Doctor Who and the State of Decay

Doctor Who Target Books (Numerical Order) #58

by Terrance Dicks

The Doctor, Romana and K9 — and a young stowaway called Adric — are trapped in the alternative universe of E-Space.

Seeking help, they land on an unknown planet — and find a nightmare world where oppressed peasants toil for the Lords who live in the Tower, and where all learning is forbidden — a society in a state of decay.

What is the terrifying secret of the Three Who Rule? What monstrous creature stirs beneath the Tower, waking from its thousand-year sleep?

The Doctor discovers that the oldest and deadliest enemy of the Time Lords is about to spring into horrifying action.

Genres: Doctor Who, Science Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Time Travel, Doctors, Science Fiction Fantasy

125 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1981

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

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a novelization by Terrance Dicks of his own teleplay of the fourth serial from the eighteenth season of Doctor Who, which was broadcast in November and December of 1980. It's the middle piece of the E-space trilogy, a loose arc that doesn't really affect the story, and stars the fourth regeneration of The Doctor, the second regeneration of Time Lady Romana (or Romanadvoratrelundar if we're being formal), stowaway Adric (the U.K.'s forerunner of Wesley Crusher), and the inimitable robotic canine, K9. It's a very Gothic story of a society kept in a feudal state by a trio of overlords who rule with an iron fist and withhold technology from the citizenry. (The conclusion is certainly one of the most imaginative and big-scale vampire stakings of all time; neither Buffy nor Anita Blake ever dreamed this big!) It's a clever story, told simply and clearly... pack your scarf.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

One star knocked off because Adric. 😒

[Hugo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wanted to read something a bit less serious to offset the books I've been reading recently, and this was pretty good at that. It's very cheesy but fun cheesy, and that's pretty much all I wanted out of it. Fun little book

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really about a 3 1/2. This is a very unusual take on the concept of vampires, and has some interesting bits. Mostly of interest because of the setting and the start of the Doctor/Adric/Romana combination in the stories. That was always a good character combination because of the personality mix and byplay.
Since Dicks wrote the screenplay as well, this is basically the screenplay with a bit more descriptive material to cover for the fact that you're not looking at images on the screen.
There have been plenty of other stories about "evil overlords" and decaying civilizations, but this one was above average in that respect, given what the reader eventually learns about the reasons for the slow decay.

[Brayden Raymond · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book of 2021 finished, and like 2020 it is also a Who Book. This is the start of three Vampire centered tales I am working through and if the other two are even half as good as this I know it will be enjoyable. I thoroughly enjoyed this short yet sweet engagement of the fourth doctor and Romana who I have grown to love from the Douglas Adams books.

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting idea that never really grabbed me. Nice gothic feel to it and some interesting ties to Doctor Who history, but not the strongest story.

The whole E-space trilogy never impressed me as all the stories could just have easily taken place in the 'real' universe.

[Jacob Licklider · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Doctor Who and the State of Decay is honestly a bit of a trip but it really shouldn’t have been. State of Decay on television while in the back half of the hardline science fiction Season 18 overseen by John Nathan-Turner and Christopher H. Bidmead, Terrance Dicks had actually had the story in his back pocket for a number of years. Originally it was to be the opening serial to Season 15, but the BBC was adapting Dracula and did not want a second vampire story to conflict, so it was replaced with Horror of Fang Rock. When reading Doctor Who and the State of Decay it becomes apparent that Terrance Dicks is adapting almost a combination of versions of his story because this is a novelization that feels tonally unlike everything that Season 18 was. This is honestly for the best, it means that Doctor Who and the State of Decay feels like a classic adventure. Dicks clearly was a fan of Dracula because almost all of the vampire tropes that are associated with Dracula adaptations, especially the Universal and Hammer adaptations, are here and played up. They were there during the original serial but largely pushed to the background with the serious tone and rather bleak direction.

This is a novelization that really wants everything to be fun: it’s a fantasy adventure where the Doctor and Romana are trading banter so delightfully throughout. Dicks is sure to maintain that relationship between the Doctor and Romana as two very close friends where the Doctor is clearly the inferior. It’s Romana who puts a lot of things together and has to roll her eyes when the Doctor eventually catches up to where she was several paragraphs ago. Adding Adric to that dynamic makes this one of his stronger stories in terms of characterization, especially in the novelization where Dicks clearly frames it that when he betrays the Doctor and Romana, the reader is supposed to hate him. Adric is treated very much like the young teenager that he is, and it works so well in prose because Dicks adds just enough to make you understand where Adric was coming from and not put Matthew Waterhouse’s performance at the feet of directors who often struggled in giving him proper direction. With the lightness in tone it makes the sequences when the Three Who Rule go full vampire feel like a Hammer film version of gothic horror, you can imagine in your head the color of Hammer blood which is particularly fun. It means when Aukon is summoning his servants it feels far more grand than it did on television and everything just slots in quite nicely.

Overall, Doctor Who and the State of Decay is a novelization that works because it doesn’t try to emulate the tone of the television story, letting what Terrance Dicks clearly intended for the serial to really shine through. It’s a quick little novelization with a lot of fun behind it. 8/10.

[Christian Petrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Doctor Who meets space vampires. When you describe it like that, it sounds corny. The reality is that it does come off better than that. As the Doctor and Romana continue to find a way to escape E-Space, they comes across the Great Vampire, a legendary evil among the Time Lords. They must find a way to stop it before, it can escape.

Compared to other Terrance Dicks books, this is better than most. At this stage it feels Dicks is not churning out the stories. The writing is still straight forwarded, but does not feel as simplified. It could also be he is writing one of his own scripts.

The other surprise is Adric is not as annoying as I remember he being. It is also a nice change in which the Doctor does not find out he has a stole away right away. Perhaps this helps to introduce Adric more gradual, and then can become annoying later. We'll see how that goes.

A minor touch explaining the low number of people on a planet, is explained by the rest of the population being sacrificed to the Great Vampire. Not that is needed to add atmosphere to the story, it does cause pause to realize, that is why it has survived so long.

I don't feel that the visualization that is lost as with the other stories of Season 18 novelizations with stories so far. It carries over a decent story and allows you toe enjoy the story at a quick pace. It might feel slightly out of place if you don't read Full Circle before hand. Yet it does bring you up to speed. Another decent output from Terrance Dicks.

[Gareth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as strong as Full Circle, but still a pretty strong tale here, evoking some of the more Gothic / horror tales of earlier in the Fourth Doctor's run, as we get to see vampires in the Doctor Who universe.
Adds a bit more to the overall lore of the Time Lords as well, with references to events early in the Time Lords' history.
The various characters in the story all contribute well to the overall arc, and get some good scenes for the Doctor, Romana, K9 and Adric too really, even though this is where I find I start finding Adric dislikeable, as some of his worse traits come to the fore even when trying to help the others, his attitude when doing so is grating for me. Doesn't detract from the story, just makes the character less likeable, and sometimes dislikeable characters can add quite a bit to stories.
One point I didn't like though where Romana was shown to have less knowledge than the Doctor on Time Lord matters - I can understand her having generally less experience than the Doctor for the outside universe, but combined with a point where she turns an ankle, really seems to be trying to turn her into a normal companion, rather than being equal to the Doctor.
Overall though, a good read :)

[Jude · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lost in E-Space, The Doctor, Romana, and K9 find a planet with a strange energy emitting from it. I like how the book follows right off of Full Circle, which was the previous story, presenting a mystery right from the get go, while continuing the arc started in Full Circle. I also liked how they initially presented the planet they arrived on to be a largely normal town of peasants. They then go off of this to reveal the Three Who Rule. Around this point is where they introduced one of my favorite parts of the book. The Doctor and Romana find logs from a computer in the possession of the rebels. These logs listed the names of several officers, and they realize that three of the ship’s officers became the Three Who Rule, with their names having changed over the years.
I liked how the book was paced. There was rarely a dull moment and it was a quick read. The quick pacing was quite refreshing especially compared to television Doctor Who of the time, lacking much of the unnecessary padding the television show was known for. If you can find a copy, I very much recommend this book, and it may get a reissue soon if the other Doctor Who novelisation re releases are anything to go off of.

[Mikes Dw Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

On one hand this book is slightly better than its tv episodes. It's tighter and keeps the small village stuff to a minimum. Allowing time with the vampire stuff and no long amounts of padding. Which means the book feels more like a rounded place and you feel that worlds atmosphere more. But then it also allows the little hints of backstory to make more sense. Like where the vampires came from and how they took over this world and what's there plan etc.

Unfortunately it is still bare bones and I feel like with the great atmosphere and the good job Terrace does at establishing the different groups on this planet, it could really do with some in depth expansion. I'd love to learn more or see more about the war between the timelords and the vampires and what life was like before the gaint vampire came to this new planet and got rid off science.

Overall its a fun book and has slightly more graphic deaths etc then the tv show. But it does feel like a good missed opportunity.

[Rob · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have never seen the episode from which this book was adapted, but based on what I read herein, no thanks. Figurative language is practically unknown to Terrance Dicks in his minimalist descriptions of what transpires. This causes some confusion later on; Adric is described as a child small enough to sneak into a kitchen to snatch a piece of bread in one scene, yet large enough to lift an adult woman off of an altar later in the novel. A war between Time Lords and Giant Vampires is briefly touched on with no real teeth (pun intended). The vampires' minions are responsible for most of the carnage in this novel than their insidious master. I only recommend this if you don't have anything better. It is a fast read that is better than nothing.

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second story in the E-space trilogy during Tom Baker's final series is most noticeable for being a revised script that was held back a few years earlier due to BBC not wanting Doctor Who to clash with their own big production of Dracula.

You can always trust Dicks with a faithful retelling of one of his scripts.

The notion of a society being purposely held back is a fascinating one, though ultimately this isn't the most exciting stories of the season.
This is one instance where it's probably more enjoyable to rewatch the episodes again.

[Pete · Rating 3 out of 5]

Doctor Who and the State of Decay (1981) by Terrance Dicks is the novelisation of the fourth serial of season eighteen of Doctor Who and the send part of the e-space trilogy.

The Doctor, Romana and K9 search e-space for a habitable planet and find a planet that has all the inhabitants living in a village near one tower. There the Lords live and demand regular groups of young people come and join them. Adric has also stowed away on the TARDIS and also explores the planet.

State of Decay is a fun Doctor Who serial. The novelisation is workmanlike but gets the job done.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finally ran across a novelization of one of the episodes involving the 4th (and also my favorite) incarnation of the Doctor. And it’s not too bad of a novelization. Even more-so if, like me, you haven’t seen it in decades or ever read it.

[Ivana Richards · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably the best of the E-Space trilogy of stories ( at least, it's my favourite). Given the short page count he had to work with, Dicks does a good job of adapting the tv script. As ever, there was little room for embellishments. This is a very quick, and highly enjoyable read.

[Stevie Roach · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basically, it's just a script translated into a novel. I got the impression that it was written, subconsciously at least, with the assumption that you've seen the show and just needed to be reminded of what happened. I have, of course, seen it, but it shouldn't be a prerequisite.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book. I think because Terrance Dicks was involved with many of these stories he doesn't really tend to deviate from the established narrative.

[Rob Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable novelisation from the pen of Terrance Dicks.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

just listened to the abridged version

[Damon Habbin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay book well paced better than average

[Ian Banks · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of Terrance’s best efforts: he makes his own screenplay a thing of joy and creates a wonderful story that blends horror, folklore and SF in a vigorous melange.

[Steve Matthewman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable novelisation of the TV story.

[Edie · Rating 4 out of 5]

lots of fun with some very endearing editing mistakes

[St[♥]r Pr!nc:$$ N[♥]wsheen pictures, pictures, pictures ||| ♥ Zin Uru ♥ |||| · Rating 4 out of 5]

the plot ,Novelization of the Doctor Who TV episodes/story of the same name.

Searching for a way out of E-Space, the Doctor and Romana, joined by a young stowaway, land on a planet eerily similar to Medieval Earth. Its people live in fear, under the thumb of the Three Who Rule, cruel lords who suppress all learning to keep their subjects ignorant and helpless.

Long ago, when I hadn't seen the now really really big and famous TV series and when I had serious adventure lust , my father got me some doctor who books,this was one of those. I can't say if it was a real favourite among all the ones I came to own/read prior or since, cos this book is sort of drawn on gothic, something I didn't understand at all in those years. However, it was strange and mysterious with an eccentric weakly described main character in an extra ordinary adventure of time and space so I read it many times over several years.

As for the plot it is simple enough , and it is even easier to sort of forget the real doctor and imagine myself as the protagonist unlike watching a tv show which is also amazing cos of all the special effects.

Wonder if I will ever read any doctor who books again..this book and my other DW books were ummm... given away by ummm... me :)

[Nicholas Whyte]

http://nhw.livejournal.com/654303.html[return][return]This is Dicks' novelisation of his own script for the 1980 Fourth Doctor story featuring Romana, K9, Adric (who stowed away on the Tardis at the end of the previous story) and vampires. Suffers from the usual problems of the novelisations - too much reliance on dialogue in particular, and Dicks' rather flat prose. Still I remembered a couple of vivid moments from the series - the high-tech destruction of the Great Vampire by the Doctor, and also the rather clumsily written moment where Adric attempts to assure Romana that he's on her side - weakened the dramatic impact drastically as I remember, though perhaps that was the fault of Matthew Waterhouse's acting. I had forgotten that the Doctor found the key piece of information on magnetic data disks left by Rassilon in every Tardis just in case. Good nostalgia

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the 2nd E-space adventure. It was quite an interesting/amusing premise. A space ship had been brought through a rift and it's crew turned into Vampires who'd been feeding up the master vampire so it could break free. It was doctor who meets scifi hammer horror. Perhaps not the most realistic of adventures but there were some very amusing Romana lines. I liked that while the Doctor was perfectly willing to abandon Adric to his fate as the Vampire's lunch Romana decided she needed to go and rescue him. The book itself, as usual, didn't really add anything to the story. But it did make for nice easy bed time reading.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another story -- and novelization -- from my formative "Doctor Who" childhood. It's also another example of Terrance Dicks novelizing one of his own scripts with concise efficiency, without sacrificing the quality of the story. I devoured my library copy over and over again.

[Anandh Sundar · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of those rare vampire books without much gore. A village is terrorized by 3 aristocrats. The Doctor arrives to tackle this problem. Nice book

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool as. I really enjoyed the relaxed, laid-back writing and the storyline.