Doctor Who and the Tenth Planet

I'm going to end up being quite critical in many ways of Gerry Davis again so I do want to make it clear that, just as with Doctor Who and the Cybermen, he does write a novelisation that is far more enjoyable than the TV episodes its based on.

Part of that might well be the inadvertent result of his effusive approach to prose but part of it, and not an entirely separate part, is his willingness to just keep rolling on, to keep the pace up and never give in to dwelling on anything and maybe giving it a chance to make sense. This means that all the bits that jar or prompt bafflement and fury are actually very quickly forgotten and the little gems he inserts, like Ben's confrontation with a Cyberman or the Doctor's very odd regeneration, linger. I suppose in many ways that makes him strangely the most faithful noveliser in tone if not in deed.

I can't help but think that the enduring appeal of the Cybermen has a hell of a lot to do with these books and, considering how much of a fan Davis seems to be of them, that's got to be seen as job done.

Anyway, for a far less balanced approach, one that involves actually looking at the content of the novelisation, click on the cover above right...

#Target #novelisations #1976 #WilliamHartnell #Cybermen #GerryDavis #KitPedler