TERMINUS

[Tony]

Here we are discussing John Lydecker's novelization of TERMINUS! If you want to hear your review of or comments on this book read on the air, or you have a specific question about the book, please post it here by no later than 11pm CST on Friday, June 23!

[Michael]

It feels like the fifth Doctor's era falls into an era that wasn't especially memorable when it came to the Target novels. Most of Davison's stories get good adaptations but there really isn't one that stands out like the early entries or some of the later ones in the seventh Doctor's era.

Which brings us to "Terminus." This one may be in my personal running for the best written Target novel of the era -- or at least that's what my memory tells me. I picked it up not longer after it aired on my local PBS station and was impressed that it was longer than most standard Target books of the day.

Lydecker doesn't really change much of the overall story from what we see on screen. He adds a bit of background to the supporting characters and tries a bit of world-building. He does manage to make the corridor running seem a bit better on the printed page and the commentary on the health-care system seems a less "bonk bonk on the head" here.

The audiobook is read by Steven Pacey, who is connected more to Blake's Seven than Doctor Who. But his work is solid enough.

Overall, I give this one a 3 out of 5.

[Dave]

I was surprised to find that I was struggling to read this book this time around, so I paused reading and watched a couple of episodes. I then restarted the book and sailed through it.
I think that, despite its many faults, the TV version had a certain atmosphere that is difficult to transfer to prose.
The look of the liner, particularly the interface with a temporarily functioning chameleon circuit, and of Terminus itself, though not helped by being overlit, was nevertheless effective.
Similarly, the Vanir's armour looked effective although, because of a miscommunication with freelance props firm Imagineering, who thought the costumes would be purely decorative, they sounded bloody awful in scenes involving combat.
There are quite a few minor but significant improvements in the book, not just lighting and sound.
The Garm was never intended by the writer to be seen in any detail. On screen, he looks like something rejected by Sesame Street (and again the lighting doesn't help), here he's much more imposing.
The most notorious scene in this season is Nyssa's "strip tease". It apparently came about because the only reference photos the writer had for Nyssa were of her in her Traken costume, with its high collar. As originally written, Nyssa had difficulty breathing, so tore away the collar and the brooch pinned on it.
When it came to shooting the scene, her costume was completely different and the only article of cothing that would be at all appropriate to remove was her skirt. How that garment would restrict her breathing is anyone's guess. In the book, it's a bodice which, being worn on the upper body, is much more likely to affect breathing.
Despite my struggle to get started, once I did I really enjoyed it.
3.5 stars