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Doctor Who Target Books (Numerical Order) #17
Doctor Who and the Dalek Invasion of Earth
William Russell reads this exciting novelization of a classic Doctor Who adventure, with Dalek voices by Nicholas Briggs.
The TARDIS lands in a London of future times a city of fear, devastation, and holocaust a city now ruled by Daleks.
The Doctor and his companions meet a team of underground resistance workers, among the few survivors, but after an unsuccessful attack on the Dalek spaceship, they are all forced to flee the capital.
A perilous journey through England finally brings them to the secret center of Dalek operations and the mysterious reason for the Dalek invasion of Earth!
William Russell, who played the Doctor s companion Ian in the original TV serial, reads Terrance Dicks complete and unabridged novelization, with specially composed music and sound and Dalek voices by Nicholas Briggs."
The TARDIS lands in a London of future times a city of fear, devastation, and holocaust a city now ruled by Daleks.
The Doctor and his companions meet a team of underground resistance workers, among the few survivors, but after an unsuccessful attack on the Dalek spaceship, they are all forced to flee the capital.
A perilous journey through England finally brings them to the secret center of Dalek operations and the mysterious reason for the Dalek invasion of Earth!
William Russell, who played the Doctor s companion Ian in the original TV serial, reads Terrance Dicks complete and unabridged novelization, with specially composed music and sound and Dalek voices by Nicholas Briggs."
1 pages, Audio CD
First published March 24, 1977
10 people are currently reading
447 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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January 6, 2016
The Daleks find Earth!
This is a novelization of the serial of the same general title. Since this serial was also adapted as a film starring Peter Cushing, the novelization, including the cover, uses some merged elements taken from the TV serial and the film, to make a better paced overall story.
WHO
The Doctor:
The First Doctor
Companions:
Susan Foreman, Barbara Wright & Ian Chesterton
WHERE & WHEN
London, England. Year: 2176.
WHAT
The Doctor thinks that finally took home to Ian and Barbara, however they soon enough realized that while they are indeed in London, it’s not the one that they knew, not the least, they are in a time period totally different that the one of Ian and Barbara, and the worst of all, the Daleks have invaded Earth!
Daleks! An Invasion to Earth! The Departure of a companion!
Certainly this story contains several “firsts” that became “staples” in the franchise of Doctor Who.
Nowadays we always are expecting a Dalek adventure with each reincarnation of the Doctor, but this story was the first time that a villain(s) returned. The Daleks appeared on the second serial and due its popularity, they returned on this story marking the first time that a villain ever returned, opening the road to future recurring villains such as Cybermen, The Master, etc...
And certainly this was the real first step (out of their first appearance) to become the favorite “bad guys” in Doctor Who and a whole social phenomenon, mainly in England, making them to win the honor of being included on the Oxford Dictionary.
Again, each reincarnation of the Doctor has faced invasions to our beloved planet Earth, but this was the first story that Earth was the target of a massive invasión by alien forces, and therefore, opening the road to this very recurring element in the franchise of Doctor Who.
And finally, nowaways it’s common ground to expect that after a while, some companion or more than one, left the Doctor due diverse reasons (including death!), but it was certainly something quite relevant the departure of Susan Foreman, the Doctor’s granddaughter. First, one could think that from the three current companions (at that moment), Susan would be the most unlikely to left the Doctor since she is supposed to be family (behind the scenes, it was a mutual trouble, since production never understood the real potential of Susan Foreman, and for the side of the actress, well she never did a measurable effort in her acting skills to deserve better lines or more scenes).
In any case, the departure of Susan Foreman was a HUGE event since thanks to that, now it’s limitless the possibilities about the companions for the Doctor that certainly they are key elements about the dynamics of the stories. Now, may it seems no big deal, but you have to realize that until then, the main cast had been that one. It’s like if you’d expect that a main cast character of any TV series would be just killed off (now it’s like a rule in certain TV shows, but back in the 60s, it was unheard of).
Since the Daleks aren’t the most versatile beings in the universe, about move to a place to another and manipulating things, they forced recruited human being and transformed them into “Robomen” (basically human being with mind-control helmets), that I would’t be the least shocked that it was the first fire in the eventual conception of the Cybermen, easily the second most popular recurring villains of the franchise.
The First Doctor finally is getting the knack of being a hero, and not just the old guy who controls the TARDIS, while obviously Ian still do a lot of the action stuff, but the First Doctor is more likeable, less grumpy, and certainly you “feel” his hearts (Time Lords have two, but it’s very likely that even the production didn’t imagine that yet) when he has to say good-bye to Susan but trusting that it’s for the best of her to remain on Earth in that time period.
Sadly, Susan didn’t do anything useful in this story, she got hurt a leg, limiting a lot her participation in the adventure, so while to the franchise was pivotal to conceive the posibility that a companion can leave the time-travelling party, it’s a bummer that she didn’t leave without fanfare or doing something memorable.
Barbara’s interaction with Dortmun (Human Resistance’s leader) was wonderful and it’s a shame that the Doctor and Dortmun never met during the adventure.
And quite again Ian is relevant in many of the action scenes due the apparent age of the First Doctor (where obviously the actor was indeed an old man, but the production kept forgetting that he was supposed to be an alien and therefore not as fragile as he seemed).
The Dalek Invasion of Earth is an entertaining story where the Daleks are great as villains and not only for their invasión but also since they have an ambitious secret plan to our world. The Doctor is consolidating a little more to become not only the leader of the time-travelling party but a sci-fi hero. And the story also shows the potential of the franchise of not only making time-travelling stories but also science-fiction tales using aliens interacting with humans.
This is a novelization of the serial of the same general title. Since this serial was also adapted as a film starring Peter Cushing, the novelization, including the cover, uses some merged elements taken from the TV serial and the film, to make a better paced overall story.
WHO
The Doctor:
The First Doctor
Companions:
Susan Foreman, Barbara Wright & Ian Chesterton
WHERE & WHEN
London, England. Year: 2176.
WHAT
The Doctor thinks that finally took home to Ian and Barbara, however they soon enough realized that while they are indeed in London, it’s not the one that they knew, not the least, they are in a time period totally different that the one of Ian and Barbara, and the worst of all, the Daleks have invaded Earth!
Daleks! An Invasion to Earth! The Departure of a companion!
Certainly this story contains several “firsts” that became “staples” in the franchise of Doctor Who.
Nowadays we always are expecting a Dalek adventure with each reincarnation of the Doctor, but this story was the first time that a villain(s) returned. The Daleks appeared on the second serial and due its popularity, they returned on this story marking the first time that a villain ever returned, opening the road to future recurring villains such as Cybermen, The Master, etc...
And certainly this was the real first step (out of their first appearance) to become the favorite “bad guys” in Doctor Who and a whole social phenomenon, mainly in England, making them to win the honor of being included on the Oxford Dictionary.
Again, each reincarnation of the Doctor has faced invasions to our beloved planet Earth, but this was the first story that Earth was the target of a massive invasión by alien forces, and therefore, opening the road to this very recurring element in the franchise of Doctor Who.
And finally, nowaways it’s common ground to expect that after a while, some companion or more than one, left the Doctor due diverse reasons (including death!), but it was certainly something quite relevant the departure of Susan Foreman, the Doctor’s granddaughter. First, one could think that from the three current companions (at that moment), Susan would be the most unlikely to left the Doctor since she is supposed to be family (behind the scenes, it was a mutual trouble, since production never understood the real potential of Susan Foreman, and for the side of the actress, well she never did a measurable effort in her acting skills to deserve better lines or more scenes).
In any case, the departure of Susan Foreman was a HUGE event since thanks to that, now it’s limitless the possibilities about the companions for the Doctor that certainly they are key elements about the dynamics of the stories. Now, may it seems no big deal, but you have to realize that until then, the main cast had been that one. It’s like if you’d expect that a main cast character of any TV series would be just killed off (now it’s like a rule in certain TV shows, but back in the 60s, it was unheard of).
Since the Daleks aren’t the most versatile beings in the universe, about move to a place to another and manipulating things, they forced recruited human being and transformed them into “Robomen” (basically human being with mind-control helmets), that I would’t be the least shocked that it was the first fire in the eventual conception of the Cybermen, easily the second most popular recurring villains of the franchise.
The First Doctor finally is getting the knack of being a hero, and not just the old guy who controls the TARDIS, while obviously Ian still do a lot of the action stuff, but the First Doctor is more likeable, less grumpy, and certainly you “feel” his hearts (Time Lords have two, but it’s very likely that even the production didn’t imagine that yet) when he has to say good-bye to Susan but trusting that it’s for the best of her to remain on Earth in that time period.
Sadly, Susan didn’t do anything useful in this story, she got hurt a leg, limiting a lot her participation in the adventure, so while to the franchise was pivotal to conceive the posibility that a companion can leave the time-travelling party, it’s a bummer that she didn’t leave without fanfare or doing something memorable.
Barbara’s interaction with Dortmun (Human Resistance’s leader) was wonderful and it’s a shame that the Doctor and Dortmun never met during the adventure.
And quite again Ian is relevant in many of the action scenes due the apparent age of the First Doctor (where obviously the actor was indeed an old man, but the production kept forgetting that he was supposed to be an alien and therefore not as fragile as he seemed).
The Dalek Invasion of Earth is an entertaining story where the Daleks are great as villains and not only for their invasión but also since they have an ambitious secret plan to our world. The Doctor is consolidating a little more to become not only the leader of the time-travelling party but a sci-fi hero. And the story also shows the potential of the franchise of not only making time-travelling stories but also science-fiction tales using aliens interacting with humans.
December 4, 2021
This is an adaptation of the second serial of the second season of Doctor Who, which was broadcast in November and December of 1964. It also seems to incorporate some of the feature film adaptation, Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 AD starring Peter Cushing from 1966. (The nifty cover by Chris Achilleos seems to be based on the film, too.) Terrance Dicks adapted the teleplay of Dalek creator Terry Nation for this book. The story features the original Doctor and TARDIS crew, Ian Chesterton, Barbara Wright, and granddaughter (?) Susan Foreman in her last appearance. Dicks does a good job of condensing the disparate plot elements of the six-part serial into the mandated Target length. The Daleks had become phenomenally popular characters of the first season of the show, and Dicks did a fine job of describing Nation's plot in which they wreak havoc in an abandoned future London. (Though the Dalek master plan is still a bit weak.) His transcription of Susan's departure at the conclusion is poignant, too. It's one of the early Who classic stories.
August 3, 2018
After the massive impact that The Daleks had on their first appearance, it’s no surprise that they instantly returned for Doctor Who’s Second Season.
I’ve always enjoyed this serial and Dicks wonderfully manages to include all the main plot points from the 6 part story, without the sense of feeling rushed or losing any of the key moments.
I’ve always enjoyed this serial and Dicks wonderfully manages to include all the main plot points from the 6 part story, without the sense of feeling rushed or losing any of the key moments.
October 17, 2011
One of the most memorable first Doctor stories gets a fairly standard adaption for the printed page. Part of that is the fact that this six part William Harntell story has some stunning visuals of Daleks gliding through the streets of a deserted, invaded future London. And part of that is that Terrance Dicks struggles trying to compress a six part story in to the 128-page count mandated by Target novels at the time it was published.
This re-telling of the story combines elements from the television and movie version. This was one of the Hartnell stories adapted in what I call the middle period of the Target novels, when they didn't so much as enhance or deepen what we saw on screen but merely compressed the events onto the printed page without any flourishes or additions. Dicks does manage to make the Slither a lot more sinister than it appears on screen, but the rest of the novel is, unfortunately, rather a bland experience.
So why pick up the audio adaptation, you may ask. For one thing, it's read by William Russell, who's done a superlative job on his previous entries for the Harntell era stories. This alone makes listening to "The Dalek Invasion of Earth" worth the price of admission. The other is that while it's not a great adaptation, the story is still interesting and familiar enough to me that it serves as just enough of a distraction while jogging to allow me to work a bit harder but not so much that I'm not aware of what's going on around me (traffic, animals, etc.) or that I miss a critical detail of the plot that could be important later.
This re-telling of the story combines elements from the television and movie version. This was one of the Hartnell stories adapted in what I call the middle period of the Target novels, when they didn't so much as enhance or deepen what we saw on screen but merely compressed the events onto the printed page without any flourishes or additions. Dicks does manage to make the Slither a lot more sinister than it appears on screen, but the rest of the novel is, unfortunately, rather a bland experience.
So why pick up the audio adaptation, you may ask. For one thing, it's read by William Russell, who's done a superlative job on his previous entries for the Harntell era stories. This alone makes listening to "The Dalek Invasion of Earth" worth the price of admission. The other is that while it's not a great adaptation, the story is still interesting and familiar enough to me that it serves as just enough of a distraction while jogging to allow me to work a bit harder but not so much that I'm not aware of what's going on around me (traffic, animals, etc.) or that I miss a critical detail of the plot that could be important later.
July 17, 2015
I don't read Target books very often, but when I do I generally watch the TV story first and proceed to carry out a scrutinous examination of the corresponding book. This time I decided to try something different and go '70s style' - I dug straight into the book despite the fact that it had been over a year since I last saw The Dalek Invasion of Earth.
At first, the story failed to impress me. It was nothing but a boring retelling of the TV version, with seemingly little effort put into enhancing each scene with the characters' thoughts or including little descriptions and details that can't really be portrayed on screen. See my status update for a key example.
But gradually it got better. Heavy action scenes were well-described and kept me on the edge of my seat, even though I already knew the outcome. The story gradually incorporated the descriptions and insights I'd been craving, and they helped me appreciate each scene more. Ultimate I believe the book did a better job of helping the audience to understand the story's structure than the TV version.
Overall, I feel this book takes a bit too long to warm up, but eventually becomes an exciting tale in it's own right that enhances the TV story. Persevere and you will be rewarded.
At first, the story failed to impress me. It was nothing but a boring retelling of the TV version, with seemingly little effort put into enhancing each scene with the characters' thoughts or including little descriptions and details that can't really be portrayed on screen. See my status update for a key example.
But gradually it got better. Heavy action scenes were well-described and kept me on the edge of my seat, even though I already knew the outcome. The story gradually incorporated the descriptions and insights I'd been craving, and they helped me appreciate each scene more. Ultimate I believe the book did a better job of helping the audience to understand the story's structure than the TV version.
Overall, I feel this book takes a bit too long to warm up, but eventually becomes an exciting tale in it's own right that enhances the TV story. Persevere and you will be rewarded.
May 12, 2022
Doctor Who and the Dalek Invasion of Earth
Terrance Dicks
I must have read most if not all of Terrance Dicks' Doctor Who novelizations.
This story line like most of the Dr. Who books happens on earth in the mid 22nd century, 2164.
We have one of the most loved or hated Dr Who villains the infamous Daleks which was why I had picked up this book from the store. Having no idea about daleks and this being the 2nd book that I picked up about Dr Who (other one being Doctor Who and the Carnival of Monsters that I had earlier reviewed -
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The main attraction for me then was this robotic creature that looked the diametrically opposite of something like the beloved Star Wars robot R2-D2
And an invasion of earth. For a 11 year old this was like manna but the book stokes my imagination even now 35 years later.
I later loved to read about the Daleks and their earth bound mayhem in several subsequent novels and the new TV series as well.
At the heart of this novel we have a global devastation where the Daleks have overrun civilisation as we know and the rest are busy with small groups showing resilience and resistance against the outsiders.
The story is like an allegory of World war 2 and its impact in Europe. Daleks are the equivalent of the Nazi's.
This has to be one of the superior stories from the Dr Who stable with moral overtones and unlike many of the books this is a nuanced story with many threads and overtones overlapping for their time in the sun.
A highly entertaining story with all the ingredients in place and I can recommend people to read this one as a virtuoso and a best piece sample for the beloved series.
Terrance Dicks
I must have read most if not all of Terrance Dicks' Doctor Who novelizations.
This story line like most of the Dr. Who books happens on earth in the mid 22nd century, 2164.
We have one of the most loved or hated Dr Who villains the infamous Daleks which was why I had picked up this book from the store. Having no idea about daleks and this being the 2nd book that I picked up about Dr Who (other one being Doctor Who and the Carnival of Monsters that I had earlier reviewed -
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The main attraction for me then was this robotic creature that looked the diametrically opposite of something like the beloved Star Wars robot R2-D2
And an invasion of earth. For a 11 year old this was like manna but the book stokes my imagination even now 35 years later.
I later loved to read about the Daleks and their earth bound mayhem in several subsequent novels and the new TV series as well.
At the heart of this novel we have a global devastation where the Daleks have overrun civilisation as we know and the rest are busy with small groups showing resilience and resistance against the outsiders.
The story is like an allegory of World war 2 and its impact in Europe. Daleks are the equivalent of the Nazi's.
This has to be one of the superior stories from the Dr Who stable with moral overtones and unlike many of the books this is a nuanced story with many threads and overtones overlapping for their time in the sun.
A highly entertaining story with all the ingredients in place and I can recommend people to read this one as a virtuoso and a best piece sample for the beloved series.
September 1, 2021
This is the first Terrance Dicks novelisation of a Doctor Who serial that I've read since I was a child. The TV serial is a classic, though perhaps more for the imagery and atmosphere than for the plot, which concludes in a bizarre attempt by the Daleks to 'degravitate' the Earth by removing its core. They would then install an engine and 'pilot it around the Universe'. Apparently Terry Nation did not have even a basic grasp of elementary physics, let alone understand how large the universe actually is. So, surely any novelisation would have to make up for the lack of sound and vision by including descriptive passages or even by delving deeper into the character's minds? Just like David Whitaker did in the novelisation of The Daleks.
Unfortunately, this book is so brief that Terrance Dicks was barely able to adequately cover the six episodes worth of scripts, let alone add anything to them. The writing does occasionally display signs of the author's talent but, overall, the effect is almost like a plot summary. The blame certainly does not lie fully with Dicks - either the publisher required him to limit the length or he simply did not have enough time to write more - but this 105 pages of text (in the new hardback tome, The Essential Terrance Dicks Vol. 1) is merely a novella at 36,000 words. Admittedly, Doctor Who and the Daleks is not much longer, but in that book parts of the plot are removed to allow room longer descriptions and internal monologue.
In the end, this is not at all a bad book, but it just does not do justice to the TV serial. But, after all, back in 1977 when it was published it was not competing with the 1964 TV serial, because no one was able to watch that. I can imagine that it served the young fans well, possibly even myself at nine or ten years of age.
Unfortunately, this book is so brief that Terrance Dicks was barely able to adequately cover the six episodes worth of scripts, let alone add anything to them. The writing does occasionally display signs of the author's talent but, overall, the effect is almost like a plot summary. The blame certainly does not lie fully with Dicks - either the publisher required him to limit the length or he simply did not have enough time to write more - but this 105 pages of text (in the new hardback tome, The Essential Terrance Dicks Vol. 1) is merely a novella at 36,000 words. Admittedly, Doctor Who and the Daleks is not much longer, but in that book parts of the plot are removed to allow room longer descriptions and internal monologue.
In the end, this is not at all a bad book, but it just does not do justice to the TV serial. But, after all, back in 1977 when it was published it was not competing with the 1964 TV serial, because no one was able to watch that. I can imagine that it served the young fans well, possibly even myself at nine or ten years of age.
June 5, 2025
Doctor Who and his companions onboard The TARDIS have landed in London- in the future. They meet some resistance workers and come to find out that Daleks have taken over the earth. But, why are they here and what do they want?
So, they set on a journey through England to figure it out. Along the way they get split up and you're left with moments of how will they get out of this one.
I quite enjoy the Doctor Who books and this one had me all over. The ending ended up being a really sweet one.
So, they set on a journey through England to figure it out. Along the way they get split up and you're left with moments of how will they get out of this one.
I quite enjoy the Doctor Who books and this one had me all over. The ending ended up being a really sweet one.
July 29, 2017
The year is 2164 and the Daleks have invaded earth. They have robotized human beings to be their army. The Daleks and the Robomen have captured the human race and forced them to work in the mines. When the Doctor, Susan, Ian and Barbara land, London has been destroyed. They join up with a team of freedom fighters to save Earth.
April 11, 2025
You have to be a Doctor Who fan already, because it doesn’t much explain the TARDIS, The Doctor, or Daleks…but who else is reading this? Perfectly encapsulates a decent Doctor Who episode. Nothing more…but I was satisfied!
June 9, 2019
Book was well-written and had all of the scenes I remember from the show. And even hand the ending of the show they could bring a tear to your eye.
December 7, 2024
I always find it odd when the Target novelisations change dialog that was already quotable memes back in the day (or were they? we didn't have ready access to every extant serial). I'm thinking of The Aztecs not using "Not one line!", as an example, and Terrence Dicks' Doctor Who and The Dalek Invasion of Earth changes a lot of lines without improving them. I miss "jolly smack bottom", of course, but that one I can understand. Having Susan calling her grandfather "Doctor" as often as she does is out of character, but maybe Dicks is trying to represent the fact she's about to leave the TARDIS (her departure seems better foregrounded in the book). No, the big sin is that he changed the iconic and often since re-used farewell between the two Gallifreyans. In 1977, that might not have been an issue. Today, it's shocking. Otherwise, this is a pacey retelling of the best Dalek story until at least Remembrance, using only a couple of bits from the Peter Cushing film to enliven scenes despite the very Cushing cover.
August 15, 2016
OK, this is not great literature that will be studied two hundred years from now. But it is set two hundred years from now! Terrance Dicks is one of the better Doctor Who writers when it comes to adapting scripts into novels. And with the long hiatus before the next series starts on the BBC, this is a fun way to stay plugged in to the DW mythos. In this particular title, the First Doctor defeats a Dalek scheme against the earth. This is also the storyline in which his granddaughter Susan stays behind.
November 22, 2012
As a novelization, it pares down the story enough to leave all the fantastic, nostalgic, and emotional elements intact...while wiping out those moments that, for lack of a better term, saw this epic TV six-parter's reach exceed its grasp (hello pie-tin flying saucer). It also opens with one of the best intro sentences to be found in any Target novelization. Mr. Dicks comes up trumps once again.
August 26, 2022
I first read this book around 45 years ago, some time around when it was first published. I remember getting the hardback out from the library.
As I held it in my hands this time I remembered how thrilling I found it and how this book and many more in the Target range got me hooked on reading for life.
I opened the book to the first page and even before I had read a word I remembered how it starts with a roboman throwing himself to his death in the River Thames. Some things stick in the mind.
And so I began to read and evaluate the book with adult eyes...
So, it is a fast paced retelling of the TV story. I found it odd though that Terrance gives no description of a dalek at all. When the first one appears we are simply told a "dalek was rising from the water". Even when later we see Chesterton and the Doctor musing about the daleks being on Earth we just get the two of them discussing that the daleks have "evolved" with Chesterton commenting "I see what you mean. These do look a bit different. I wonder if that's got anything to do with their increased power of movement". No description of how they have changed, no mention of them having a dish on their backs, just a mention of them being bigger than the ones they met before.
Presumably Dicks assumed everyone knew what a dalek looked like and so didn't bother wasting a sentence or two describing them. But to not describe the changes to the daleks in this story is quite bizarre.
Also, you'd think if your reader knew what a dalek was and so didn't need to describe it at all, then logically your reader would know what the TARDIS was an so would similarly give very little details about it. But not so here...Dicks spends a page and a half describing the ship, it's crew and how they came to travel together.
As the book continues you can piece together things about the daleks with mentions of their eye stalk, sucker arm, casing and so on, but never a concise description.
There are also somethings missing in the book when compared to the TV version. So no poster telling people not to dump bodies in the river, no scene of Susan and Barbara reacting to the fact that daleks are on Earth and a different farewell speech from the Doctor at the end. All this suggests Dicks worked from an early script to produce this novelisation.
In conclusion, a flawed but straightforward retelling of this story.
As I held it in my hands this time I remembered how thrilling I found it and how this book and many more in the Target range got me hooked on reading for life.
I opened the book to the first page and even before I had read a word I remembered how it starts with a roboman throwing himself to his death in the River Thames. Some things stick in the mind.
And so I began to read and evaluate the book with adult eyes...
So, it is a fast paced retelling of the TV story. I found it odd though that Terrance gives no description of a dalek at all. When the first one appears we are simply told a "dalek was rising from the water". Even when later we see Chesterton and the Doctor musing about the daleks being on Earth we just get the two of them discussing that the daleks have "evolved" with Chesterton commenting "I see what you mean. These do look a bit different. I wonder if that's got anything to do with their increased power of movement". No description of how they have changed, no mention of them having a dish on their backs, just a mention of them being bigger than the ones they met before.
Presumably Dicks assumed everyone knew what a dalek looked like and so didn't bother wasting a sentence or two describing them. But to not describe the changes to the daleks in this story is quite bizarre.
Also, you'd think if your reader knew what a dalek was and so didn't need to describe it at all, then logically your reader would know what the TARDIS was an so would similarly give very little details about it. But not so here...Dicks spends a page and a half describing the ship, it's crew and how they came to travel together.
As the book continues you can piece together things about the daleks with mentions of their eye stalk, sucker arm, casing and so on, but never a concise description.
There are also somethings missing in the book when compared to the TV version. So no poster telling people not to dump bodies in the river, no scene of Susan and Barbara reacting to the fact that daleks are on Earth and a different farewell speech from the Doctor at the end. All this suggests Dicks worked from an early script to produce this novelisation.
In conclusion, a flawed but straightforward retelling of this story.
September 20, 2023
Way back in the mists of time, when God was a lad etc, I was a fan of Terrance Dicks before I really knew what being a fan of an author was.
Going to the library each week was one of my delights as a child, and the discovery of Doctor Who books – actual books about actual stories about the actual Doctor – was simply amazing.
And very soon I learnt which ones were the really good ones.
The ones with the words Terrance and Dicks printed on the cover.
And as new writers have come along, this hasn't changed.
You see, writing a novelisation of a TV show isn't that easy.
We've all seen The Dalek Invasion Of Earth. We know what happens. We know how it ends.
And we know why it's such an important story.
Even if you haven't seen it, BritBox, iPlayer and DVDs all exist – so the book needs to be even better to hold your attention.
Which is where Dicks comes into his own.
Yes, that's what I wrote and I see no reason to change it.
Written with love and respect, Dicks takes a classic tale to new heights, bringing the characters to life quickly and succinctly and keeping the action coming thick and fast.
The threat and terror of the Daleks, the desperation of the rebels, all leap off the page and add a new layer of enjoyment to this story.
Oh, and the ending is better than the TV version.
There, I've said it.
(Although listed here as a single story, this is the first story in a compendium of Dicks' Who tales, collected in two volumes and published earlier this year.)
Going to the library each week was one of my delights as a child, and the discovery of Doctor Who books – actual books about actual stories about the actual Doctor – was simply amazing.
And very soon I learnt which ones were the really good ones.
The ones with the words Terrance and Dicks printed on the cover.
And as new writers have come along, this hasn't changed.
You see, writing a novelisation of a TV show isn't that easy.
We've all seen The Dalek Invasion Of Earth. We know what happens. We know how it ends.
And we know why it's such an important story.
Even if you haven't seen it, BritBox, iPlayer and DVDs all exist – so the book needs to be even better to hold your attention.
Which is where Dicks comes into his own.
Yes, that's what I wrote and I see no reason to change it.
Written with love and respect, Dicks takes a classic tale to new heights, bringing the characters to life quickly and succinctly and keeping the action coming thick and fast.
The threat and terror of the Daleks, the desperation of the rebels, all leap off the page and add a new layer of enjoyment to this story.
Oh, and the ending is better than the TV version.
There, I've said it.
(Although listed here as a single story, this is the first story in a compendium of Dicks' Who tales, collected in two volumes and published earlier this year.)
June 16, 2023
Other than its rather striking cover art showing a Roboman which seems to be inspired by Nazi imagery and the screw up on the Dalek’s plunger and gun stick, Doctor Who and the Dalek Invasion of Earth is a boring affair. The only important factor of note is that it was one of very few Hartnell stories to be novelized before the 1980s when episodes were being sent back to the BBC. The only other two outside of the original three 1960s novels were The Tenth Planet and The Keys of Marinus so the smattering of William Hartnell stories were very slim. Terrance Dicks was in a pickle as he only had Terry Nation’s notes and memories of the episode to go on when writing this book but that really didn’t matter as just about everything from the story makes it in. The plot stays the same, but here the supporting characters are able to be told apart from one another because their names are given with so and so said followed by a line of dialogue. One criticism however is that the speech the Doctor gives to Susan is changed and while Dicks does his best to have a good speech written in, it isn’t nearly as good as the speech Hartnell gave on television.
To summarize, Doctor Who and the Dalek Invasion of Earth is the equivalent of its television counterpart down to the tee. There isn’t enough changed to really account for any more detail on what the story has to do. 7/10.
To summarize, Doctor Who and the Dalek Invasion of Earth is the equivalent of its television counterpart down to the tee. There isn’t enough changed to really account for any more detail on what the story has to do. 7/10.
January 9, 2023
Doctor Who : The Dalek Invasion of Earth (1977) by Terrance Dicks is the second serial of the second season of Doctor Who. It’s also the second serial to feature the Daleks. The Doctor’s companions are Susan, Ian and Barbara.
The TARDIS lands on earth in London to find a world conquered by the Daleks who are put a helmet on some humans to control them and turn them into robomen.
The Daleks at this point in Doctor Who are not nearly as powerful as they would become and can be destroyed with some luck. It’s better than later on when they become virtually indestructible. They are still a cliched personification of evil which works in this serial.
The robomen are nicely horrifying but are also killable, but they remain strong. It would be interesting to see if the mind controlled drone predates this serial by much.
The Dalek Invasion of Earth is also the first serial where a companion leaves the show, an innovation for the series that really helped the longevity of the show. Susan is left by the Doctor at the end of the serial.
The Dalek Invasion of Earth is a much better Dalek story than the original Dalek story. It’s really not a bad read.
The TARDIS lands on earth in London to find a world conquered by the Daleks who are put a helmet on some humans to control them and turn them into robomen.
The Daleks at this point in Doctor Who are not nearly as powerful as they would become and can be destroyed with some luck. It’s better than later on when they become virtually indestructible. They are still a cliched personification of evil which works in this serial.
The robomen are nicely horrifying but are also killable, but they remain strong. It would be interesting to see if the mind controlled drone predates this serial by much.
The Dalek Invasion of Earth is also the first serial where a companion leaves the show, an innovation for the series that really helped the longevity of the show. Susan is left by the Doctor at the end of the serial.
The Dalek Invasion of Earth is a much better Dalek story than the original Dalek story. It’s really not a bad read.
April 19, 2025
Book 328 -Terrance Dicks - The Dalek Invasion of Earth
There is already a theme around my science fiction novels this year… mostly Doctor Who… mostly novelisations based on the television stories. This is another … another Dalek attack and written by the irrepressible Terrance Dicks. He almost taught me to read through these amazing novels.
This one is special for several reasons… it was made into a wonderful movie with Peter Cushing as Dr Who… it is the final story with the Doctor’s granddaughter Susan and on a very personal level…my parents bought this for me in 1984 as part of a compendium of stories…but more on that another day.
Dicks does the most amazing job at making a six part story come to life…miss nothing from the story… and still write it all in less than 150 pages.
It is scary…it is claustrophobic… it is the Daleks … in full on terrifying mode. They already have the earth…they have already subjugated the human race…they have already won.
It is the epitome of brilliance.
There is already a theme around my science fiction novels this year… mostly Doctor Who… mostly novelisations based on the television stories. This is another … another Dalek attack and written by the irrepressible Terrance Dicks. He almost taught me to read through these amazing novels.
This one is special for several reasons… it was made into a wonderful movie with Peter Cushing as Dr Who… it is the final story with the Doctor’s granddaughter Susan and on a very personal level…my parents bought this for me in 1984 as part of a compendium of stories…but more on that another day.
Dicks does the most amazing job at making a six part story come to life…miss nothing from the story… and still write it all in less than 150 pages.
It is scary…it is claustrophobic… it is the Daleks … in full on terrifying mode. They already have the earth…they have already subjugated the human race…they have already won.
It is the epitome of brilliance.
September 27, 2020
I'm very fond of the non-canonical movie adaptation of this story, where the Doctor is played by Peter Cushing. This novelization is, however, based on the William Hartnell serial. The two versions are quite close, the main difference being the Doctor's personality, although I confess that I've never watched the Hartnell version.
One of the benefits of a novelization is that the story unfolds in your mind's eye without all the dodgy sets and effects. While this one starts out quite well, it moves forward at a breakneck pace. Descriptiveness is sacrificed in order to fit the whole story into a overly cramped page-count. This isn't the author's fault; it's the publisher, Target's. Alas, the end result comes off rather stale.
I read a couple of these in my teens (over thirty years ago) and remember enjoying them a lot. Nostalgia led me to try this one. Doubtful that I'll read another.
One of the benefits of a novelization is that the story unfolds in your mind's eye without all the dodgy sets and effects. While this one starts out quite well, it moves forward at a breakneck pace. Descriptiveness is sacrificed in order to fit the whole story into a overly cramped page-count. This isn't the author's fault; it's the publisher, Target's. Alas, the end result comes off rather stale.
I read a couple of these in my teens (over thirty years ago) and remember enjoying them a lot. Nostalgia led me to try this one. Doubtful that I'll read another.
November 26, 2025
‘Doctor Who and the Dalek Invasion Of Earth’ by Terrance Dicks was written in 1977 and is based on the Doctor Who television serial of the same name which was the second adventure in the second ever series of Doctor Who with William Hartnell as Doctor who with his companions being his granddaughter (Susan) and Barbara and Ian. It was also the first ever Doctor Who serial to feature a companion leaving as Susan leaves at the end of this story.
As the book form of ‘The Dalek Invasion of Earth’ is now out of print, I listened to the audiobook of this with William Russell narrating and Nicholas Briggs providing the voices of the Daleks. I have always really enjoyed the television serial of this story and the audiobook didn’t fail to disappoint me, it was a great story really brought to life by William Russell and Nicholas Briggs and the farewell from the Doctor to Susan at the end was really powerful. A great book.
As the book form of ‘The Dalek Invasion of Earth’ is now out of print, I listened to the audiobook of this with William Russell narrating and Nicholas Briggs providing the voices of the Daleks. I have always really enjoyed the television serial of this story and the audiobook didn’t fail to disappoint me, it was a great story really brought to life by William Russell and Nicholas Briggs and the farewell from the Doctor to Susan at the end was really powerful. A great book.
August 28, 2020
You know Terrance Dicks' novelisation of Terry Nation's 1964 TV serial 'The Dalek Invasion of Earth' is going to be a good one straight away with a killer opening line - "Through the ruin of a city stalked the ruin of a man." That sets the tone for a gripping, atmospheric tale set in the Britain of 2164, where rather than trying to prevent an alien invasion, the Doctor and his friends find themselves in occupied territory, small groups of free humans holding out against the Daleks and their sinister brainwashed Robomen.
The story itself is one of Doctor Who's earliest triumphs, and the 1977 novelisation captures Nation's writing well on the page - indeed, Dicks (with his TV script editing habits hard to shake, no doubt) tidies up a few plot elements, and arguably improves on the TV version. I'd rate this as one of his best.
The story itself is one of Doctor Who's earliest triumphs, and the 1977 novelisation captures Nation's writing well on the page - indeed, Dicks (with his TV script editing habits hard to shake, no doubt) tidies up a few plot elements, and arguably improves on the TV version. I'd rate this as one of his best.
January 20, 2021
Another one of my favourite TV stories this one, and well represented I think in the book, though could have done with more fleshing out like Power and Evil eventually got, so unfortunately hit by the Target limits on page count here.
The story is great I think, and the Doctor and Companions are more split up in this story I think than in others, where often it devolves into pairs, but before this one not that many with all 4 of them in different places at times.
I really enjoyed their separate threads, and how it all comes together near the end, I do think the ending was a little rushed here, and was a shame that the First Doctor's powerful speech from the TV episode was changed for the book. The farewell for Susan, the first companion farewell, was a good one I think, well built up to, even if more recent lore suggests it doesn't make as much sense.
The story is great I think, and the Doctor and Companions are more split up in this story I think than in others, where often it devolves into pairs, but before this one not that many with all 4 of them in different places at times.
I really enjoyed their separate threads, and how it all comes together near the end, I do think the ending was a little rushed here, and was a shame that the First Doctor's powerful speech from the TV episode was changed for the book. The farewell for Susan, the first companion farewell, was a good one I think, well built up to, even if more recent lore suggests it doesn't make as much sense.
August 13, 2021
Much pacier than the laborious and badly directed 'classic', Dicks's novelisation has more in common with the Peter Cushing film than the original television serial.
Dicks tidies up some poor dialogue, reinstates the Doctor rather than David defusing a bomb at a crucial moment, and makes the Daleks much more threatening.
Not everything is perfect. the ending is still rushed and anti-climactic, as it is in the serial, and, for some reason, Dicks chooses not to replicate the Doctor's marvellous speech as he bids farewell to Susan. Dicks's version is much more brief and too sentimental.
For me, this is still one of the best Target novelisations, as it demonstrates what a genuinely landmark piece of television this story could have been if it had been handled by a more competent director than Richard Martin.
Dicks tidies up some poor dialogue, reinstates the Doctor rather than David defusing a bomb at a crucial moment, and makes the Daleks much more threatening.
Not everything is perfect. the ending is still rushed and anti-climactic, as it is in the serial, and, for some reason, Dicks chooses not to replicate the Doctor's marvellous speech as he bids farewell to Susan. Dicks's version is much more brief and too sentimental.
For me, this is still one of the best Target novelisations, as it demonstrates what a genuinely landmark piece of television this story could have been if it had been handled by a more competent director than Richard Martin.
December 2, 2024
For a long time, I've heard people hype this book up as Terrance Dicks' best work, and it really is. His characterization is at a peak and his work with each characters' personality and Susan's departure is quite excellent. The first companion exit felt much more natural than it did in the televised story.
The problem is that the plot just doesn't grab me, just as it didn't with the movie or the TV episodes. It's not necessarily a bad plot, it's just somewhat dragged on and doesn't hold my attention. The first episode or so and the last episode and a half (but in book form) were quite enjoyable, but the middle section, in which the characters are all moving across Britain separately, seems to drag in place too long for my liking. Not a bad story by any means, and well worth reading as an exemplary example of Dicks' writing and as a piece of Doctor Who history.
The problem is that the plot just doesn't grab me, just as it didn't with the movie or the TV episodes. It's not necessarily a bad plot, it's just somewhat dragged on and doesn't hold my attention. The first episode or so and the last episode and a half (but in book form) were quite enjoyable, but the middle section, in which the characters are all moving across Britain separately, seems to drag in place too long for my liking. Not a bad story by any means, and well worth reading as an exemplary example of Dicks' writing and as a piece of Doctor Who history.
January 17, 2019
While not one of my favorites, it's a good retelling of a Dr. Who serial. My problems with this story had to do with story points that I didn't like. One was that it wasn't really The Doctor who saved the day, since it was Ian who diverted the bomb. Another was the way he handled Susan, since that was heavy-handed even for the Hartnell version of The Doctor. So to me, even though it was the story that really made the Daleks a mainstream bunch of baddies, it just wasn't a great story.
On the other hand, Terrance Dicks managed to keep the story intact in a very few pages, which is amazing.
So, while not great, this was good, and very interesting to read.
On the other hand, Terrance Dicks managed to keep the story intact in a very few pages, which is amazing.
So, while not great, this was good, and very interesting to read.
March 9, 2019
A very well written adaptation of one of the most-loved Hartnell stories - all the iconic scenes are vividly recalled. It's a pity the Doctor's closing speech was so truncated, particularly as the final page only has a few lines on it. The scene where Susan encounters an alligator in the sewers is a nice addition, and thanks to being in prose, even the Slyther comes across as being menacing. The early Target releases weren't as rushed as the later ones, and this shows clearly here as there are no typos or printing errors at all.
June 19, 2019
My son and I read this double volume of Who books together before he went to bed, and we were both more into the Dalek story than the Crusades story (here called "The Crusaders," which is different from the TV serial title). David Whitaker wrote The Crusaders, and he has some... questionable ... ways of describing women at times (and also calling Barbara, a grown woman, a "girl"). The Doctor himself features less in the second half of the story, since so much is going on. This is fine, but it's something to note.
January 4, 2024
One of Terrance Dick's triumphs. Sometimes criticised for a tendency to merely translate the camera scripts straight to page, this book is expanded beyond the confines of 1960's television. He's captured the main characters perfectly and the end of the book is genuinely moving, not least because it's expertly told by Ian Chesterton himself, William Russell who produces some very convincing regional accents. The Daleks are, of course, voiced by Nick Briggs. The sound scape is minimal and effective, never intruding at all.
June 8, 2022
The Daleks are back, and this time they've invaded and conquered the Earth. But... why are they here? What are they after? And why have they turned parts of England into a huge mine? The Doctor and his companions are separated and in severe trouble as they try to make their escape from a world gone mad.
Terrance Dicks does a very nice job of novelizing the TV story. It's a bit skimpy, but is otherwise very enjoyable. One of the classic tales.
Terrance Dicks does a very nice job of novelizing the TV story. It's a bit skimpy, but is otherwise very enjoyable. One of the classic tales.
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