The UK Sci-Fi TV Book Guide: Doctor Who: Novelisations: Sixth Doctor: Season 21 / Season 22

Sixth Doctor

Season 21 / Season 22
Season 23

Season 21 / Season 22

Doctor Who: The Twin Dilemma
Doctor Who: Attack of the Cybermen
Doctor Who: Vengeance on Varos
Doctor Who: Mark of the Rani
Doctor Who: The Two Doctors
Doctor Who: Timelash

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.

Doctor Who: The Twin Dilemma

by Eric Saward

UK
Hardback
WH Allen
October 1985

Other Editions
Doctor Who: The Twin Dilemma

UK / Paperback / Target Books / March 1986 / No. 103

UK / Paperback / Target Books / January 1993 / No. 103

Back Cover Blurb — Target Books (1986)
The Doctor has regenerated, having sacrificed his fifth persona to save Peri's life. But things are not going well...

On this occasion the process of regeneration is by no means smooth, for the even-tempered, good-humoured fifth Doctor has given way to a rather disturbed and unsettled successor.

In a particularly irascible moment the new Doctor comes dangerously close to committing a shocking crime. Overwhelmed with guilt for his violent behaviour, the repentant Time Lord decides to become a hermit...

Television Story
The Twin Dilemma
Script Writer: Anthony Steven

4 × 25 Minutes / BBC1 / Colour

22/03/84 Part One
23/03/84 Part Two
29/03/84 Part Three
30/03/84 Part Four

DVD

All episodes exist and have been released on video in the UK and United States. The Twin Dilemma was released on Region 2 DVD in the UK in September 2009, and is due to be released on Region 1 DVD in the United Srates in January 2010.

Regular Characters
Sixth Doctor / Peri Brown

Notes

The Twin Dilemma was the only story to be written for the series by Anthony Steven.
The Twin Dilemma is the very first story of the Sixth Doctor's era.

Doctor Who: Attack of the Cybermen

by Eric Saward

UK
Paperback
Target Books
April 1989
Book Number: 138

Other Editions
Doctor Who: Attack of the Cybermen

UK / Paperback / Target Books / October 1992 / No. 138

Back Cover Blurb — Target Books (1989)
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...

Television Story
Attack of the Cybermen
Script Writer: Paula Moore

2 × 45 Minutes / BBC1 / Colour

05/01/85 Part One
12/01/85 Part Two

DVD

Attack of the Cybermen was released on Region 2 DVD in the UK in March 2009, and on Region 1 DVD in the United States in July 2009.

Regular Characters
Sixth Doctor / Peri Brown

Familiar Faces / Returning Characters
The Cybermen / Lytton

Notes

Ignoring the three books based on unproduced scripts, Attack of the Cybermen was the very final Sixth Doctor story to be novelised. Due to disagreements with Terry Nation's agent over payments, Eric Saward never novelised his scripts to Revelation of the Daleks, the final story from Season 22.
Attack of the Cybermen was the only adventure to be written by Paula Moore, and was effectively a sequel to two 1960s television stories. As well as returning to the tombs on Telos, which had first been seen in the Second Doctor story The Tomb of the Cybermen in 1967, the story also saw the Cybermen attempting to prevent the destruction of their home planet, Mondas, which had occurred in the 1966 story The Tenth Planet.
Also returning in Attack of the Cybermen was the character of Lytton, who had been created by Eric Saward in the previous season's Resurrection of the Daleks and who had been stranded on Earth at the end of the story. Anyone wishing to learn more about that tale, however, should be aware that it is one of only five stories from the original television series not to have been novelised, so a visit to your friendly online DVD retailer is the only way to catch up with it.

Doctor Who: Vengeance on Varos

by Philip Martin

UK
Hardback
WH Allen
January 1988

Other Editions
Doctor Who: Vengeance on Varos

UK / Paperback / Target Books / June 1988 / No. 106

UK / Paperback / Target Books / June 1991 / No. 106

Back Cover Blurb — Target Books (1988)
The TARDIS has stalled in mid-flight, and it is only on the planet Varos that the Doctor can find the precious Zeiton-7 ore he needs to continue his travels through time and space.

Arriving on the planet, he saves the rebel Jondar from execution, and incurs the wrath of Sil, the sadistic representative of the Galatron Mining Corporation on Varos.

The hunt is on for the Doctor and his rebel friends. And as they are pursued through the corridors of the deadly Punishment Dome, the Doctor discovers that the people of Varos have some very disturbing ideas of entertainment...

Back Cover Blurb — Target Books (1991)
'IS HE SANE, THIS DOCTOR?'

The TARDIS has stalled in mid-flight, and it is only on the planet Varos that the Doctor can find the precious Zeiton-7 ore he needs to continue his travels through time and space. Arriving on the planet, he saves the rebel Jondar from execution, and incurs the wrath of Sil, the sadistic representative of the Galatron Mining Corporation on Varos.

The hunt is on for the Doctor and his rebel friends. And as they are pursued through the corridors of the deadly Punishment Dome, the Doctor discovers that the people of Varos have some very disturbing ideas about entertainment...

Television Story
Vengeance on Varos
Script Writer: Philip Martin

2 × 45 Minutes / BBC1 / Colour

19/01/85 Part One
26/01/85 Part Two

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
Sixth Doctor / Peri Brown

Familiar Faces / Returning Characters
Sil

Notes

Vengeance on Varos was the first of three stories to be written for the television series by Philip Martin, although only Vengeance on Varos and Mindwarp were actually produced. His script to Mission to Magnus was eventually novelised by Martin himself in 1990 and released as part of the short series of Missing Episodes novelisations.

Martin's work on Doctor Who didn't end with his three television scripts, however, as he also wrote Invasion of the Ormazoids, the sixth and final entry in the Severn House range of Make Your Own Adventure with Doctor Who books.
Vengeance on Varos was the first of three stories to feature the slithery, slug-like Sil (played on screen by Nabil Shaban), although the aforementioned Mission to Magnus never made it in front of the cameras. The Sixth Doctor and Peri would encounter him for the final time during Parts Five to Eight of The Trial of a Time Lord, which were novelised as Mindwarp.
One unfortunate result of numbering a series of books, is that any delays in either writing or releasing can cause havoc for collectors, as many will be unaware that a certain number has been missed out, even if only temporarily.

Step forward Vengeance on Varos!

Philip Martin was rather late in delivering his manuscript, meaning that book No.106 finally appeared on shop shelves in June 1988, just over two years after Timelash (No.105) and a month after Time and Rani (No.128).

Doctor Who: The Mark of the Rani

by Pip and Jane Baker

UK
Hardback
WH Allen
January 1986

Other Editions
Doctor Who: The Mark of the Rani

UK / Paperback / Target Books / June 1987 / No. 107

Back Cover Blurb — Target Books (1987)
En route to Kew Gardens, the Doctor and Peri are more than a little surprised when they land in the middle of a slag heap in England at the time of the Luddite uprisings.

Unknown to the Doctor, his TARDIS has been dragged off course by the Master who plans to destroy his arch enemy once and for all, and pervert the course of history.

But also present is the Rani, another exile from Gallifrey, who is conducting her own evil experiments on the humans of the nineteenth century. Soon the Doctor discovers that the female of the species is far, far deadlier than the male...

Television Story
The Mark of the Rani
Script Writers: Pip and Jane Baker

2 × 45 Minutes / BBC1 / Colour

02/02/85 Part One
09/02/85 Part Two

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
Sixth Doctor / Peri Brown

Familiar Faces / Returning Characters
The Rani / The Master

Notes

Mark of the Rani was the first of three complete stories to be written for the series by the husband-and-wife writing team of Pip and Jane Baker. The following season they would script Parts Nine to Twelve of The Trial of a Time Lord (novelised by themselves as Terror of the Vervoids) as well as stepping into the breech and writing the concluding episode of the season after the untimely death of Robert Holmes who had been contracted to write it, and the withdrawing of Eric Saward's subsequent replacement script. Season Twenty-Four of Doctor Who saw them writing their final story for the series, in the form of Time and the Rani.
As in the previous two seasons the Master made his traditional yearly appearance, this time providing a foil for the Rani, yet another in the long line of renegade Time Lords, but this time one who was more concerned with her biological experimentation rather than outright universal domination. Although given half a chance, she wasn't averse to ruling the odd planet...

The character would return two years later in Time and the Rani, the very first story for the Seventh Doctor, and would later be called upon as the Doctor's nemesis in the 30th anniversary charity piece Dimensions in Time in 1993.

Away from television the character was also used by Pip and Jane Baker in Race Against Time, their sole contribution to the Make Your Own Adventure with Doctor Who series of game books.

Christopher Bulis's 1994 novel State of Change would see the Sixth Doctor and Peri encountering the Rani for a further adventure, while the Baker's would also re-use the character in the audio adventure The Rani Reaps the Whirlwind, released by BBV.

Doctor Who: The Two Doctors

by Robert Holmes

UK
Hardback
WH Allen
August 1985

Other Editions
Doctor Who: The Two Doctors

UK / Paperback / Target Books / December 1985 / No. 100

Back Cover Blurb — Target Books (1985)
Disturbed by the time travel experiments of the evil Dastari and Chessene, the Time Lords send the second Doctor and Jamie to investigate. Arriving on a station in deep space, they are attacked by a shock force of Sontarans and the Doctor is left for dead.

Across the gulfs of time and space, the sixth Doctor discovers that his former incarnation is very much alive. Together with Peri and Jamie he must rescue his other self before the plans of Dastari and Chessene reach their deadly and shocking conclusion...

Television Story
The Two Doctors
Script Writer: Robert Holmes

3 × 45 Minutes / BBC1 / Colour

16/02/85 Part One
23/02/85 Part Two
02/03/85 Part Three

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
Sixth Doctor / Peri Brown

Familiar Faces / Returning Characters
Second Doctor / Jamie McCrimmon / The Sontarans

Notes

The Two Doctors was the only one of Robert Holmes' eighteen stories for the television series which he novelised himself, although he did get as far as writing the prologue to Doctor Who and the Time Warrior before letting Terrance Dicks finish the job.

By a strange coincidence, The Time Warrior had seen the creation by Holmes of the militaristic Sontarans, who had returned to the series on two further occasions in the Fourth Doctor stories The Sontaran Experiment and The Invasion of Time. The Two Doctors was to mark their final appearance in the original television series, although they would later star in several straight-to-video spin-off dramas such as Shakedown and Mindgame, as well as featuring in the original novels Lords of the Storm and The Infinity Doctors.

The Sontarans finally returned to the small screen in 2008 when they found themselves up against David Tennant's Tenth Doctor in The Sontaran Stratagem / The Poison Sky. Later the same year, a lone example from the failed ATMOS plot was to be seen in The Last Sontaran, the first two-part story in Season 2 of The Sarah Jane Adventures.
The Two Doctors was notable for being the one-hundredth Doctor Who novelisation to be published by Target Books, and to celebrate the fact it was proudly displayed across the top of the cover and saw a "First Edition" flash on the front cover, as well as having the series logo in gold foil. Rather unfortunately, it appears that most copies of the first edition headed across the Atlantic to the United States, leaving the poor readers in the UK with copies sporting the rather less desirable "Second Edition" instead... The book also included an introduction by John Nathan-Turner, at the time the producer of the Doctor Who television series.
As will be noticeable from the details above, the series saw the third return to the series for the Second Doctor — something which had sprung out of Patrick Troughton's enjoyment of making The Five Doctors for the series' 20th anniversary in 1983. This was to be Troughton's final appearance in the role as he died in 1987 while attending a Doctor Who convention in the Uited States.
One unusual side effect of bringing back the Second Doctor in The Three Doctors, The Five Doctors and The Two Doctors has been that it has led to the creation of a whole new series of adventures for the character set after his final story — often referred to as Season 6b.

Ignoring the sticky fact that he does eventually regenerate into the Third Doctor, the theory goes that before his exile to Earth in a new body, the Second Doctor was used as a puppet of the Time Lords and sent on various missions at their behest, being reunited with former companion Jamie McCrimmon along the way.

Chief architects behind this little twisting of continuity were Paul Cornell, Martin Day and Keith Topping, the authors of The Discontinuity Guide (Doctor Who Books, 1995) who postulated that the Time Lords saw potential in using the Doctor as their agent and temporarily deferred their punishment. Hence the fact that the character looks so much older on his three return appearances on television, and still retains his knowledge of his trial.

Never one to ignore an idea like this, Terrance Dicks (who wrote the foreword to The Discontinuity Guide) subsequently set part of his 1999 novel Players in this convenient little gap, as well as all of his 2005 book World Game. Numerous short stories by various other authors have also joined in the fun.

Doctor Who: Timelash

by Glen McCoy

UK
Hardback
WH Allen
December 1985

Other Editions
Doctor Who: Timelash

UK / Paperback / Target Books / May 1986 / No. 105

Back Cover Blurb — Target Books (1986)
The inhabitants of the planet Karfel are suffering under the tyrranical rule of their leader, the Borad, who has brought his world to the brink of interplanetary war.

Those who dare to oppose the will of the Borad are mercilessly sacrificed to the Timelash, a fate considered by many to be worse than death.

When the Doctor arrives on Karfel he soon discovers the Borad's horrifying plan, a plan which will directly affect his young American assistant, Peri...

Television Story
Timelash
Script Writer: Glen McCoy

2 × 45 Minutes / BBC1 / Colour

19/03/85 Part One
26/03/85 Part Two

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
Sixth Doctor / Peri Brown

Notes

Timelash was the only story written for the television series by Glen McCoy.
Bearing in mind that Doctor Who has the potential to include characters from history, the idea was very rarely used by writers, who tended to have the lead character drop the occasional historical name, rather than actually having to show them in the flesh. Timelash was one of the exceptions to the rule, as the character of Herbert was revealed at the end to be none other than Herbert George Wells, better known as HG Wells and responsible for writing science fiction classics such as The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds and The Invisible Man.
Timelash was the final story from Season 22 in television order to be published, as a disagreement between Eric Saward and the agents of Dalek creator Terry Nation prevented the season-ending Revelation of the Daleks from being novelised. This was the only one of the Sixth Doctor's television adventures never to appear in print.