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Doctor Who Target Books (Numerical Order) #51
Doctor Who and the Revenge of the Cybermen #5
This is the American printing of this novel with the unique logo and cover art used for this collection of books.
139 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1976
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About the author
Terrance Dicks
327 books220 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
August 25, 2021
This story really suffers from being the final story in Tom Bakers first season as The Doctor.
It's noticeable weaker than the stories that surround it, though the Space Station Nerva/Beacon arc is the best thing going for it.
The initial mystery of the Time Lord, Harry and Sarah arriving back on the station only to discover plenty of dead bodies and plague is rather chilling (even before our own recent events!).
Thus accounts for my favourable rating.
It's understandable why they'd decided to populate a new Doctor's first season with recurring villains - though the Cybermen are kinda wasted.
Just like the televised version the sections set on Voga are the least interesting too.
Obviously these books were written in a pre-homevideo age so it's callous to be too judgey with these pretty straightforward and standard books sticking pretty firmly to the original episodes.
It was at this stage that Uncle Terrance was starting to churn them out too, it's also pretty funny that this was the first story to receive a video release in the 80's.
The weakest and my least favourite of the series, atleast thats Season 12 completed.
It's noticeable weaker than the stories that surround it, though the Space Station Nerva/Beacon arc is the best thing going for it.
The initial mystery of the Time Lord, Harry and Sarah arriving back on the station only to discover plenty of dead bodies and plague is rather chilling (even before our own recent events!).
Thus accounts for my favourable rating.
It's understandable why they'd decided to populate a new Doctor's first season with recurring villains - though the Cybermen are kinda wasted.
Just like the televised version the sections set on Voga are the least interesting too.
Obviously these books were written in a pre-homevideo age so it's callous to be too judgey with these pretty straightforward and standard books sticking pretty firmly to the original episodes.
It was at this stage that Uncle Terrance was starting to churn them out too, it's also pretty funny that this was the first story to receive a video release in the 80's.
The weakest and my least favourite of the series, atleast thats Season 12 completed.
November 1, 2021
This is a novelization of the final (fifth) serial of the twelfth season of Doctor Who, which was broadcast in April and May of 1975. It starred the fourth iteration of the title character and two of his most stalwart companions, Harry Sullivan and Sarah Jane Smith. Terrance Dicks adapted the screenplay of Gerry Davis, which had been heavily re-written by Robert Holmes before the episode was produced. It was the first appearance of the Cybermen on the show since 1968, and they wouldn't return to it until 1982. It's set on Space Station Nerva, following on from the previous adventure, The Ark in Space, though the continuity doesn't really affect the plot. The TARDIS is temporarily (temporal, get it...?) unavailable, so the plot hinges on the Transmat teleportation system last seen in The Sontaran Experiment. The base scientists are exploring the Vogan planet, home to rival races, and composed with a very high gold content... it's helpful to know that gold is like Kryptonite to Cybermen. And then the Cybermen show up, as does the TARDIS, and there's some double-crossing intrigue, and it's one of those rare occasions that doesn't resolve quite the way The Doctor would have chosen. The story ends with the receipt of a message from UNIT Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart summoning them to twentieth century Loch Ness, and they're off. It's a fast-paced story that Dicks relates pretty well and quite faithfully. This is the fifth novel in a series of ten that Pinnacle Books reprinted in the United States in an attempt to introduce the character to a North American audience; prior exposure had been limited. They got Harlan Ellison to write a very enthusiastic introduction which they printed in the front of all ten books.
June 12, 2012
Funny how I start out by describing my favorite Doctor Who stories as completely classic ... good balance of action, bad scenery, laughable special effects, but behind it all a good story. If the stories had been bad I wouldn't have ended up with a lifelong obsession for all things Who. And so, here I sit, with a bag of Jelly Babies at my side, happily rereading and reliving all of these excellent advcentures. This story served as my first introduction to the Cybermen, who remain one of my favorite villains.
February 8, 2024
A fairy perfunctory Terrence Dicks' re-telling of the television adventure, improved by Nicholas "Voice of the Daleks" Briggs' narration. His Tom Baker is almost on a par with that of John Culshaw, while his versions of Harry and Sarah are pretty perky as well.
What I'd forgotten about this story is that, considering the Cybermen have removed all emotions due to them being unwanted distractions, the Cyber Leader is one of the most angry, vicious, vindictively CAMP villains in the entire Whoniverse; petty revenge and spite pour from him via almost every sentence, like a drunken queen at a party. Very entertaining.
The moral: don't be greedy and don't be over-confident in your aims and perceived achievements. Reality will come round to bite you on your metal butt.
What I'd forgotten about this story is that, considering the Cybermen have removed all emotions due to them being unwanted distractions, the Cyber Leader is one of the most angry, vicious, vindictively CAMP villains in the entire Whoniverse; petty revenge and spite pour from him via almost every sentence, like a drunken queen at a party. Very entertaining.
The moral: don't be greedy and don't be over-confident in your aims and perceived achievements. Reality will come round to bite you on your metal butt.
April 12, 2022
"Revenge of the Cybermen" was never intended to be the season finale for Doctor Who's twelfth season. It became the "de facto" end to the season when the BBC decided to hold over the already produced "Terror of the Zygons" for the next season in the fall.
So, if you're expecting an epic, spine-tingling end to Tom Baker's first season as the Doctor, you may be a bit disappointed. I've detailed my disappointments with the serial itself elsewhere, so I won't rehash those here. Instead, I will attempt to review the Target novel version of this one.
Early on in my Doctor Who watching days, I checked the adaptation of "Revenge of the Cybermen" out of the library a lot. It was one of a dozen Target books reprinted in the United States under the Pinnacle banner -- and to my mind, that meant it had to be one of the best the series and range had to offer.
Alas, "Revenge of the Cybermen" isn't one of the best, but I wouldn't say this adaptation is one of the worst that Terrance Dicks ever gave us. It does its best to translate the televised story faithfully to the printed page, though at times you can feel Dicks' frustration at trying to make the (supposedly) emotionless Cybermen interesting on the printed page. This comes across a good bit when various Cybermen speak or when Dicks is forced to try and explain away why they're acting emotionally when (technically) they shouldn't have any emotional reaction to things.
Dicks does a bit better in translating the epic Vogan conflict to the printed page --or at least he helped this fan identify who was who in the conflict a bit better than the televised version did. Dicks seems to understand when to minimize certain aspects of the story (the gaping loopholes in the Cybermen's plan) and when and what to expand and play up. He even tries to find an explanation for why Voya is able to toodle about the galaxy, though there is little explanation of why it comes so close to the Nerva Beacon.
All in all, it's a good job with a script that was full of gaping holes to begin with. There isn't a lot of depth given to the supporting cast, but this is far from the later fourth Doctor adventures when it feels like Dicks is only being given enough time to translate a shooting script to the printed page.
As an audiobook, this one works fairly well, though the nitpicky fan in me found it hard to hear Cybermen speaking in mechanical voices as opposed to what we saw in the original version. It's an interesting choice and one that creates a consistent feel to the Cybermen audiobooks, even if it doesn't line up with the televised version. Nicholas Briggs does solid work, even trying to give us his own take on the fourth Doctor, which is good but he's no Jon Culshaw.
So, if you're expecting an epic, spine-tingling end to Tom Baker's first season as the Doctor, you may be a bit disappointed. I've detailed my disappointments with the serial itself elsewhere, so I won't rehash those here. Instead, I will attempt to review the Target novel version of this one.
Early on in my Doctor Who watching days, I checked the adaptation of "Revenge of the Cybermen" out of the library a lot. It was one of a dozen Target books reprinted in the United States under the Pinnacle banner -- and to my mind, that meant it had to be one of the best the series and range had to offer.
Alas, "Revenge of the Cybermen" isn't one of the best, but I wouldn't say this adaptation is one of the worst that Terrance Dicks ever gave us. It does its best to translate the televised story faithfully to the printed page, though at times you can feel Dicks' frustration at trying to make the (supposedly) emotionless Cybermen interesting on the printed page. This comes across a good bit when various Cybermen speak or when Dicks is forced to try and explain away why they're acting emotionally when (technically) they shouldn't have any emotional reaction to things.
Dicks does a bit better in translating the epic Vogan conflict to the printed page --or at least he helped this fan identify who was who in the conflict a bit better than the televised version did. Dicks seems to understand when to minimize certain aspects of the story (the gaping loopholes in the Cybermen's plan) and when and what to expand and play up. He even tries to find an explanation for why Voya is able to toodle about the galaxy, though there is little explanation of why it comes so close to the Nerva Beacon.
All in all, it's a good job with a script that was full of gaping holes to begin with. There isn't a lot of depth given to the supporting cast, but this is far from the later fourth Doctor adventures when it feels like Dicks is only being given enough time to translate a shooting script to the printed page.
As an audiobook, this one works fairly well, though the nitpicky fan in me found it hard to hear Cybermen speaking in mechanical voices as opposed to what we saw in the original version. It's an interesting choice and one that creates a consistent feel to the Cybermen audiobooks, even if it doesn't line up with the televised version. Nicholas Briggs does solid work, even trying to give us his own take on the fourth Doctor, which is good but he's no Jon Culshaw.
April 12, 2021
Between a 3 and a 4 for me, not a bad story by any means, but certainly a drop from Genesis of the Daleks.
Features the return of the Cybermen after some years, certainly felt like a longer gap than the Dalek gap from Evil of the Daleks to Day of the Daleks, and apparently was a longer period time wise, but also what helps make it feel long is that the Third Doctor didn't encounter the Cybermen at all in his tenure. Will also be some time before they next return as well, which is a shame as they were quite menacing in this story, and showed they can still be a good threat.
The string of stories in this arc continues, leading straight off from Genesis, and featuring Nerva Beacon again, and quite well done here I think in that regard, and certainly a bit of mystery and tension for the scenes on the Beacon.
What lets this story down for me is the Vogans, they just didn't seem that serious either as protagonists or antagonists, and the tension / drama with them felt more forced, and some of the other non-Vogan characters seem to become less interesting once they met the Vogans as well.
The Doctor, Sarah and Harry tended to become a mixed bag thanks to this, with a lot better scenes for them in the first half than the latter half.
The plot itself suffers similarly, being very good, easily 4 stars to begin with, before deteriorating near the end for me, to possibly less than 3 stars for the latter parts.
So overall still an interesting read, but does feel a little bit of a let down by the end after reading Genesis.
Features the return of the Cybermen after some years, certainly felt like a longer gap than the Dalek gap from Evil of the Daleks to Day of the Daleks, and apparently was a longer period time wise, but also what helps make it feel long is that the Third Doctor didn't encounter the Cybermen at all in his tenure. Will also be some time before they next return as well, which is a shame as they were quite menacing in this story, and showed they can still be a good threat.
The string of stories in this arc continues, leading straight off from Genesis, and featuring Nerva Beacon again, and quite well done here I think in that regard, and certainly a bit of mystery and tension for the scenes on the Beacon.
What lets this story down for me is the Vogans, they just didn't seem that serious either as protagonists or antagonists, and the tension / drama with them felt more forced, and some of the other non-Vogan characters seem to become less interesting once they met the Vogans as well.
The Doctor, Sarah and Harry tended to become a mixed bag thanks to this, with a lot better scenes for them in the first half than the latter half.
The plot itself suffers similarly, being very good, easily 4 stars to begin with, before deteriorating near the end for me, to possibly less than 3 stars for the latter parts.
So overall still an interesting read, but does feel a little bit of a let down by the end after reading Genesis.
August 7, 2025
Terrance does a rapid paced adaptation. All the story elements are present and most of the dialogue is the same as the broadcast version. That said Harry is an idiot in the book and an imbecile on TV. And there were a couple of other very minor tweaks to dialogue.
One thing which did surprise me right at the start was an extra scene with the Cybermat attacking them before they’ve gone through the door from the aft section of Nerva. It immediately takes the mystery out of the story and makes the Doctor’s later deducations and revelations irrelevant. Right from the start they know it’s the Cyberman
This is a very good adaptation, but I still think the TV version outshines it. It’s the caves and underground lake. I just love all the cave shots. The little skiffs and the little trains. The Wookey Hole Caves are used magnificently in the TV version. This book just doesn’t capture the caviness of the TV episodes. That is the only thing I felt missing from this book.
One thing which did surprise me right at the start was an extra scene with the Cybermat attacking them before they’ve gone through the door from the aft section of Nerva. It immediately takes the mystery out of the story and makes the Doctor’s later deducations and revelations irrelevant. Right from the start they know it’s the Cyberman
This is a very good adaptation, but I still think the TV version outshines it. It’s the caves and underground lake. I just love all the cave shots. The little skiffs and the little trains. The Wookey Hole Caves are used magnificently in the TV version. This book just doesn’t capture the caviness of the TV episodes. That is the only thing I felt missing from this book.
February 20, 2018
Second in the omnibus titled "The Adventures of Doctor Who" - three novelisations based on episodes of the series all novelised by Terrance Dicks, and this is the follow on episode from the first book (Genesis of the Daleks) which makes me wonder how it went from #27 to #51 in the original Target series?
Anyways this is standard Cybermen adventure stuff, not my favourite villains in Doctor Who, but it had some interesting ideas, and played with them a bit.
It would have been good if the novel could have fleshed out some of the ideas and concepts to enhance the TV script, but it was pretty much what you would have got from watching it.
Anyways this is standard Cybermen adventure stuff, not my favourite villains in Doctor Who, but it had some interesting ideas, and played with them a bit.
It would have been good if the novel could have fleshed out some of the ideas and concepts to enhance the TV script, but it was pretty much what you would have got from watching it.
June 30, 2023
Doctor Who and the Revenge of the Cybermen (1976) by Terrance Dicks is the novelisation of the fifth serial of the twelfth season of Doctor Who and the seventy ninth serial overall.
The Doctor, Harry and Sarah land on Space Beacon Nerva, looking for the TARDIS. A mysterious plague is afoot and one of the crew is acting strangely. Nearby is the planet Voga which contains masses of gold.
This serial is the first Cybermen episode for 7 years and the last for another 8 years. Tom Baker also only had two episodes with Daleks in them. Perhaps this helped the Tom Baker episodes.
Doctor Who and the Revenge of the Cybermen is OK as a serial.
The Doctor, Harry and Sarah land on Space Beacon Nerva, looking for the TARDIS. A mysterious plague is afoot and one of the crew is acting strangely. Nearby is the planet Voga which contains masses of gold.
This serial is the first Cybermen episode for 7 years and the last for another 8 years. Tom Baker also only had two episodes with Daleks in them. Perhaps this helped the Tom Baker episodes.
Doctor Who and the Revenge of the Cybermen is OK as a serial.
December 26, 2024
The plot is fine, but feels like a retread of other, better stories. There's no getting away from the fact that the internal politics and bickering of the Vogans is just dull, and the Cyberman and strangely ineffective. The only real bonus in the story, aside from the central three, is Kellman. Terrance's novelisation is a solid enough entry, but there's not an awful lot of extra world building added here to make it a better, or build up some strong character beats.
May 5, 2018
"Revenge" is the neglected step-child of Tom Baker's first season as the 4th Doctor, but it has a number of charms that raise it above its usual reputation. However, Terrance Dicks is clearly not a fan, and this lack of enthusiasm results in a technically competent but very simple, run-of-the-mill adaptation.
October 21, 2022
A story of peril and adventure, featuring Tom Baker (the 4th Doctor), that has everything from caves of gold to emotionless monsters. It is formulaic in structure, like all the other Target Dr Who paperbacks, and despite being primarily aimed at the young adult market, represents a nice leisurely read for Sci-Fi fans of all ages.
August 4, 2024
The televised Revenge suffers from being not as good as the two stories on either side of it. The book version is a capable retelling that doesn’t quite capture the excitement of the original version. It explains the Cyberman lore nicely but a lot else is left for the readers to fill in the blanks. A reminder of the story more than a revisit.
January 6, 2018
Another fun Doctor Who book.
May 3, 2019
This is the first "proper" book I ever read, and it will always be a favourite. Terrance Dicks was an inspiration to me as a lad, and this is him on top form.
November 9, 2020
Quite good easy read nothing to taxing slightly different from the tv show, wish cybermats were consistent as well.
June 11, 2022
só não dou 5 estrelas pq a river não apareceu
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2022
Modest novelisation of a mediocre episode of a wonderful television show.
April 25, 2025
Enjoyable novelisation of the TV story
August 23, 2025
This was one of the first targets I read as a kid, and many times I did too. It's an excellent re telling that goes by quickly. The cybermen are a great and it's just a fun simple story.
October 18, 2025
Largely unenthusiastic adaptation of an already boring script. As Dicks novelisations go it's not the worst of the worst, but I can't drum up much enthusiasm for it either.
October 23, 2025
This is about as par for the course as you can get for a Fourth Doctor era Target novel. Not bad. Not great. It told the story, that it did.
November 24, 2025
I loved this in sixth grade. Lower rating now. I didn't remember a darn thing about the plot
February 9, 2019
As a kid I enjoyed this story. The Cybermen are one of my favorite villains from Doctor Who. Further this was one of the few stories they were in. Even with reading the novelizations it has been a while since they were fully in an episode. How your perspective can change as an adult.
Planet made of gold comes into orbit near Jupiter. The Doctor and companions arrive back to Nerva after their journeys. Someone has been killing off the crew and the Cybermen show up.
What are the good points to the story? Terrance Dicks at least makes an attempt to show how the Cybermen go from emotionless to some emotion. Other than that very dull story.
Not much to say on the writing, it is the standard Target writing so nothing spectacular. The plot is flimsy once you delve into it. You have two factions of Vogans that you wonder how they lived together due to their differences. Also how one could be a giant missile on the remains of a planet without being detected by the others.
Why do the Cybermen use humans to walk bombs to the center of the planet, when they could have used Nerva as the bomb after all and drive it straight into the planet.
Overall a flat story. The only reason it gets the extra star from being one start is because of the memories it brought up as a kid. Especially the "Harry Sullivan is an imbecile" line. Which he is not, I still like him as a companion.
Planet made of gold comes into orbit near Jupiter. The Doctor and companions arrive back to Nerva after their journeys. Someone has been killing off the crew and the Cybermen show up.
What are the good points to the story? Terrance Dicks at least makes an attempt to show how the Cybermen go from emotionless to some emotion. Other than that very dull story.
Not much to say on the writing, it is the standard Target writing so nothing spectacular. The plot is flimsy once you delve into it. You have two factions of Vogans that you wonder how they lived together due to their differences. Also how one could be a giant missile on the remains of a planet without being detected by the others.
Why do the Cybermen use humans to walk bombs to the center of the planet, when they could have used Nerva as the bomb after all and drive it straight into the planet.
Overall a flat story. The only reason it gets the extra star from being one start is because of the memories it brought up as a kid. Especially the "Harry Sullivan is an imbecile" line. Which he is not, I still like him as a companion.
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April 8, 2009http://nhw.livejournal.com/1041222.html#cutid3[return][return]Again, one of those cases where Dicks has taken a so-so story and made it into a good read. Partly this is because of good scene-setting; partly also that he is liberated from the constraints of poor special effects; mainly that he seems to have been having fun with the script. I remembered this one fondly from my childhood, and for once it lived up to my memories.
January 21, 2015
Picked this up at a used book store for a couple of dollars and felt like it would be a fun light read. Likely based from his script for the show, this is a solid 4th doctor story. Fun, convoluted without being hard to follow. Good Who. Wouldn't recommend it to a non-fan, but fans would have fun.
May 17, 2016
I gave this four stars because it's a very fun read in its category. A fun adventure tale. I did note a glaring flaw when the bad guy had a filing cabinet full of PAPER in his office on the spaceship. No one foresaw paperless offices in the future?
May 22, 2024
Fun listen, standard (fourth) doctor who adventure and with the cybermen.
I liked the sound effects in it and Nicholas Briggs narrated well, enjoyed Harry & Sarah being the assistants - my first assistants & first doctor. Set before the first doctor who I watched too. Great plot and writing
I liked the sound effects in it and Nicholas Briggs narrated well, enjoyed Harry & Sarah being the assistants - my first assistants & first doctor. Set before the first doctor who I watched too. Great plot and writing
December 23, 2007
read 08.10.84
June 5, 2009
A decent, straight forward adventure, full of tense atmosphere, cool sci-fi, evil bad guys, noble heroes and the Cybermen.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews