next →	Doctor Who and the Claws of Axos
Target novelisation numbering
← Previous	Doctor Who in an Exciting Adventure with the Daleks
Next →	Doctor Who and the Day of the Daleks
TV series order
← Previous	Planet of Giants
Next →	The Rescue

Doctor Who and the Dalek Invasion of Earth was a novelisation based on the 1964 television serial The Dalek Invasion of Earth.

Publisher's summary

1977 edition

The TARDIS lands in a London of future times — a city of fear, devastation and holocaust... a city now ruled by DALEKS.

The Doctor and his companions meet a team of underground resistance workers, among the few survivors, but after an unsuccessful attack on the Dalek spaceship, they are all forced to flee the capital.

A perilous journey through England finally brings them to the secret centre of Dalek operations... and the mysterious reason for the Dalek invasion of Earth!

Chapter titles

1. Return to Terror
2. The Roboman
3. The Freedom Fighters
4. Inside the Saucer
5. Attack the Daleks!
6. The Fugitives
7. Reunion with the Doctor
8. The Mine of the Daleks
9. Dangerous Journey
10. Trapped in the Depths
11. Action Underground
12. Rebellion!
13. Explosion!
14. The Farewell

Deviations from televised story

• As is common in many of the Target Novelisations, the wording of the dialogue is quite different, including the First Doctor's famous farewell speech to Susan. Some lines of dialogue are also given to different characters.
• When Ian asks how the Daleks survived, the Doctor, rather than claim the events of The Daleks took place "a million years in the future", merely suggests the Daleks had other colonies on Skaro that were not involved in the Thal attack and so the destruction was not as complete as everyone believed.
• Carl Tyler is renamed Jim Tyler. Similarly, Jack Craddock is renamed Bill Craddock.
• The Black Dalek is larger than the other Daleks.
• The Dalek Saucer Commander is not identified, although a second-in-command is present.
• The Doctor does not pass out like he does in Episode 4 and helps David disarm the Dalek firebomb (called a "blockbuster bomb").
• Some Robomen are present when Barbara and Jenny are arrested by the Daleks at the womens' hut.
• Instead of the two brothers killing each other in a struggle, Larry kills the robotised Phil by knocking his helmet off, then a Dalek arrives on the scene and kills Larry in his grief.
• The Doctor orders both the slaves and the Robomen to clear the mine area before the explosion. What happened to the Robomen after the Dalek invasion force is destroyed is left unexplained.
• A few scenes are changed to closer resemble the movie remake of the story starring Peter Cushing:
  • Dortmun's death sees him buried under falling rubble, taking a Dalek with him, rather than just being shot by them.
  • Ian uses some wooden planks to send the Dalek bomb on the wrong course as Tom Campbell did, rather than jamming it in place.

Writing and publishing notes

• The original Target edition featured the artwork of Chris Achilleos. In the absence of an accurate photo reference, the Roboman and Dalek Saucer shown on the cover resemble those from the film Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.. See below for information on editions with different covers. The Dalek has its gun stalk swapped with its plunger.

Additional cover images

1977 Hardback edition

1990 edition.
Cover by Alister Pearson

British publication history

First publication:

• Hardback

W.H.Allen & Co. Ltd. UK

• Paperback

Target

Re-issues:

• Paperback

Virgin Publishing Ltd. UK September 1990 Cover by Alistair Pearson (£2.50 UK)

Virgin Publishing Ltd. UK May 1991 Cover by Alistair Pearson (£2.50 UK)

Editions published outside Britain

• Published in Germany by Schneider-Buch in 1981 as a paperback edition, translated by Ulla Neckenauer and published as Dr. Who - Kampf um die Erde, it was one of two German novelisations published in the early 1980’s.
• Published in France by Editions Garanciere in 1987 as a paperback edition, translated by Roland C. Wagner and published as Docteur Who – Les Daleks Envahissent la Terre, it was one of eight French novelisations; each book is given the strapline ‘Igor et Grichka Bogdanoff presentent’ they presented a French science programme called Temps X, the broadcaster had bought and dubbed a selection of Fourth Doctor stories in 1986 but didn’t show them until 1989. The novelisation features an image of the First Doctor with the Fourth Doctor’s scarf.
• Published again in Germany by Goldmann Verlag in 1989 as a paperback edition, translator unknown and published as Dr. Who und das Komplott der Daleks, it was one of six German novelisations published in the late 1980’s.

1981 German edition.
Cover by David Hardy

French edition.
Cover by Jean-François Pénichoux

1989 German edition

 Audiobook

This Target Book was released on 5 November 2009 complete and unabridged by BBC Audio and read by William Russell with Dalek voices by Nicholas Briggs.

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.

Audiobook cover

External links

to be added