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Doctor Who: Target Books #106
Doctor Who: City of Death
Discover the new Doctor Who classics. The key to Earth's destruction lies buried in its past. Visiting Paris in 1979, the Doctor and Romana’s hopes for a holiday are soon shattered by armed thugs, a suave and dangerous Count, a plot to steal the Mona Lisa and a world-threatening experiment with time.Teaming up with a British detective, the Time Lords discover that a ruthless alien plot hatched in Earth’s pre-history has reached its final stage. If Scaroth, last of the Jagaroth, cannot be stopped then the human race is history, along with all life on Earth…
194 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 5, 2018
14 people are currently reading
124 people want to read
About the author
James Goss
231 books181 followersJames Goss has written two Torchwood novels and a radio play, as well as a Being Human book. His Doctor Who audiobook Dead Air won Best Audiobook 2010. James also spent seven years working on the BBC's official Doctor Who website and co-wrote the website for Torchwood Series One. In 2007, he won the Best Adaptation category in the annual LA Weekly Theatre Awards for his version of Douglas Adams' novel Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
January 26, 2020
As BBC Books begins publishing Target style novelisations of Doctor Who stories that aired since 2005, ‘City of Death’, being an older ‘classic’ Who serial, seems an odd choice, especially in the first batch of releases.
Of course, it was one of only a few stories not to receive the target treatment. Because of this, however, it was novelised a few years ago by the same author as this version, and in a much higher word count than allowed by the target novelisations. Inevitably, this release, therefore, despite being substantially longer than the average target book, is a truncated, heavily edited version of its predecessor.
However, this doesn’t devalue it in any way. The 2015 version included a whole variety of extra content not seen onscreen. And, although these substantially add to the story and enriched it wondrously, they aren’t essential to the general plot. Thus, whole sequences of that book can be removed without altering the story in any major way. Thus, there is no story for Harrison and Elena who are back to their brief appearance, Romana and Duggans’ night out drinking in Paris is severely reduced and K-9 returns to a smaller offscreen role. None of these feel missed, though, unless you’ve read the earlier publication.
This version is, therefore, far closer to what is seen onscreen. Even so there are still enough embellishments, particularly in terms of perspectives and more extensive backgrounds for several characters, to make even this shorter version appear to offer more than what is onscreen than most Target novelisations. ‘City of Death’ is one of the programme’s finest stories so another version, and one that fits in with the target range, is easily welcome. And considering that it is often claimed that this story was the rough template for Russell T. Davies’ revival of the series, it seems fair enough that it is included with this batch of novelisations of episodes from 2005 onwards.
As much as the 2015 novelisation of ‘City of Death’ was a delightful masterpiece, this version is still excellent, capturing the wit, charm and atmosphere of the televised version.
Of course, it was one of only a few stories not to receive the target treatment. Because of this, however, it was novelised a few years ago by the same author as this version, and in a much higher word count than allowed by the target novelisations. Inevitably, this release, therefore, despite being substantially longer than the average target book, is a truncated, heavily edited version of its predecessor.
However, this doesn’t devalue it in any way. The 2015 version included a whole variety of extra content not seen onscreen. And, although these substantially add to the story and enriched it wondrously, they aren’t essential to the general plot. Thus, whole sequences of that book can be removed without altering the story in any major way. Thus, there is no story for Harrison and Elena who are back to their brief appearance, Romana and Duggans’ night out drinking in Paris is severely reduced and K-9 returns to a smaller offscreen role. None of these feel missed, though, unless you’ve read the earlier publication.
This version is, therefore, far closer to what is seen onscreen. Even so there are still enough embellishments, particularly in terms of perspectives and more extensive backgrounds for several characters, to make even this shorter version appear to offer more than what is onscreen than most Target novelisations. ‘City of Death’ is one of the programme’s finest stories so another version, and one that fits in with the target range, is easily welcome. And considering that it is often claimed that this story was the rough template for Russell T. Davies’ revival of the series, it seems fair enough that it is included with this batch of novelisations of episodes from 2005 onwards.
As much as the 2015 novelisation of ‘City of Death’ was a delightful masterpiece, this version is still excellent, capturing the wit, charm and atmosphere of the televised version.
July 24, 2018
Within five minutes of reading this it feels like you have stepped back to your childhood. Despite the naysayers in other reviews, James Goss has captured the flavour of this classic Tom Baker adventure to the level that one can see the 4 parter scene for scene. Well done mr. Goss
Do you know what, I'm off to watch it now.
Recommended.
Do you know what, I'm off to watch it now.
Recommended.
May 24, 2020
3.5 stars.
This is one of those Doctor Who episodes that doesn't translate well into book form unfortunately.
The language used at certain times felt outdated and it doesn't strike me as language that the Doctor would use, which made this off putting at certain times.
Also for some reason, this book made the concept of the whole story a lot more complex for me.
It's a shame that this 3.5 stars tho because I love the episode itself.
This is one of those Doctor Who episodes that doesn't translate well into book form unfortunately.
The language used at certain times felt outdated and it doesn't strike me as language that the Doctor would use, which made this off putting at certain times.
Also for some reason, this book made the concept of the whole story a lot more complex for me.
It's a shame that this 3.5 stars tho because I love the episode itself.
Read
August 17, 2018So I finally got my grubby paws on a couple of the new Target novelisations, and this seemed as good a place as any to start - arguably the best story of the classic show*, and I already know from Krikkitmen that James Goss writes very good Douglas Adams. Hell, if punctuality counts towards the score then he does Douglas Adams better than Douglas Adams did. And while it's a shorter book than Krikkitmen, this has the same wry descriptions and mischievous asides, the same perfect liberties taken - of course the Doctor and Romana would opt to visit Paris at "that blissful point between the invention of drains and wheelie luggage"! Still, it's weird reading a Target book again. For the benefit of younger readers: back in the day, if Who wasn't on TV, these were what we had. There was none of your streamings and gifs and DVDs - there were videos down the video shop (but only two, and one of them was Revenge of the Cybermen), and there were these. And that was if you were lucky! For some stories you only had the summaries in the reference works. The other thing to remember, of course, is that while there were some very talented writers involved with the Target range even before its weirder later days (Malcolm Hulke and Ian Marter in particular), an awful lot of them were by Terrance Dicks who...well, let's split the difference and say that his prose had an easy rhythm and a familiarity which were ideal for encouraging small boys to read more, shall we? Yes, the "pleasant, open face" of the Fifth Doctor and the "wheezing, groaning" sound of the TARDIS are now etched into Who lore as firmly as anything, but ultimately Dicks was more a storyteller than a stylist - and no bad thing, given the audience. But now, with anyone who wants able to watch City of Death after a couple of searches on the naughty Internet, that would seem somewhat superfluous, so the balance has been flipped. And, again, no bad thing. Still, it can't help but feel a little odd opening that familar-seeming cover and finding words that crackle like this. I mean, did you ever see such a fine one-line description of Tom and Lalla's chemistry as this? "A man and a woman stood on top of the Eiffel Tower, every inch in love, if not with each other then certainly with life itself."
City of Death is still a rubbish title, mind.
*Seasons 25 and 26 supplying the most convincing rivals, of course, but by then a case can be made that the show was already evolving into the very different shape it would take on to see it through the wilderness years and its finest hour.
City of Death is still a rubbish title, mind.
*Seasons 25 and 26 supplying the most convincing rivals, of course, but by then a case can be made that the show was already evolving into the very different shape it would take on to see it through the wilderness years and its finest hour.
September 15, 2021
City of Death was a four part story of Doctor Who broadcast weekly from the 29th of September to the 20th of October in 1979. It's still to this day considered one of the best serial stories from classic Who. Obviously I never caught it when it aired on the count of not being alive but I did give the story a watch a few years back and despite not being that familiar with the classic run of the show, I did really enjoy my time with the story. The new Target novelisation penned by James Goss does a delightful job of converting the script written by David Fisher, Douglas Adams, and Graham Williams into a condensed yet still complete reading experience.
The narrative of the book follows the 4th Doctor and his current companion Romana as they visit Paris in the late 70's. While enjoying the signs and sounds and trying and failing to impress his companion, the Doctor notices strange temporal distortions occurring within the city. The root of these distortions comes from the experiments being conducted in Count Scarlioni's mansion. Finding themselves embroiled in the Count's plan to steal Mona Lisa from the Louvre; the Doctor and Romana end up coming face to face with the Count and learn he's in fact a alien called Scaroth. Scaroth is the last of the Jagaroth and he is attempting to travel back in time to save his race from extinction. It's up to the Doctor and Romana to stop Scaroth from destroying the very fabric of time while also getting into ta variety of funny situations along the way.
Like the episode it's adapted from, the narrative for this story is such a fun experience. There's a reason this is considered a quintessential Doctor Who story and that's down to the smart and witty writing that constructs it. The premise utilises the concept of time travel in such a simple yet smart fashion and there wasn't one moment where I felt the storyline was difficult to follow. The whole idea of Scaroth trying to save his race gives him a very tragic motivation and the way he's splintered across time makes the sequences where the Doctor interacts with his different iterations all the more entertaining. He plays the role of a compelling villain brilliantly and serves as a great evil for the Doctor and Romana to overcome. Speaking of the Doctor and Romana, I absolutely love the banter and dynamic between them and British detective Duggan throughout the story. They're all clever and funny characters who keep up with one another really well and it's fun to experience the time travel shenanigans through their perspectives. The standout is the 4th Doctor for sure, he has this whimsical charm and he uses his clownish exterior to hide his perceptive and intelligent nature brilliantly. He honestly steals any scene he's in and the story wouldn't be nearly as good without his charming and endearing character.
In terms of pacing and tone, again I can't fault this story whatsoever. There's a clear and focused storyline playing out here and it's filled with tension, adventure and comedy all throughout. The story never falters for a second and it keeps up a consistent pace but you feel it covers any questions you might have all throughout. Honestly, to say this story features time travel, splintered iterations of one being and a conspiracy to steal and sell 6 versions of the Mona Lisa; none of this stuff feels difficult or complicated to follow. The fact that this is Target novelisation and the narrative is skimmed down to fit the shorter page count doesn't feel all that notable either. It feels like a complete story from beginning to end and it is a perfect conversation of the charming and clever story of the tv serial counterpart.
City of Death both in TV form and book form are the very best of classic Doctor Who. It reflects the quality of the editing and writing team behind the show at the time. It's a comprehensive and charming ride from beginning to end and is one of the best 4th Doctor stories you can sink your teeth into.
The narrative of the book follows the 4th Doctor and his current companion Romana as they visit Paris in the late 70's. While enjoying the signs and sounds and trying and failing to impress his companion, the Doctor notices strange temporal distortions occurring within the city. The root of these distortions comes from the experiments being conducted in Count Scarlioni's mansion. Finding themselves embroiled in the Count's plan to steal Mona Lisa from the Louvre; the Doctor and Romana end up coming face to face with the Count and learn he's in fact a alien called Scaroth. Scaroth is the last of the Jagaroth and he is attempting to travel back in time to save his race from extinction. It's up to the Doctor and Romana to stop Scaroth from destroying the very fabric of time while also getting into ta variety of funny situations along the way.
Like the episode it's adapted from, the narrative for this story is such a fun experience. There's a reason this is considered a quintessential Doctor Who story and that's down to the smart and witty writing that constructs it. The premise utilises the concept of time travel in such a simple yet smart fashion and there wasn't one moment where I felt the storyline was difficult to follow. The whole idea of Scaroth trying to save his race gives him a very tragic motivation and the way he's splintered across time makes the sequences where the Doctor interacts with his different iterations all the more entertaining. He plays the role of a compelling villain brilliantly and serves as a great evil for the Doctor and Romana to overcome. Speaking of the Doctor and Romana, I absolutely love the banter and dynamic between them and British detective Duggan throughout the story. They're all clever and funny characters who keep up with one another really well and it's fun to experience the time travel shenanigans through their perspectives. The standout is the 4th Doctor for sure, he has this whimsical charm and he uses his clownish exterior to hide his perceptive and intelligent nature brilliantly. He honestly steals any scene he's in and the story wouldn't be nearly as good without his charming and endearing character.
In terms of pacing and tone, again I can't fault this story whatsoever. There's a clear and focused storyline playing out here and it's filled with tension, adventure and comedy all throughout. The story never falters for a second and it keeps up a consistent pace but you feel it covers any questions you might have all throughout. Honestly, to say this story features time travel, splintered iterations of one being and a conspiracy to steal and sell 6 versions of the Mona Lisa; none of this stuff feels difficult or complicated to follow. The fact that this is Target novelisation and the narrative is skimmed down to fit the shorter page count doesn't feel all that notable either. It feels like a complete story from beginning to end and it is a perfect conversation of the charming and clever story of the tv serial counterpart.
City of Death both in TV form and book form are the very best of classic Doctor Who. It reflects the quality of the editing and writing team behind the show at the time. It's a comprehensive and charming ride from beginning to end and is one of the best 4th Doctor stories you can sink your teeth into.
July 5, 2025
At last! A novelisation of one of the finest Doctor Who stories ever! Famously, the story with the highest viewing figures due to an ITV strike, this amusing adventure gallivants along with its tongue firmly in its cheek. The original screenplay is written by Douglas Adams and the sharp humour throughout is ridiculously funny. All I can say is that James Goss must have had a ball writing the novelisation. It is rip-roaringly funny with additional quips throughout that add a great deal to the already brilliant story (E.G. a reference to Davros on about page 130.).
I have waited since 1979 for this book and I have to say, it most definitely was worth the wait! Wholeheartedly recommended, it completely captures the atmosphere of the original televised story. A must read for any Doctor Who fan and anybody who enjoys science fiction mixed with comedy.
I have waited since 1979 for this book and I have to say, it most definitely was worth the wait! Wholeheartedly recommended, it completely captures the atmosphere of the original televised story. A must read for any Doctor Who fan and anybody who enjoys science fiction mixed with comedy.
January 15, 2025
A wonderfully fun retelling but one that explains things so fully that you can’t help but notice the plotholes, like where did Scarlioni spring from in the 20th Century and how did he not know that he was a green alien with one eye? I can only assume that this was answered in the unabridged version.
April 23, 2025
A sound interpretation of Douglas Adams' 4th Doctor blockbuster (ITV was on strike, which helped), which is a light but enjoyable romp based on a time-fractured Jagaroth and his plan to disentangle himself from Earth's history. This is the abridged version, and I suspect that the extended version allows Goss to flourish more in the way he does in his Krikketmen novelisation.
August 23, 2025
An excellent story and an excellent book. The plot flys by, the jokes are great and the characters and vilans are well fleshed out. While it is more of a closer retelling of the tv story, we do get some great expansions on moments and characters that help flesh out the story. A what a beautiful cover!
March 25, 2023
Probably the most conventional of the three new Target novelisations I've got (haven't read Rose, which I understand does include some extras bits, and it's nothing compared to Day of the Doctor, which is an almost totally new re-imaging of the book). It is quite literally a straight up retelling of City of Death. Very few new things or added, probably because in this case, you don't have to. The story of City of Death is one of the greatest television shows put in Doctor's Who's history.
What exactly makes it so great? Is it the fantastic Paris setting (proving that not all alien activity have a bizarre bias for the Home Counties of Britain), which is actually worked deftly into the main plot with the Mona Lisa, meaning it actually has a reason to be in the story rather than simply a "ooh look, it's in Paris! How different!". Is it the surreal imagery, of six original Mona Lisas all locked up under a French chateu? Is it the glorious characterisation, from the superb villain of Scaroth (who, despite being a knobbly green alien creature with one single eye and no mouth, also manages to be a supremely suave and witty french aristocrat), to the primitive but endearing idiocy of Duggan? Is it the ingenuity of the plot, the concept behind it being so head smackingly stunning you'll be annoyed you didn't think of (building up all of humanity Quatermass style simply to get to the point where some Mona Lisas can be built, so you purchase the funds to build a time machine stop any of that even happening in the first place)? When so many Earth stories in Doctor Who unfortunately get stuck into alien invasions or mad scientists, this is a genuinely, genuinely, original idea.
Or is it perhaps (probably the best thing of the whole story), the wonderfully funny, genuinely laugh out loud dialogue? So many lines just shine out like glittering gems you'll be astounded at them. The scene where the Doctor first meets Count Scariloni may be the funniest scene in Doctor Who's history, the perfect quinteliisation of Tom Baker's Doctor, charmingly stupidity as a method of tactical evasion.
"I say, what a wonderful butler you're so violent".
"Well, you're a very beautiful woman, probably"
"Duggan what are you doing for heavens sake! That's a Louis chaise".
"Well you see I'm a thief...and this man is Duggan, he's the detective who's been kind enough to catch me, you see our two lines of work dovetail beautifully".
"Who sent you? "Who sent me what?"
Not to mention the others scattered throughout the story:
"I've got to meet a Italian. Middle aged Italian. In fact late Middle Aged - Renaissance".
"You know what I don't understand? "I expect so".
"You know Romana I think something very funny is going on. You know that man who was following us? We'll he's standing behind me pointing a gun at my back".
"You'll be seen by Captain Tancreti". "Captain Tancreti!" "You've heard of him?" "Nope".
"It'll be all the worse for you, for this dear young lady, and several other people i could mention if i happened to have the Paris telephone directory at my disposal".
And so many others that I've probably forgotten. It has to be Doctor Who at its funniest, I can't recall a story every having dialogue so crisp, sharp and funny. But as Steven Moffat stated in the DVD documenatry that accompanied this story, the humour always works to support and supplement the drama and the action, never dominate it. And indeed, when the story needs to be serious, it is.
The Doctor and the beautiful Lalla Ward's Romana were one of the best couplings in the shows history, her utterly effortless intelligent, coolness sophistication matching brilliantly with the scatterbrained insanity of Tom Baker's Doctor. The opening, where Romana and the Doctor and just wondering around Paris, going for lunch, visiting the Ifle tower, snapping one-liners and quiffs and one another, positively oozing with charm and charisma. You actively want to be with this people, and yet they have an air of detached estrangement around them, making them seem slightly inaccessible. Most of us around them would be like Duggan, gawping in dumbfounde awe as we try to amble towards their magnificence. They skitter and dance around the stars with supreme confidence and joy, knowing they are funnier and cleverer than almost anyone else. In this episode they shine at their most.
Jame Goss does the functional job of translating this wonder onto page. But he also goes a slight step further, pressing out some of the (few) flaws, like some plotholes (like how does that rubber mask Scarloni wear get put back on when he clearly tore it apart when taking it off?) As well as adding some glorious details to the book (Keresnky's death is far more gruesome and horrifying than you could ever have guessed from the TV story, adding a real air of tragedy and pathos to him, as well as magnifying Scaroth's evil.
All in order, the book should be read just to remind you just how fantastic the story is in the first place. If you've never watched the story, pick it up immediately to find out how good it is, and then get the DVD to see it in action.
What exactly makes it so great? Is it the fantastic Paris setting (proving that not all alien activity have a bizarre bias for the Home Counties of Britain), which is actually worked deftly into the main plot with the Mona Lisa, meaning it actually has a reason to be in the story rather than simply a "ooh look, it's in Paris! How different!". Is it the surreal imagery, of six original Mona Lisas all locked up under a French chateu? Is it the glorious characterisation, from the superb villain of Scaroth (who, despite being a knobbly green alien creature with one single eye and no mouth, also manages to be a supremely suave and witty french aristocrat), to the primitive but endearing idiocy of Duggan? Is it the ingenuity of the plot, the concept behind it being so head smackingly stunning you'll be annoyed you didn't think of (building up all of humanity Quatermass style simply to get to the point where some Mona Lisas can be built, so you purchase the funds to build a time machine stop any of that even happening in the first place)? When so many Earth stories in Doctor Who unfortunately get stuck into alien invasions or mad scientists, this is a genuinely, genuinely, original idea.
Or is it perhaps (probably the best thing of the whole story), the wonderfully funny, genuinely laugh out loud dialogue? So many lines just shine out like glittering gems you'll be astounded at them. The scene where the Doctor first meets Count Scariloni may be the funniest scene in Doctor Who's history, the perfect quinteliisation of Tom Baker's Doctor, charmingly stupidity as a method of tactical evasion.
"I say, what a wonderful butler you're so violent".
"Well, you're a very beautiful woman, probably"
"Duggan what are you doing for heavens sake! That's a Louis chaise".
"Well you see I'm a thief...and this man is Duggan, he's the detective who's been kind enough to catch me, you see our two lines of work dovetail beautifully".
"Who sent you? "Who sent me what?"
Not to mention the others scattered throughout the story:
"I've got to meet a Italian. Middle aged Italian. In fact late Middle Aged - Renaissance".
"You know what I don't understand? "I expect so".
"You know Romana I think something very funny is going on. You know that man who was following us? We'll he's standing behind me pointing a gun at my back".
"You'll be seen by Captain Tancreti". "Captain Tancreti!" "You've heard of him?" "Nope".
"It'll be all the worse for you, for this dear young lady, and several other people i could mention if i happened to have the Paris telephone directory at my disposal".
And so many others that I've probably forgotten. It has to be Doctor Who at its funniest, I can't recall a story every having dialogue so crisp, sharp and funny. But as Steven Moffat stated in the DVD documenatry that accompanied this story, the humour always works to support and supplement the drama and the action, never dominate it. And indeed, when the story needs to be serious, it is.
The Doctor and the beautiful Lalla Ward's Romana were one of the best couplings in the shows history, her utterly effortless intelligent, coolness sophistication matching brilliantly with the scatterbrained insanity of Tom Baker's Doctor. The opening, where Romana and the Doctor and just wondering around Paris, going for lunch, visiting the Ifle tower, snapping one-liners and quiffs and one another, positively oozing with charm and charisma. You actively want to be with this people, and yet they have an air of detached estrangement around them, making them seem slightly inaccessible. Most of us around them would be like Duggan, gawping in dumbfounde awe as we try to amble towards their magnificence. They skitter and dance around the stars with supreme confidence and joy, knowing they are funnier and cleverer than almost anyone else. In this episode they shine at their most.
Jame Goss does the functional job of translating this wonder onto page. But he also goes a slight step further, pressing out some of the (few) flaws, like some plotholes (like how does that rubber mask Scarloni wear get put back on when he clearly tore it apart when taking it off?) As well as adding some glorious details to the book (Keresnky's death is far more gruesome and horrifying than you could ever have guessed from the TV story, adding a real air of tragedy and pathos to him, as well as magnifying Scaroth's evil.
All in order, the book should be read just to remind you just how fantastic the story is in the first place. If you've never watched the story, pick it up immediately to find out how good it is, and then get the DVD to see it in action.
May 12, 2022
boring.
February 8, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
September 2, 2024
I really enjoyed this quick read.
October 21, 2018
A nicely written novelisation of one of the best classic Doctor Who episodes which was famously edited by the comic genius Douglas Addams, this book does what it needs to with a good pace, clever writing and a mixture between sci-fi dread and hilarity.
At first I felt the writer's attempt to emulate Douglas Addams humour was a bit forced, but as the story got on I found it to hillarious and well balanced.
I apprectiate the introspective details that work best in a novelisation, like the 'itch' of the villans face and other such things.
I found the villan to be interesting, his background and purpose well done and even with his geniune malciousness, I found he had a melencholic edge which appealed to me.
The iconic 4th doctor was his wise and humerous self, written on top form.
Pick this up if you want to read a classic who story with a great sense of humour.
At first I felt the writer's attempt to emulate Douglas Addams humour was a bit forced, but as the story got on I found it to hillarious and well balanced.
I apprectiate the introspective details that work best in a novelisation, like the 'itch' of the villans face and other such things.
I found the villan to be interesting, his background and purpose well done and even with his geniune malciousness, I found he had a melencholic edge which appealed to me.
The iconic 4th doctor was his wise and humerous self, written on top form.
Pick this up if you want to read a classic who story with a great sense of humour.
November 9, 2019
Abridged version of this 'missing' novelisation (first published in 2015) and here with a cover to match the 'New Target' books, in a style similar to the traditional books. The version here lacks the occasionally arch (twee?) chapter titles, in favour of (again) more traditional ones - the Prologue is 'Escapes to Dangers'...
The retelling here is straightforward with a couple of flourishes and twiddles - Scaroth/Scarlioni is not as cognisant of his identify at first, for example - and accidentally rips his mask which reveals his hidden face. The mechanics behind the plot make more sense, too.
All in all a fine effort - not convinced that the story is worth it, mind you...
The retelling here is straightforward with a couple of flourishes and twiddles - Scaroth/Scarlioni is not as cognisant of his identify at first, for example - and accidentally rips his mask which reveals his hidden face. The mechanics behind the plot make more sense, too.
All in all a fine effort - not convinced that the story is worth it, mind you...
October 16, 2025
James Goss’ novelisation of Douglas Adams’ esteemed TV tale sits among the best in the Target canon. Wisely, he maintains the integrity of the TV script (its tone and wit) while adding subtle embellishments that prevent a dreary retread of the story. I particularly like the moments when he tackles City of Death’s elephant in the room, Scarlioni’s human mask, something one must gloss over to enjoy the original show. I note that the hardback version has an increased page count: 320 vs 185. Assuming the word count is greater too, I’d like to see how much it further enriches the original story, hence my four-star rating.
August 24, 2019
‘City of Death’ is a benchmark episode of Classic Who. I think the reason it works so well is due to the ambitious and well-plotted story that leaps from the birth of all life on Earth to the the theft of the Mona Lisa.
Firstly, I liked how lean the book is: running just shy of 200 pages - a few extra details have been added but otherwise it’s a faithful adaptation. Even if you aren’t familiar with the Fourth Doctor’s era of the show, within the first few pages you’ll get a great insight into the characters of the Doctor and Romana. Ideal for new and old fans alike!
Firstly, I liked how lean the book is: running just shy of 200 pages - a few extra details have been added but otherwise it’s a faithful adaptation. Even if you aren’t familiar with the Fourth Doctor’s era of the show, within the first few pages you’ll get a great insight into the characters of the Doctor and Romana. Ideal for new and old fans alike!
February 26, 2021
Adams + Goss is funny as usual. However this target novelization version while great (3.5 stars) is lacking slightly as I know there exists a much longer more fleshed out version. No doubt the story is exciting and executed in remarkable fashion given that it is in fact scaled down to target size. Overall I thought it had its funny moments which were hilarious, it had some rather dark moments as well. It wasn't amazing but it was a very enjoyable read to fit in between a week of assignments of midterms, in short; the perfect little distraction.
July 23, 2018
I haven't finished this book yet, but I felt compelled to write a little something. If you like Douglas Adams and haven't read this yet, you are in for a treat. From the first page, Adams' fingerprints are all over this novelization, and that, combined with the memory of these episodes of Doctor Who, make for a wonderful retelling of City of Death.
January 11, 2020
Entertaining light read. Clever (if somewhat silly) story via Douglas Adams' original script; James Goss's novelization caught the voice of the 4th Doctor and Romana very well, I thought. Made me laugh a few times, picturing Tom Baker delivering certain lines. (Now I want to go back and watch the actual episodes.)
July 5, 2018
All hail James Goss.
"City of Death" the TV episode, is, of course, the best classic Doctor Who episode of all-time.
James Goss completely understands how and why Douglas Adams's masterpiece is, in fact, a masterpiece.
Plus he's funny.
"City of Death" the TV episode, is, of course, the best classic Doctor Who episode of all-time.
James Goss completely understands how and why Douglas Adams's masterpiece is, in fact, a masterpiece.
Plus he's funny.
February 14, 2020
A brilliant combination. James Goss brings Douglas Adam’s original TV version to life in this novelisation, with added flourishes that enhance the story in keeping with Douglas’ style and humour. Bravo! No easy job, but he does it beautifully.
March 24, 2021
A short holiday in Paris for the Doctor and Romana is interrupted by an alien intelligence desperate to steal the Mona Lisa.
Goss' Target novelisation captures the manic spirit of the "City of Death" serial and captures Douglas Adams' individual sense of humour.
Goss' Target novelisation captures the manic spirit of the "City of Death" serial and captures Douglas Adams' individual sense of humour.
April 30, 2021
The qualities that make the TV story so brilliant don't come across here. Without the performances, the comedy doesn't work nearly as well. Kerensky's death is great here though, a very nice addition.
March 17, 2018
So much fun to read! James has done a fantastic job of shortening the story whilst keeping it exciting and brilliant.
June 14, 2019
An excellent adaptation of the TV classic.
April 18, 2020
On a mission to read as many Target novels and new adventures as I can - this one was okay, not as easy to read as other target novels though.
May 7, 2020
A good adaptation. Flashes of Adams-esque wit and nicely constructed. A brilliantly silly story though.
December 13, 2020
Charming and very quotable, but it's a shame Douglas Adams didn't get the chance to write the novelisation himself as it's missing his unique brand of absurd.
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