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Doctor Who Target Books (Numerical Order) #127
Doctor Who: The Mysterious Planet
Excellent Book
144 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1987
174 people want to read
About the author
Terrance Dicks
328 books220 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 - 18 of 18 reviews
August 31, 2020
Behind the scenes production problems are clearly evident during Doctor Who's 23rd season, the fact that the team were able to achieve an enjoyable ambitious overarching series should be applauded.
After an 18 month hiatus due to budget issues in the BBC led to a reduction in screentime, meant the original plan scrapped and a set of stories with a slight traditional Who feel took its place.
Most obvious is the trial of The Doctor himself, this is a clear expansion of an idea at the end of the Second Doctor's era which gets a nice reference in the first Chapter.
Robert Holmes last script for the show also feels like a throwback to his first 'The Krotons' too.
The actual story of The Doctor and Peri on Ravolox is actually quite good, it's a slight shame that the plot gets interrupted by the trial scenes.
Though Linda Bellingham who played the Inquisitor and brilliantly narrates this audiobook is another reason to like this series.
Her handle on both the Sixth Doctor and Peri are great whilst the introduction of Sabalom Glitz also makes it a memorable serial.
After an 18 month hiatus due to budget issues in the BBC led to a reduction in screentime, meant the original plan scrapped and a set of stories with a slight traditional Who feel took its place.
Most obvious is the trial of The Doctor himself, this is a clear expansion of an idea at the end of the Second Doctor's era which gets a nice reference in the first Chapter.
Robert Holmes last script for the show also feels like a throwback to his first 'The Krotons' too.
The actual story of The Doctor and Peri on Ravolox is actually quite good, it's a slight shame that the plot gets interrupted by the trial scenes.
Though Linda Bellingham who played the Inquisitor and brilliantly narrates this audiobook is another reason to like this series.
Her handle on both the Sixth Doctor and Peri are great whilst the introduction of Sabalom Glitz also makes it a memorable serial.
October 6, 2014
One of Terrance Dicks' final entries in the classic Doctor Who Target novel line, "The Mysterious Planet" feels more like Dicks going through the motions than anything else.
It's hard to read this and recall that Dicks delivered some really good adaptation in his day -- "Day of the Daleks" and "The Auton Invasion" are two that immediately spring to mind. And even when he was churning out a book a month, the output by Uncle Terrance just felt better then than it does here.
And yet, of all of the novels adapting "The Trial of a Time Lord," this one is the most successful of the lot. Again, Terrance offers us nothing new, but at least he's got one of the better scripts of the season to work with and he's adapting how old friend Robert Holmes.
This one turned out to be a far more pleasant way to help keep my mind from talking my body out of working out as much as I needed/wanted to. It's certainly not great literature -- I think it'd be a huge stretch to call it literature at all -- but it's still solid enough that fans of classic Doctor Who will probably enjoy it.
It's hard to read this and recall that Dicks delivered some really good adaptation in his day -- "Day of the Daleks" and "The Auton Invasion" are two that immediately spring to mind. And even when he was churning out a book a month, the output by Uncle Terrance just felt better then than it does here.
And yet, of all of the novels adapting "The Trial of a Time Lord," this one is the most successful of the lot. Again, Terrance offers us nothing new, but at least he's got one of the better scripts of the season to work with and he's adapting how old friend Robert Holmes.
This one turned out to be a far more pleasant way to help keep my mind from talking my body out of working out as much as I needed/wanted to. It's certainly not great literature -- I think it'd be a huge stretch to call it literature at all -- but it's still solid enough that fans of classic Doctor Who will probably enjoy it.
September 30, 2025
Since Season 23 was supposed to be a new beginning for Doctor Who, it’s only fitting that this first story is written by Robert Holmes and novelised by Terrance Dicks. It’s a pretty good return to “traditional” Who but it is slightly complacent, riffing off familiar beats so that old and new fans feel comfortable. Perfectly adequate and it’s nice to see Peri not being leered at or threatened with body horror for once…
February 13, 2017
Always had a soft spot for this story.
May 3, 2020
If only we could go back in time and get rid of the whole trial story arc, things would be much better. The first installment of the Trial of a Timelord series has a decent if rather standard Doctor Who story buried inside the dreadful trial sequence. Doctor 6 is on trial and forced to watch one of his own exploits where he is accused of being meddlesome and violent. The trial proceeds like no reasonable court of law and is mostly an excuse for posturing and loud pronouncements. The main story is interesting enough on its own, however, even with some bits to set up the story arc. The Doctor and Peri arrive on Ravalox to investigate why it is so surprisingly like Earth. Ravalox was supposedly destroyed by a fireball of some kind, but life still persists. There, the Doctor and Peri discover a group of surviving primitives, an underground survival system despotically run by a robot, and a pair of criminals out to get some "secrets" that the robot is apparently protecting. The story has many elements that writer Robert Holmes has recycled from his earlier Doctor Who story The Krotons, including the robot running things, the selection of the most intelligent to aid the robot, and an underground bunker where the robot runs things. On its own, this part works reasonably well without offering any great surprises. Terrance Dicks does his usual job in novelizing the script, changing very little and adding only a few bits of description that could not be conveyed by just reprinting the script.
November 8, 2025
Book 357 - Terrance Dicks - Doctor Who - The Trial of a Time Lord - The Mysterious Planet
There is always a back story to many of these classic series of Doctor Who. In March 1985 Doctor Who was cancelled, due to a public outcry, this was quickly changed to an 18 month hiatus. When it returned in late 1986… the series was on trial…for viewers and more importantly … for its very future.
To reflect this, an overarching story was adopted… the 14 part ‘The Trial of a Time Lord’ was written… divided into 4 stories.
The first one… subtitled ‘The Mysterious Planet’ delves into the mystery of the planet Ravolox… why does it seem so similar to another the Doctor has visited… who are in charge of the robots and what secrets are being protected ? How do the Time Lords fit in to the story and why is the prosecution lead, the Valeyard, so determined to convict the Doctor and stop his interference?
I wish this was a better story… originally written by Robert Holmes and adapted by the always brilliant Terrance Dicks… it is a painting by numbers story… but it does introduce the whole court scene and the magnificent Valeyard and Inquisitor… two characters who will maintain a presence all the way through the 14 episodes.
Good but not great.
There is always a back story to many of these classic series of Doctor Who. In March 1985 Doctor Who was cancelled, due to a public outcry, this was quickly changed to an 18 month hiatus. When it returned in late 1986… the series was on trial…for viewers and more importantly … for its very future.
To reflect this, an overarching story was adopted… the 14 part ‘The Trial of a Time Lord’ was written… divided into 4 stories.
The first one… subtitled ‘The Mysterious Planet’ delves into the mystery of the planet Ravolox… why does it seem so similar to another the Doctor has visited… who are in charge of the robots and what secrets are being protected ? How do the Time Lords fit in to the story and why is the prosecution lead, the Valeyard, so determined to convict the Doctor and stop his interference?
I wish this was a better story… originally written by Robert Holmes and adapted by the always brilliant Terrance Dicks… it is a painting by numbers story… but it does introduce the whole court scene and the magnificent Valeyard and Inquisitor… two characters who will maintain a presence all the way through the 14 episodes.
Good but not great.
July 11, 2021
Between a 3 and a 4 for me - a much better book than Mindwarp (and I don't have Revelation of the Daleks currently), and so a much better and interesting read.
Kicks off the Trial of a Time Lord arc, and here it puts an interesting overlay over the events, as there is extra mystery provided here, which we don't get all the answers to in this volume, helping make you want to keep reading the arc.
Some interesting twists within it, and some interesting one off and newly introduced recurring characters here, a couple played more straightly as annoying, compared to the Twin Dilemna where the twins are annoying, but aren't necessarily played straight as such.
The Doctor is in good form here, showing a bit of a mellower side compared to his first season, and so more likeable for me.
Peri though, while reasonably proactive, seems to be in the mindset of wanting to avoid all trouble, such that travelling with the Doctor doesn't seem to make sense for her really.
Overall though an enjoyable read.
Kicks off the Trial of a Time Lord arc, and here it puts an interesting overlay over the events, as there is extra mystery provided here, which we don't get all the answers to in this volume, helping make you want to keep reading the arc.
Some interesting twists within it, and some interesting one off and newly introduced recurring characters here, a couple played more straightly as annoying, compared to the Twin Dilemna where the twins are annoying, but aren't necessarily played straight as such.
The Doctor is in good form here, showing a bit of a mellower side compared to his first season, and so more likeable for me.
Peri though, while reasonably proactive, seems to be in the mindset of wanting to avoid all trouble, such that travelling with the Doctor doesn't seem to make sense for her really.
Overall though an enjoyable read.
October 26, 2023
Doctor Who : The Mysterious Planet (1987) by Terrance Dicks is the novelisation of the first serial of season twenty three of Doctor Who. It’s the first in the Trial of a Timelord set that spans the whole of season twenty three.
The Doctor on his own is on trial and we see memories from The Matrix replayed. What we see is the Doctor and Peri travelling to a planet Ravolox which has been devastated by a fireball. But while the planet was devastated there is now a lot of plant life. Underground an ‘Immortal’ robot has control of some people while there are also primitive people above ground. As well as the Doctor and Peri two mercenaries are on the planet who are determined to destroy a source of ‘black light’.
It’s an OK serial. The Trial of a Timelord season arc also adds something.
The Doctor on his own is on trial and we see memories from The Matrix replayed. What we see is the Doctor and Peri travelling to a planet Ravolox which has been devastated by a fireball. But while the planet was devastated there is now a lot of plant life. Underground an ‘Immortal’ robot has control of some people while there are also primitive people above ground. As well as the Doctor and Peri two mercenaries are on the planet who are determined to destroy a source of ‘black light’.
It’s an OK serial. The Trial of a Timelord season arc also adds something.
November 30, 2024
Good job Uncle Terry! Did Robert Holmes not get the memo about twins, or was that a sly commentary on why they’re bad for Who? We’ll never know, sitting outside the story-within-a-story.
I like how he teases the courtroom framing device without dwelling on it like the tv story seems to.
Intriguing idea to question the Doctor’s breaking of Time Lord law, wish they’d done it mor—OBJECTION!!
I like how he teases the courtroom framing device without dwelling on it like the tv story seems to.
Intriguing idea to question the Doctor’s breaking of Time Lord law, wish they’d done it mor—OBJECTION!!
March 31, 2019
I haven't watched the actual episodes yet, but the audiobook was just as enthralling to listen to. The Valeyard is clearly the opponent, but even though you sense there got to be more behind him, his underlying motivations remain mysterious.
July 27, 2020
I think that people are hard on this season, true it was a bit on the nose seeing that the show itself was on the verge of being cancelled itself.
This is a good start to the season and it's an okay read.
This is a good start to the season and it's an okay read.
January 15, 2021
An enjoyable novel that novelizes The Mysterious Planet (Episodes 1-4 of the Trial of a Time Lord). It's a faithful retelling of the TV episodes. It doesn't really add anything, or deviate from the televised version. It's still enjoyable, but then again, this was an enjoyable TV story.
October 6, 2024
A straightforward adaptation of the first part of one of my favourite Dr Who stories/ seasons. This is the last of the Target novels done by Terrance Dicks if read in order, as most of them from this point were done by the actual authors.
February 3, 2026
Honestly, kinda boring. I found my eyes glazing over and needing to re-read pages, especially toward the end. This whole serial was fun, but this part was always the worst. I added an extra star just for the courtroom parts, which were fantastic.
November 7, 2017
Excellent story. Science fiction at it's best.
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April 8, 2009http://nhw.livejournal.com/1068930.html?style=mine#cutid6[return][return]This is not one of Dicks' greatest efforts. I've noted before how the Dicks/Holmes combination is only rarely successful on the printed page, and this, the last of the sequence, is fairly typical, a faithful recounting of what the viewer sees on the screen without much added. There are some mystifying slips, Peri's full name being given as "Perpegillian", for instance. It also fails (as did the original TV version) to establish the Time Lord trial setting convincingly (let alone fit it into continuity).
September 21, 2011
One of Terrance Dicks' lesser efforts...a great pity, as you'd assume that (1) a Robert Holmes source script, and (2) the only chance for Dicks to novelize a 6th Doctor tale, would inspire the grand master of Doctor Who authors. Sadly, it's a completely disposable work, lacking any hint of an epic nature...one that it sorely needs. Not a great start for "The Trial of a Time Lord" novelizations.
April 11, 2016
Ok - but with massive qualifiers! Not a very engaging story, with too many scientific inaccuracies and as the first part of a linked sequence of four the ending begs more questions than it answers. The interruptions to the narrative caused by the format - evidence being presented at a trial - are not helpful and the author of the novelisation seems even less inspired than usual.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews