What do you think?
Rate this book
Doctor Who Target Books (Numerical Order) #45
Doctor Who and the Nightmare of Eden
A freak accident locks two ships together in space — and a distress call brings the Doctor, Romana, and the faithful K9 onto the scene.
The Doctor's efforts to separate the two ships involve him with treacherous drug smugglers, ferocious monsters, and a savagely dangerous planet called Eden...
The Doctor's efforts to separate the two ships involve him with treacherous drug smugglers, ferocious monsters, and a savagely dangerous planet called Eden...
111 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1980
2 people are currently reading
230 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
October 11, 2021
This is a novelization of the fourth serial from the seventeenth season of Doctor Who, which was broadcast in November and December of 1979. Terrance Dicks did a good, straight-forward job of adapting the story in the teleplay by Bob Baker with nothing much added or changed. The story stars the fourth, most popular, version of the title character, and his fellow Gallifreyan companion, Romana (or Romanadvoratrelundar for the full version), in her second iteration. And, of course, their loyal robotic canine, K9. It's a short, well-written action/adventure episode centering around the dangers of criminal drug trade. It has an interesting puzzle with two spaceships being merged due to one leaving hyperspace in the same place the other was inhabiting.
June 14, 2021
When I found this at a used book store, I was pretty excited to read it. The Nightmare of Eden was a favorite Dr. Who episode of mine. Now I'd get the chance to read the novelized version of the tv show! I was curious to see how it differed, if at all, from the original. Only problem being that I haven't seen the episode since the '80s. Were highly addictive drugs the crux of the plot on the show? The kids' show? All I remember is that sweet-ass monster and how it was captured in a projection of a jungle...until it broke free and wreaked wonderful havoc aboard ship. Let's face it, I watched for the monsters. Due to the yeoman-like, wham-bam-ty-mama quality of the writing in the book, the monster is pretty much the main draw here as well.
July 12, 2014
After the great 50th birthday celebrations of the tv show Doctor Who, I got caught up once again in this show and did revisit "my Doctor" namely the toothy and curly fourth Doctor, Tom Baker. I have plenty of dvd's with this versions adventures and never fail to enjoy his Doctor.
This novel I found among my possesions, is one of a number of Target novelisations which I have aquired over time but not read (for some odd reason, even if I have some of them on dvd). It is of an adventure of Tom Baker's Doctor that I have not yet seen so made it interesting.
The Doctor & Romana 2 arrive at an accident site were two spacesips coming out of warpspace ended up into each other and as always there is some thread by some alien. There are discussions on values due to the research by one professor that is considered primitive and crude by the two timelords while they have to solve all of the problems of dagerous drugs, the explosion of the two ships any moment and some alien menace.
The book reminde me of the novelisation of Star Trek (original series) by James Blish so long ago, the characters and situations are there but it lacks the extra insight and depths that both series got when the authors were no longer stuck to writing tv scripts but were let loose on the universes.
Great writing, by NO means. Fun, sure as I did not know this story and could fill in Tom Bakers acting in my mind (the same applies to Lalla Wardas Romana).
This novel I found among my possesions, is one of a number of Target novelisations which I have aquired over time but not read (for some odd reason, even if I have some of them on dvd). It is of an adventure of Tom Baker's Doctor that I have not yet seen so made it interesting.
The Doctor & Romana 2 arrive at an accident site were two spacesips coming out of warpspace ended up into each other and as always there is some thread by some alien. There are discussions on values due to the research by one professor that is considered primitive and crude by the two timelords while they have to solve all of the problems of dagerous drugs, the explosion of the two ships any moment and some alien menace.
The book reminde me of the novelisation of Star Trek (original series) by James Blish so long ago, the characters and situations are there but it lacks the extra insight and depths that both series got when the authors were no longer stuck to writing tv scripts but were let loose on the universes.
Great writing, by NO means. Fun, sure as I did not know this story and could fill in Tom Bakers acting in my mind (the same applies to Lalla Wardas Romana).
October 24, 2022
Doctor Who's seventeenth season firmly divides fandom -- some love it, others not so much. The stories have a lot of ambition, but it's just not all realized by what we finally get on our screens.
It's a season that could -- and should -- be helped by the Target adaptations of each story. Freed of the budget limitations and the feeling that maybe script editor Douglas Adams should have had one more pass at polishing each story before production began, these stories could have been something wonderful on the printed page. Unfortunately, this was also a period when the Target adaptations were coming out fast and furious and not allowing writer Terrance Dicks to do much more than adapt the shooting script for the printed page.
All of this brings us to "The Nightmare of Eden," a story in which Doctor Who tries to rise above and do anti-drugs story. Except the message is fairly simplistic ("Drugs are bad"), and the story around it isn't necessarily the greatest in the world.
Two ships collide exiting hyperspace, creating an unstable region between the two. The Doctor, Romana, and K-9 arrive on the scene and set about trying to pull the two ships apart. Also on board is Tryst, who has created a CET machine. The machine is able to capture samples of various environments in a crystal and render them on-screen for further study and to save multiple endangered species from each planet. Unfortunately, the dimensional instability leads to various creatures, including the deadly Mandril, being able to cross over from the crystal to various ships.
Throw into this chaos that someone is smuggling the deadly drug vraxoin and working hard to cover his or her tracks and you've got the makings of a pretty interesting story.
Except the pieces never quite add up. There are some solid sci-fi elements here and the wider implications of vraxoin and its destructive and addictive properties, but they're never fully realized. The connection between the CET machine, the Mandrils, and the drug becomes fairly obvious early as well, thus leading to it feeling like a lot of episodes two and three is various parties running around corridors and escaping each other.
Dicks does his best given the time constraints and he does make the Mandrils a bit more intimidating on the printed page than they come across on-screen. However, this is a story that could have benefited greatly from the Dicks who gave us "Day of the Daleks" or "The Auton Invasion." Rounding out the characters a bit would have helped a great deal, as would connecting certain scenes during the story.
The best part about the audiobook is Dan Starkey avoids the temptation to use the outrageous accent (think one of the French knights from Monty Python and the Holy Grail) that Tryst has in the story. Starkey does a nice imitation of Tom Baker and his reading of the book is nicely done. It is telling that this audiobook clocks in at just under two hours -- just a hair more time than you'd spend watching the story. It shows how little time Dicks had to rush the story out and how little he embellished it.
The most praise you can heap on this one is that it's "serviceable." I'm always struck by the thought that Tom Baker's era of Doctor Who is one of the most popular among fans, but it's one of the lesser-served eras when it comes to the Target books. "The Nightmare of Eden" reinforces that feeling.
It's a season that could -- and should -- be helped by the Target adaptations of each story. Freed of the budget limitations and the feeling that maybe script editor Douglas Adams should have had one more pass at polishing each story before production began, these stories could have been something wonderful on the printed page. Unfortunately, this was also a period when the Target adaptations were coming out fast and furious and not allowing writer Terrance Dicks to do much more than adapt the shooting script for the printed page.
All of this brings us to "The Nightmare of Eden," a story in which Doctor Who tries to rise above and do anti-drugs story. Except the message is fairly simplistic ("Drugs are bad"), and the story around it isn't necessarily the greatest in the world.
Two ships collide exiting hyperspace, creating an unstable region between the two. The Doctor, Romana, and K-9 arrive on the scene and set about trying to pull the two ships apart. Also on board is Tryst, who has created a CET machine. The machine is able to capture samples of various environments in a crystal and render them on-screen for further study and to save multiple endangered species from each planet. Unfortunately, the dimensional instability leads to various creatures, including the deadly Mandril, being able to cross over from the crystal to various ships.
Throw into this chaos that someone is smuggling the deadly drug vraxoin and working hard to cover his or her tracks and you've got the makings of a pretty interesting story.
Except the pieces never quite add up. There are some solid sci-fi elements here and the wider implications of vraxoin and its destructive and addictive properties, but they're never fully realized. The connection between the CET machine, the Mandrils, and the drug becomes fairly obvious early as well, thus leading to it feeling like a lot of episodes two and three is various parties running around corridors and escaping each other.
Dicks does his best given the time constraints and he does make the Mandrils a bit more intimidating on the printed page than they come across on-screen. However, this is a story that could have benefited greatly from the Dicks who gave us "Day of the Daleks" or "The Auton Invasion." Rounding out the characters a bit would have helped a great deal, as would connecting certain scenes during the story.
The best part about the audiobook is Dan Starkey avoids the temptation to use the outrageous accent (think one of the French knights from Monty Python and the Holy Grail) that Tryst has in the story. Starkey does a nice imitation of Tom Baker and his reading of the book is nicely done. It is telling that this audiobook clocks in at just under two hours -- just a hair more time than you'd spend watching the story. It shows how little time Dicks had to rush the story out and how little he embellished it.
The most praise you can heap on this one is that it's "serviceable." I'm always struck by the thought that Tom Baker's era of Doctor Who is one of the most popular among fans, but it's one of the lesser-served eras when it comes to the Target books. "The Nightmare of Eden" reinforces that feeling.
October 8, 2025
I've always had a soft spot for this story. It's a good mix of running around from big monsters with little an interesting message inside. Doctor who does drug smuggling. However it is far to say that there are a few things that don't help the original story. The over complications of a rather basic idea, the "interesting accents" and the big cuddlely monsters not quite working.
Once again the book doesn't have that problem. While it's still a stright forward retelling of the story. It's less complicated by techno babble, useless padding and the monsters are a genuine threat. K9 also gets some much better action too. While the book could of been better if we had a chapter or two in "a day in the life" of what happened when this drug effected a planet and its people etc. But the story still just works without it. While I like the original, i found this much more enjoyable and found it a rather great little story with a very adult theme in there. Yes it's a little too on the nose at times and maybe this kind of topic should have been explored much more. But it still works as a monster of the week with a message. Personally I really enjoyed this read.
Once again the book doesn't have that problem. While it's still a stright forward retelling of the story. It's less complicated by techno babble, useless padding and the monsters are a genuine threat. K9 also gets some much better action too. While the book could of been better if we had a chapter or two in "a day in the life" of what happened when this drug effected a planet and its people etc. But the story still just works without it. While I like the original, i found this much more enjoyable and found it a rather great little story with a very adult theme in there. Yes it's a little too on the nose at times and maybe this kind of topic should have been explored much more. But it still works as a monster of the week with a message. Personally I really enjoyed this read.
February 6, 2024
Never been a big fan of the Very Special Episodes, but it's hard to hate these Season 17 efforts, even if they are novelized with AI precision by Terrance Dicks. Season 17 made me a fan, after all, from City of Death to the Horns of Nimon, with UK inflation in 1979 making every serial cheaper than the last. Of course, in a novel, you can't see the wonky special effects or egg-carton spaceship models.
The sledgehammer messaging is a little hard to get past. One of the characters dopes a spaceship pilot, and instead of coming down from his high with a mild headache and crippling embarrassment over what he got up to when he was in Bat Country, he turns into a sweating, raging creature out of Reefer Madness. But once you do muscle past it, you end up with a story that could almost end up as a parody of the addiction narratives of the 1970s and 1980s.
The dialogue helps, of course. But it was clear they were going down a checklist when they wrote this one, and they ticked every box on the "Drugs 'r bad" Bingo card.
The sledgehammer messaging is a little hard to get past. One of the characters dopes a spaceship pilot, and instead of coming down from his high with a mild headache and crippling embarrassment over what he got up to when he was in Bat Country, he turns into a sweating, raging creature out of Reefer Madness. But once you do muscle past it, you end up with a story that could almost end up as a parody of the addiction narratives of the 1970s and 1980s.
The dialogue helps, of course. But it was clear they were going down a checklist when they wrote this one, and they ticked every box on the "Drugs 'r bad" Bingo card.
May 13, 2021
Drugs are bad, mkay? Seriously, is a good message to convey, but is reasonably heavy handed throughout, and at times seemed to take unnecessary precedence over more directly life threatening or emergency situations, and certainly seems as heavy handed if not more so than some of the more recent new Doctor Who stories, which seem to cop a fair bit of flak for it, which this one doesn't so much.
Is an interesting idea though, with ships colliding in / out of hyperspace, and various other experimental machinery interacting badly with the situation.
The Doctor, Romana and K9 are in good form here I think, all having some good moments, and some humorous interactions as well.
Many of the one off characters though aren't so well portrayed, being somewhat one dimensional with a few exceptions, making it hard to feel much empathy for them.
Is an enjoyable story nonethless, but doesn't reach the heights of other stories.
Is an interesting idea though, with ships colliding in / out of hyperspace, and various other experimental machinery interacting badly with the situation.
The Doctor, Romana and K9 are in good form here I think, all having some good moments, and some humorous interactions as well.
Many of the one off characters though aren't so well portrayed, being somewhat one dimensional with a few exceptions, making it hard to feel much empathy for them.
Is an enjoyable story nonethless, but doesn't reach the heights of other stories.
August 18, 2023
Doctor Who and the Nightmare of Eden (1980) by Terrance Dicks is the novelisation of the fourth serial of the seventeenth season of Doctor Who. It was the last serial entirely screened in the 1970s.
The Doctor, Romana and K9 arrive on a spaceship which has come out of hyperspace at the same location as another place. The two ships have a strange blurry border between them. A zoologist onboard one of the ships has a machine that records portions of planets in them. The machine appears almost too good and as though things may almost be able to get in and out. A mysterious monster is prowling the ships. One of the crew members is also addicted to a terrible drug.
It’s all a nice mix of multiple groups and monsters and technology. The book is in some ways better because the monsters, which were a bit comical in the TV series are described to make them seem ominous.
Doctor Who and the Nightmare of Eden is an entertaining Doctor Who book.
The Doctor, Romana and K9 arrive on a spaceship which has come out of hyperspace at the same location as another place. The two ships have a strange blurry border between them. A zoologist onboard one of the ships has a machine that records portions of planets in them. The machine appears almost too good and as though things may almost be able to get in and out. A mysterious monster is prowling the ships. One of the crew members is also addicted to a terrible drug.
It’s all a nice mix of multiple groups and monsters and technology. The book is in some ways better because the monsters, which were a bit comical in the TV series are described to make them seem ominous.
Doctor Who and the Nightmare of Eden is an entertaining Doctor Who book.
December 19, 2017
Tom Baker was my favorite "classic" Doctor, so I've been reading my way through the novelizations as I find them. For some reason, the creatures in this one didn't come across on the page with the same menace as on the screen...too generic in the descriptions, I think, and in the way they did harm.
I did like the twists in the "drug smuggling" story, but it seems like a drug that works in this particular way wouldn't create a good business model for illegal drug dealers. Under the influence, customers wouldn't care about buying more of the drug, and once it wears off, they'd be too distracted to figure out where to get more and pay for it. Sort of like heroin, but with stronger mood swings.
Now, as a biological weapon it would be very devastating, since the symptoms of withdrawal kick in after a single dose.
Still, it was a quick read, and a good reminder of the episode.
I did like the twists in the "drug smuggling" story, but it seems like a drug that works in this particular way wouldn't create a good business model for illegal drug dealers. Under the influence, customers wouldn't care about buying more of the drug, and once it wears off, they'd be too distracted to figure out where to get more and pay for it. Sort of like heroin, but with stronger mood swings.
Now, as a biological weapon it would be very devastating, since the symptoms of withdrawal kick in after a single dose.
Still, it was a quick read, and a good reminder of the episode.
March 3, 2023
Despite this being the weakest story of the series, Dicks helps make this novelisation an entertaining read.
The opening chapter of a fantastic premise feels really epic as Dicks retells how two ships 'Warp Smash'.
There's a weird mix of humour (from scripit editor Douglas Adams) combined with a strong moral message that drugs are bad - that doesn't quite mix well.
The Mandrels do feel slightly more scarier,whilst The Doctor's quibs are certainly amusing.
It's a fast-paced read, whilst it's also nice to hear John Lesson voice K9 in the audiobook.
The opening chapter of a fantastic premise feels really epic as Dicks retells how two ships 'Warp Smash'.
There's a weird mix of humour (from scripit editor Douglas Adams) combined with a strong moral message that drugs are bad - that doesn't quite mix well.
The Mandrels do feel slightly more scarier,whilst The Doctor's quibs are certainly amusing.
It's a fast-paced read, whilst it's also nice to hear John Lesson voice K9 in the audiobook.
April 4, 2024
As I'm reading these in story order, I'm rapidly running out of books by Terrance Dicks, although it was very good to get back to him after slogging through 'Creature from the Pit'. As usual with this set, this is a very short adaptation with little embellishments. Thankfully the awful scene at the end after the Doctor goes into Eden with the Mandrels ( 'My arm! My leg! My everything") has been cut from the book. I'd definitely recommend watching the tv story instead of reading the book - particularly the bluray release with new effects ( which are gorgeous, by the way).
May 2, 2019
This is almost a direct copy of an earlier adventure of the Doctor with only a few things changed. The charactisation of the Dr is so off I thought it was the 3rd Doc through most of the books until he pulled out his jelly babies. Thats unusal for this author who really is the daddy of Who fiction.
January 17, 2021
あらすじ
旅客宇宙船エムプレスと調査宇宙船ヘカテがワープから抜け出す時に衝突し、爆発せずに重なりあってしまった。エムプレスからの救難信号を受けてターディスで乗り込んだドクターとロマーナとK9。ドクターはエムプレスの若いナビゲーターが危険ドラックをやっていることに気がつき、どこから入手したのか調べようとする。
感想
潜入捜査官に麻薬の密輸入。宇宙船を舞台にしたクライムサスペンス。麻薬密輸犯かと疑われ、捜査官と真犯人の双方から命を狙われてながら事件を解決に導いていくドクター。スリルにつぐスリルで物語を駆け抜けていく感覚が楽しい。途中ロマーナがドラッグを盛られるのだが、特に何事もなくエンディング。タイムロードに麻薬は効かないってことなのか。いつこれが災いするのかハラハラしていたのだが...。伏線、回収し忘れたのかな？ 気になったのはそれくらい。
旅客宇宙船エムプレスと調査宇宙船ヘカテがワープから抜け出す時に衝突し、爆発せずに重なりあってしまった。エムプレスからの救難信号を受けてターディスで乗り込んだドクターとロマーナとK9。ドクターはエムプレスの若いナビゲーターが危険ドラックをやっていることに気がつき、どこから入手したのか調べようとする。
感想
潜入捜査官に麻薬の密輸入。宇宙船を舞台にしたクライムサスペンス。麻薬密輸犯かと疑われ、捜査官と真犯人の双方から命を狙われてながら事件を解決に導いていくドクター。スリルにつぐスリルで物語を駆け抜けていく感覚が楽しい。途中ロマーナがドラッグを盛られるのだが、特に何事もなくエンディング。タイムロードに麻薬は効かないってことなのか。いつこれが災いするのかハラハラしていたのだが...。伏線、回収し忘れたのかな？ 気になったのはそれくらい。
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 30, 2018
Another Terrance Dicks adaptation best described as "serviceable"...a straightforward, no-frills adaptation (from a time when that was par for the course), with a few extra additions to clean up some logic gaps in the plot, which is a Terrance Dicks specialty.
November 16, 2021
A very average entry into the Target Book line. The story is a bit messy and there's three intresting threads that all end a little limply.
Not bad by any means but far from the best Dr Who. Read it if you want to enjoy them all but don't feel bad if you skip this one.
Not bad by any means but far from the best Dr Who. Read it if you want to enjoy them all but don't feel bad if you skip this one.
January 25, 2022
Another target novel that feels more like a novella, a fun start where in the future we will be viewing video cassettes and listening to stereo tapes.
Still I enjoyed it, in its silly running around corridors way.
2.5 stars from me.
Still I enjoyed it, in its silly running around corridors way.
2.5 stars from me.
January 24, 2025
I enjoyed this a lot more than the tv version: there’s no dodgy costumes, effects or accents here and the story is better for it. Which makes me appreciate the original script even more, despite the heavy-handed messaging contained within.
December 3, 2017
On the page, the Mandrels are not the issue they are on screen. This is a thoroughly enjoyable space story effectively told by Terrance Dicks.
March 15, 2020
Another competent rendering of the TV show by Terrance Dicks. Some small changes, but generally faithful to the TV show. Easily read.
Story is quite good.
Story is quite good.
February 28, 2021
Loved it
December 21, 2022
Thank you narrators and Terrace Dicks for this story. Fourth Doctor with K9 and Romana.I really enjoyed listening to this story.
February 24, 2009
An interesting Who story in that it's juggling three different story elements, a mystery, a monster story and a message story about the evils of drug abuse.
Two ships traveling in hyperspace collide, fusing them together, and also sucking in the Tardis. While the Fourth Doctor, Rommana and K-9 try to fix the situation, they discover that something is stalking around the ships and that someone on the ship may be smuggling one of the most addictive drugs in the galaxy.
The various story arcs are juggled nicely. The mystery is interesting, while the monster is a bit generic, there is a nice menacing feel to them as well as they tie in cleverly to the solution of the mystery and the anti-drug message is presented without you feeling like you've been hit over the head with it.
plus, having K-9 around makes any Doctor WHo story better.
Only complaint is that in the TV episode we are told one of the ship is a big space cruiser, but we only ever see about six people. The book, which has no budget constraints, has the same feel. wish the writer had done more to fix that.
Two ships traveling in hyperspace collide, fusing them together, and also sucking in the Tardis. While the Fourth Doctor, Rommana and K-9 try to fix the situation, they discover that something is stalking around the ships and that someone on the ship may be smuggling one of the most addictive drugs in the galaxy.
The various story arcs are juggled nicely. The mystery is interesting, while the monster is a bit generic, there is a nice menacing feel to them as well as they tie in cleverly to the solution of the mystery and the anti-drug message is presented without you feeling like you've been hit over the head with it.
plus, having K-9 around makes any Doctor WHo story better.
Only complaint is that in the TV episode we are told one of the ship is a big space cruiser, but we only ever see about six people. The book, which has no budget constraints, has the same feel. wish the writer had done more to fix that.
March 18, 2021
Edit, 2021: Was I in a bad mood when I wrote this review in 2012? I actually had no recollection of reading this book; I read it today thinking I hadn't read it before (and didn't even remember once I'd started reading, which is unusual for me). I really enjoyed it, came on here to log it, and... apparently when I was 17 I didn't think much of it. I've adjusted my rating to reflect my most current reading.
I've given this such a low rating because the writing was surprisingly poor. Although I expect poor writing from books like these, that have been written as spin offs from TV shows, I do expect them to be able to hook me in. In this case, the story, which should have been gripping, was mediocre and not very interesting. However, the doctor was written well, and that made it worth reading.
I've given this such a low rating because the writing was surprisingly poor. Although I expect poor writing from books like these, that have been written as spin offs from TV shows, I do expect them to be able to hook me in. In this case, the story, which should have been gripping, was mediocre and not very interesting. However, the doctor was written well, and that made it worth reading.
December 10, 2012
I was very pleased to find a Dr and Romana story that I'd not watched. This one was an interesting sci-fi one about two ships that collided and got phased together when they came out of hyperspace. To make added drama there was a monster on the loose and the universe's most highly addictive drug being smuggled in. It was quite a good little story, though rather low on character interaction. The other characters didn't seem very developed and even Romana seemed highly underused, reduced to the ranks of "companion" instead of super-intelligent time lord. Still it was quite fun and I would still like to see the episode.
April 14, 2008
The Doctor, Romana and K-9 land the TARDIS at two ships at once--two spaceships jumped out of hyperspace at the same point, and are now dangerously tangled together. While they try to solve this problem, another pops up--someone or something viciously attacks crew members. Romana is suspicious of an exploration team that takes extensive samples of the planets they visit.
She has reason to be. As in many other Doctor Who stories, interfering with "primitive" planets has unforseen, violent consequences.
She has reason to be. As in many other Doctor Who stories, interfering with "primitive" planets has unforseen, violent consequences.
Read
April 8, 2009http://nhw.livejournal.com/1051656.html#cutid4[return][return]This story had some of the least convincing monsters and effects ever, compounded by very few of the actors appearing to take it at all seriously. Rather surprisingly, Dicks has turned into his most memorable novel from this period of the show's history, a fairly impassioned parable of drugs and altered realities which comes over much better on the page than on the screen. The best Dicks novel of the second Romana.
August 12, 2014
A rather typical Doctor Who adventure full of in jokes for those experienced with the Dr. It is an easy read and doesn't demand much of the reader. The whole story could be solved if we (collectively) had taken notice of Nancy's words "just say no" sic.. It did end with a nice philosophical conclusion, which I will leave for you to discover.
July 30, 2014
What can be cooler than watching an episode of Doctor Who? (Mind you, 4th Doctor is best Doctor) Well reading the episode as a book! This Doctor/Romana adventure is packed with mystery, and will have you trying to guess who's guilty! Doctorr who meets crime solving at its finest :)
August 11, 2015
The Fourth Doctor and Romana find themselves in a fast paced thriller on two ships that collide in hyperspace. This is one of the more "physical" adventures, lots of gunfights and running away. As always, very entertaining and we'll told by Terrance Dicks.
April 12, 2014
Fails to overcome the problems of the original TV story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews