The first three Doctor Who novelisations were published in the 1960s by Frederick Muller Ltd, but it wasn't until 1973, when Target Books picked up the reprint rights, that the range of Doctor Who books began to expand.
Beginning with Doctor Who and the Auton Invasion, Target Books would go on to print books based on all but five of the television stories produced between 1963 and 1989, with numerous re-jacketed editions in between.
With the majority of stories novelised, the company, now owned by Virgin Publishing, went on to establish the enormously successful range of New Adventures novels.
The production of the 1996 TV movie, starring Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor, saw BBC Books taking the decision to publish both a script book and novelisation of the story. Shortly afterwards, the decision was also taken that the time had come for Doctor Who fiction to be brought in-house, with Target/Virgin's twenty-four year association with the programme finally coming to an end in April 1997.
Beginning with Doctor Who and the Auton Invasion, Target Books would go on to print books based on all but five of the television stories produced between 1963 and 1989, with numerous re-jacketed editions in between.
With the majority of stories novelised, the company, now owned by Virgin Publishing, went on to establish the enormously successful range of New Adventures novels.
The production of the 1996 TV movie, starring Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor, saw BBC Books taking the decision to publish both a script book and novelisation of the story. Shortly afterwards, the decision was also taken that the time had come for Doctor Who fiction to be brought in-house, with Target/Virgin's twenty-four year association with the programme finally coming to an end in April 1997.
Six stories had entered production for Season 17 of Doctor Who, but only four of the stories would ultimately be novelised by Target Books.
The second story, City of Death, wasn't novelised around 1979/80 like the others due to Douglas Adams' involvement with his various Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy productions, and the story immediately after The Horns of Nimon, Shada, never appeared in print for the simple reason the story was never actually completed — a BBC strike meant that only one of the three scheduled studio sessions actually took place.
Both of the stories were eventually novelised unofficially by the New Zealand Doctor Fan Club with the Shada one available on their website in PDF format.
Doctor Who and the Destiny of the Daleks
by Terrance Dicks
- UK
- Paperback
- Target Books
- November 1979
- (Book Number: 21)
Other Editions
Doctor Who and the Destiny of the Daleks
UK / Hardback / WH Allen / November 1979
Doctor Who und der Schöpfer der Daleks
Germany / Paperback / Goldmann Verlag / 1990
Doctor Who: Destiny of the Daleks
UK / Paperback / Target Books / July 1992 / No. 21
Doctor Who and the Destiny of the Daleks
UK / Hardback / WH Allen / November 1979Doctor Who und der Schöpfer der Daleks
Germany / Paperback / Goldmann Verlag / 1990Doctor Who: Destiny of the Daleks
UK / Paperback / Target Books / July 1992 / No. 21
Back Cover Blurb — Target Books (1979)
Landing on an apparently devastated planet, the Doctor and Romana make a horrifying discovery.
The planet is Skaro, home-world of the Daleks.
The Daleks are excavating in order to find and revive Davros, the mad, crippled, scientific genius who first created them. They hope that he will give them the scientific superiority to break the deadlock with their Movellan enemies.
Faced once more with the deadly and seemingly indestructible Daleks, the Doctor's wits and strength are stretched to their very limits...
Landing on an apparently devastated planet, the Doctor and Romana make a horrifying discovery.
The planet is Skaro, home-world of the Daleks.
The Daleks are excavating in order to find and revive Davros, the mad, crippled, scientific genius who first created them. They hope that he will give them the scientific superiority to break the deadlock with their Movellan enemies.
Faced once more with the deadly and seemingly indestructible Daleks, the Doctor's wits and strength are stretched to their very limits...
Television Story
Destiny of the Daleks
Script Writer: Terry Nation
4 × 25 Minutes / BBC1 / Colour
01/09/79 Part One
08/09/79 Part Two
15/09/79 Part Three
22/09/79 Part Four
Destiny of the Daleks
Script Writer: Terry Nation
4 × 25 Minutes / BBC1 / Colour
01/09/79 Part One
08/09/79 Part Two
15/09/79 Part Three
22/09/79 Part Four
DVD 
All episodes exist and have been released on Region 2 DVD in the UK, and on Region 1 DVD in the United States.
Regular Characters
Fourth Doctor / Romana II / K-9 Mark II
Fourth Doctor / Romana II / K-9 Mark II
Notes
- Doctor Who und der Schöpfer der Daleks was one of eight translations of Doctor Who novelisations to be released in Germany in the late-1980s and early-1990s by Goldmann Verlag, with all but one being Dalek stories.
- Rather bizarrely, the cover art is taken from the Target edition of Doctor Who and the Daleks. To maintain the balance, the Goldmann Verlag edition of that book has the original Target cover art to Doctor Who and the Destiny of the Daleks!
- Rather unusually, the story saw Romana regenerating at the start. In a strange turn of events (surely the work of Douglas Adams) she "tries on" a series of new bodies before settling on one that is identical to Princess Astra from the previous television story, The Armageddon Factor. Strangely enough, both parts were played by Lalla Ward who would remain in the series until Warriors' Gate the following season.
- Destiny of the Daleks was the very last Doctor Who story to be written by Dalek-creator Terry Nation, who had first worked on the programme in 1963.
The story featured the second appearance of Davros, the fictional creator of the Daleks who had been introduced in Nation's 1975 story Genesis of the Daleks, and set up a plot line which was eventually followed up in Resurrection of the Daleks in 1984, in which Davros is still in transit after his capture at the end of Destiny of the Daleks, with the Daleks keen on re-capturing him. Sadly, that particular story was never officially novelised by Target Books.
Doctor Who and the Creature from the Pit
by David Fisher
Audio Book
Unabridged reading of the novelisation, narrated by Tom Baker who played the Fourth Doctor in the television series.
- UK
- Paperback
- Target Books
- January 1981
- (Book Number: 11)
Other Editions
Doctor Who and the Creature from the Pit
UK / Hardback / WH Allen / January 1981
Doctor Who and the Creature from the Pit
UK / Hardback / WH Allen / January 1981
Back Cover Blurb — Target Books
The planet Chloris is very fertile, but metal is in short supply, and has therefore become extremely valuable.
A huge creature, with most unusual physical properties, arrives from an alien planet which can provide Chloris with metal from its own unlimited supplies, in exchange for chlorophyll.
However, the ruthless Lady Adrasta has been able to exploit the shortage of metal to her own advantage, and has no wish to see the situation change.
The Doctor and Romana land on Chloris just as the creature's alien masters begin to lose patience over their ambassador's long absence.
The action the aliens decide to take will have devastating consequences for Chloris, unless something is done to prevent it...
The planet Chloris is very fertile, but metal is in short supply, and has therefore become extremely valuable.
A huge creature, with most unusual physical properties, arrives from an alien planet which can provide Chloris with metal from its own unlimited supplies, in exchange for chlorophyll.
However, the ruthless Lady Adrasta has been able to exploit the shortage of metal to her own advantage, and has no wish to see the situation change.
The Doctor and Romana land on Chloris just as the creature's alien masters begin to lose patience over their ambassador's long absence.
The action the aliens decide to take will have devastating consequences for Chloris, unless something is done to prevent it...
Television Story
The Creature from the Pit
Script Writer: David Fisher
4 × 25 Minutes / BBC1 / Colour
27/10/79 Part One
03/11/79 Part Two
10/11/79 Part Three
17/11/79 Part Four
The Creature from the Pit
Script Writer: David Fisher
4 × 25 Minutes / BBC1 / Colour
27/10/79 Part One
03/11/79 Part Two
10/11/79 Part Three
17/11/79 Part Four
VHS
All episodes exist and have been released on video in the UK and United States.
Regular Characters
Fourth Doctor / Romana II / K-9 Mark II
Fourth Doctor / Romana II / K-9 Mark II
Audio Book- UK
- BBC Audiobooks
- 4 × CD / Download
- 3 hours 25 minutes
- April 2008
Notes
- The Creature from the Pit was the third of four complete scripts to be written for Doctor Who by David Fisher, and the novelisation was the first of two which Fisher would write based on his own stories — Doctor Who and the Leisure Hive, in 1982, being the only other.
Doctor Who and the Nightmare of Eden
by Terrance Dicks
- UK
- Paperback
- Target Books
- August 1980
- (Book Number: 45)
Other Editions
Doctor Who and the Nightmare of Eden
UK / Hardback / WH Allen / August 1980
Doctor Who and the Nightmare of Eden
UK / Hardback / WH Allen / August 1980
Back Cover Blurb — Target Books
A freak accident locks two ships together in space — and a distress call brings the Doctor, Romana, and the faithful K9 onto the scene. The Doctor's efforts to separate the two ships involve him with treacherous drug smugglers, ferocious monsters, and a savagely dangerous planet called Eden...
A freak accident locks two ships together in space — and a distress call brings the Doctor, Romana, and the faithful K9 onto the scene. The Doctor's efforts to separate the two ships involve him with treacherous drug smugglers, ferocious monsters, and a savagely dangerous planet called Eden...
Television Story
Nightmare of Eden
Script Writer: Bob Baker
4 × 25 Minutes / BBC1 / Colour
24/11/79 Part One
01/12/79 Part Two
08/12/79 Part Three
15/12/79 Part Four
Nightmare of Eden
Script Writer: Bob Baker
4 × 25 Minutes / BBC1 / Colour
24/11/79 Part One
01/12/79 Part Two
08/12/79 Part Three
15/12/79 Part Four
VHS
All episodes exist and have been released on video in the UK and United States.
Regular Characters
Fourth Doctor / Romana II / K-9 Mark II
Fourth Doctor / Romana II / K-9 Mark II
Notes
- Nightmare of Eden was the only Doctor Who story to be written solely by Bob Baker, who had previously co-written eight stories with Dave Martin, and was his final work on the series. He later went on to write the scripts to the Oscar-winning exploits of plasticine favourites Wallace and Gromit
Doctor Who and the Horns of Nimon
by Terrance Dicks
- UK
- Paperback
- Target Books
- October 1980
- (Book Number: 31)
Other Editions
Doctor Who and the Horns of Nimon
UK / Hardback / WH Allen / October 1980
Doctor Who and the Horns of Nimon
UK / Hardback / WH Allen / October 1980
Back Cover Blurb — Target Books
In the great maze of the Power Complex dwells the dreaded Nimon, a fearsome monster with immense scientific powers.
The Nimon has promised to restore the Skonnan Empire to its former glory. But first it demands sacrifice — youths and maidens from the peaceful planet Aneth.
The Tardis collides with the space ship delivering the victims, and the captured Romana is condemned to be sacrificed to the Nimon.
Aided by the faithful K9, the Doctor goes to the rescue. In the heart of the maze he confronts the Nimon and uncovers a terrifying plot to enslave the galaxy.
In the great maze of the Power Complex dwells the dreaded Nimon, a fearsome monster with immense scientific powers.
The Nimon has promised to restore the Skonnan Empire to its former glory. But first it demands sacrifice — youths and maidens from the peaceful planet Aneth.
The Tardis collides with the space ship delivering the victims, and the captured Romana is condemned to be sacrificed to the Nimon.
Aided by the faithful K9, the Doctor goes to the rescue. In the heart of the maze he confronts the Nimon and uncovers a terrifying plot to enslave the galaxy.
Television Story
The Horns of Nimon
Script Writer: Anthony Read
4 × 25 Minutes / BBC1 / Colour
22/12/79 Part One
29/12/79 Part Two
05/01/80 Part Three
12/01/80 Part Four
The Horns of Nimon
Script Writer: Anthony Read
4 × 25 Minutes / BBC1 / Colour
22/12/79 Part One
29/12/79 Part Two
05/01/80 Part Three
12/01/80 Part Four
DVD
The Horns of Nimon is due to be released on Region 2 DVD in the UK in 2010 as part of the Myths and Legends box set which will also include The Time Monster and Underworld.
Regular Characters
Fourth Doctor / Romana II / K-9 Mark II
Fourth Doctor / Romana II / K-9 Mark II
Notes
- The Horns of Nimon was the only complete story written for the television series by Anthony Read, who had been script editor on the series during Season Sixteen and part of Season Fifteen, during which time he co-wrote The Invasion of Time with series producer Graham Williams.
