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Doctor Who Target Books (Numerical Order) #99
Doctor Who: The Krotons
Many thousands of years ago strange crystalline creatures came down from the stars and settled on the planet of the Gonds.
Over the years they educated the Gonds through teaching machines in the great Hall of Learning. In return, the Gonds periodically selected their two most brilliant scholars to become the 'companions' of these mysterious beings.
But when the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe arrive on the planet, they soon discover the true evil purpose of the aliens and learn what it really means to be companions of the Krotons...
Over the years they educated the Gonds through teaching machines in the great Hall of Learning. In return, the Gonds periodically selected their two most brilliant scholars to become the 'companions' of these mysterious beings.
But when the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe arrive on the planet, they soon discover the true evil purpose of the aliens and learn what it really means to be companions of the Krotons...
121 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 1985
2 people are currently reading
228 people want to read
About the author
Terrance Dicks
326 books219 followersTerrance Dicks was an English author, screenwriter, script editor, and producer best known for his extensive contributions to Doctor Who. Serving as the show's script editor from 1968 to 1974, he helped shape many core elements of the series, including the concept of regeneration, the development of the Time Lords, and the naming of the Doctor’s home planet, Gallifrey. His tenure coincided with major thematic expansions, and he worked closely with producer Barry Letts to bring a socially aware tone to the show. Dicks later wrote several Doctor Who serials, including Robot, Horror of Fang Rock, and The Five Doctors, the 20th-anniversary special.
In parallel with his television work, Dicks became one of the most prolific writers of Doctor Who novelisations for Target Books, authoring over 60 titles and serving as the de facto editor of the range. These adaptations introduced a generation of young readers to the franchise. Beyond Doctor Who, he also wrote original novels, including children’s horror and adventure series such as The Baker Street Irregulars, Star Quest, and The Adventures of Goliath.
Dicks also worked on other television programmes including The Avengers, Moonbase 3, and various BBC literary adaptations. His later work included audio dramas and novels tied to Doctor Who. Widely respected for his clarity, imagination, and dedication to storytelling, he remained a central figure in Doctor Who fandom until his death in 2019, leaving behind a vast legacy in television and children's literature.
In parallel with his television work, Dicks became one of the most prolific writers of Doctor Who novelisations for Target Books, authoring over 60 titles and serving as the de facto editor of the range. These adaptations introduced a generation of young readers to the franchise. Beyond Doctor Who, he also wrote original novels, including children’s horror and adventure series such as The Baker Street Irregulars, Star Quest, and The Adventures of Goliath.
Dicks also worked on other television programmes including The Avengers, Moonbase 3, and various BBC literary adaptations. His later work included audio dramas and novels tied to Doctor Who. Widely respected for his clarity, imagination, and dedication to storytelling, he remained a central figure in Doctor Who fandom until his death in 2019, leaving behind a vast legacy in television and children's literature.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
March 3, 2019
Another of the weaker stories during Troughton’s final season, though Dicks novelisation slightly improves the story that had a 1960’s TV budget to contend with.
The original serial was Robert Holmes first contribution to the show, there’s some great ideas in this story and you can see why he’d become one of the best writers for the series.
My only slight complaint would be the secondary characters with odd alien names, I started to get them all muddled on a few occasions.
It’s a standard story that doesn’t quite live up to its potential.
The original serial was Robert Holmes first contribution to the show, there’s some great ideas in this story and you can see why he’d become one of the best writers for the series.
My only slight complaint would be the secondary characters with odd alien names, I started to get them all muddled on a few occasions.
It’s a standard story that doesn’t quite live up to its potential.
July 20, 2021
This is a novelization of a four-part Doctor Who adventure from the sixth season of the series, which was broadcast in December of 1968 and January of 1969. It features the second actor to portray The Doctor, along with his two companions Zoe Heriot and Jamie McCrimmon. Terrance Dicks, arguably the most prolific and popular of the writers who worked on the series, wrote the book which was based on a teleplay by Robert Holmes. The trio land on the planet of the Gonds, who have long been subjugated by the silicon-based Krotons, and they inspire a revolution to overthrow the tyranny. (Zoe has to be rescued, of course, since it was the 1960's.) It's a pretty simple and straight-forward story, and Dicks tells it well, with some very well-written scenes of creepy atmospheric surroundings.
January 10, 2024
This is fine. It's a good novelization by an author known for doing great work. It doesn't stand out for me though and I blasted through it. Easy to read but not much to write home about.
July 8, 2018
The first book I ever read years back. Still, remember some parts of the story. Very well written, the words bring out the imagination in a very subtle and succinct manner.
June 1, 2021
Another highly enjoyable adaptation by Tertrance Dicks.
February 9, 2019
Sometimes you have perspectives in place that can easily be changed when you view them a second time. This is what is happening with my reading of the Second Doctor stories during his last season.
I was looking forward to reading the TARDIS crew of the Doctor, with Jamie and Zoe. So far only one book has been great, The Invasion. The other two books are very lack luster. Granted in my collection I am missing The Mind Robber and The Seeds of Death. The Krotons will be easily forgotten.
Alert: Spoilers from this point on-wards.
The plot to the story is not too difficult to follow. The Doctor lands on a planet and finds the under control to The Krotons. The Doctor helps to lead the Gonds to rebel against the Krotons. Everyone is happy, life goes on.
Target books, if you have not guessed already, have the problem of being limited in length and scope. This leaves the author's little breathing room. Now and then an author will be able to expand upon the story. Other times, they let it suffer from the weak plot.
Terrance Dicks has done what he could with this story. There are little extra lines that help to make up how a character might act or the reason behind it. The problem is when they build up in a story, it is hard to over look the issues.
I had issues with the plot, because I started to think of the following questions while reading it. First off, the Krotons are not a true threat until they are formed. The tests they make the Gonds do to find who can bring the Krotons to life has been going on for thousands of years. Why did the Gonds never try to break free that whole time?
Speaking of the threat, the whole plot of the Krotons was to get re-constituted and fix their ship to leave the planet. If their ship would destroy the planet in the process, I feel no sense of loss since the Gonds are not smart enough to fight back in the first place.
The last point is at the end everything is fine, so the Doctor leaves. Are the Gonds really able to rebuild their civilization? If they could not overthrow the 'Krotons' before how can they rebuild? Plus you cannot take any race seriously if they are called Gonds.
I probably will forget about this story in time, as there is not a need to re-read it. Other than my questions, the story was not painful read, just an illogical read.
I was looking forward to reading the TARDIS crew of the Doctor, with Jamie and Zoe. So far only one book has been great, The Invasion. The other two books are very lack luster. Granted in my collection I am missing The Mind Robber and The Seeds of Death. The Krotons will be easily forgotten.
Alert: Spoilers from this point on-wards.
The plot to the story is not too difficult to follow. The Doctor lands on a planet and finds the under control to The Krotons. The Doctor helps to lead the Gonds to rebel against the Krotons. Everyone is happy, life goes on.
Target books, if you have not guessed already, have the problem of being limited in length and scope. This leaves the author's little breathing room. Now and then an author will be able to expand upon the story. Other times, they let it suffer from the weak plot.
Terrance Dicks has done what he could with this story. There are little extra lines that help to make up how a character might act or the reason behind it. The problem is when they build up in a story, it is hard to over look the issues.
I had issues with the plot, because I started to think of the following questions while reading it. First off, the Krotons are not a true threat until they are formed. The tests they make the Gonds do to find who can bring the Krotons to life has been going on for thousands of years. Why did the Gonds never try to break free that whole time?
Speaking of the threat, the whole plot of the Krotons was to get re-constituted and fix their ship to leave the planet. If their ship would destroy the planet in the process, I feel no sense of loss since the Gonds are not smart enough to fight back in the first place.
The last point is at the end everything is fine, so the Doctor leaves. Are the Gonds really able to rebuild their civilization? If they could not overthrow the 'Krotons' before how can they rebuild? Plus you cannot take any race seriously if they are called Gonds.
I probably will forget about this story in time, as there is not a need to re-read it. Other than my questions, the story was not painful read, just an illogical read.
December 24, 2024
Based on a script by Robert Holmes this is number 99 in the Target catalogue. The first cover is by Andrew Skilleter and the second by Alister Pearson. I really like the first one as it captures the crystal nature of Krotons. I could imagine a miniature of it sitting on a shelf in a Swarovski shop.
This is a quick read. It’s a 121 pages officially, but it’s really only 110 pages or less as new chapters always start on the right hand page. As a result you have nearly 2 blank pages between some chapters. For example chapter 11 ends on page 111 and there is only 2 lines on that page. Page 112 is so blank my copy doesn’t even have a page number. Chapter 12 starts a third the way down on page 113. I read this book in 1 sitting in about the same time it would have tken to watch the episodes.
Terrance doesn’t muck about and tells the story simply and efficiently, but he didn’t skimp on the details like I felt he has in some novelisations. I particulary like the way he describes the Krotons. They seem much more crystalline than special effects back in the day allowed them to be.
It’s got to be said it’s not the most complicated plot in world. Even the Eleck subplot doesn’t add much to the story. You could add more Gond political machinations, expand the planning and attack in the underhall, enhance the mind control and manipulation of the Learning Machines. It could be made a lot more complex, but I’m actually quite happy with it as a simple straight forward tale.
This is a quick read. It’s a 121 pages officially, but it’s really only 110 pages or less as new chapters always start on the right hand page. As a result you have nearly 2 blank pages between some chapters. For example chapter 11 ends on page 111 and there is only 2 lines on that page. Page 112 is so blank my copy doesn’t even have a page number. Chapter 12 starts a third the way down on page 113. I read this book in 1 sitting in about the same time it would have tken to watch the episodes.
Terrance doesn’t muck about and tells the story simply and efficiently, but he didn’t skimp on the details like I felt he has in some novelisations. I particulary like the way he describes the Krotons. They seem much more crystalline than special effects back in the day allowed them to be.
It’s got to be said it’s not the most complicated plot in world. Even the Eleck subplot doesn’t add much to the story. You could add more Gond political machinations, expand the planning and attack in the underhall, enhance the mind control and manipulation of the Learning Machines. It could be made a lot more complex, but I’m actually quite happy with it as a simple straight forward tale.
March 2, 2021
Not as bad a book as I remembered, I seemed to remember it echoing the Space Museum a bit much, but that isn't really the case. However, it isn't the strongest or most memorable tale either.
While the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe are good here, they really are forced to carry the plot as such, as the antagonists as such don't really come off as all that threatening, and their only menace seems to be due to strange decision making on their part, rather than wilful evil as such.
And on the other side, the people the Doctor and the companions are helping out are rather useless for the most part, and while that is explained in the story, it doesn't really help it any, with a lack of drive / proactiveness on their part until late in the piece, where their decision making instead goes all over the place.
The ending itself is quite abrupt as well, and seemed like the Doctor and his companions just couldn't wait to get out of there.
While the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe are good here, they really are forced to carry the plot as such, as the antagonists as such don't really come off as all that threatening, and their only menace seems to be due to strange decision making on their part, rather than wilful evil as such.
And on the other side, the people the Doctor and the companions are helping out are rather useless for the most part, and while that is explained in the story, it doesn't really help it any, with a lack of drive / proactiveness on their part until late in the piece, where their decision making instead goes all over the place.
The ending itself is quite abrupt as well, and seemed like the Doctor and his companions just couldn't wait to get out of there.
May 20, 2025
You don't want to spend too much time with The Krotons, a bog-standard '60s Doctor Who story with stupid-looking aliens and stupid-acting humanoid victims, so Terrence Dicks flies us through at breakneck speed and makes it all seem a little more fun than suffering through four lackluster television episodes. You still can't get away from the back and forth through the aliens' ship, and in the rush of things, I think Dicks gets a little lost himself and misnames a character here and there (or do I just get confused when there's a whole cast of characters with alien names?). He also takes a couple shots at Robert Holmes who wrote the original serial (though not at all prefiguring the heights his scripts would rise to later), but it's meant in good fun. He's right, after all. This IS a fairly cliched SF story. So the rapid pace makes it a quick little adventure novel and we don't notice the weaknesses too much.
April 10, 2018
I don't know what the problem was, but I came away from reading this book with the impression that Terrance Dicks rushed to complete this book or something. There was very little characterization of the Doctor, and I had to stop and look at the copyright date to figure out which one it was. The companions got a little bit more depth.
The story was odd, about a world that had been sort of conquered by another species, who then spent the next zillion years "teaching" the inhabitants, but then taking their best and brightest away. At first, this seemed like it must be part of a plan to keep the natives repressed, but it was much weirder than that, and a lot creepier as well.
Anyway, this was far from Terrance Dicks' best work, but it was a readable adventure that I still enjoyed.
The story was odd, about a world that had been sort of conquered by another species, who then spent the next zillion years "teaching" the inhabitants, but then taking their best and brightest away. At first, this seemed like it must be part of a plan to keep the natives repressed, but it was much weirder than that, and a lot creepier as well.
Anyway, this was far from Terrance Dicks' best work, but it was a readable adventure that I still enjoyed.
May 15, 2019
The Doctor Who series has the ability to create wonderful stories set in far flung worlds limited only the imagination based on the brilliant conceit of a time and space traveling high tech alien who is mortal but can regenerate. It is a pity so many of the worlds are mind numbingly dull places with cardboard inhabitants who have no real story to tell. I say this something of a classic Who fan who has watched every episode. Writing makes or breaks a TV series and as much as I love Doctor Two, too often the writing broke the series in the black and white days.
Terrance Dicks attempts to create something readable from a flatout bad TV serial. That he almost succeeds is a tribute to his ability as a writer. This is only for Who completists or hard core fans.
Terrance Dicks attempts to create something readable from a flatout bad TV serial. That he almost succeeds is a tribute to his ability as a writer. This is only for Who completists or hard core fans.
March 9, 2022
A middling Doctor Who story that mainly coasts by on the charm of the stars, so I think Dicks had a bit of a problem to start with. But despite a few nice turns of phrase and an attempt to boost the TV show's budget it doesn't really feel like he's trying to do anything, either. I get visual gags can be hard to translate, but there was one point near the end where Zoe and the Doctor's comic delaying act was summed up in one line, and it just felt like it was missing a trick there.
April 7, 2023
Doctor Who : The Krotons (1985) by Terrance Dicks is the novelisation of the fourth serial of the sixth season of Doctor Who.
The Second Doctor, Zoe and Jamie land on a planet where they traverse some bad country and then meet the Gonds. The Gonds obey the commands of the Krotons who get the Gonds to use learning machines. The best students are then sent to be companions of the Gonds.
The Krotons is a fairly weak story. It’s OK though. It fits the pattern of people being controlled by their masters when The Doctor and his companions show up.
The Second Doctor, Zoe and Jamie land on a planet where they traverse some bad country and then meet the Gonds. The Gonds obey the commands of the Krotons who get the Gonds to use learning machines. The best students are then sent to be companions of the Gonds.
The Krotons is a fairly weak story. It’s OK though. It fits the pattern of people being controlled by their masters when The Doctor and his companions show up.
June 4, 2018
As a TV story, "The Krotons" is massively under-rated. As a novelization, it falls in the more workman-like section of Terrance Dicks' output. Solid, entertaining, and stripped down to a lightning-fast pace...but with no ambitions beyond meeting those targets. However, Andrew Skilleter's cover remains beautiful even after 30 years.
June 9, 2024
pdf - 103 pages
Not a particularly inspired original and this novelisation is scanty, lacking any real development of the largely featureless Gond and with large, lumbering beasties that really don't stand a chance against faster 'prey'...
Saving grace - short!
Not a particularly inspired original and this novelisation is scanty, lacking any real development of the largely featureless Gond and with large, lumbering beasties that really don't stand a chance against faster 'prey'...
Saving grace - short!
July 25, 2017
A fairly standard Doctor Who adventure. Not bad, but nothing really remarkable. (B)
October 7, 2019
I enjoyed this novelization a lot. It clarified some things that were a bit unclear in the actual episodes. Of course, Terrance Dicks always has great DW novelizations. Read it!
June 14, 2023
Formulaic threatened civilisation in a single city story which I suppose reflects the limitations of the time, the technology and the budget.
November 13, 2023
I loved this one, tv story was good and the book was just as good
January 3, 2024
I love watching the Doctor toppling corrupt hierarchies but this was pretty ordinary. Holmes’s script is pretty basic compared to what we got from him later, and Dicks enlivens it nicely.
May 30, 2024
This book is so much better than the TV show, and I thought that Destiny of the Daleks was a short book, such a quick but enjoyable read
March 20, 2022
I loved these Target books when I was a kid. From the late Seventies and through Eighties, this was the only way to either stay current on New Who ( where new episodes were often slow to cross the Atlantic) or to catch up on Old Who - many of which were lost due to BBC storage policies. Apart from the first episode, this is one of the many lost Second Doctor serials from the Sixties.
The plot is pretty simple - the Second Doctor, former highlander /piper Jamie MacCrimmon and computer genius Zoe Herriot arrive on a desolate planet. They soon meet the inhabitants of the planet called the Gronds and their alien masters, the Krotons, who have been educating the indiginous population and harvesting the best and brightest of their number to enable the Krotons to escape the planet. The Doctor and Co. defeat the enemies and are off on their merry way.
Pretty typical Second Doctor adventure - quick one and done. I think it total it took me about an hour an a half to read this book, which was pretty typical of these books back then. I'd agree with other reviews that aside from the Doctor, there isn't much in the way of characterization among the cast. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the author simply took the script, changed the formatting, wrote in a few descriptions of the setting and aliens and dashed it off to the publisher. Not hard to imagine as the book was created 17 years after the episode was broadcast. Still it is probably
the only ways to experience one of the many missing adventures of the Second Doctor.
The plot is pretty simple - the Second Doctor, former highlander /piper Jamie MacCrimmon and computer genius Zoe Herriot arrive on a desolate planet. They soon meet the inhabitants of the planet called the Gronds and their alien masters, the Krotons, who have been educating the indiginous population and harvesting the best and brightest of their number to enable the Krotons to escape the planet. The Doctor and Co. defeat the enemies and are off on their merry way.
Pretty typical Second Doctor adventure - quick one and done. I think it total it took me about an hour an a half to read this book, which was pretty typical of these books back then. I'd agree with other reviews that aside from the Doctor, there isn't much in the way of characterization among the cast. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the author simply took the script, changed the formatting, wrote in a few descriptions of the setting and aliens and dashed it off to the publisher. Not hard to imagine as the book was created 17 years after the episode was broadcast. Still it is probably
the only ways to experience one of the many missing adventures of the Second Doctor.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2011
Novelization of one of the lost episodes, couldn't help contrasting thr 2nd Doctor's solution to how one of the more recent incarnations might have resolved the same story. The Krotons have guided the Gonds for generations, grooming them for an unknown, and of course, nefarious purpose. only with the arrival of the Doctor do their motives become clear ... but is there enough time for the Doctor to save the day?
April 30, 2011
Very mixed bag of a book. The good is an interesting alien bad guy, good characterization of the three leads and since this is one of the old TV shows that was destroyed, the books is your only way to expirence the story.
The bad: the story is pretty weak and the good points aren't enough to save it. Plus, while I like the bad guy I was aware that he's never used in another story.
The bad: the story is pretty weak and the good points aren't enough to save it. Plus, while I like the bad guy I was aware that he's never used in another story.
July 5, 2011
This was a pretty good short read to tide over between longer novels. An excellent grasp of character by Terrance Dicks as per usual is what makes this worth reading. Though the novel is not as long as would be necessary to drag you into the plot, it is still a worth wile dr who read.
December 10, 2013
Fairly good, though routine, Doctor Who adaptation, featuring Zoe, Jamie, and the Second Doctor. This story introduced the crystalline race known as the Krotons. Well written as most of Terrance Dicks' stories are, it has a very 50's-esque sci-fi plot.
June 12, 2016
Reading Doctor Who Target novelizations while the actual episode plays on in the background just may be the greatest dork guilty pleasure of all time.
I just may have to read my 136 DW Target books this way from now on!
I just may have to read my 136 DW Target books this way from now on!
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April 8, 2009http://nhw.livejournal.com/1031032.html#cutid3[return][return]An average Dicks treatment of a less-than-average Robert Holmes story.
September 7, 2010
Alright, done like a play from the original series. Hard to stay focused on it though.
dnf
February 27, 2019I'm just not up to keeping up with these at this point in time. I hope to get back to them later. So calling this a DNF on 17 Feb 2019.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews