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Doctor Who Target Books (Numerical Order) #11
Doctor Who and the Creature from the Pit
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.
121 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
1 person is currently reading
278 people want to read
About the author
David Fisher
8 books1 followerLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
David Fisher was a British professional writer for television. He wrote the scripts for four serials of Doctor Who.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_F...
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
David Fisher was a British professional writer for television. He wrote the scripts for four serials of Doctor Who.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_F...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
January 13, 2021
The second half of the Tom Baker era had a far more humorous feel to it, this was especially amplified both during this story and the season as a whole - with Douglas Adams as script editor it's not really surprising.
Whilst the plot might appear simple the way writer Fisher uses the main villain Lady Adrasta to manipulate the shortage of materials for her own gains has the show using political analogies at it's very best.
It's true that the creature itself looks very silly on screen, but I feel it's in keeping with the style of storytelling.
The funny one liners are brilliantly replicated in the prose, whilst the additional footnotes are a fun addition.
Whilst the plot might appear simple the way writer Fisher uses the main villain Lady Adrasta to manipulate the shortage of materials for her own gains has the show using political analogies at it's very best.
It's true that the creature itself looks very silly on screen, but I feel it's in keeping with the style of storytelling.
The funny one liners are brilliantly replicated in the prose, whilst the additional footnotes are a fun addition.
January 22, 2019
I want to give this 5-stars so bad, but I'm using great restraint in not allowing the bias of my childhood joy to cloud my critique. You're welcome.
Seriously, I absolutely loved watching Dr. Who when I was growing up. Back then (we're talking the early 80s) my local PBS station would play the show's reruns from the 70s, which meant the Tom Baker version of the Doctor. Because of this he would become, and still is, my favorite of all the actors whoever played the kooky timelord. So, when I saw this audiobook was narrated by him, I knew I'd be moving this to the front of my queue.
The book in question, The Creature from the Pit also happens to be one of my favorite episodes of the show. I loved the jungle planet setting with its wolf-like tumbleweeds, the hairy bandits and their love of metal, the evil queen whose costume and makeup reminded me of her counterpart in Disney's Snow White, and then of course there was the creature from the pit, a massive worm monster that haunts the subterranean world.
The Doctor is in fine form here, and with the assistance of his capable sidekick Romana (she was smart and didn't constantly scream and cry like Sarah, so I loved her) and the show's Cousin Oliver character (or perhaps Scrappy Doo is a more apt comparison) K-9, our heroes navigate a very sticky situation and come out on top...as of course we knew they would, but still, it did seem a bit touch-and-go there for a moment!
Tom Baker's narration is great!...Oops, I let slip some of that childhood bias. Sorry, it's very good for the purpose of this particular book. Sure, it's a bit camp/over-the-top on occasion, but rarely! Let's just say that Baker's reading acts this out with a myriad of characterful voices, as you might do if you were a saintly parent with enough energy at the end of another trying day to read a bedtime story to your bratty child.
If you're a Whovian or if any of what I just said made you gurgle and push your glasses back up your nose, go out there and find this audiobook! And when I say "go out there", I mean open another tab on the computer you're hiding behind and seek this out...probably on Overdrive or Audible.
Seriously, I absolutely loved watching Dr. Who when I was growing up. Back then (we're talking the early 80s) my local PBS station would play the show's reruns from the 70s, which meant the Tom Baker version of the Doctor. Because of this he would become, and still is, my favorite of all the actors whoever played the kooky timelord. So, when I saw this audiobook was narrated by him, I knew I'd be moving this to the front of my queue.
The book in question, The Creature from the Pit also happens to be one of my favorite episodes of the show. I loved the jungle planet setting with its wolf-like tumbleweeds, the hairy bandits and their love of metal, the evil queen whose costume and makeup reminded me of her counterpart in Disney's Snow White, and then of course there was the creature from the pit, a massive worm monster that haunts the subterranean world.
The Doctor is in fine form here, and with the assistance of his capable sidekick Romana (she was smart and didn't constantly scream and cry like Sarah, so I loved her) and the show's Cousin Oliver character (or perhaps Scrappy Doo is a more apt comparison) K-9, our heroes navigate a very sticky situation and come out on top...as of course we knew they would, but still, it did seem a bit touch-and-go there for a moment!
Tom Baker's narration is great!...Oops, I let slip some of that childhood bias. Sorry, it's very good for the purpose of this particular book. Sure, it's a bit camp/over-the-top on occasion, but rarely! Let's just say that Baker's reading acts this out with a myriad of characterful voices, as you might do if you were a saintly parent with enough energy at the end of another trying day to read a bedtime story to your bratty child.
If you're a Whovian or if any of what I just said made you gurgle and push your glasses back up your nose, go out there and find this audiobook! And when I say "go out there", I mean open another tab on the computer you're hiding behind and seek this out...probably on Overdrive or Audible.
December 13, 2021
This is a novelization of the third adventure of the seventeenth season of Doctor Who, which was broadcast in October and November of 1979. David Fisher adapted his own original teleplay for the book and fleshed it out by adding several tedious descriptions of life on the planets Tythonus and Chloris, complete with annoying footnotes. The Doctor is in his fourth regeneration and is accompanied by the second iteration of Time Lady Romanadvoratrelundar (Romana, for short), and their inimitable robotic canine K9. It's one of my least favorite stories from the Baker years, both on screen and in print, because it's a silly story with poor science. (Yeah, wrap the neutron star in aluminum foil, that'll help.) Romana seems off and is captured quite easily, but K9 has some good lines. I'd recommend it for Whovian completists but not casual readers; it tries way too hard to be funny but lacks the Douglas Adams touch.
October 20, 2020
So I am not a Doctor Who tv show follower. I watched one episode years ago and found it a little "Land of the Lost" cheesy. This story fell right in line. The creativity was there and the story found an interesting lane but the overall telling was very light-hearted and a bit simplistic. It was entertaining enough that I will try another one. If they get better then I could definitely get into the series.
September 21, 2024
Another fun adventure with Doctor Who and Romana as this time they are found on the planet Chloris.
On this planet there is Lady Adrasta. A nasty lady who ends up throwing those who cannot properly help her into a black pit with a creature she claims she knows nothing about.
However, with the help of Doctor Who the mystery is solved. As he delves in to find out what exactly the creature is, how it got there, and why.
Once he is able to communicate with the creature, it is now in the hands of Doctor Who and the creature to figure out a way of stopping Chloris from coming to an end...
On this planet there is Lady Adrasta. A nasty lady who ends up throwing those who cannot properly help her into a black pit with a creature she claims she knows nothing about.
However, with the help of Doctor Who the mystery is solved. As he delves in to find out what exactly the creature is, how it got there, and why.
Once he is able to communicate with the creature, it is now in the hands of Doctor Who and the creature to figure out a way of stopping Chloris from coming to an end...
June 6, 2022
4.5
Absolutly loved this one, finally had the classic silliness that I wanted from the doctor. I also loved Ramona, I did not know there were time ladies in old who!!!! I need to collect all of these.
Absolutly loved this one, finally had the classic silliness that I wanted from the doctor. I also loved Ramona, I did not know there were time ladies in old who!!!! I need to collect all of these.
June 12, 2018
I wasn't a big fan of this story when it was on TV but I wanted to read the novelization to see if it had anything else going for it. Unfortunately, it didn't.
July 10, 2016
This was great to listen to!
The good: It was one of my favorite Doctor Who serials, and it was read by Tom Baker himself! There were parts that were embellished (for example, the thoughts of the main characters, or little asides about what they were eating, or the point of view of the creature), but those were pretty good too! Also, Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor impression was spot on, and he had some pretty awesome voices for some of the other characters too, so that they were immediately recognizable.
The neutral: Tom Baker's Romana voice was, sadly, just his regular voice, with no variations.
The bad: The voice of K-9! Just awful. I guess it was just Tom Baker's voice through a synthesizer instead of an impression. Also, the creature's voice when it spoke through another was sometimes a weird double voice over (and sometimes not). Luckily that doesn't come up for most of the book!
The good: It was one of my favorite Doctor Who serials, and it was read by Tom Baker himself! There were parts that were embellished (for example, the thoughts of the main characters, or little asides about what they were eating, or the point of view of the creature), but those were pretty good too! Also, Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor impression was spot on, and he had some pretty awesome voices for some of the other characters too, so that they were immediately recognizable.
The neutral: Tom Baker's Romana voice was, sadly, just his regular voice, with no variations.
The bad: The voice of K-9! Just awful. I guess it was just Tom Baker's voice through a synthesizer instead of an impression. Also, the creature's voice when it spoke through another was sometimes a weird double voice over (and sometimes not). Luckily that doesn't come up for most of the book!
February 14, 2017
I love Doctor Who, but I never had the privilege of seeing this episode. My father gifted me the book as a stocking stuffer for Christmas.
The book is an easy read, but, as I usually find with books based on movies or shows, it just doesn't carry the same energy as the real thing. It sounds like, from other reviewers, the audio book with Tom Baker reading it is more compelling, which makes sense. That's not to say the book is bad though! Not by any means! It's a fun little story about an alien world and the creature stalking their mine.
Nothing struck me as out of character in the book, which was great. Still, I think I'd have had more fun watching the actual show.
The book is an easy read, but, as I usually find with books based on movies or shows, it just doesn't carry the same energy as the real thing. It sounds like, from other reviewers, the audio book with Tom Baker reading it is more compelling, which makes sense. That's not to say the book is bad though! Not by any means! It's a fun little story about an alien world and the creature stalking their mine.
Nothing struck me as out of character in the book, which was great. Still, I think I'd have had more fun watching the actual show.
May 12, 2022
The Creature from the Pit is not a good story on television. The first produced for Season 17 there were several production problems, enough to stop Christopher Barry from ever working on the show again. Lalla Ward famously hated her costume and the fact she was written for Mary Tamm’s Romana and the creature itself is phallic. David Fisher is an author who has a hand at improving his scripts when novelizing them as evident in Doctor Who and the Leisure Hive, so there was a chance Doctor Who and the Creature from the Pit could have fared well, and in some aspects it does. The novelization is very much a punchy adventure where a lot of the televised story ends up dragging as Fisher’s style of writing is very comedic which fits the types of stories he wrote and this era of the show. It’s also very short, the paperback only coming in at 121 pages, so there isn’t much time to be wasted. There is tightening of the adaptation of Part Four which is where the televised story ran out of any real steam into just two chapters, though one of those chapters feels quite long. There’s also some inner life of characters revealed that we’re missing on television allowing for more humor to be added into proceedings.
So, if there are a lot of improvements, why doesn’t Doctor Who and the Creature from the Pit manage to stick the landing and turn a bad story good? Well, mainly because the premise behind the story doesn’t actually have a whole lot going for it. The plot is all about an ambassador being captured for years and eventually being saved by the Doctor while a planet’s evil ruler is overturned. While this is a story which has been done before in other stories, here the setting and characters could have made everything work, but it feels like Fisher’s plot just goes through the motions of a Doctor Who story. It’s also apparent that even in the novelization Romana’s part is meant for Mary Tamm and K9 somehow has even less to do with the plot here despite having quite a large part on television. The creature doesn’t feel like its own character and there’s even a loss of the camp appeal of some of the performances which helped.
Overall, Doctor Who and the Creature from the Pit manages to improve on some things while other things get lost in translation from screen to page. While David Fisher has a fun writing style, the story at the heart of the novel isn’t one with a whole lot of merit and ends up leaving the reader feeling kind of empty with how ‘meh’ it turns out to be. The audiobook has the advantage of being read by Tom Baker, but even that doesn’t help matters too much. 5/10.
So, if there are a lot of improvements, why doesn’t Doctor Who and the Creature from the Pit manage to stick the landing and turn a bad story good? Well, mainly because the premise behind the story doesn’t actually have a whole lot going for it. The plot is all about an ambassador being captured for years and eventually being saved by the Doctor while a planet’s evil ruler is overturned. While this is a story which has been done before in other stories, here the setting and characters could have made everything work, but it feels like Fisher’s plot just goes through the motions of a Doctor Who story. It’s also apparent that even in the novelization Romana’s part is meant for Mary Tamm and K9 somehow has even less to do with the plot here despite having quite a large part on television. The creature doesn’t feel like its own character and there’s even a loss of the camp appeal of some of the performances which helped.
Overall, Doctor Who and the Creature from the Pit manages to improve on some things while other things get lost in translation from screen to page. While David Fisher has a fun writing style, the story at the heart of the novel isn’t one with a whole lot of merit and ends up leaving the reader feeling kind of empty with how ‘meh’ it turns out to be. The audiobook has the advantage of being read by Tom Baker, but even that doesn’t help matters too much. 5/10.
April 20, 2023
I have to grade this one about average, I'm afraid. It's too bad; "The Creature from the Pit" was one of the half-dozen or so serials that made a fan out of me, so finding that the book doesn't quite reach the level of the serial, despite several improving additions into the backgrounds of the planet and its characters, is a bit disappointing.
Not that it's awful, it's just based on such a ringer. This is pure Season 17 madness, written by David Fisher and script-edited by a young Douglas Adams. Even its otherwise generic title has a nice Quatermass feel to it. But the pacing is off, the characters seem a bit inconsistent, and Erato, the eponymous Creature, is kind of a jerk. It's understandable that he'd be huffy after being in a hole for fifteen years, but the novel makes him talkative, vain, selfish, officious, and preening as well. You're not wasting your time if you read it, but if you have access to the TV series you'd be better off watching that.
Not that it's awful, it's just based on such a ringer. This is pure Season 17 madness, written by David Fisher and script-edited by a young Douglas Adams. Even its otherwise generic title has a nice Quatermass feel to it. But the pacing is off, the characters seem a bit inconsistent, and Erato, the eponymous Creature, is kind of a jerk. It's understandable that he'd be huffy after being in a hole for fifteen years, but the novel makes him talkative, vain, selfish, officious, and preening as well. You're not wasting your time if you read it, but if you have access to the TV series you'd be better off watching that.
May 14, 2021
Probably around a 2 and half for me. The overall storyline / theme is an interesting one, but in the book at least, the humor goes well overboard here for my liking, leading to characters saying / doing things that really don't seem realistic. At the same time, it feels like important dialogue is just glossed over in a paragraph or two that just sums up the outcome of it, instead of going through it, in favour of later humorous dialogue instead.
The Doctor, Romana and K9 get some interesting scenes in this, when not let down by the above issues, and the one off characters certainly get a lot of fleshing out and background to them, and some interesting twists in the tale, albeit one characters disregard for consequences seems a bit over the top.
Overall still an interesting read, but could have been better :)
The Doctor, Romana and K9 get some interesting scenes in this, when not let down by the above issues, and the one off characters certainly get a lot of fleshing out and background to them, and some interesting twists in the tale, albeit one characters disregard for consequences seems a bit over the top.
Overall still an interesting read, but could have been better :)
February 21, 2022
I have once again been saddled with a story that has a rather poor reputation but I think that this is the result of poor execution on screen because this book is fantastic.
The characterization is fantastic, especially for the Doctor and Romana. The flow from spoken to reported dialogue and thoughts, while it can be a bit unclear helps to really understand the character’s motives and backstory.
The footnotes are a welcomed inclusion as they are fun little asides that both help with world building and provide lots of laughs.
Overall this is a very good book.
The characterization is fantastic, especially for the Doctor and Romana. The flow from spoken to reported dialogue and thoughts, while it can be a bit unclear helps to really understand the character’s motives and backstory.
The footnotes are a welcomed inclusion as they are fun little asides that both help with world building and provide lots of laughs.
Overall this is a very good book.
August 17, 2023
Doctor Who and the Creature from the Pit (1981) by David Fisher is the novelisation of the third serial of the seventeenth season of Doctor Who.
The Doctor, Romana and K9 respond to a distress signal and land on the planet Chloris. There a cruel queen Lady Adrasta actuals most villainously. Anyone who displeases her is great trouble. Sometimes they are thrown into a pit where a large mysterious creature dispatches them.
Doctor Who and the Creature from the Pit is not one of the stronger Doctor Who stories.
The Doctor, Romana and K9 respond to a distress signal and land on the planet Chloris. There a cruel queen Lady Adrasta actuals most villainously. Anyone who displeases her is great trouble. Sometimes they are thrown into a pit where a large mysterious creature dispatches them.
Doctor Who and the Creature from the Pit is not one of the stronger Doctor Who stories.
June 21, 2020
An unfortunate trend with the classic Doctor Who novelizations is where to point the finger when you don't enjoy one of them. Is the issue with the original script, the writer who transposed the script into a novel, or just lazy editing?
July 2, 2021
Audiobook: Tom Baker's narration made it fun for me. Haven't seen the original episodes in a while, but my attention was stronger listening to this. Maybe it's because of my ADD and my attention was properly set up?
June 6, 2023
Not one of the better ones, a bit of a too full of missing parts problem. Alien trapped and unable to communicate, evil queen, planet with dying ecosystem, foolish working class, crazy killer sidekick, all a bit of a muddle.
Still. fun.
Still. fun.
March 30, 2024
Not a bad adaptation ,but it lacks the enjoyment that Terrance Dicks put into his books. ( There's no description of either the Doctor or Romana for a start). You'd be much better off watching the dvd - at least that way you get Geoffrey Bayldon's wonderful Organon.
January 19, 2025
A really solid and entertaining retelling apart from the beginning which races through the first episode and the conclusion which ends as suddenly as the tv story does. Lots of fun, though, with some great extra details to enhance your reading pleasure.
January 1, 2018
Not the best Doctor Who story. I Remember reading this as a kid and it was better then. Tom Baker read it well though but needed more sound effects.
April 22, 2018
As a fan of the TV story, this is even better. Fleshed out and endlessly amusing, Fisher was a tremendous writer.
April 22, 2020
Two seems harsh as it is alright but... Definitely not as good as the Dicks novelisations. Maybe it's the more explicit portrayal of the violence (always some in Dr Who)... Maybe it deserves three.
September 27, 2021
Doctor Who discovers a planet where criminals are cast into a pit where an unknown monster kills them. The Doctor finds out the creature is an ambassador from another planet
December 28, 2021
A good read with some great lines really enjoyed it.
December 31, 2023
fun beneath the surface with Romana ad K9
July 29, 2025
nostalgic af
September 27, 2025
Another novelisation that exposes the weakness of the TV story, just feels like not much happens!
November 2, 2025
3.5 stars. This was simple, but fun. The writing was witty, even if it had a bunch of typos. I enjoyed this!
July 12, 2022
pdf 110 pages
Not a desperately inspired astory but the novelisation is a touch above the too-frequent script-to-book transfer. It stops somewhat abruptly - I may have an incomplete copy...
Not a desperately inspired astory but the novelisation is a touch above the too-frequent script-to-book transfer. It stops somewhat abruptly - I may have an incomplete copy...
February 1, 2017
The thrill of a Tom Baker story is the irreverence folded into the dramatic urgency of the moment.
"73,384, 338 just happens to be my lucky number" as he narrowly misses a neutron star.
As he offers the wisdom that what point is it to be grown up if one cannot act childish, sometimes, goes hand in hand with the ability to keep a sense of humor in a tight situation. He has also said in previous stories that it does no good to wallow in fear as we become paralyzed, and cannot act.
This story is on the lighter side, until the end when the solar system is under attack. Or, in other words, diplomatic relations have broken down.
I enjoyed yet another tale of power play. In this instance, how a ruler holds power by making a needed commodity scarce by owning the only supply of it. With that, keeping the population under control with fear of execution for displeasing the ruler on the most trivial matters.
I also can appreciate that the perceived monster was the more civilized one. The great differences in appearance and communication exacerbating the difficulty. In the end, being used as a tool of dread against the people. Furthermore, pulling out of the mold that only dictators are male, the two highest positions, leader, and captain of the guard, are female. It would have been nice if the thieves had also been equally represented as female, but it doesn't take away from the enjoyment.
Another afternoon spent happily with Tom Baker reading.
"73,384, 338 just happens to be my lucky number" as he narrowly misses a neutron star.
As he offers the wisdom that what point is it to be grown up if one cannot act childish, sometimes, goes hand in hand with the ability to keep a sense of humor in a tight situation. He has also said in previous stories that it does no good to wallow in fear as we become paralyzed, and cannot act.
This story is on the lighter side, until the end when the solar system is under attack. Or, in other words, diplomatic relations have broken down.
I enjoyed yet another tale of power play. In this instance, how a ruler holds power by making a needed commodity scarce by owning the only supply of it. With that, keeping the population under control with fear of execution for displeasing the ruler on the most trivial matters.
I also can appreciate that the perceived monster was the more civilized one. The great differences in appearance and communication exacerbating the difficulty. In the end, being used as a tool of dread against the people. Furthermore, pulling out of the mold that only dictators are male, the two highest positions, leader, and captain of the guard, are female. It would have been nice if the thieves had also been equally represented as female, but it doesn't take away from the enjoyment.
Another afternoon spent happily with Tom Baker reading.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews