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Doctor Who Target Books (Numerical Order) #15
Doctor Who and the Daemons
DOCTOR WHO is strangely concerned about Professor Horner's plan to cut open an ancient barrow near the peaceful English village of Devil's End; equally worried is Miss Hawthorne, the local white witch, who foretells a terrible disaster if he goes ahead; determined that the Professor should is Mr. Magister, the new vicar (in truth the MASTER) whose secret ceremonies are designed to conjure up from out of the barrow a horribly powerful being from a far-off planet ... The Brigadier and Jo Grant assist DOCTOR WHO in this exciting confrontation with the forces of black magic!
176 pages, Paperback
First published October 17, 1974
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442 people want to read
About the author
Barry Letts
21 books15 followersBarry Letts was a British actor, television director, writer and producer. He was most associated with the television series Doctor Who for many years, with active involvement in the television series from 1967 to 1981, and later contributions to its spin-offs in other media.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
July 2, 2019
One of the best Third Doctor stories gets an equally great novelisations by one of the stories original writers, it’s a shame that this is Letts only novel for the Target range.
The story plays with themes of magic and the occult can be explained by scientific reasoning, especially as one of the threats of this serial is an alien race known as the Dæmons had crash landed in Earth’s past. Leading to many myths about demons and devils.
Having seen the story on DVD multiple times I instantly pictured all the various characters and the brilliant location of Devils End (filmed in Aldbourne), the fact that The Brigadier’s ‘Five Rounds Rapid’ was also a nice inclusion.
The story plays with themes of magic and the occult can be explained by scientific reasoning, especially as one of the threats of this serial is an alien race known as the Dæmons had crash landed in Earth’s past. Leading to many myths about demons and devils.
Having seen the story on DVD multiple times I instantly pictured all the various characters and the brilliant location of Devils End (filmed in Aldbourne), the fact that The Brigadier’s ‘Five Rounds Rapid’ was also a nice inclusion.
August 17, 2021
This is one of my very favorite Doctor Who novelizations. The episode was first broadcast in May and June of 1971, and was the fifth and final serial of the show's eighth season. It starred the third version of The Doctor, who was accompanied by the fierce and feisty Jo Grant. The UNIT team played a big part in the story, too, with Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Captain Mike Yates, and the redoubtable Sergeant Benton all contributing. Barry Letts wrote this adaptation, which was based on the teleplay that he wrote with Robert Sloman under the name of Guy Leopold. It's a longer and more detailed book than most of the classic novelizations, many of which seemed to have been aimed at a younger audience, and includes several fine illustrations by Alan Willow. The story seems suited much more to a Hammer film than a science fiction show, as it sees The Master conjuring a giant daemon in order to secure vast power. It evokes images from Nigel Kneale's Quatermass as well as Dennis Wheately and perhaps The Wicker Man, as archaeologists uncover things best left undisturbed in the rural village of Devil's End. Letts' writing is excellent, and he does a great job of describing the creepy surroundings and arcane trappings... not to mention the May Day denouement after Jo saves the day. It's an excellent cosmic horror story.
April 1, 2008
I like the illustrations that are in this book. The story stays faithful to the televised version of it. The only thing that did disappoint me was when the Master is talking to Miss Hawthorne and he says 'Have a cup of tea, I've often said a good cup of tea can go along way to solving most of life's little problems' that he doesn't say it in the televised story, I thought it was a brilliant line and could easily visualise Roger Delgado delivering that with charm and a twinkle in his eyes
November 18, 2020
Read this as part of the house cup challenge. It is a Doctor story, what can I say. They are simply escape literature. We are lucky when the plot is actually really good and not super prescriptive. This one was borderline better than others. Just enjoy them for what they are. If you are a whovian then you will enjoy this one just like the others. This one was a bit confusing for me when it referred to who the Daemons are and why they are important and why they let the doctor live.
July 28, 2022
A really close adaptation of the televised story with few emellishments, other than Sam. Illustrations by Alan Willow this time.
March 8, 2012
The Doctor's adventures don't get much more exciting than this ... a quaint village in the English countryside, magickal ceremonies straight out of the Aleister Crowley playbook, Daemons, the Master, and (shudder) Morris Dancing. Possibly the most sinister Morris Dancing in the history of English letters!
October 23, 2022
http://nhw.livejournal.com/1033342.html?#cutid5
This was one of those books which, on rereading, very much lived up to my fond childhood memories. It is funny, witty, adds bags of backstory to both minor and major characters (the account of the Doctor and the Master growing up together on Gallifrey ought to be canon for all interested fanfic writers), substitutes far better special effects on the page for the end-of-budget ones we got on-screen, and is generally a good read. My favourite Third Doctor book so far.
https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/the-daemons-by-matt-barber-and-barry-letts/
Again, I still think this is the best Third Doctor novelisation, with Doctor Who and the Green Death by Malcolm Hulke being its only serious rival; it’s the only classic series novelisation by Barry Letts, the producer throughout the Pertwee years. One aspect that I feel deserves a bit more attention: the dramatic internal illustrations by Alan Willow, this being the first of seven novelisations that he illustrated between 1974 and 1975. (Though his take on Jo isn’t brilliant, and “creature” is misspelt in the second caption – not his fault, I guess.)
This was one of those books which, on rereading, very much lived up to my fond childhood memories. It is funny, witty, adds bags of backstory to both minor and major characters (the account of the Doctor and the Master growing up together on Gallifrey ought to be canon for all interested fanfic writers), substitutes far better special effects on the page for the end-of-budget ones we got on-screen, and is generally a good read. My favourite Third Doctor book so far.
https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/the-daemons-by-matt-barber-and-barry-letts/
Again, I still think this is the best Third Doctor novelisation, with Doctor Who and the Green Death by Malcolm Hulke being its only serious rival; it’s the only classic series novelisation by Barry Letts, the producer throughout the Pertwee years. One aspect that I feel deserves a bit more attention: the dramatic internal illustrations by Alan Willow, this being the first of seven novelisations that he illustrated between 1974 and 1975. (Though his take on Jo isn’t brilliant, and “creature” is misspelt in the second caption – not his fault, I guess.)
April 14, 2023
[Target] (1980). SB. 2nd Impression. 170 Pages. Purchased from Awesome Books.
Well written but poorly illustrated. Fortunately, the naff drawings were crowded out by nostalgic memories of the charming and creepy Jon Pertwee T.V. series (Summer 1971)… who’d have foreseen the agonizing horrors to come… Kandy Man, Melanie Bush, The Slitheen…?
Well written but poorly illustrated. Fortunately, the naff drawings were crowded out by nostalgic memories of the charming and creepy Jon Pertwee T.V. series (Summer 1971)… who’d have foreseen the agonizing horrors to come… Kandy Man, Melanie Bush, The Slitheen…?
June 10, 2009
Whether or not you like Target novelization of "The Daemons" is going to depend a lot on whether or not you like the televised story itself. Held up by many as the quintessential story of the third Doctor's era, it has just about all of the earmarks of the era--UNIT, the Master, a threat to Earth. Fans will argue that it's got all the elements that make for a good third Doctor story while detractor will argue that its exactly all those elements coming together, plus a bit of padding to bring the whole affair out to five episodes, that hold the story back.
One interesting thing about the novelization is that, for years, it was the only official way fans could experience the story (outside of bootleg, n-th generation copies of the story on VHS). I have a feeling a lot of fans read the novel and created a lavish tapestry in their minds of exactly what this story could and would look like on-screen, only to be shockingly disappointed when they saw the real thing. (The fact that the n-th generation VHS bootlegs could be blurry probably only helped things to not conflict too much with the images created in eye of your imagination).
Of all the various eras of "Doctor Who," it's interesting that the third and fourth Doctor's era are those that benefit the least from the Target novels. Yes, all the stories are out there in Target novel form, but there were few instances in which a story was substantial expanded on or deepened by the novel. Outside of a couple of Malcolm Hulke stories, the Pertwee novelizations rarely strayed out of events portrayed on-screen or tried to beef up or add more to the storylines.
And "The Daemons" is in the mold of the depict what we saw on TV without adding much to it. Writer Barry Letts (who helped co-write the story on television) adds a little bit of local color to the villagers in the opening pages, but once the story takes off, it's really no more or less than your average tell the story in novel form of other novelizations of this era. If you're hoping that Letts would add a lot to the story or expand some things or maybe even compress certain scenes for the sake of a novel, you're going to be disappointed. If you're looking for a nice telling of a good story that is, in my opinion, a classic of not only its era but all of "Doctor Who," odds are you'll like the book. But after listening to "The Daemons" again, I found myself wanting to return to the televised version again. Which thankfully in our era of "Doctor Who" we can easily do with the restored VHS edition.
One interesting thing about the novelization is that, for years, it was the only official way fans could experience the story (outside of bootleg, n-th generation copies of the story on VHS). I have a feeling a lot of fans read the novel and created a lavish tapestry in their minds of exactly what this story could and would look like on-screen, only to be shockingly disappointed when they saw the real thing. (The fact that the n-th generation VHS bootlegs could be blurry probably only helped things to not conflict too much with the images created in eye of your imagination).
Of all the various eras of "Doctor Who," it's interesting that the third and fourth Doctor's era are those that benefit the least from the Target novels. Yes, all the stories are out there in Target novel form, but there were few instances in which a story was substantial expanded on or deepened by the novel. Outside of a couple of Malcolm Hulke stories, the Pertwee novelizations rarely strayed out of events portrayed on-screen or tried to beef up or add more to the storylines.
And "The Daemons" is in the mold of the depict what we saw on TV without adding much to it. Writer Barry Letts (who helped co-write the story on television) adds a little bit of local color to the villagers in the opening pages, but once the story takes off, it's really no more or less than your average tell the story in novel form of other novelizations of this era. If you're hoping that Letts would add a lot to the story or expand some things or maybe even compress certain scenes for the sake of a novel, you're going to be disappointed. If you're looking for a nice telling of a good story that is, in my opinion, a classic of not only its era but all of "Doctor Who," odds are you'll like the book. But after listening to "The Daemons" again, I found myself wanting to return to the televised version again. Which thankfully in our era of "Doctor Who" we can easily do with the restored VHS edition.
November 23, 2022
Barry Letts is a great producer and a writer with great ideas. The Daemons, The Time Monster, The Green Death, and Planet of the Spiders are the four Jon Pertwee serials that he cowrote, albeit without credit due to being a producer, but there is a reason that Terrance Dicks and Malcolm Hulke were responsible for novelizing three of those stories. That reason is Doctor Who and the Daemons. The Daemons on television is a fan favorite, one of only three serials to be five episodes long and playing out like a folk horror story at an isolated village against an alien demonic entity summoned by the Master. Letts and Sloman craft a near perfect end to Jon Pertwee’s second season, so why does the novel not work?
Doctor Who and the Daemons as a novel follows the television serial beat for beat, and hey for a lot of novelizations that works. Terrance Dicks is a master of doing a simple script translation to prose that at worst will create just a nice piece of fluff, examples of that include Doctor Who and the Time Warrior, Doctor Who and an Unearthly Child, and The Ambassadors of Death. So why doesn’t that work for Letts? Well, Barry Letts as an author has a tendency to underwrite scenes, providing almost too many descriptors and actions in a scene while maintaining this very simplistic style. There are far too many sequences where the action is almost reported on without letting us get inside the characters’ heads or understanding the motivation. This makes the novelization drag and feel closer to a script in prose form than an actual novel. Compounding this is the length of the novelization at 172 pages, which while short for any of the other book ranges is quite long for the novelizations. The audiobook release comes out to just under 6 hours, while other stories are generally 3-4 hours comfortably making this a more difficult listen due to the issues with prose. Letts would only contribute one other novelization at the end of the range, The Paradise of Death, novelizing the radio play of the same name. He would contribute to the Virgin Missing Adventures (with a novelization of The Ghosts of N-Space) and the Past Doctor Adventures (Deadly Reunion and Island of Death), but if Doctor Who and the Daemons is any indication he didn’t actually grow as a writer by the 1990s.
This isn’t to say Doctor Who and the Daemons is terrible. The script it is adapting is still a cracking story, and whenever Letts attempts to capture Christopher Barry’s marvelous direction in the prose it is excellent. He also does an excellent job with replicating the dynamic between the Third Doctor, Jo Grant, and as the book goes on the Master who form the centerpiece of the novel. This means that it is not a massive problem with telling the story, just keeping its reader engaged throughout. The side characters don’t always fare as well, with Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart perhaps the most out of character, acting more like an incompetent leader instead of the strong character readers would know from the television series.
Overall, Doctor Who and the Daemons is sadly one you should skip if you have the VHS/DVD/Blu-ray release of the television story. It’s let down by weak prose and poor characterization that makes the novel more difficult to get through while the plot itself is preserved rather nicely. It’s not a bad book, but it becomes the definition of a middle of the road book. 5/10.
Doctor Who and the Daemons as a novel follows the television serial beat for beat, and hey for a lot of novelizations that works. Terrance Dicks is a master of doing a simple script translation to prose that at worst will create just a nice piece of fluff, examples of that include Doctor Who and the Time Warrior, Doctor Who and an Unearthly Child, and The Ambassadors of Death. So why doesn’t that work for Letts? Well, Barry Letts as an author has a tendency to underwrite scenes, providing almost too many descriptors and actions in a scene while maintaining this very simplistic style. There are far too many sequences where the action is almost reported on without letting us get inside the characters’ heads or understanding the motivation. This makes the novelization drag and feel closer to a script in prose form than an actual novel. Compounding this is the length of the novelization at 172 pages, which while short for any of the other book ranges is quite long for the novelizations. The audiobook release comes out to just under 6 hours, while other stories are generally 3-4 hours comfortably making this a more difficult listen due to the issues with prose. Letts would only contribute one other novelization at the end of the range, The Paradise of Death, novelizing the radio play of the same name. He would contribute to the Virgin Missing Adventures (with a novelization of The Ghosts of N-Space) and the Past Doctor Adventures (Deadly Reunion and Island of Death), but if Doctor Who and the Daemons is any indication he didn’t actually grow as a writer by the 1990s.
This isn’t to say Doctor Who and the Daemons is terrible. The script it is adapting is still a cracking story, and whenever Letts attempts to capture Christopher Barry’s marvelous direction in the prose it is excellent. He also does an excellent job with replicating the dynamic between the Third Doctor, Jo Grant, and as the book goes on the Master who form the centerpiece of the novel. This means that it is not a massive problem with telling the story, just keeping its reader engaged throughout. The side characters don’t always fare as well, with Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart perhaps the most out of character, acting more like an incompetent leader instead of the strong character readers would know from the television series.
Overall, Doctor Who and the Daemons is sadly one you should skip if you have the VHS/DVD/Blu-ray release of the television story. It’s let down by weak prose and poor characterization that makes the novel more difficult to get through while the plot itself is preserved rather nicely. It’s not a bad book, but it becomes the definition of a middle of the road book. 5/10.
March 18, 2025
Based on a script Barry Letts and Robert Sloman under the alias Guy Leopold this is number 15 in the Target catalogue. Being one of the early novelisations it also has interior art. The interior art is by Alan Willow. The first cover is by Chris Achilleos, the second by Andrew Skilleter, and the third by Alister Pearson. Of the three covers my favourite is the Alister Pearson as it is the only one which incorporates the Master and he’s as critical to the story as the Deamon in my opinion
I give this book 6 stars out of 5. It’s that good. However, I’m possibly slightly biased as this has been in my Top Ten Doctor Who Ever stories since I was a kid. I can’t say exactly why I love this one so much. It’s a combination of many little things. The science vs magic debate. The Brig’s now famous line, ‘The chap with wings. Five rounds rapid.’ (pg 159).
This story has many minor tweaks to the broadcast version. I think a lot of these were to avoid having a scene change in the novelisation. The broadcast version does jump around a bit from location to location as the story unfolds. On the whole the rearrangement of the script works, but there’s a few exceptions. One is towards the end on pg 149 Miss Hawthorne say ‘You said yourself it would be suicide.’ About trying to get into the church past Bok. Now, that statement is in the broadcast version, though delivered by a villager, not Miss Hawthorne. But that’s not the problem, the problem is the preceding scene where, in the broadcast version, the Doctor says it would be suicide to enter has been reworked and he never says it in the novel. There were a couple of places where reworking one scene led to a later incompatibility. It’s minor and has no real impact on the general flow of the story. I just found them obvious given how many times I’ve watched this story. There are also some additions and extensions of scenes for some of the minor characters. All of these I found good extras.
This is a brilliant novelisation of one of my very favourite stories. I should probably get myself a reading copy so I don’t damage/wear out my collection copies.
I give this book 6 stars out of 5. It’s that good. However, I’m possibly slightly biased as this has been in my Top Ten Doctor Who Ever stories since I was a kid. I can’t say exactly why I love this one so much. It’s a combination of many little things. The science vs magic debate. The Brig’s now famous line, ‘The chap with wings. Five rounds rapid.’ (pg 159).
This story has many minor tweaks to the broadcast version. I think a lot of these were to avoid having a scene change in the novelisation. The broadcast version does jump around a bit from location to location as the story unfolds. On the whole the rearrangement of the script works, but there’s a few exceptions. One is towards the end on pg 149 Miss Hawthorne say ‘You said yourself it would be suicide.’ About trying to get into the church past Bok. Now, that statement is in the broadcast version, though delivered by a villager, not Miss Hawthorne. But that’s not the problem, the problem is the preceding scene where, in the broadcast version, the Doctor says it would be suicide to enter has been reworked and he never says it in the novel. There were a couple of places where reworking one scene led to a later incompatibility. It’s minor and has no real impact on the general flow of the story. I just found them obvious given how many times I’ve watched this story. There are also some additions and extensions of scenes for some of the minor characters. All of these I found good extras.
This is a brilliant novelisation of one of my very favourite stories. I should probably get myself a reading copy so I don’t damage/wear out my collection copies.
May 2, 2021
Doctor Who and the Daemons, by Barry Letts. Target, 1974. Number 15 in the Doctor Who Library. 172 pages, paperback. Cover art by Chris Achilleos. Illustrated by Alan Willow. ISBN: 0 426 11332 2. Original script by Guy Leopold, BBC 1971.
This adventure features the 3rd Doctor, Jo Grant, the Brigadier, Mike Yates, Sergeant Benton, and UNIT.
When archeologist Professor Horner announces on live television that he's opening an old barrow in the village of Devil's End, the Doctor and Jo race to try to stop him. They arrive just in time for the professor to open it, killing him in an icy blast that also puts the Doctor in a coma. If only they had listened to local white witch Miss Hawthorne. Miss Hawthorne had sought cooperation from the new vicar, Mr. Magister, who was happy to let Horner get on with his work. Unknown to the village, Mr. Magister is the Master, who is attempting to awaken an ancient alien who he hopes will help him take over, not just the world, but the universe. The alien Azal is the last of the Daemons, a race known for setting up worlds as scientific experiments and destroying them if the experiments are failures. From Azal's perspective, it seems that Mankind is a failed experiment.
Of course, things don't go according to the Master's plans once the Doctor gets involved and the Master finds himself in the hot seat with the Daemon.
The Daemons is a well-written adaptation of the television script, which Letts wrote under the name Guy Leopold. He has an interesting writing style that I like a lot. The book is easy to read and it's a fun adventure. Letts knows how to build tension that's appropriate for a young audience. There's good dialogue among the UNIT crew and with the Doctor. The plot works and the characters remain solid. The ending is quick and kind of an odd twist that can only work in Doctor Who. My only quibbles are Letts's habits of ending sentences in prepositions and using quite a few adverbs.
Doctor Who and the Daemons is a good, fun read. Highly recommend.
This adventure features the 3rd Doctor, Jo Grant, the Brigadier, Mike Yates, Sergeant Benton, and UNIT.
When archeologist Professor Horner announces on live television that he's opening an old barrow in the village of Devil's End, the Doctor and Jo race to try to stop him. They arrive just in time for the professor to open it, killing him in an icy blast that also puts the Doctor in a coma. If only they had listened to local white witch Miss Hawthorne. Miss Hawthorne had sought cooperation from the new vicar, Mr. Magister, who was happy to let Horner get on with his work. Unknown to the village, Mr. Magister is the Master, who is attempting to awaken an ancient alien who he hopes will help him take over, not just the world, but the universe. The alien Azal is the last of the Daemons, a race known for setting up worlds as scientific experiments and destroying them if the experiments are failures. From Azal's perspective, it seems that Mankind is a failed experiment.
Of course, things don't go according to the Master's plans once the Doctor gets involved and the Master finds himself in the hot seat with the Daemon.
The Daemons is a well-written adaptation of the television script, which Letts wrote under the name Guy Leopold. He has an interesting writing style that I like a lot. The book is easy to read and it's a fun adventure. Letts knows how to build tension that's appropriate for a young audience. There's good dialogue among the UNIT crew and with the Doctor. The plot works and the characters remain solid. The ending is quick and kind of an odd twist that can only work in Doctor Who. My only quibbles are Letts's habits of ending sentences in prepositions and using quite a few adverbs.
Doctor Who and the Daemons is a good, fun read. Highly recommend.
August 22, 2021
Like many of the Target Doctor Who novelizations of the time, the title and back cover description are more than enough to spoil you when it comes to many of the key reveals of the original TV serial. But thankfully, that doesn't overly take away from your ability to enjoy this book.
A small town becomes the subject of greater scrutiny by the Doctor and Jo (on behalf of UNIT) when the televised broadcast of some archeological find gets the Doctor rushing off to Bessie. An ancient evil that the title of the book describes as the Daemons has been sleeping but this activity may very well awaken the alien power. But the Doctor insists that this isn't some supernatural threat, no matter what the town's local white witch says.
But there are a number of mysteries afoot in this town and the initial efforts of the Doctor, Jo, Mike Yates and the Sergeant may not be enough to deal with the conspiracy at work. And they may be forced to handle things on their own until the Brigadier and the rest of UNIT find their way to the town.
A lot of interesting narrative beats in this story with the Doctor really in his top "super-agent" form of the period. Jo gets into a lot of trouble here and there but it's mainly because she's still a plucky sidekick who unfortunately becomes the damsel in distress more than I'd like. I also appreciate all the time that the UNIT folks got in this book as they did their best to keep up with all the strange goings-on, chief among them the antics of the Doctor himself.
Solid little adventure but not the best one in the lot. And what a surprising final resolution! Absolutism really doesn't fly well in the world of the Doctor.
A small town becomes the subject of greater scrutiny by the Doctor and Jo (on behalf of UNIT) when the televised broadcast of some archeological find gets the Doctor rushing off to Bessie. An ancient evil that the title of the book describes as the Daemons has been sleeping but this activity may very well awaken the alien power. But the Doctor insists that this isn't some supernatural threat, no matter what the town's local white witch says.
But there are a number of mysteries afoot in this town and the initial efforts of the Doctor, Jo, Mike Yates and the Sergeant may not be enough to deal with the conspiracy at work. And they may be forced to handle things on their own until the Brigadier and the rest of UNIT find their way to the town.
A lot of interesting narrative beats in this story with the Doctor really in his top "super-agent" form of the period. Jo gets into a lot of trouble here and there but it's mainly because she's still a plucky sidekick who unfortunately becomes the damsel in distress more than I'd like. I also appreciate all the time that the UNIT folks got in this book as they did their best to keep up with all the strange goings-on, chief among them the antics of the Doctor himself.
Solid little adventure but not the best one in the lot. And what a surprising final resolution! Absolutism really doesn't fly well in the world of the Doctor.
December 18, 2023
Generally considered to be a 3rd Doctor classic Who story, and when I read this as a teenager (back in the 1980’s) I agreed. It has it all, all the UNIT guys, Jo Grant being brilliant, the Master being a slimy weasel and the Doc being awesome. Some fun supporting characters and a neat crossover with British Folk Horror (or, to us townies, the general sense that there’s something not right about those country folk). How does the book stand up today, especially having actually gotten round to watching the original story on DVD?
It’s not quite as awesome as I remember it being. My attitude is probably coloured by the fact that my adult self found the TV version to be a little bit disappointing; nothing very wrong with it (and a lot right) but not quite the legendary story that gets talked about. The first episode and set up is brilliant and gripping and creepy but after that, the Doctor spends most of his time nearly dead or just faffing about, while Yates, Benton, Jo, and the White Witch Miss Hawthorne actually do stuff.
The novelisation is pretty much the same (well, obviously really) – the writing is tight enough but doesn’t add much to elevate the story (unlike say, The Tomb of the Cybermen novelisation). The Doctor still just faffs about without a lot of characterisation.
However, the big showdown is still great stuff and having it end with the Brigadier and Mike heading to the pub is about as right as you can get. Mind you, I’m not sure who’s going to serve them.. wasn’t the landlord one of The Master’s cronies?
It’s not quite as awesome as I remember it being. My attitude is probably coloured by the fact that my adult self found the TV version to be a little bit disappointing; nothing very wrong with it (and a lot right) but not quite the legendary story that gets talked about. The first episode and set up is brilliant and gripping and creepy but after that, the Doctor spends most of his time nearly dead or just faffing about, while Yates, Benton, Jo, and the White Witch Miss Hawthorne actually do stuff.
The novelisation is pretty much the same (well, obviously really) – the writing is tight enough but doesn’t add much to elevate the story (unlike say, The Tomb of the Cybermen novelisation). The Doctor still just faffs about without a lot of characterisation.
However, the big showdown is still great stuff and having it end with the Brigadier and Mike heading to the pub is about as right as you can get. Mind you, I’m not sure who’s going to serve them.. wasn’t the landlord one of The Master’s cronies?
September 17, 2025
The pertwee era is my favourite era. However I've noticed that very few of the target books from that era are expanded upon like other target books are. Which creates a fan dilemma me. I want to read the pertwee era books because I love the orginals so much but i also want to hold them off so I can read the more unique or expanded novels out there first. Don't get me wrong even if they are re tellings, some do actually help the orginal by either getting into the characters heads or just the pace itself works better.
That's how I feel with this one. I really like the orginal and I thinks a great story. I don't think it's as good as everyone says it is, it's not even pertwees best. But it's a very good story. Everyone gets something to do, the master is great and the villans are excellent.
However the omnibus edition is still the best version of this story for me as I find the 5 parts are just too long. Especially all that stuff with the heat dome. However here it just flows really well. The slow pace and lack of action sometimes actually works better to help understand the characters, the location, the dr and the main villians. I actually really enjoyed this alot more than the tv edition. If you love the orginal i think you'll love it and if you really enjoy it but not as much as everyone else does you might enjoy this much more too. Plus the illustrations are great, especially the one of Azral in the chruch.
That's how I feel with this one. I really like the orginal and I thinks a great story. I don't think it's as good as everyone says it is, it's not even pertwees best. But it's a very good story. Everyone gets something to do, the master is great and the villans are excellent.
However the omnibus edition is still the best version of this story for me as I find the 5 parts are just too long. Especially all that stuff with the heat dome. However here it just flows really well. The slow pace and lack of action sometimes actually works better to help understand the characters, the location, the dr and the main villians. I actually really enjoyed this alot more than the tv edition. If you love the orginal i think you'll love it and if you really enjoy it but not as much as everyone else does you might enjoy this much more too. Plus the illustrations are great, especially the one of Azral in the chruch.
March 23, 2025
Book 324 - Barry Letts - Doctor Who and The Dæmons
Imagine an alternative BBC3 TV programme that is showing the opening of an archaeological dig at a place called Devil’s End. The Doctor and Jo Grant arrive just as the Reverend Magister had carried out what looked like an occult ceremony… we soon discover that Magister is actually the Master.
With the whole UNIT family involved… the Brigadier… Captain Mike Yates and Sgt Benton…this is another really adult tale…with fantastic scene set ups… a truly devilish monster and the most wonderful incidental characters led by the white witch of the village… Olive Hawthorne who drips with positivity and honesty.
What does the Master want with this ancient evil and how does Morris dancing… and an energy field that encompasses and cuts off the whole village … connect? What is hidden in the depths of the catacombs of the church ?
With helicopter chases…statues that come to life and a creature returned from the dawn of time… magic collides with science in a play like a classic Quatermass sci fi tale. Thoroughly brilliant.
Imagine an alternative BBC3 TV programme that is showing the opening of an archaeological dig at a place called Devil’s End. The Doctor and Jo Grant arrive just as the Reverend Magister had carried out what looked like an occult ceremony… we soon discover that Magister is actually the Master.
With the whole UNIT family involved… the Brigadier… Captain Mike Yates and Sgt Benton…this is another really adult tale…with fantastic scene set ups… a truly devilish monster and the most wonderful incidental characters led by the white witch of the village… Olive Hawthorne who drips with positivity and honesty.
What does the Master want with this ancient evil and how does Morris dancing… and an energy field that encompasses and cuts off the whole village … connect? What is hidden in the depths of the catacombs of the church ?
With helicopter chases…statues that come to life and a creature returned from the dawn of time… magic collides with science in a play like a classic Quatermass sci fi tale. Thoroughly brilliant.
June 26, 2025
Barry Letts expands Doctor Who and the Daemons to almost novel length, and there are a lot of nice details peppered throughout, from Yates and Benton watching the football, to Benton and Miss Hawthorne trying to use a pentagram against the demonic gargoyle, to a lot of little backstory or interior monologue for even the smallest of roles. But I think we get lost in the details at times and the books comes off as more baroque than rich. We're switching points of view, even time frames, backtracking at various points to include everyone, and the story can get lost in chaos (the sequences where Sgt. Osgood - yes, Osgood - is trying to make the Doctor's energy exchange machine work are just interminable). That said, The Daemons remains a great story. It's Doctor Who's first stab at folk horror, and a great showcase for the entire UNIT team. The technical weaknesses of the televised story aren't a problem in prose, and the monsters are shown more often and more quickly, with some good illustrations supporting the text. I just don't think the extra length did it any actual favors.
March 16, 2021
Quintessential UNIT story here for me, one of my favourite stories, and not necessarily for the main plot and the 'Daemon' as such, but more for all the character interactions.
As always, great interactions between Jo, the Master, the Doctor, the Brigadier, Benton and Yates, but we get a lot more time with Benton and Yates than normal, getting to know them much better.
Some memorable scenes, with the opening of the barrow as such, the heat barrier, 'five rounds rapid', and some closure on the series long arc with the Master as well.
The Daemon itself I found an interesting idea, but not that well executed, especially at the end, the resolution was a little flat, and not really foreshadowed in any way, whereas I think the means of resolution meant it should have been foreshadowed in some way.
A good end scene as well, similar to Claws of Axos and Inferno, to cap off a strong season.
As always, great interactions between Jo, the Master, the Doctor, the Brigadier, Benton and Yates, but we get a lot more time with Benton and Yates than normal, getting to know them much better.
Some memorable scenes, with the opening of the barrow as such, the heat barrier, 'five rounds rapid', and some closure on the series long arc with the Master as well.
The Daemon itself I found an interesting idea, but not that well executed, especially at the end, the resolution was a little flat, and not really foreshadowed in any way, whereas I think the means of resolution meant it should have been foreshadowed in some way.
A good end scene as well, similar to Claws of Axos and Inferno, to cap off a strong season.
October 23, 2018
Like most Target books you can smash through this one in one or two sittings. It’s beautifully written. In one notable scene, Letts turns a producer’s wry eye on the perils of outside broadcast television with highly-strung presenters. And throughout, he fills the book with competent Gothic flavour, which, despite the sci-fi elements, really will have you convinced you’re reading a weightier tome than just a children’s novelisation.
In essence, this is Frankenstein, Dracula, and The Golden Bough all in one convenient volume. A cracking good read.
In essence, this is Frankenstein, Dracula, and The Golden Bough all in one convenient volume. A cracking good read.
February 22, 2018
From the first generation of Target "Doctor Who" novelizations, this is still one of the best. Although many people criticize Barry Letts' later original fiction, his adaptation of the first script he co-wrote as producer of the show remains a first-rate epic. Simple, stylish prose, and some wonderful expansion of innumerable background details combine to transform one of the most memorable 3rd Doctor stories on TV into one of the top "Doctor Who" novelizations of all time.
May 7, 2023
Doctor Who and the Daemons (1974) by Barry Letts is the novelisation of the fifth and final serial of the eighth season of Doctor Who.
The Doctor, Jo and UNIT find out about a strange ceremony at a village called Devil’s End. There is much evil afoot including the Master. It’s one of the Doctor Who serials that mixes up aliens and the occult and does it reasonably well.
Doctor Who and the Daemons isn’t a bad serial.
The Doctor, Jo and UNIT find out about a strange ceremony at a village called Devil’s End. There is much evil afoot including the Master. It’s one of the Doctor Who serials that mixes up aliens and the occult and does it reasonably well.
Doctor Who and the Daemons isn’t a bad serial.
November 11, 2021
A terrific novelisation of the Third Doctor story 'The Daemons'. The atmosphere was great, and in places felt rather eerie. There were also some humorous moments which I enjoyed, especially Sergeant Benton trying to fend off the affections of the local witch.
One of my favourite Target novelisations to date.
One of my favourite Target novelisations to date.
February 22, 2022
Decent read. I love this era of Doctor Who & UNIT and another story of unsettling happenings in a quaint English village.
Random thoughts :-
The character of Olive Hawthorne is well drawn.
The books features mentions of microwaves which I didn't know existed in the early 1970s.
Also much use of the word shufti meaning to take a look which I had forgotten existed.
Random thoughts :-
The character of Olive Hawthorne is well drawn.
The books features mentions of microwaves which I didn't know existed in the early 1970s.
Also much use of the word shufti meaning to take a look which I had forgotten existed.
July 6, 2023
3.5/5
Definitely on the more serviceable end of the very straightforward novelisations - obviously it's very easy for me to judge these in an era where Classic Who is very easily accessible and it wouldn't have been at the time, so in that context I think it does its job well, but it didn't particularly excite me outside of that.
Definitely on the more serviceable end of the very straightforward novelisations - obviously it's very easy for me to judge these in an era where Classic Who is very easily accessible and it wouldn't have been at the time, so in that context I think it does its job well, but it didn't particularly excite me outside of that.
January 6, 2023
A classic, fleshed out by the skilful writing of Barry Letts. He adds so much more to the story than is seen on screen, more to the characters’ backstory too, no matter how small, which springs the fictional village of Devil’s End to life. Brilliant!
August 23, 2023
I like to read one of these every now and then as a little buffer between reading proper books. They generally add a little to the stories and are usually pretty nice adaptations. This one was full of spelling errors.
April 25, 2024
A fun mix of SF and folk horror, with The Master trying to awaken an ancient alien creature and The Doctor trying to stop him. There’s some lovely clashes of science and magic as well as some great guest characters. Told with tremendous confidence this is a highlight of the Pertwee/exile era.
July 25, 2017
The writing in the book was absolutely brilliant. it impressed me throughout. However, the plot let it down in so many ways. It was a bad story, well written.
May 14, 2019
Notes of Nigel Kneale, Grant Allen, and Eleanor Scott are struck, as well as Dennis Wheatley.
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