Doctor Who and the Brain of Morbius

Doctor Who Target Books (Numerical Order) #7

by Terrance Dicks

Why do so many spaceships crash-land on Karn, a bleak, lonely and seemingly deserted planet? Are they doomed by the mysterious powers of the strange, black-robed Sisterhood, jealously guarding their secret of eternal life? Or does the mad Dr. Solon, for some evil purpose of his own, need the bodies of the victims — and more especially, the body of Doctor Who?

Genres: Doctor Who, Science Fiction, Fiction, Time Travel, Audiobook, Childrens, Media Tie In

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

Terrance 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.

Reviews

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

For many it's Dick's novelisations that were their first entry point to many Doctor Who serials back in the 70's and 80's.
In a weird quirk BBC Audiobooks were also releasing some stories prior to DVD releases, so it was the first time I'd experienced the story too...

It's a classic Fourth Doctor and Sarah pairing that uses well known horror tropes in a Sci-Fi setting to brilliant effect.
Let's just say Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is perfectly retold.

One of the interesting aspects of the production was Dicks original script was altered so much that he asked for the episodes to air under a bland pseudonym.
Robin Bland is an inspired choice!
It says something about the man that once it came to writing the Target release, he stuck closely to what viewers would have seen on screen.


"Back Doctor, back to your beginnings.
To your birth and to your death"

The story has become quite infamous for the scene that appears to depict previous incarnations of The Doctor.
I got the feeling that Dicks also assumed this in the prose.

Doctor Who was at it's peak during this era of the show and this story can sometimes gets overlooked.
But with Dicks effective style of bring this gothic tale to life whilst Tom Baker is always a delight to hear, it's a winning combination.

[Jason Koivu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ah, the Brain of Morbius! I vividly remember seeing this episode of Dr. Who as a rerun on my local PBS station back in the early '80s. It terrified me in the way I hoped it would. I mean, what better reason to tune in?

Terrance Dicks' tv-show tie-in book Doctor Who and the Brain of Morbius is an almost shot-for-shot parallel to the mid-'70s television episodes starring Tom Baker, my favorite of all the Doctors. Herein a mad scientist is trying to resurrect an evil genius Frankenstein-style with the help of an Igor, while keeping at bay a coven of witches. The Doctor and his sidekick Sarah are plunked down in the middle of all this upon an un-hospitable planet. These crazy bastards need to be straightened out and the Doctor is just the bloke to do it!

Movie or TV tie-ins are seldom inspired literature and this is no different. For all I know, Dicks is a perfectly capable writer, but this feels rushed at times. I doubt the author and publisher aspired to anything much higher than pulp fiction with these, so they are what they are and should be enjoyed as brain candy.

In defense of these books/this show though, they're more than just the technology and adventure of sci-fi, or even the mystery and horror they'd usually infuse, Dr. Who always tied in psychology, sociology, and philosophy. They shot for excitement and thrills, but there was always something to learn, a moral to be had amidst the heroics. As a kid I loved the action and the scares, but I usually took away some small nugget of wisdom as well.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a novelization of the fifth adventure from the lucky thirteenth season of Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in January of 1976. The original script was written by Terrance Dicks, and it was heavily rewritten by script editor Robert Holmes. Dicks had gone on vacation upon its completion and was out of contact, so Holmes' rewrite was performed without Dicks' input or permission. He was so angered when he saw what had been done to his work that he told Holmes to take his name off of it and replace it with some bland pseudonym, so the episodes appeared with the writing credit attributed to Robin Bland. Amusingly, the book credits Dicks as adapting Bland's script, and it is a faithful interpretation of the version that was filmed. The book stars the fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith, one of the most popular pairs in the history of the show. It's a very good Frankenstein-inspired story that's set on the eerie planet Karn, a Sargasso of lost spaceships, and features the creepy Dr. Solon, who's building a new body for an evil Time Lord outlaw. Meanwhile, over at the Frankenstein place (as we heard in Rocky) the mysterious Sisterhood of Karn.... It's a good version of one of the better Baker serials.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Back in the days of my obsession with Target novels, the novelization of "The Brain of Morbius" was one of the most sought-after and prized in my collection. It was one of the first "Doctor Who" stories I watched and one of my earliest exposures to Tom Baker as the Doctor. And I loved it.

To my young mind, it was one of the classics of "Doctor Who" and I just had to have the novel so I could experience the story again and again (this was in the days before videotapes were as affordable as they later became and before the commercial releases on stories).

I eventually found the novel and read it once. And I recall thinking that maybe "Morbius" wasn't quite as great as I thought it was when I first saw it. My love for the serial has dimmed a bit since I first saw it over twenty years ago, but for a little while it was easily one of my top ten "Doctor Who" stories of all time.

Fast forward twenty plus years and I'm getting ready for a car trip and my local library has Tom Baker's reading of the Terrance Dicks novel of the story on CD. How can I resist it?

Listening to the story again, I'm struck by how well Dicks expands the story. It's not up to the work he did in "Auton Invasion" but Dicks is able to smooth over a lot of rough patches in the story and really make the world of Karn seem a lot more bleak and expansive that what we saw on-screen. (Again, the only budget limitation on the printed page is how far we let our imaginations roam.) Dicks even tries to bring some sanity to the never-ending debate of the faces seen during the Deathlock battle between the Doctor and Morbius (if you want to have some fun, just put two "Doctor Who" fans in a room and tell them to debate that scene.)

And while the story works well, I have to admit I was a bit disappointed by Tom Baker's reading in spots. His voice for Solon is a bit silly as is the voice he uses for Morbius. Early on, they took me out of the reading, though by the end of disc three I was used to them enough that it ceased to be as big an issue.

All in all, a nice trip down memory lane with one of the more interesting stories from one of the classic eras in "Doctor Who." It's not a great, but it's certainly enjoyable.

[Jeanetta Chrystie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read for all sci-fi and Doctor Who fans. This book is a MUST-READ backstory for the online (& on-DVD) mini-episode "The Night of the Doctor" that led up to the 50th Anniversary TV Episode "The Day of the Doctor"! It explains his attitude upon finding himself on planet Karn, and why he had trouble trusting the Sisters at first. The recent 50th Anniversary Special was a hoot, edge-of-the-chair, plot-twisting, saga that including many tip-of-the-hat bits to Classic Doctor Who fans too. If you aren't familiar with Classic Doctor Who (1960's to 1980's) then this is a MUST read for you.

[Pietro Rossi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrance Dicks's novelisation of his TV script. Using his usual shorthand flair, Dicks brings this story to life.

Essentially, it's the Frankenstein story, but with added Time Lord mythology. We learn about the Sisterhood of Karn, Morbius a treacherous Time Lord, and the now infamous mind battle between the Doctor and Morbius, with swirling faces of the Doctor or Morbius earlier incarnations.

Very briskly written to appeal to children. It's not as in depth today as it was when I was a child, but it's still a thrilling read. 9/10

Scoring: 0 bad; 1-3 poor; 4-6 average; 7-9 good; 10 excellent.

[John Barclay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't really justify the three stars except through nostalgia, but I do love these silly books from my early reading years. For some reason I always remembered this one. It's not the best plot, Mad scientist, powerful madman villan, hulking brute of a sidekick, foolish cult of women, good old Doctor to sort it all out. Great fun.

[Leo H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice quick read, weirdly cosy feeling when it's about a mad scientist putting bits of aliens together to make a new body for an evil Timelord.

[Jacob Licklider · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting book considering The Brain of Morbius was originally commissioned to be a serial by Terrance Dicks, but it was rewritten by Robert Holmes enough that Dicks requested his name be pulled. With Dicks coming back to do the novelization you would think that an opportunity would arise to bring some of the ideas the original script had, such as the surgeon Solon being a robot and the planet of Karn being markedly different from what was on television. Dicks does not do that, however, electing to make Doctor Who and the Brain of Morbius a near one to one translation of the television story to prose with his usual style. As this is a Terrance Dicks book, it is incredibly easy to read, though not the easiest as this was further abridged to a second novelization as the short lived Junior Doctor Who range. The biggest change to the story in terms of plot is the first chapter fleshing out the establishing shots of The Brain of Morbius where a Mutant from The Mutants is killed by Condo and its head taken to Solon. Much of that is from the Mutant’s perspective, here described just as a crustacean alien, which is horrific, one of the few pieces of horror from the story properly translated to prose, as Dicks’ writing style doesn’t exactly translate to horror incredibly well.

Despite the episode being translated incredibly well, without the direction of Christopher Barry, the dark corners just don’t hit the same way. Somehow the stakes feel less, for instance when Sarah Jane is struck blind by the Sisterhood of Karn in an accident, here it feels like almost immediately the Doctor is there to fix things and not the genuine fear in the performance and direction of Sarah Jane possibly now being disabled. In another example, Condo’s death at the hands of Solon also feels somehow less horrific. On television, there is a blood splatter and the viewer really has found something to like in Condo, but in print he just dies. He is shot and dies in about a sentence, so the visceral reaction and genuinely envelope pushing scene (for what Doctor Who could get away with as a show primarily aimed at children) just goes by with little fanfare. There are a couple of interesting expansions, especially involving the history of Morbius and a more outward insanity to Solon from the start, having destroyed several busts of Morbius before the one he has standing at the start of the story. It’s still an adaptation of an already good story that captures some of what makes the story work, despite the elements not bringing everything together into a perfect picture or really improving on any of the (very minor) flaws of the television story. 8/10.

[Mikes Dw Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to admit this story has never been a favourite of mine. Don't get me wrong it's a great little story, but its a lot of build up to the final monster awakening and even then its done within 5 mintues. I also feel that there's very little time spent on the background of the story. Such as what happened to planet, and what the timelords did for the sisters of karn. Then there's the background of morbuis and where those ships at the start came from etc. So with lots of questions the story does feel a little stuffed and it briefly gets explored. Which is why as a kid I constantly forgot what the answers actually were.

Here the book, while following the same story beats, does an excellent job at allowing these backstories/answers to settle with the reader. We get given inner thoughts as to why the characters did what they did etc. So by the end of the story you get a nice feeling of satisfaction by learning alot about this planet etc. I think it also makes some of the side characters that are often abit ridiculous make sense and just feel more rounded as characters. Learing how Solon was treated for his experiments and how he saved condos life just added enough to make you understand how these characters tick. I felt the same with the sisters. Something is alittle off in the orginal about them. The idea of these powerful sisters trying everything to save the flame and the elixir of life doesn't quite work on screen. It comes across as another bunch of cave dwellers. Here they are given alot of inner thoughts about there fear of the timelords etc that you understand them more. Making there defeat of morbius in the end feel like a trumpth.

Sadly it is morbius who gets very little here. We only really learn about his power and that can do this, but nothing else. No story on his life in gallifrey etc. He falls into a nasty habit some writers have were they tell you how bad he is but never show it or expand on it so it doesn't quite work. However the horror elements here are just as good as the orginal.

On a final note I utterly loved the backstory and expanded lore that Terrance gives the mutts from the mutants at the beginning. Some fans will know that the mutt is a reused costume for the start of the story but here we learn how the planet from the mutants did work out but now they are starting to over populate and so a group of mutts search for a new home on karn. Which actually makes its more sad knowing the demise of the creature. But it's an added detail I loved.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dicks' adaption of his own script (albeit credited to Robin Bland because he didn't like the Producer's rewrites) for a story featuring the Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) and his companion Sarah Jane Smith.
The Doctor and Sarah Jane are unwittingly sent to Karn by the Time Lords where they find themselves caught between the secretive Sisterhood of the Eternal Flame and the deranged scientist Solon, who is attempting to resurrect the warlord Morbius.

There's a delightful tone of classic horror/monster movies to this story, very deliberately evoking the Universal films of the 1930s and the Hammer films of the 1950s (before Hammer starting making exploitation flicks). This is not least apparent in the Frankenstein parallels with Solon's obsession with his creation of a new body for the titular brain of Morbius.
Add to that a largely-deserted planet, a sect of mystical priestesses and a crumbling castle and you've got a really enjoyable gothic adventure for one of the most iconic Doctors and one of the most iconic companions.

I've also always enjoyed Who stories which expand a bit on Time Lord lore (with the exception of the Timeless Child thing, which I won't get into here) and here we learn of another renegade Time Lord, but unlike the Doctor or the Master this one became so powerful that the Time Lords raised an army to defeat him (see Dicks' Fifth Doctor novel 'Warmonger' for that tale).
This is also the introduction of the Sisterhood of Karn, who've reappeared in modern era Who (helping both the Eighth and Twelfth Doctors) and I enjoyed getting to see their unique perspective on the Time Lords.

* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.com/ *

[Aya Vandenbussche · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much like the spaceships on the planet Karn, this book was crumbling in my hands as I read it. I think the novelisation is somewhat better than the TV story, which is amongst my favourite from Tom Baker. The opening description of the alien trying to escape the ruins and getting caught by Condo is chilling. Sarah's blindness feels like it lasts longer and is quite disturbing. The battle between the Doctor and the Morbious monster reads a lot more challenging and difficult than on TV and the Doctor's interaction with the Sisterhood, which comes across as incredibly sinister in the book, is better, more complex and interesting. Also, the characters of Sarah and the Doctor read better, and some of the things that annoy me on the TV show do not stand out as much in the book.

I have minor irritations with the fact that Sarah just falls asleep suddenly in the middle of the action. This could have been actually quite funny, in a Harpo Marx kinda way, but alas it is not written like that, instead she comes across as someone who can't handle things and is a bit useless and therfore benched. I'm also not a great fan of this Doctor's constant joking about and his being somewhat disrespectful, an attitude that often characterises Tom Baker's Doctor, but admittedly is relatively mild in this novelisation and is less irritating as a one off story. I would have also liked more description and world building of the ruined Karn to give it more of an atmosphere. But these are all minor things, and the book is a great little gem.

[OG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah target does it again. I’ve been slowly reading my way through the target Range of books and I have to say that I adore most of them. This is the one of the ones that I think is really really good. The brain of Morbius Is a well written representation of the TV show. Obviously has its roots in Frankenstein, for me it reminds me of Frankenstein and the creature from hell from hammer, which in itself is a true classic. The great thing about target is that you get to imagine how the sets could have been, how will the monsters could have been, if only the budget was large enough to the show and of course the restrictions of the 1960s. This Book allows you to imagine just how gruesome this episode should’ve been. Some of the imagery is truly disturbing I think it’s a shame they weren’t a little braver When filming. I have to say overall the actual creature without a head is pretty much how I imagined it to be in the book re the series. I would suggest reading target books if you want a little more context of the show because they will expand your knowledge of what is going on.
I don’t always give five stars to target but this one deserves it, although I have to say I am a bit of a fan of Frankenstein so that might be why. Class.
I Apologise now for my grammar but I’m using predictive text. 🤤

[Jude · Rating 4 out of 5]

This quarter I read Doctor Who and the Brain of Morbius by Terrance Dicks, an adaptation of the Doctor Who story The Brain of Morbius, also by Terrance Dicks.
I had originally seen the first half of the television of this story, back when the Grandview Theatre would show two episodes of old Doctor Who most Saturdays. I was out of town for the second half, so for some time the story was unresolved to me.
The Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith are forced by the Time Lords onto the ruined planet Karn. The Sisterhood of Karn believe they are there to steal their elixir of immorality, and the scientist, Solon, wants The Doctor’s head.
That is where this novelisation comes in. What I can remember is true to the show, but it maintains a good pace. Rarely does it feel as if nothing is happening as even when Sarah is rendered temporarily blind, we still focus on her other senses to visualize the world of Karn. We constantly get descriptions of what is happening in the story so we, the audience, can feel informed.
I find other things this story does interesting as well. For example, we see The Doctor pretty much lose at the end, unlike his typical victories over evil, the details of which I won’t give away here.
I overall very much recommend this book if you can find a copy.

[Gareth · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting one this one. While at times the plot seems a bit derivative, and twists ones we can see coming, it does at the same time nicely flesh out the Time Lords more, and adds the Sisterhood of Karn to the overall mythos, making for an interesting tale.
The hints of incarnations of the Doctor prior to the First are also quite interesting here, even if later stories have tried to make it clearer there weren't (outside of the latest New Series lore, which may or may not be supported by this).
Sarah and the Doctor get lots of interesting scenes in here, and Sarah, while made a damsel in distress again in circumstance, at the same time really gets to show her bravery and fortitude as she fights through it.
The other one off characters are also a reasonably fleshed out bunch, even when being somewhat stereotypical villains at points.
So overall, a good, interesting read.

[Margaret Schachte · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an audiobook of a novelization of a TV episode - which is very on brand for Doctor Who. It's a classic doctor who story where the bad guy is trying to takeover and ruin the universe and the Doctor (with the amazing Sarah Jane) saves the day at the very last minute - thanks to some questionable science.

I liked the exploration of what counts as "death" and the moral questions that arise when someone is forcefully kept alive beyond their natural life span. Both the bad guy "Morbius" and the Sisterhood (a group of immortal nuns who drink an elixir to prolong their lifespan indefinitely) are willing to violently kill innocent people so they can cling to life themselves.

Not the best Doctor Who audiobook ever but also not the worst. I would listen to it again.

[Pete · Rating 3 out of 5]

Doctor Who and the brain of Morbius (1977) by Terrance Dicks is the novelisation of the fifth serial of the thirteenth season of Doctor Who.

The Doctor and Sarah are drawn in the TARDIS to Karn, where there is the wreckage of many spaceships. Also on the planet is the strange surgeon Solon and the Sisterhood of Karn who possess the Elixir of Life that gives infinite longevity to those who drink it. Solon has a secret, in that he has the brian of Morbius the crazed time lord that he has kept alive.

It’s all amusingly bonkers. Not a great Doctor Who serial but it’s fun enough.

[fred jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good Frankenstein inspired story. The Doctor and Sarah Jane arrive on the planet Karn by accident or Time Lord design never really clarified, encounter Dr Solon a strange scientist with a fascination with bodies, the Sisterhood a coven of ancient witches and a Time Lord Criminal. Visually this was a stunning story and Terrance Dicks mostly does it justice although some of the horror themes are toned down a little. Tom Baker does an excellent narrating the story.

[Dan Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been told that this story, novelized or on TV, was a classic, and now I can tell! Indeed, I loved this classic, Fourth Doctor story! Though some events were predictable, as is known from some of the more classic stories, but that did not lessen my enjoyment even a tiny bit. If you want a novel that includes everything you'd expect in a Doctor Who story, this is definitely a good one!

[Warren Dunham · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like doctor who i kinda like this book but it doesn't have that something special required for a 4th star. The villains almost meet the so bad their good, the companion is forgettable and that just leaves the doctor who needs something better to play against than what is given in this book too be good.

[Daniel 🌈🎭😻 · Rating 5 out of 5]

For this novelisation, I did a similar thing to what I did with Doctor Who and the Claws of Axos, where I read the Target novel before watching the story. This story was certainly very intriguing, where it never felt like it dragged and it certainly knew what it was doing. Overall, a great, unforgettable read and I certainly can't wait to watch the story!

[Ian Banks · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun retelling of Frankenstein, complete with a torch-bearing mob at the climax. All it lacks is the reader/viewer’s sympathy for the monster. It moves swiftly, almost makes you forget that there are only three sets and five speaking guest characters and adds to the backstory of the show without being a chore.

[John Abbott · Rating 3 out of 5]

That was a lot of fun. Moral: If you need to create a new body out of parts to house the brain of your evil overlord, maybe make the body smaller and weaker than you are. You know, in case he gets all murderous.

[Hayden Fretwell · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wasn’t really a good book for me but it wasn’t the worst I still read it but I didn’t really enjoy it as much as other books but not the worst book I’ve ever sat down and opened others might enjoy this as I didn’t

[Roger L. Boyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these old Doctor Who novelizations. Clear writing and to the point.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

AUDIBLE BOOK
Doctor Who saves the day again!
I'm a WHOVIAN, so i really enjoyed the story.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, such a delight.

One of my favourite Doctor Who stories novelised with ruthless efficiency and style by Terrance Dicks. What more do you need to know.

[Damon Habbin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read fairly faithful to the TV show wished that uncle Terrence had made more of the brain battle.

[Anna Secret Poet · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great wee read! Distills the TV story into book form perfectly. Terrance Dicks at his finest!

[Tony Ciak · Rating 5 out of 5]

fun