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Doctor Who Target Books (Numerical Order) #78
Doctor Who: Earthshock
A group of palaeontologists have been savagely attacked while carrying out a study of a fossilised cave system on twenty-fifth-century Earth.
A party of troopers and Professor Kyle, the only survivor of the attack, are investigating the death of her colleagues when they discover the Fifth Doctor and his companions at the site of the massacre. The time-travellers are immediately suspected.
In trying to establish their innocence and find out who-or what-was responsible for the killings, the Doctor is confronted by an old enemy...
A party of troopers and Professor Kyle, the only survivor of the attack, are investigating the death of her colleagues when they discover the Fifth Doctor and his companions at the site of the massacre. The time-travellers are immediately suspected.
In trying to establish their innocence and find out who-or what-was responsible for the killings, the Doctor is confronted by an old enemy...
128 pages, Paperback
First published August 18, 1983
3 people are currently reading
279 people want to read
About the author
Ian Marter
25 books20 followersIan Don Marter was born at Alcock Hospital in Keresley, near Coventry, on the 28th of October 1944. His father, Donald Herbert, was an RAF sergeant and electrician by trade, and his mother was Helen, nee Donaldson.
He was, among other things, a teacher and a milkman.
He became an actor after graduating from Oxford University, and appeared in Repertory and West End productions and on television. He trained at the Bristol Old Vic. He was best known for playing Harry Sullivan in the BBC Television series Doctor Who from 1974 to 1975, alongside Tom Baker and Elisabeth Sladen. He had already appeared in the show as Lieutenant John Andrews in the Jon Pertwee serial Carnival of Monsters. He had numerous TV roles including appearances in Crown Court and Bergerac (Return of the Ice Maiden, 1985, opposite Louise Jameson).
Marter got into writing the novelisations following a dinner conversation. He went on to adapt 9 scripts over ten years. He started with The Ark in Space, the TV version of which he'd actually appeared in as companion Harry Sullivan. In the end he adapted more serials than he appeared in (7 appearances, 9 novelisations), and wrote one of the Companions series, telling of the post-Doctor adventures of Harry in Harry Sullivan's War. Shortly before his death he was discussing, with series editor Nigel Robinson, the possibility of adapting his unused movie script Doctor Who Meets Scratchman (co-written with Tom Baker) into a novel.
He was, among other things, a teacher and a milkman.
He became an actor after graduating from Oxford University, and appeared in Repertory and West End productions and on television. He trained at the Bristol Old Vic. He was best known for playing Harry Sullivan in the BBC Television series Doctor Who from 1974 to 1975, alongside Tom Baker and Elisabeth Sladen. He had already appeared in the show as Lieutenant John Andrews in the Jon Pertwee serial Carnival of Monsters. He had numerous TV roles including appearances in Crown Court and Bergerac (Return of the Ice Maiden, 1985, opposite Louise Jameson).
Marter got into writing the novelisations following a dinner conversation. He went on to adapt 9 scripts over ten years. He started with The Ark in Space, the TV version of which he'd actually appeared in as companion Harry Sullivan. In the end he adapted more serials than he appeared in (7 appearances, 9 novelisations), and wrote one of the Companions series, telling of the post-Doctor adventures of Harry in Harry Sullivan's War. Shortly before his death he was discussing, with series editor Nigel Robinson, the possibility of adapting his unused movie script Doctor Who Meets Scratchman (co-written with Tom Baker) into a novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
August 4, 2021
Earthshock was the sixth serial of the nineteenth season of the Doctor Who television show, starring the fifth iteration of The Doctor with three companions, Tegan Jovanka the stewardess from contemporary Earth, the aristocratic Nyssa of Traken, and Adric, a mathematical prodigy from another dimension who was one of the least-liked companions ever on the show. The original teleplay, which was broadcast in March of 1982, was written by Eric Saward, and this novelization was written by Ian Marter, who was a former star of the show himself; he portrayed Harry Sullivan alongside Doctor number four. It's not one of Marter's best novelizations, perhaps because he tried too hard not to change the story, and some of the surprise reveals only worked visually, and his tone shifts from moody to slam-bang a little frequently. The crew find themselves at a paleontological dig in the 26th century, help solve the mystery of missing scientists after being captured and accused of the crime, and are menaced by a bomb controlled from a freighter entering the Solar System, before coming face-to-face with the real villains, the evil Cybermen. The one thing that particularly stands out about the story (a scene which Marter does capture well in this version) (Spoiler warning! Spoiler warning!) is that Adric sacrifices himself at the end in order to save the day. It was quite a stunner, and, after two decades, was the first time one of the Doctor's companions had died in the line of duty, so to speak. Adric was the whiny, annoying character you wanted to be rid of, and then when he acted so unexpectedly noble and was gone you felt guilty. It's one of the more memorable adventures, if not among the best written.
August 7, 2011
The Target novelization of Earthshock is something of a match made in heaven: a fine action/adventure script novelized by Ian Marter, a writer whose style was perfectly suited to that genre. Marter keeps the story running along with his vivid descriptions of the story's action pieces (particularity the scenes in the caves) and by capturing the tension of the original television story which makes the ending all the more shocking, even if you've seen the TV version. There are some problems though with the novelization though, particularly with how Marter deals with the Cybermen. Apparently trying to keep the surprise of the TV version's part one cliffhanger, Marter spends much of the first fifty pages not calling them Cybermen and then suddenly, with no dramatic effect at all, just starts calling them what they are. That though isn't as big a problem as his characterization of them. The Cybermen, particularly the Cyberleader, suddenly becomes incredibly emotional with altered dialogue (where the Cyberleader says “revenge” a lot) and hissing sounds through their ventilators indicating the Cybermen's mood apparently. Marter would do things much better when he novelized the second Doctor story The Invasion a couple years later but his handling of the Cybermen here leaves a lot to be desired. As a result, this is a good novelization of a fine TV story, but one feels that this match made in heaven might have been a bit better.
May 24, 2025
3.5 stars. A simple retelling of the original. I read this aloud to a friend, which highlighted some clunky writing and long rambling sentences which I may not have otherwise noticed. Still an enjoyable read nonethless
June 4, 2023
Earthshock’s wonky plot logic, Grimwade’s taut, thrilling direction and the story’s reliance on shock moments means this is one of the tougher stories to novelise. And while Marter makes the Cybermen effectively horrifying adversaries with the mechanical smells and oil substituting for blood he makes something of a heavy footed job of it - moments which had such an impact on screen are thrown away mid-chapter and it’s easy to see where Grimwade’s rearrangement of scenes made the story more effective. Perhaps most interesting then as a possible vision of what the story might have been in the hands of a less interesting director.
June 20, 2013
It took me a while to get around to reading this. The author, Ian Marter, was an actor and writer who died very suddenly, at the age of only 42. He had the unique situation of acting in the Dr. Who series as a regular character, and then writing nine novelizations of episodes. I even met him once, at a Dr. Who convention, and he was a very nice man.
The problem is that I never cared for the fifth Doctor. Both the actor and the way the character was written turned me away from the series for some time. So, I ONLY picked up this book because it was written by Ian Marter.
That said, he did his best with a story that was alternately gripping and brainless. Example: a plot point hinges around a transponder on a space ship. If the signal from it is received and recognized, bad things will happen. So...there's no off switch? No way to remove it and vaporize the thing with the various weapons already displayed in the story? No, of course not, because the episode's writer couldn't cope with that level of complication.
Seriously, the script of the episode has been defended with such phrases as "the plot holes and logic leaps weren't really all that bad."
Sadly, Ian Marter had to preserve them all, for the story to even make sense.
The good part is that the story really did have some exciting action, especially the climactic parts. It's a life-and-death struggle on a grand scale, and the heroic focus is on a companion for once, instead of on the Doctor.
So, since I found myself enjoying the writing, in spite of a poor basic plot, I gave it three stars.
The problem is that I never cared for the fifth Doctor. Both the actor and the way the character was written turned me away from the series for some time. So, I ONLY picked up this book because it was written by Ian Marter.
That said, he did his best with a story that was alternately gripping and brainless. Example: a plot point hinges around a transponder on a space ship. If the signal from it is received and recognized, bad things will happen. So...there's no off switch? No way to remove it and vaporize the thing with the various weapons already displayed in the story? No, of course not, because the episode's writer couldn't cope with that level of complication.
Seriously, the script of the episode has been defended with such phrases as "the plot holes and logic leaps weren't really all that bad."
Sadly, Ian Marter had to preserve them all, for the story to even make sense.
The good part is that the story really did have some exciting action, especially the climactic parts. It's a life-and-death struggle on a grand scale, and the heroic focus is on a companion for once, instead of on the Doctor.
So, since I found myself enjoying the writing, in spite of a poor basic plot, I gave it three stars.
June 15, 2018
Ian Marter is a fantastic adapter of "Doctor Who" stories, but I think he and original writer Eric Saward are at cross-purposes here. The original "Earthshock" is as close to James Cameron-style action-adventure as the series ever managed...and managed it damn well. But Ian Marter tries to change it into a novelization that is far more subtle and creepy...which goes against the loud, blunt, adrenaline-pumping grain of what the original story was trying to achieve. The result is a strange hybrid that, while well written, isn't the satisfying adaptation it should be.
June 20, 2017
Not my favourite 5th Doctor story, mainly because of the heavy Adric element in it. However as it is his last story and in fact he dies at the end of the story I can forgive it. An interesting twist on the end of the dinosaurs as well.
June 22, 2022
Earthshock is one of Peter Davison’s all time classic stories at least in the eyes of the fandom. It’s famous for two things, bringing the Cybermen back after seven years away in their last appearance in Revenge of the Cybermen, and killing the companion Adric. These distinctions make it regarded highly although writer Eric Saward is one of those writers whose scripts are generally saved not because of a great plot, but generally good performances. Earthshock is the second script he wrote for Doctor Who after The Visitation and while on television it is an improvement the process of having someone else turn it into a novel means that there is a chance for improvement. Ian Marter, who played Harry Sullivan on television and novelized several stories in the 1970s and early 1980s, was chosen to adapt this one and his style is perfect for the story it is attempting to tell. Marter as a writer is always very direct and that works in making the horror the serial on television was lacking in a script that should have been played for more horror brought to the forefront.
The Cybermen here are terrifying, drawing on ideas from The Tomb of the Cybermen and the 1960s stories keeping the Cybermen as cyborgs while on television these designs were very much robotic. There are descriptions of fluids as the Cybermen die that are generally chilling and the climax itself being told from Adric and Tegan’s point of view on the freighter and in the TARDIS respectively makes the tension rise to the point where Adric dies, genuinely not knowing he was right. On television the viewer never really gets how close Adric is getting to solve the problem, but Marter makes it explicit that he is close and will genuinely not know. It also includes some closing lines reflecting on Adric’s death meaning that the ending is near perfect. Now Marter doesn’t make it work perfectly as the middle of the story still drags, with a lot of the Cybermen being in the shadows doesn’t really work for the story itself and there is something missing without a lot of the performances. Though the bookends are improved and perfect.
Overall, Earthshock is perhaps only as good as its television counterpart, although only in the way of improving some things while others are let down by the transition to the prose medium. It is a breezy ten chapters and reads very nicely since Ian Marter is a more focused storyteller than Saward, but it’s not perfect and still an adaptation of an overrated story. 8/10.
The Cybermen here are terrifying, drawing on ideas from The Tomb of the Cybermen and the 1960s stories keeping the Cybermen as cyborgs while on television these designs were very much robotic. There are descriptions of fluids as the Cybermen die that are generally chilling and the climax itself being told from Adric and Tegan’s point of view on the freighter and in the TARDIS respectively makes the tension rise to the point where Adric dies, genuinely not knowing he was right. On television the viewer never really gets how close Adric is getting to solve the problem, but Marter makes it explicit that he is close and will genuinely not know. It also includes some closing lines reflecting on Adric’s death meaning that the ending is near perfect. Now Marter doesn’t make it work perfectly as the middle of the story still drags, with a lot of the Cybermen being in the shadows doesn’t really work for the story itself and there is something missing without a lot of the performances. Though the bookends are improved and perfect.
Overall, Earthshock is perhaps only as good as its television counterpart, although only in the way of improving some things while others are let down by the transition to the prose medium. It is a breezy ten chapters and reads very nicely since Ian Marter is a more focused storyteller than Saward, but it’s not perfect and still an adaptation of an overrated story. 8/10.
January 7, 2025
I should preface this by saying I love Earthshock and have seen it many times. Whilst I don't think this novelisation holds a candle to the original four-part serial, it certainly does a great job in condensing down to a mere 128 pages whilst still keeping the story in line with what was shown on TV in 1982.
Some scenes have been changed from the TV story too, different lines and events happen in different orders. The beginning of the story, where Adric and The Doctor argue about going back to E-Space (Adric's Home) is a fantastic scene in the TV story and it's performed amazingly by Peter Davison & Matthew Waterhouse. In the novelisation, you do lose that performance and it's replaced by great observations and descriptions of how our TARDIS team is feeling but I find the real spark of the scene lost.
The Cybermen, depending on your opinion of their 80's redesign, are magnificent here and I can vividly imagine each line being said in the voice of David Banks and Mark Hardy (who voiced the Cyberleader and Cyberlieutenant). There is, however, an odd attention to detail within the book of the Cybermen's inner workings which could be construed as emotions. Now, the Cybermen rather famously removed all emotions from themselves so the choice to include descriptions of how the Cyberleader reacts to say, the bomb being diffused is slightly off for what the Cybermen act like.
All that being said, however, the 80's Cybermen in particular do show more reactions to events than those same monsters of the 60's and 70's but it's never taken into as much detail as it is here.
The novelisation did amaze me towards the end though as the final chapter is mostly just dedicated to Adric's final moments trying to figure out the logic puzzles to free the freighter from impacting Earth. Adric's death is handled rather well across the board. His final moments with The 5th Doctor and Tegan are given a little more time to sink in and there's a moment at the very end where The Doctor takes Adric's badge, his Gold Star for Mathematical Excellence, out of the remains of the Cyberleader and just looks at it with a sad smile across his face. It might not seem like much but I can imagine what's going through the Doctor's head as he does this-thinking about Adric, the boy that saved the world.
Some scenes have been changed from the TV story too, different lines and events happen in different orders. The beginning of the story, where Adric and The Doctor argue about going back to E-Space (Adric's Home) is a fantastic scene in the TV story and it's performed amazingly by Peter Davison & Matthew Waterhouse. In the novelisation, you do lose that performance and it's replaced by great observations and descriptions of how our TARDIS team is feeling but I find the real spark of the scene lost.
The Cybermen, depending on your opinion of their 80's redesign, are magnificent here and I can vividly imagine each line being said in the voice of David Banks and Mark Hardy (who voiced the Cyberleader and Cyberlieutenant). There is, however, an odd attention to detail within the book of the Cybermen's inner workings which could be construed as emotions. Now, the Cybermen rather famously removed all emotions from themselves so the choice to include descriptions of how the Cyberleader reacts to say, the bomb being diffused is slightly off for what the Cybermen act like.
All that being said, however, the 80's Cybermen in particular do show more reactions to events than those same monsters of the 60's and 70's but it's never taken into as much detail as it is here.
The novelisation did amaze me towards the end though as the final chapter is mostly just dedicated to Adric's final moments trying to figure out the logic puzzles to free the freighter from impacting Earth. Adric's death is handled rather well across the board. His final moments with The 5th Doctor and Tegan are given a little more time to sink in and there's a moment at the very end where The Doctor takes Adric's badge, his Gold Star for Mathematical Excellence, out of the remains of the Cyberleader and just looks at it with a sad smile across his face. It might not seem like much but I can imagine what's going through the Doctor's head as he does this-thinking about Adric, the boy that saved the world.
December 29, 2022
Adapted from the television episodes, Ian Marter tells a story featuring the 5th Doctor and his companions Nyssa, Tegan and Adric. This rendition is narrated by Peter Davidson and Nicholas Briggs doing the voices of the Cybermen. With the addition of music and special effects this is a terrific, although heartbreaking story.
It opens with Adric feeling bored, lonely and wistful. He determines that he wants to go home and requests the Doctor to take him there. Unfortunately, home is in E-space and could spell doom in trying to get there. An argument ensues but Nyssa and Tegan eventually persuade the Doctor to at least consider the idea.
Still hot after the argument, the Doctor materializes the Tardis in a cavern on 26th century earth so he can take a walk. It is while exploring that they encounter a group of paleontologists along with their military escort who are under attack by some strange androids. The Doctor offers his aid and ends up with him pursuing his old foes across space in an attempt to avert the destruction of Earth.
This is a good retelling of the episode and in fact, may be superior to it. It is a tighter rendition that keeps the suspense high. The action beats are more meaningful and the story seems to zoom along. Like most Doctor Who stories there is loss, but this one has a particularly poignant death. As mentioned, it is bittersweet and explains an event in our planet's past, well, in Doctor Who style anyway, and makes you ponder the nature of time.
A strong story, well read, buttressed with good effects. Definitely worth a listen.
It opens with Adric feeling bored, lonely and wistful. He determines that he wants to go home and requests the Doctor to take him there. Unfortunately, home is in E-space and could spell doom in trying to get there. An argument ensues but Nyssa and Tegan eventually persuade the Doctor to at least consider the idea.
Still hot after the argument, the Doctor materializes the Tardis in a cavern on 26th century earth so he can take a walk. It is while exploring that they encounter a group of paleontologists along with their military escort who are under attack by some strange androids. The Doctor offers his aid and ends up with him pursuing his old foes across space in an attempt to avert the destruction of Earth.
This is a good retelling of the episode and in fact, may be superior to it. It is a tighter rendition that keeps the suspense high. The action beats are more meaningful and the story seems to zoom along. Like most Doctor Who stories there is loss, but this one has a particularly poignant death. As mentioned, it is bittersweet and explains an event in our planet's past, well, in Doctor Who style anyway, and makes you ponder the nature of time.
A strong story, well read, buttressed with good effects. Definitely worth a listen.
June 8, 2021
A good novelisation of a strong Doctor Who story this one.
Adric's swansong as such here, and I wasn't sorry to see him go, tending to remember him for his more annoying tendencies that had shone through in the recent stories (outside of Black Orchid) - though he has been better in the Big Finish stories at least (no surprises there given what Big Finish can do :) )
The argument at the beginning that sets it all off does seem a bit out of the blue though, and potentially somewhat out of character for both Adric and the Doctor - both have been shown to have a temper at times, but not quite like this.
Nyssa and Tegan don't get as much to do, especially Nyssa it feels, but get some good scenes, and certainly an emotional ending for the two of them and the Doctor.
The story itself is an interesting one, and has some good twists, but the overall plot does seem somewhat convoluted and relies on the Cybermen having a unnecessarily complex scheme. I do like the Cybermen in here though, showing a lot more personality than in previous stories, even if seeming to diverge somewhat away from their emotionless of prior versions.
All round though, an enjoyable read.
Adric's swansong as such here, and I wasn't sorry to see him go, tending to remember him for his more annoying tendencies that had shone through in the recent stories (outside of Black Orchid) - though he has been better in the Big Finish stories at least (no surprises there given what Big Finish can do :) )
The argument at the beginning that sets it all off does seem a bit out of the blue though, and potentially somewhat out of character for both Adric and the Doctor - both have been shown to have a temper at times, but not quite like this.
Nyssa and Tegan don't get as much to do, especially Nyssa it feels, but get some good scenes, and certainly an emotional ending for the two of them and the Doctor.
The story itself is an interesting one, and has some good twists, but the overall plot does seem somewhat convoluted and relies on the Cybermen having a unnecessarily complex scheme. I do like the Cybermen in here though, showing a lot more personality than in previous stories, even if seeming to diverge somewhat away from their emotionless of prior versions.
All round though, an enjoyable read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2020
Based on the 1982 TV story, ‘Earthshock’ pits the Fifth Doctor and his friends Tegan, Nyssa and Adric against his old enemies the Cybermen in the 25th century.
Ian Marter (who of course played Harry Sullivan in the TV series, as well as novelising a number of stories for the Target range) does a pretty good job here - he was one of the better writers Target recruited, and particularly good at the action scenes, of which there are plenty here. Matter is also good at conveying the horrific nature of the Cybermen, even if something of their cold, emotionless nature is lost in this version. Although the adaptation of Eric Saward's scripts is decent, there's only so much one can do with the source material. Earthshock's weaknesses are more obvious on the page - the story is somewhat thin, and the characters fairly forgettable.
This is a good, solid novelisation, though much as it's a popular and well-loved story, 'Earthshock' doesn't do a huge amount for me.
Ian Marter (who of course played Harry Sullivan in the TV series, as well as novelising a number of stories for the Target range) does a pretty good job here - he was one of the better writers Target recruited, and particularly good at the action scenes, of which there are plenty here. Matter is also good at conveying the horrific nature of the Cybermen, even if something of their cold, emotionless nature is lost in this version. Although the adaptation of Eric Saward's scripts is decent, there's only so much one can do with the source material. Earthshock's weaknesses are more obvious on the page - the story is somewhat thin, and the characters fairly forgettable.
This is a good, solid novelisation, though much as it's a popular and well-loved story, 'Earthshock' doesn't do a huge amount for me.
June 30, 2022
As someone who is mainly experiencing the Classic Doctor Who stories through these Target novels, I felt like an idiot for not realizing what this story was. At first, it felt like a "typical" enough Doctor Who adventure with Adric being particularly annoying. But you know what happens when a Companion gets that much attention.
The story is not all that distinct - it feels like practically the same Cybermen plot as many of the previous ones across the iterations of the Doctor. But at this point, having a pattern is precisely what the Cybermen are all about.
The ending was...okay. It was earned but also a little contrived. It worked but it didn't necessarily make up for how a lot of the story felt rather underwhelming or just not all that impactful. Maybe this made more sense as a live TV show versus a written story.
The story is not all that distinct - it feels like practically the same Cybermen plot as many of the previous ones across the iterations of the Doctor. But at this point, having a pattern is precisely what the Cybermen are all about.
The ending was...okay. It was earned but also a little contrived. It worked but it didn't necessarily make up for how a lot of the story felt rather underwhelming or just not all that impactful. Maybe this made more sense as a live TV show versus a written story.
March 26, 2024
Earthshock is written by Ian Marter. Marter was an actor and had starred as Harry Sullivan alongside Tom Baker and Elizabeth Sladen in Tom Baker's first season and a tad. He ended up writing a couple of Target novelisations.
This one is fine. After Terrance Dicks everyone seems to be over-written though. Earthshock has a lot of death in it. But it is written by Eric Saward, so there's no surprise there. And it is pretty bleak. After all this is the story that ends with [SPOILERS] the death of Adric, which I'm afraid doesn't quite have the emotional impact in the book that it does on the television. Perhaps it is the missing silent credit sequence.
Marter's writing is fine, but I think this lacks a certain drive and energy. Hence the three stars.
This one is fine. After Terrance Dicks everyone seems to be over-written though. Earthshock has a lot of death in it. But it is written by Eric Saward, so there's no surprise there. And it is pretty bleak. After all this is the story that ends with [SPOILERS] the death of Adric, which I'm afraid doesn't quite have the emotional impact in the book that it does on the television. Perhaps it is the missing silent credit sequence.
Marter's writing is fine, but I think this lacks a certain drive and energy. Hence the three stars.
September 12, 2023
Doctor Who : Earthshock (1982) by Ian Marter is the novelisation of the sixth serial of the nineteenth season of Doctor Who.
The Doctor, Nyssa, Adric and Tegan land on earth in the earth’s future. There they encounter a small military squad and a team of archeologists exploring a dig. Members of the archaeologists party have been killed. Mysterious Androids are protecting something.
The serial is one of the best serials with the Cybermen. The problem of three companions is also resolved. It’s also probably one of the best Fifth Doctor serials.
Earthshock is definitely worth a read for any Doctor Who fan.
The Doctor, Nyssa, Adric and Tegan land on earth in the earth’s future. There they encounter a small military squad and a team of archeologists exploring a dig. Members of the archaeologists party have been killed. Mysterious Androids are protecting something.
The serial is one of the best serials with the Cybermen. The problem of three companions is also resolved. It’s also probably one of the best Fifth Doctor serials.
Earthshock is definitely worth a read for any Doctor Who fan.
May 18, 2025
Ian Marter delivers a fabulous retelling of a story that has always felt to me like a collection of setpieces held together by exposition. We get descriptions of characters so sadly lacking from other books in the series and a sense of urgency that you wouldn’t normally find in a story that really only uses three sets beyond the TARDIS.
June 29, 2023
A decent attempt at the novelization of one of my favourite ever stories. Ian Matter lacks the punch of the TV aerial with the Cliffhanger endings hidden and the dramatic sequences under played. This is one of the shortest Target books and it shows.
July 15, 2020
I love this book, because it shows my favourite monsters
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2020
Another great book from Ian Marter, okay it's a bit heavy on the deaths and sad to see Adric go in that way but it's one of my favourite episodes and book.
March 26, 2023
I've actually never watched Earthshock. This novelization was essentially my first time experiencing this story. It was alright.
August 1, 2024
A straightforward adaptation with no room for embellishments due to the usual Target page count. Gives Ringway away too early though.
May 29, 2021
Original Rating 3
Re-Read Rating between 3.5 & 4
An adaptation of the 5th Doctor story that famously sees the 'exit' of Adric as well as Beryl Read playing a space freighter captain?
Ian Marter wrote some entertaining adaptations in my opinion, a different style to Terrance Dicks in that IM tended to expand the stories giving additional background for the supporting characters/guest stars. This story wasn't one of my favorites at original broadcast as the writers rarely used the rather crowded TARDIS crew to the best advantage.
The novel I found to be entertaining and gave a better representation of Adric and his conflict with the 5th Doctor, it is a shame that the 4th Doctor+Adric pairing wasn't explored more in the series. Nyssa and Tegan had some story development but not that much to be honest.
The return of the cybermen was well done but it did continue the idea from the previous story in that the cyberleader seems to have been programmed with (or developed) some emotional responses. not really a fan of that story idea myself.
Overall though a better than average adaptation I thought, not top grade but certainly far from the worst.
Re-Read Rating between 3.5 & 4
An adaptation of the 5th Doctor story that famously sees the 'exit' of Adric as well as Beryl Read playing a space freighter captain?
Ian Marter wrote some entertaining adaptations in my opinion, a different style to Terrance Dicks in that IM tended to expand the stories giving additional background for the supporting characters/guest stars. This story wasn't one of my favorites at original broadcast as the writers rarely used the rather crowded TARDIS crew to the best advantage.
The novel I found to be entertaining and gave a better representation of Adric and his conflict with the 5th Doctor, it is a shame that the 4th Doctor+Adric pairing wasn't explored more in the series. Nyssa and Tegan had some story development but not that much to be honest.
The return of the cybermen was well done but it did continue the idea from the previous story in that the cyberleader seems to have been programmed with (or developed) some emotional responses. not really a fan of that story idea myself.
Overall though a better than average adaptation I thought, not top grade but certainly far from the worst.
Read
October 21, 2007http://nhw.livejournal.com/763482.html[return][return]Reading the early chapters of this book, I decided that the descriptions of people being melted into puddles of liquid by the androids must be yet another gruesome addition of detail by Marter, and was rather surprised when I checked on-line sources to find that, for once, he has stuck pretty closely to the original story - I think more so than for any of his other novelisations. Unfortunately this does also emphasise the flaws in the plot of "Earthshock" which are numerous - not, of course, Marter's fault but among many crimes which must be laid at Eric Saward's door. Apart from the shock ending, it's not a story that can stand up to much analysis - Why are the Cybermen hiding on the spaceship? Why aren't their weapons as good as their androids'? How did they get the bomb onto Earth in the first place? Faced with this material, Marter did a barely adequate job of the novelisation.
December 13, 2017
Earthshock is, like most Eric Saward scripts, a bit controversial. I found the TV episode quite compelling as the story pens in the Doctor tighter and tighter. There are a few aspects that don't quite make sense. For instance, no one on Earth seems to know what a Cyberman is, at the same time that an important multi-world conference is going on to create an alliance to fight the Cybermen. I also thought that the Cybermen were introduced too early, which detracts from the impact of the Doctor's reaction. The audience should learn about them when the Doctor does. Well, that is the script that Ian Marter has to work with. He very judiciously changes very little of the plot and keeps most of the original dialogue. He has added a couple of explanations to some things that seemed merely convenient for the plot in the teleplay. It's a swift read and quite as suspenseful as the original.
November 27, 2023
I’ve watched the BBC Doctor Who (2005) and was thus very eager to start this book. As I mostly prefer books over shows or movies I was excited to read it. When the pandemic started, me and my best friend used to binge the show together, and it has some happy memories attached to it.
Sadly, I was disappointed. Even though just 128 pages long, it took me weeks to finish because it was boring and slow. The content would have made up two episodes of the show and I’d much rather watch that.
The action scenes are good but it’s not the same reading the doctors adventure as it is watching them. Nothing can compare to Matt Smith and David Tenant's doctors. Amy, Donna, Rose....anyways let's not make this me gushing about the show, but do watch it.
Sadly, I was disappointed. Even though just 128 pages long, it took me weeks to finish because it was boring and slow. The content would have made up two episodes of the show and I’d much rather watch that.
The action scenes are good but it’s not the same reading the doctors adventure as it is watching them. Nothing can compare to Matt Smith and David Tenant's doctors. Amy, Donna, Rose....anyways let's not make this me gushing about the show, but do watch it.
October 15, 2009
A very straightforward Doctor Who story which is also layered with more emotion than usual.
A good example of how in struggling against evil, the Doctor and his companions can pay a high price in the course of their adventures.
It does a great job of taking the Cybermen from stock monster of the week and gives them a real sense of menace.
Can be a bit unrelentingly grim, but also has a great emotional impact. Seems a shame that one of Adric's best stories is his last.
A good example of how in struggling against evil, the Doctor and his companions can pay a high price in the course of their adventures.
It does a great job of taking the Cybermen from stock monster of the week and gives them a real sense of menace.
Can be a bit unrelentingly grim, but also has a great emotional impact. Seems a shame that one of Adric's best stories is his last.
August 27, 2014
A good Fifth Doctor story. A bit clumsily written, as so many are, but still engaging enough. This one shows a lot of the emotionality of the Doctor, and how he feels about his companions. I doubt the end is a surprise to anyone, but still somehow it manages to be wrenching and sad.
Also, Cybermen, and ordinary humans being heroic. Classic DW.
Also, Cybermen, and ordinary humans being heroic. Classic DW.
December 10, 2010
Three comps down... emotional ending. Loved it.
December 29, 2015
the novelization of the TV Episode Earthshock
February 1, 2017
A decent novelisation of a relatively so-so script.
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