Junior Doctor Who and the Brain of Morbius

Junior Doctor Who

by Terrance Dicks

Why do spaceships crash on the remote planet of Karn?

Why is the evil Solon creating a monster in his secret laboratory?

Why does the witch-like Sisterhood hate and fear intruders?

The Doctor and Sarah must find answers or lose their lives like the other victims of this terrifying planet.

Due to popular demand, Terrance Dicks has rewritten this Doctor Who story especially for 5 to 8 year olds.

Genres: Doctor Who

Hardcover

First published June 26, 1980

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

[Jeff Szpirglas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've had this for years. I bought it back when coming across anything bearing the Doctor Who logo was a find akin to unearthing the Titanic (how times have changed). It's sat on my shelf for years, and now that I have two infant children, it's being used as a read-aloud (more for my benefit than theirs). I'm going to have to break out the actual Target novelization at some point and see which is better.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written for 5 to 8 year olds, Junior Doctor Who and the Brian of Morbius is true to the series and maintains the suspense and horrors of the original. Terrance Dicks was a BBC writer and wrote several of the Doctor Who episodes, including The Brain of Morbius. Having said that, I did find it a little childish but my 4 year old loves it.

[Mole Mann]

The mere existence of this baffles me. Take one of the most horrific and horror-themed Doctor Who serials and make it into a book for little kids! It's like making a kid's book out of Blood Meridian or American Psycho.

[Jason Bleckly · Rating 4 out of 5]

First time I've read the super-short kids version. It's not bad. It has the esseance of the story with all extraneous verbiage deleted and the language simplified. It took me less than an hour to read the whole thing. And there's lots of internal illustrations.

As a mechanism to get kids into reading its a great book. And as I diehard Whovian who has seen the episode countless times it's a fun synopisis that's quicker than watching the story.

This and Giant Robot are the only 2 Junior books made back in the day. They are rare collectors items as being books for young kids their survival rate is quite low. They're nice to have for an obsessive collector. Now it's time to read the actual novelisation.