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Doctor Who Target Books (Numerical Order) #109
Doctor Who: The Savages
Landing on a distant planet, the First Doctor confidently announces to his companions that the TARDIS has brought them to an age of great advancement, peace and prosperity.
The Doctor's calculations seem to be confirmed when the travellers are greeted by Jano and the Elders who take them on a tour of their city - a haven of beauty, harmony and friendship, set in a wilderness inhabited by tribes of savages.
But the security of the city is founded on one deadly and appalling secret. Soon the Doctor and his friends discover that it is not only outside the city walls that savages dwell...
The Doctor's calculations seem to be confirmed when the travellers are greeted by Jano and the Elders who take them on a tour of their city - a haven of beauty, harmony and friendship, set in a wilderness inhabited by tribes of savages.
But the security of the city is founded on one deadly and appalling secret. Soon the Doctor and his friends discover that it is not only outside the city walls that savages dwell...
127 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
6 people are currently reading
284 people want to read
About the author
Ian Stuart Black
30 books5 followersIan Stuart Black was a novelist, playwright and screenwriter. Both his 1959 novel In the Wake of a Stranger and his 1962 novel about the Cyprus emergency The High Bright Sun were made into films, Black writing the screenplays in each case.
He also wrote scripts for several British television programmes from the 1950s to the 1970s, including The Invisible Man and Sir Francis Drake (for which he was also story editor), as well as Danger Man (on which he served as associate producer) and Star Maidens.
In addition, he wrote three stories for Doctor Who in 1965 and 1966. These stories were The Savages and The War Machines (with Kit Pedler and Pat Dunlop) for William Hartnell's Doctor; and The Macra Terror for Patrick Troughton. He novelised all three stories for Target Books.
His final credit was for a half-hour supernatural drama called House of Glass, which was made by Television South in 1991.
He was the father of actress Isobel Black.
He also wrote scripts for several British television programmes from the 1950s to the 1970s, including The Invisible Man and Sir Francis Drake (for which he was also story editor), as well as Danger Man (on which he served as associate producer) and Star Maidens.
In addition, he wrote three stories for Doctor Who in 1965 and 1966. These stories were The Savages and The War Machines (with Kit Pedler and Pat Dunlop) for William Hartnell's Doctor; and The Macra Terror for Patrick Troughton. He novelised all three stories for Target Books.
His final credit was for a half-hour supernatural drama called House of Glass, which was made by Television South in 1991.
He was the father of actress Isobel Black.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
December 29, 2018
The Savages is an underappreciate and much overlooked First Doctor serial, it probably doesn’t help that all four episodes are missing from the archives.
Stuart Black’s novelisation seems pretty faithful to the original story, there’s plenty of great moments too.
I really liked how the Elders welcome The Doctor to the new planet having been aware of him, it’s a first for the series at the time but quite a common trope now.
The story is simple but effective, with the central mysteries reveal being very effective.
If your not to familiar with this story, the novel is definitely worth tracking down.
Stuart Black’s novelisation seems pretty faithful to the original story, there’s plenty of great moments too.
I really liked how the Elders welcome The Doctor to the new planet having been aware of him, it’s a first for the series at the time but quite a common trope now.
The story is simple but effective, with the central mysteries reveal being very effective.
If your not to familiar with this story, the novel is definitely worth tracking down.
May 16, 2022
This is a novelization of the eighth serial from the third season of Doctor Who, which was originally presented in May and June of 1966. The Savages was written by Ian Stuart Black, who adapted his teleplay for this book two decades later. This is one of the stories that didn't survive on film, so it's not as widely known or regarded as most. I'm sure not many people are left who remember seeing it. The story featured the original Doctor, who was accompanied by Dorothea Chaplet and Steven Taylor; Dodo was a contemporary teenaged Earthgirl, and Steven was a space pilot from the far future. The TARDIS team lands on a distant planet and finds what appears to an idyllic, utopian society, but soon learn that there's a dark and dirty secret that supports the city. Black does a good job of converting the story to prose in a short, efficient manner. The ending is a little jarring (...spoiler...), as The Doctor abruptly convinces Steven to stay behind when he and Dodo take off for new adventures. I appreciated his use of lines of dialog for the eleven chapter titles. It's a bit of a preachy story, but a fast, fun read of one of the "lost" serials.
October 21, 2019
This is one of those Target novelizations for which I hold especially rosy feelings. A story with all its episodes missing or junked, only known to me by an entry in the "Doctor Who Programme Guide" and a couple photos in DW magazine. Suddenly, here was an adaptation...and by the original author. I devoured this book: a magical slice of old-yet-new "Doctor Who" suddenly resurrected. It's a straightforward novel, worthy of the master Terrance Dicks himself. But it comes with extra-special glow of nostalgia -- the glow of a young boy discovering a mysterious chunk of the past.
June 12, 2024
Not a story I was very familiar with, partly because the tapes were wiped but mostly because it gets absolutely zero hype. Easy to see why. My main takeaway is that Dodo Chaplet is something of a halfwit, but maybe that goes without saying.
March 15, 2020
Here is a prime example of how even a completely lost serial of classic Doctor Who can still impress through the mere echoes and shadows that are left for modern audiences. "The Savages" is a 4-part episode featuring William Hartnell's Doctor in the brilliant 3rd season of the original show. Only the audio soundtrack exists, as well as recreations, and of course, this novelization by the talented Ian Stuart Black. This review of the novelization is part of my series featuring the "Lost Episodes" from the classic program.
William Hartnell remains my favorite Doctor followed closely by Tom Baker and Sly McCoy. For me, these three incarnations comprise of some of the most "punk" stories of their respective eras of the 60s, 70s, and 80s. I felt that the Troughton and Pertwee eras tended to focus on repackaging scifi tropes of alien invasions, fiendish bearded scientific masterminds, and base-under-seige thrillers under the Doctor Who brand, and both focused on contemporary Earth stories too much. "The Savages" is one of the last of the Hartnell run of truly thoughtful scifi stories before the new trends took over. The First Doctor would next fight the War Machines in swinging London in a precursor to the UNIT stories, and have his last adventure in the first Cybermen story, which was an Earth-bound base-under-seige invasion opus.
But in "The Savages," the Doctor travels to an alien planet where a utopian society welcomes him and his companions with open arms. This is an idyllic society, and the Doctor is more than happy to ingratiate himself with the heads of the society and have himself a little holiday. That is, until his companions find out that all is not as it seems in paradise.
If you have ever seen "The Dark Crystal," you have a basic understanding of this story. This also has a "Black Mirror" feel as an early example of modern concerns over how a technological society tends to dehumanize the masses and concentrate power to a corrupt elite. Similarly, homage is paid to the great dystopian novels of the early 20th Century. "The Savages" is well-written and well-realized in novel form by the original screenwriter.
All characters are in fine form here. There are no useless, screaming companions--Dodo and Steven are essential to the plot and Steven has a chance to shine as a leader. There is some good dark humor, especially in regards to the villain suddenly being taken over by the Doctor's personality. Genius! The chapter titles are also clever, comprising of relevant quotes from the respective chapter.
"The Savages" is how scifi can deliver thought-provoking messages and stimulate conversation through allegory by embedding the human condition in hypothetical and seemingly alien scenarios. The writers of the last few seasons of the revival program do not have this touch, and could learn a thing or two from people like Ian Stuart Black, Terrance Dicks, John Lucarotti, Robert Holmes, Ben Aaronovitch, and Douglas Adams.
Though these books tended to be aimed at a young audience, this one is not as filled with monsters and faced-paced action as other entries, and therefore may not hold the attention of some adolescents. But books like this respect the audience, and I would certainly recommend this to young readers as well as old, whether Doctor Who fans or not.
William Hartnell remains my favorite Doctor followed closely by Tom Baker and Sly McCoy. For me, these three incarnations comprise of some of the most "punk" stories of their respective eras of the 60s, 70s, and 80s. I felt that the Troughton and Pertwee eras tended to focus on repackaging scifi tropes of alien invasions, fiendish bearded scientific masterminds, and base-under-seige thrillers under the Doctor Who brand, and both focused on contemporary Earth stories too much. "The Savages" is one of the last of the Hartnell run of truly thoughtful scifi stories before the new trends took over. The First Doctor would next fight the War Machines in swinging London in a precursor to the UNIT stories, and have his last adventure in the first Cybermen story, which was an Earth-bound base-under-seige invasion opus.
But in "The Savages," the Doctor travels to an alien planet where a utopian society welcomes him and his companions with open arms. This is an idyllic society, and the Doctor is more than happy to ingratiate himself with the heads of the society and have himself a little holiday. That is, until his companions find out that all is not as it seems in paradise.
If you have ever seen "The Dark Crystal," you have a basic understanding of this story. This also has a "Black Mirror" feel as an early example of modern concerns over how a technological society tends to dehumanize the masses and concentrate power to a corrupt elite. Similarly, homage is paid to the great dystopian novels of the early 20th Century. "The Savages" is well-written and well-realized in novel form by the original screenwriter.
All characters are in fine form here. There are no useless, screaming companions--Dodo and Steven are essential to the plot and Steven has a chance to shine as a leader. There is some good dark humor, especially in regards to the villain suddenly being taken over by the Doctor's personality. Genius! The chapter titles are also clever, comprising of relevant quotes from the respective chapter.
"The Savages" is how scifi can deliver thought-provoking messages and stimulate conversation through allegory by embedding the human condition in hypothetical and seemingly alien scenarios. The writers of the last few seasons of the revival program do not have this touch, and could learn a thing or two from people like Ian Stuart Black, Terrance Dicks, John Lucarotti, Robert Holmes, Ben Aaronovitch, and Douglas Adams.
Though these books tended to be aimed at a young audience, this one is not as filled with monsters and faced-paced action as other entries, and therefore may not hold the attention of some adolescents. But books like this respect the audience, and I would certainly recommend this to young readers as well as old, whether Doctor Who fans or not.
February 14, 2021
My copy of this book has now arrived, so have gone backwards in the timeline as such to read it :)
A story that I have had no real exposure to before, whether in novel form or TV form, so nice to be able to experience it for the first time.
Compared to the prior Steven and Dodo books, this one is pretty good I think, the story is an interesting one, and reminds me of today's Dystopian novels that can be found in it's nature and the secrets being held / uncovered by the Doctor and his companions.
Steven and Dodo work better here as a pair as well, and Dodo seems quite able in this story, and helping move it along through proactive choices, whereas in other stories has seemed somewhat reactive, so similar to the beginning of War Machines, and again just shows potential of what could have been.
Is the last story for Steven in the TV show, and is somewhat unusual in that it is Steven being pushed into staying, not choosing to stay, whereas most companions are the ones opting to stay.
Some quite interesting interactions with the one off characters, some quite well fleshed out, though some are a bit one dimensional.
All round I quite enjoyed this read, and am glad to have added it to my collection :)
A story that I have had no real exposure to before, whether in novel form or TV form, so nice to be able to experience it for the first time.
Compared to the prior Steven and Dodo books, this one is pretty good I think, the story is an interesting one, and reminds me of today's Dystopian novels that can be found in it's nature and the secrets being held / uncovered by the Doctor and his companions.
Steven and Dodo work better here as a pair as well, and Dodo seems quite able in this story, and helping move it along through proactive choices, whereas in other stories has seemed somewhat reactive, so similar to the beginning of War Machines, and again just shows potential of what could have been.
Is the last story for Steven in the TV show, and is somewhat unusual in that it is Steven being pushed into staying, not choosing to stay, whereas most companions are the ones opting to stay.
Some quite interesting interactions with the one off characters, some quite well fleshed out, though some are a bit one dimensional.
All round I quite enjoyed this read, and am glad to have added it to my collection :)
August 17, 2024
Based on his own script this is number 109 in the Target catalogue. The first cover was done by David McAllister and the reissue by Alister Pearson. I find the comparison of the 2 covers interesting as the are opposites but similar composition. The first depicts the leader of the Elders, the civilised race, while the second shows the leader of the Savages.
Being one of entirely missing stories which has not yet been animated I’ve only seen the telesnap reconstruction, so I’m not as familiar with this as with stories that have full home media releases.
That said, I thought this an excellent novelisation. It’s not trying to be clever or different, it’s simply telling the broadcast version in words. In some places it almost reads like a script with just the dialogue and little to no description. This made it a very quick read, it took me less than 3 hours. I almost feel like it needs more depth to the characterisation and scene setting, it’s too pared back. In the broadcast version you had the sets and actors expression and movement. Little of that layering is present in this book. It’s still a very good read, but could have been even better I think.
Being one of entirely missing stories which has not yet been animated I’ve only seen the telesnap reconstruction, so I’m not as familiar with this as with stories that have full home media releases.
That said, I thought this an excellent novelisation. It’s not trying to be clever or different, it’s simply telling the broadcast version in words. In some places it almost reads like a script with just the dialogue and little to no description. This made it a very quick read, it took me less than 3 hours. I almost feel like it needs more depth to the characterisation and scene setting, it’s too pared back. In the broadcast version you had the sets and actors expression and movement. Little of that layering is present in this book. It’s still a very good read, but could have been even better I think.
January 24, 2025
It would be true to say The Savages is the likely the Doctor Who serial I remember the least about. Aside fro a companion's departure and a potential attempt at covertly replacing William Hartnell, none of the details really stuck in my mind from reading ABOUT it, or listening to the audio, watching reconstruction, etc. It is a kind of old-fashioned SF, but in Ian Stuart Black's crisp and pacey adaptation of his own story, it takes on the feeling of an Original Series Star Trek episode (not that the show had yet aired back in the day). We're introduced to a society of haves vampirically draining the life force of the have nots (sure sounds familiar) and the Doctor infecting someone with his innate revolutionary spirit and moral sense. If these episodes hadn't been wiped, they would be much more important to the canon than they are now. They represent a shift in Doctor Who storytelling, where the Doctor arrives with an established reputation and where he heroically "does the right thing" for entirely selfless reasons. Thankfully, Black's adaptation can still be enjoyed as a manifestation of that sea change.
June 7, 2020
Doctor Who -- The Savages is a fun book !! It builds nicely . This is a First Doctor adventure , so there are several references to the Doctor being : " An Old Man !! " The book takes place in an idyllic society . But , it turns out that there is a sinister and insidious reason for this perfect setting !! In the outskirts of the city , there are " Savages " whom are used to extract their vitality in order to keep the Elite strong . When a " Savage " is captured , using a device called " A Light Gun , " they are taken to the lab of Professor Senta , who has a machine that will siphon off the life essence of the poor , hapless person inside said machine . During the course of the story , the Doctor HIMSELF is placed into the machine !! The result ?? a Doctor who looks and acts like a zombie !! But , this plot point actually brings about the solution to the conundrum !! I can easily recommend this book to all of the Doctor Who fans in the audience here !!
January 21, 2023
A novelization of a "lost" episode that is a bit dated, but still enjoyable. The episode itself features - rather sudden in my opinion - the departure of one of the companions. Like the original Star Trek series episode "Space Seed" it would be quite interesting to return and see what the consequences of the Doctor's actions in this episode resulted in.
Without giving too much of the plot away, this story features the standard Sci-fi trope of a divided society between an urban elite and rural folk with the elite oppressing the rural people to maintain their elite structure. In some ways it reminds me of a 1960s adaptation of the silent film Metropolis.
Not the best story, but nice to have a novelization of a "lost" episode of early Dr. Who.
Without giving too much of the plot away, this story features the standard Sci-fi trope of a divided society between an urban elite and rural folk with the elite oppressing the rural people to maintain their elite structure. In some ways it reminds me of a 1960s adaptation of the silent film Metropolis.
Not the best story, but nice to have a novelization of a "lost" episode of early Dr. Who.
May 3, 2020
The plot is very '60s Star Trek but I could see it more as a gritty '80s affair - unfortunately there's a good start but then nothing happens after the first quarter. Nothing sets up Steven's leaving before the last two pages which is a shame for one of the strongest companiods. Dodo on the other hand is less of a vapid moron with some semblance of a social conscience, so maybe she had some 'missing story' character development before The Gunfighters after all. I can't imagine why the Doctor is so keen to get shot of Steven and continue his travels with her. Though that won't last long. Forgettable story with a promising start, like so many of the Hartnells.
December 16, 2017
Moral tale of a superior society exploiting the life force of 'savages' to maintain and progress their elite status. Obviously The Doctor and companions Dodo and Steven intervene to show the elite the error of their ways and everyone lives happily ever after with the help of Steven who stays on to do some mediation in the reconciliation process when The Doctor and Dodo leave. Pedestrian story with a whole societal change instigated due to the action of the few people involved in the story not compelling, but I understand the confines of the programme at the time.
February 12, 2023
Doctor Who : The Savages (1986) by Ian Stuart Black is the novelisation of the ninth serial of the third season of Doctor Who. The companions are Steven and Dodo.
The Doctor and crew land on a planet where there are savages and there is a city, but the city drains the life energy of savages to renew themselves.
The story has overtones of A Brave New World. It’s not great but it’s alright. Steven also leaves at the end of the episode.
The Savages is a largely forgettable first Doctor story.
The Doctor and crew land on a planet where there are savages and there is a city, but the city drains the life energy of savages to renew themselves.
The story has overtones of A Brave New World. It’s not great but it’s alright. Steven also leaves at the end of the episode.
The Savages is a largely forgettable first Doctor story.
April 8, 2020
This is a rather perfunctory retelling of what seems to be a fairly dull missing Hartnell story. There is little plot to it and hardly any action either. Dodo has virtually nothing to do, and the Doctor doesn't do a great deal either. Rightly so, Stephen gets the lion's share of the story and at least has a proper farewell unlike so many companions in the 60s. Hopefully, when it's found the televised version will turn out to be more exciting than the book was.
January 31, 2024
Interesting story that the Doctor and his companions show up in some future world and are treated as honored guests. When it is revealed that these people gain vitality by stealing it from other people that are referred to as Savages.
The Doctor and his companions a against stealing the life vitality from the savages and are pursued as savages themselves so the world can keep existing. Good Classic Doctor Who story that was fun to follow.
The Doctor and his companions a against stealing the life vitality from the savages and are pursued as savages themselves so the world can keep existing. Good Classic Doctor Who story that was fun to follow.
August 28, 2021
Nothing much gets changed in this one, which is a shame - the very least it could do would be to build up Steven's departure. When Black actually devotes himself to prose writing I quite enjoy it, but a lot of it is just dialogue. Still, I like this plot well enough - even though some of the point of it is undermined by the narrator also calling the exploited underclass savages.
January 5, 2022
A fairly standard sort of Doctor Who story, though there are a few interesting elements (like the third-act developments with the city's leader). Steven's fate at the end of the story comes out of nowhere, however. I wonder if the original televised story contained some sophistication that the novelization lost, however, as the prose is rather brisk and functional for the most part. (B)
January 27, 2024
DW 60th anniversary read through. Nearing the end of the First Doctor's era. A story that I was probably less familiar with than most others of Doctor#1. I enjoyed it. It is a very quick and easy read. Steven take a much bigger leadership role and is rewarded for it. Next up, The War Machines, the final story of the third season.
September 5, 2020
For the simplicity of the story, this is a quick-paced, enjoyable read. As most readers of the Target novelisations are well-aware, the average Doctor Who tale is around 128 pages and at 127, this one doesn't disappoint.
July 1, 2023
Begins with a seeming utopia and ends with the Doctor toppling a corrupt government and replacing it with something hopefully better. Perfect Doctor Who for this reader/viewer and told competently by someone who understands what the show is capable of.
September 21, 2010
An okay story that it is too long and relies on too much padding and running back and forth.
Reads more like a Star Trek episode in that it's a morality play, using an alien culture to make it's point.
Can't decide if this is a bad episode or just a flat novelization. I've read a couple of these adaptions that left me feeling 'blah', then saw the episode and really enjoyed it. This may be one of them. I'd like to hope so.
It does a decent leaving scene for Stephen, which was nice as he got a kind of rough deal as a companion.
Reads more like a Star Trek episode in that it's a morality play, using an alien culture to make it's point.
Can't decide if this is a bad episode or just a flat novelization. I've read a couple of these adaptions that left me feeling 'blah', then saw the episode and really enjoyed it. This may be one of them. I'd like to hope so.
It does a decent leaving scene for Stephen, which was nice as he got a kind of rough deal as a companion.
May 16, 2016
Given my general view of most First Doctor stories, this turned out surprisingly well... short and slight but the better for it. It's not a very original tale but perhaps it is a classic plot. I liked the way in which someone who has been shown compassion does not respond in the way you would hope. I rather felt that the Doctor's terrible experience did him good as he was verging on the nice to know afterwards.
Peter Purves does a good job of the filling narration and his character's final outing.
Peter Purves does a good job of the filling narration and his character's final outing.
December 14, 2009
First Doctor, Steven, Dodo. Novelisation of a season 3 story of which only the soundtrack has been recovered. Often not very well written and at times very rough indeed. The style at first wouldn't be out of place in a New Series Adventure (NSA), but for a classic novelisation it's rather atypical. On the plus side, the plot is measured out well, Dodo and the Doctor are in fine form after the rough start, and several scenes sparkle.
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October 21, 2007http://nhw.livejournal.com/825455.html[return][return]The novelisation of The Savages sticks pretty closely to the TV script, and there's little more to say about it than that. The Doctor's most amusing line has been cut for some strange reason.
June 14, 2010
never seen the original, obviously, but i did like this adaptation of it. the finale seemed a bit rushed, especially regarding Steven's sudden decision to stay (or, actually, the Doctor's sudden nomination of him to stay behind) but I did like the central dilemma and I liked that the Doctor was notorious enough even in these early days that legends had built up around him.
May 2, 2013
Obviously can't comment on whether the original episode was better (as it's missing) but overall it is a bit dull and the plot is basically obvious straight away.
That said I was sorry to see Stephen go. Just holding out for one more novel and Dodo will be extinct too (hurrah!)
That said I was sorry to see Stephen go. Just holding out for one more novel and Dodo will be extinct too (hurrah!)
January 18, 2017
The story itself was OK. Seem as if the writer preferred delivering the morale of the story (all humans are equal, progress, when achieved through suffering is wrong, etc.) rather than tell the story properly.
May 13, 2011
Classic Whovian adventure. The Doctor, Steven, and Dodo land in a perfect and ordered society, but there are rats in the wainscotting and the Doctor gives of himself to set things right.
October 16, 2012
this was short but very good i really enjoyed it, it was written really well and i liked dodo
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews