Revelation of the Daleks | Talk |
Revelation of the Daleks was a novelisation based on the 1985 television serial Revelation of the Daleks. It was written by the original writer Eric Saward and released by BBC Books on 14 November 2019. The novelisation was published again by Target Books on 11 March 2021.
Publisher's summary[]
Beware the hands that heal.
The Doctor and Peri land on the planet Necros to visit the funerary home Tranquil Repose – where the dead are interred and the near-dead placed in suspended animation until such time as their conditions can be cured.
But the Great Healer of Tranquil Repose is far from benign. Under his command, Daleks guard the catacombs where sickening experiments are conducted on human bodies. The new life he offers the dying comes at a terrible cost – and the Doctor and Peri are being lured into a trap that will change them forever.
At last, the only classic-era Doctor Who adventure never to be novelised is here, and by the author of the original script, Eric Saward.
Plot[]
to be added
Characters[]
- Sixth Doctor
- Peri Brown
- Davros
- Kara
- Justin Vogel
- Joshua Jobel
- Tasambeker Brown
- Lancelot Takis
- August Lilt
- Derek Johnson
- Grigory
- Natasha Stengos
- Arthur Stengos
- Orcini
- Bostock
- Mutant
- Alex Sagovski
- Alpha Dalek
- Beta Dalek
Worldbuilding[]
- Necros is approximately the size of Mars, has an atmosphere much like Earth's, has three moons, and its seas have no salt. It has a winter and a summer.
- Tranquil Repose incorporates every architectural style ever practised in the Twelve Galaxies.
- Grigory is 35 and a medical doctor, while Natasha is 25 and an engineering student.
- Takis and Lilt met serving in the Peninsular Wars on planet JJ33. They entertained the troops by impersonating Laurel and Hardy.
- Jobel is 51 and was born in the star system Sifton 31. His father was a purveyor of meats and his mother was a stage make-up artist.
- Derek Johnson, known as "the DJ", began his career while attending the Lowwrie Institute of Technology in the star system Sygma 18. He was later kidnapped by pirates and, because they didn't like his music, abandoned on a small planetoid in the Delta JJ sector of the Sixth Zone of the galaxy.
- Orcini invited Bostock to join the Grand Order of Oberon after seeing his bravery at the Battle of Vavetron.
- The Garden of Fond Memories is very similar to an avenue in the Roman town of Ephesus the Doctor visited two thousand years ago.
- After escaping the prison station, Davros almost died, waiting for months until he was picked up by a transporter. He has been on Necros for over a year.
- Tasambeker has been at Tranquil Repose for at least a few months.
- Sontana was President Vargos's Principal Wife. The Doctor knew her as "Sonnie".
- Tranquil Repose has a cat named Lord Plunkett.
- Several million bodies are interred at Tranquil Repose.
- The two hollow pyramids of Tranquil Repose were built using hydro-stabilisation.
- The Doctor has a box of matches he picked up during the 19th century London Match Girl Strike.
- Davros creates several thousand "gold sphere Daleks", a new generation that are supposedly more intuitive, better skilled at reading emotional situations, and equipped to levitate.
- The Renegade Dalek ship that moves between the Dalek freighter and Tranquil Repose is a Mark Seven Statin shuttle.
Deviations from televised story[]
- Every character except Kara, Orcini, Bostock, and Grigory are given full names - Justin Vogel, Joshua Jobel, Tasembeker Brown, Lancelot Takis and August Lilt.
- Dialogue is switched around or altered in some places compared to how it was spoken on screen.
- The Doctor and Peri are shown cooking and eating nut roast for breakfast after Peri searches for something to wear. It is Wednesday morning in the TARDIS.
- Peri is described as having a New York accent.
- The TARDIS is on Necros an hour before the Doctor and Peri exit it.
- Kara's food production plant is known as Kara's Kitchen.
- Upon first glimpsing a Dalek, Peri remarks that it looks "cute".
- The character of Alex Sagovski is added to the plot. He is a scientist who, like Arthur Stengos, was tricked into coming to Necros and subjected to experiments by Davros that left his appearance like that of the mutant the Doctor and Peri encountered. Alex is freed and aids the Doctor in sabotaging the hydro-stabilisation system, later taking over the DJ's position to incite rebellion.
- Grigory and Natasha start an electrical fire to disrupt Tranquil Repose's systems. This would unknowingly enable the Skarosian Daleks to enter Tranquil Repose without being detected by Davros.
- Instead of being killed by a single levitating Dalek, Gigory and Natasha are attacked by three Daleks. Grigory is killed and Natasha destroys the Daleks, but mortally wounded and worried about being converted herself, commits suicide with her last shot.
- Davros levitates more than once.
- It is implied that Kara is marched to Davros on foot and is interrogated by Lilt, her dress ripped and an incisor missing.
- Dalek Troopers accompany the Alpha and Beta Daleks that capture Davros.
- A scene deleted from the televised version, in which Orcini and Bostock find the body of the mutant, is reinstated.
- There are references to Terileptils not featured on screen.
- It is made clear that the Daleks kill Tasambeker because she tried to warn Jobel.
- It is explained that Kara gave Orcini the bomb in the hope the explosion would kill President Vargos, who was about to investigate her business.
- Back stories are given for some characters, such as Takis and Lilt being former army colleagues.
- It is explained that Davros spread a false rumour of Stengos contracting an infection while helping him with his research, both to lure the Doctor to the planet and to cover turning him into a Dalek.
- Davros' Daleks are ultimately destroyed by a combination of Orcini's bomb and the Doctor's sabotage of the hydro-stabilisation system. In the televised version, only the bomb was used.
- The Doctor offers to let the survivors stay in the TARDIS for the night.
Notes[]
- Exactly like in the televised version, the final line "I'll take you to..." — as spoken by the Doctor — is left unfinished.
- As the novelisation of Resurrection of the Daleks dated that story to 4590, and based on Davros's time as the Great Healer, the earliest this story can take place in is late 4591.
- In Jon Preddle's novel, Skaro Daleks are called black Daleks because of their dark grey casings with black detailing and to differentiate them from Necros Daleks called white Daleks. However, these so-called black Daleks are not Black Daleks in rank.
Continuity[]
- References are made to the Doctor's "recent" regeneration (TV: The Twin Dilemma) and recent change to vegetarianism. (TV: The Two Doctors)
- Lilt served a five year prison sentence in the Tinclavic mines on Raaga. (TV: The Visitation)
- When he was 19, the DJ played music in clubs around the Third Zone. (TV: The Two Doctors)
- Orcini's medal is inscribed with Terileptil writing. (TV: The Visitation)
- Dalek Troopers arrive with the Supreme Dalek's forces. (TV: Resurrection of the Daleks)
- The Doctor makes a passing reference to Ooba-Doa. (PROSE: Resurrection of the Daleks)
Additional cover images[]
Audiobook[]
- This novel was released as an audiobook on 2 January 2020 complete and unabridged by BBC Audio and read by Terry Molloy, with Dalek voices by Nicholas Briggs.
External links[]
- Official Revelation of the Daleks page at Penguin Books