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Doctor Who Target Books (Numerical Order) #60
Doctor Who and the Sunmakers
Everyone knows that Pluto is a barren airless rock. So naturally the Doctor is surprised when he discovers artificial suns, an ultra-modern industrial city and a group of colonists being worked — and taxed — to death in this inhospitable and supposedly undeveloped part of the universe...
With the help of his companion Leela and the faithful K9, the Doctor takes on the mysterious and powerful Company, ruthless exploiter of planets and their people.
With the help of his companion Leela and the faithful K9, the Doctor takes on the mysterious and powerful Company, ruthless exploiter of planets and their people.
127 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 1982
2 people are currently reading
269 people want to read
About the author
Terrance Dicks
329 books219 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 - 23 of 23 reviews
December 1, 2022
This Fourth Doctor adventure sees the series being at it's most satirical as script writer Robert Holmes famously decided to take jibes at inland revenue after receiving a high tack bill himself.
Sleep is an unnecessary luxury.
The main theme of this story concerns the inhabitants of Pluto being worked and taxed to death.
This is Doctor Who at it's most adult too, tackling the subject of suicide as the TARDIS arrives on the planet just in time to stop one of the citizens ending their own life due to the system.
It's one of them stories that appeals to all ages as there's plenty of in jokes to do with the tax system - especially in England.
Dicks always takes great care with Holmes script and aside from toning down a few elements helps makes this an entertaining read of an enjoyable set of episodes.
Sleep is an unnecessary luxury.
The main theme of this story concerns the inhabitants of Pluto being worked and taxed to death.
This is Doctor Who at it's most adult too, tackling the subject of suicide as the TARDIS arrives on the planet just in time to stop one of the citizens ending their own life due to the system.
It's one of them stories that appeals to all ages as there's plenty of in jokes to do with the tax system - especially in England.
Dicks always takes great care with Holmes script and aside from toning down a few elements helps makes this an entertaining read of an enjoyable set of episodes.
July 15, 2021
This is a novelization by Terrance Dicks of a script by Robert Holmes that featured the fourth iteration of the Doctor, along with his companion Leela and, of course, K-9, his robotic dog. They arrive on the planet Pluto (yes, planet!), and instead of barren rock find a despotic ruler working and taxing a group of colonists to death in a modern, industrialized city with artificial suns. I believe Dicks was the best of the many writers who novelized episodes of the program, and this one is no exception. I thought he did especially well with the character of Leela, who was delightfully pragmatic and bloodthirsty.
June 12, 2019
For a long time this episode of Doctor Who was among my favorites and I was finally able to read the paperback based on the show. Since it came after the episode by close to 5 years it followed the program pretty much exactly so I could easily visualize everything that was happening given the number of times I have seen the original episode.
With death and taxes the two certainties in one's life this book has quite a few of both. The Doctor, Leela, and K9 arrive on the planet Pluto which has been colonized and taken over. Long story short, the ruling class put their thumb over the lower class and tax them at times so much and so often it leads to depression, numbness, and complacency for most.
Dicks nails the Doctor and his companions well and details such characters as Mandrel, the leader of the underground rebels, among one of the "ugliest" of humans which was a new wrinkle to me.
All in all a quick read at just 127 pages.
With death and taxes the two certainties in one's life this book has quite a few of both. The Doctor, Leela, and K9 arrive on the planet Pluto which has been colonized and taken over. Long story short, the ruling class put their thumb over the lower class and tax them at times so much and so often it leads to depression, numbness, and complacency for most.
Dicks nails the Doctor and his companions well and details such characters as Mandrel, the leader of the underground rebels, among one of the "ugliest" of humans which was a new wrinkle to me.
All in all a quick read at just 127 pages.
June 17, 2021
Anti capitalism and K9 what more could u want from an eighties dr who book. And a good dose of companion based misogyny of course
December 7, 2024
I love it when the Doctor topples an evil regime and this story fits the bill perfectly. Though scant on details (just what are they mining on Pluto?) and with a rushed conclusion, this is a lot of fun with some great moments.
May 2, 2021
Somewhere between a three and a four. Thanks to an old omnibus edition I had of Face of Evil and the Sunmakers, I always tended to think this one occurred a lot earlier in Leela's run, despite the presence of K9, so likely first time I've read it in proper order.
I think the social commentary on this one is up there with some of the more recent new series episodes, very much going into the ills of excess taxation / capitalism, somewhat blunt but at the same time, still a pretty good story, with plenty of tension and action.
Leela and the Doctor in good form here, plenty of their own interesting scenes, and compared to some stories is reasonably set up for K9 to have a bit of stuff to do as well, helping everyone out.
The one off characters are quite varied, but reasonably fleshed out to add nicely to the story.
Somewhat dark at times the tale, but overall a pretty decent read.
I think the social commentary on this one is up there with some of the more recent new series episodes, very much going into the ills of excess taxation / capitalism, somewhat blunt but at the same time, still a pretty good story, with plenty of tension and action.
Leela and the Doctor in good form here, plenty of their own interesting scenes, and compared to some stories is reasonably set up for K9 to have a bit of stuff to do as well, helping everyone out.
The one off characters are quite varied, but reasonably fleshed out to add nicely to the story.
Somewhat dark at times the tale, but overall a pretty decent read.
September 24, 2019
This was an odd story, even for Doctor Who, especially the resolution, which basically made no sense. The villain just sort of panics and quits in a way that just doesn't make sense in terms of what has just happened.
On the other hand, the story includes some interesting bits of social commentary, such as the fact that none of the workers have any idea what they're actually manufacturing, or even who owns the company, under circumstances where at least some of this information is important.
It felt like the story better captured the personality of the Doctor's companion, Leela, better than it did the Tom Baker version of the Doctor, which is kind of weird. Her reasoning was bloodthirsty but practical in a couple of scenes, in a way that very much reminded me of the character as portrayed in the series.
This is not an essential read, even for fans, but it's a quick one, and the social aspects of the story are more interesting than the SF parts, in some ways.
On the other hand, the story includes some interesting bits of social commentary, such as the fact that none of the workers have any idea what they're actually manufacturing, or even who owns the company, under circumstances where at least some of this information is important.
It felt like the story better captured the personality of the Doctor's companion, Leela, better than it did the Tom Baker version of the Doctor, which is kind of weird. Her reasoning was bloodthirsty but practical in a couple of scenes, in a way that very much reminded me of the character as portrayed in the series.
This is not an essential read, even for fans, but it's a quick one, and the social aspects of the story are more interesting than the SF parts, in some ways.
July 23, 2023
Doctor Who and the Sunmakers (1982) by Terrance Dicks is the novelisation of the fourth serial of the fifteenth season of Doctor Who.
The Doctor, Leela and K9 land on Pluto. There they see a man about to jump off a tall building. They manage to save him and are thrust into the strange dire world. All the inhabitants seem fearful and they work like crazy for ‘the company’ that exploits them and thinks up new taxes. There are also rumours of people living more freely under the city.
Doctor Who and the Sunmakers is an OK read.
The Doctor, Leela and K9 land on Pluto. There they see a man about to jump off a tall building. They manage to save him and are thrust into the strange dire world. All the inhabitants seem fearful and they work like crazy for ‘the company’ that exploits them and thinks up new taxes. There are also rumours of people living more freely under the city.
Doctor Who and the Sunmakers is an OK read.
December 2, 2020
If you can evoke the great Tom Baker and be true to one of this many good stories I am happy with that formula
June 5, 2023
Eh, only the last quarter of the book was fun in my opinion. The Company seemed a generic capitalist dystopia, reminiscent of the YA novels I read in middle school.
January 20, 2025
Good to see the Doctor hasn’t forsaken the working man.
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April 5, 2023pdf; 109 pages
An uninspired novelisation of an equally uninspired script ostensibly poking fun at the Inland Revenue. It falls rather flat. The saving grace (?) is that it is short!
An uninspired novelisation of an equally uninspired script ostensibly poking fun at the Inland Revenue. It falls rather flat. The saving grace (?) is that it is short!
April 28, 2023
Doctor Who and the Sunmakers, by Terrance Dicks. Target, 1982. Original script by Robert Holmes, 1977. 127 pages, paperback. Number 60 in the Doctor Who Library.
This is seriously poking the "establishment" in the eye with a sharp stick. The Company has defeated humanity some distant time in the future, not by military force but by sheer economics. The Collector has control over the colony on Pluto (before it was demoted from planet-hood) where it has six suns. Six! The work units, i.e., the population, pay tax on everything, even the air they breathe which is treated with a chemical to keep them docile. The Doctor and Leela, along with support from K9, meet a group of outcasts called the Others who defeat this tyrant. The Doctor does something clever with numbers to bring the Collector's personal defeat after the People rise up in rebellion having turned off the air conditioning.
This story, to me, had more of the obvious tongue-in-cheek humor, more of the almost silly zingers that was to become the hallmark of Graham Williams run as producer of Doctor Who. I don't know if there was any intentional political eye-poking in this story as I'm not familiar with late 70s British social climate but it sure seemed like there could have been. As much fun as the dialog was, the story was kind of grim. The "everyman" character ground under the heel of the Company to the point to where the relative of a deceased loved one can't even pay the excessive death tax, driven to the point of suicide even knowing that walking out in the light of the sun is forbidden to all but the chosen few... Gruesome.
The Collector is probably one of my favorite one-time baddies in this era of Doctor Who. He has real personality that is executed very well by the author. The Sunmakers is a great story with a nice, fairly tight plot and good characters who develop over the course of the story. Highly recommended.
This is seriously poking the "establishment" in the eye with a sharp stick. The Company has defeated humanity some distant time in the future, not by military force but by sheer economics. The Collector has control over the colony on Pluto (before it was demoted from planet-hood) where it has six suns. Six! The work units, i.e., the population, pay tax on everything, even the air they breathe which is treated with a chemical to keep them docile. The Doctor and Leela, along with support from K9, meet a group of outcasts called the Others who defeat this tyrant. The Doctor does something clever with numbers to bring the Collector's personal defeat after the People rise up in rebellion having turned off the air conditioning.
This story, to me, had more of the obvious tongue-in-cheek humor, more of the almost silly zingers that was to become the hallmark of Graham Williams run as producer of Doctor Who. I don't know if there was any intentional political eye-poking in this story as I'm not familiar with late 70s British social climate but it sure seemed like there could have been. As much fun as the dialog was, the story was kind of grim. The "everyman" character ground under the heel of the Company to the point to where the relative of a deceased loved one can't even pay the excessive death tax, driven to the point of suicide even knowing that walking out in the light of the sun is forbidden to all but the chosen few... Gruesome.
The Collector is probably one of my favorite one-time baddies in this era of Doctor Who. He has real personality that is executed very well by the author. The Sunmakers is a great story with a nice, fairly tight plot and good characters who develop over the course of the story. Highly recommended.
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April 8, 2009http://nhw.livejournal.com/1007902.html[return][return]Doctor Who and the Sunmakers is probably the best of these nine Leela novelisations; Dicks clearly appreciated Robert Holmes' script and seems to have really got into the spirit of it. There is an interesting scene in the book but not in the TV series where Leela encounters some elderly workers waiting for euthanasia. Various other minor details are tweaked and basically improved in Dicks' telling of the story.
May 19, 2012
This novelisation is of a Doctor Who episode from the time of the 4th doctor. He is travelling with Leela, and they land on Pluto, which they had thought uninhabited. But when they find a city with artificial suns, air-conditioning (a gas introduced into the pipes "conditions" the people to submit to "The Company"), and a crippling tax system, of course they have to get to the bottom of the matter! There is a funny running joke with the titles used to address one of the people in charge - your Omnipresence, your Aggrandisement, your Prominence, your Corpulence!
December 5, 2012
I learned this weekend that this was Louise Jameson's favourite Leela adventure. I watched the episodes shortly before reading the book and I can see why. It's a great story, future distopia, where humans are forced to work and drugged into compliance. It's a great comdemnation of capatalism and taxation, and ends with a successful workers rebellion. The novelisation only adds a few details to the story, but it does so very well. Definitely one of the best Leela stories.
November 3, 2009
A really good sci-fi adventure, which is also a cute satire on the British tax system.
Lots of running down corridors, captures, rescues, k-9 action and an odd alien bad guy.
Nothing earth shaking, but clever and entertaining.
Lots of running down corridors, captures, rescues, k-9 action and an odd alien bad guy.
Nothing earth shaking, but clever and entertaining.
December 3, 2016
Although I don't agree with all of Terrance Dick's reinterpretations in this book (he tones down a number of script writer Robert Holmes' moments of black humour), it's clearly a story he is enthusiastic about...and the result is another satisfying novelization from the 4th Doctor's era.
December 19, 2010
What happens when private companies are allowed to colonize space? The book is about the Doctor's adventures on Pluto which has been colonized by a trans-galaxy organization-'The company'
April 10, 2012
I didn't really know anything about Doctor Who before I read this and I really enjoyed it. I think I'll check out the TV show now.
August 4, 2015
Terrance Dicks covering Robert Holmes is usually pretty good, and this is no exception. I've always enjoyed The Sunmakers, and the novelization works well.
July 3, 2021
Never took to this TV episode but the book made the corridors seem a little more interesting.
It's a good idea for a story but not the best told one.
It's a good idea for a story but not the best told one.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews