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{{Infobox Story SMW
{{Infobox Story
|novelisation of = Ghost Light (TV story)
|name=Doctor Who – Ghost Light
|novelisation of=Ghost Light (TV story)
|image= Ghost Light novel.jpg
|image= Ghost Light novel.jpg
|series=[[Target novelisation]]s
|number= 149
|number= 92
|doctor = Seventh Doctor
|doctor=Seventh Doctor  
|companions= [[Ace]]
|companions= [[Ace]]  
|enemy= [[Light (Ghost Light)|Light]], [[Josiah Samuel Smith|Josiah Smith]]
|enemy= [[Light]]<br />[[Josiah Samuel Smith|Josiah Smith]]  
|setting= [[Perivale]], [[1883]]
|setting= [[Perivale]], [[London]], [[1883]]  
|writer= Marc Platt
|writer= [[Marc Platt]]
|read by = [[Ian Hogg]]
|publisher= [[Target Books]], [[W.H. Allen & Co]]
|publisher= Target Books
|release date= [[20 September (releases)|20 September]] [[1990]]
|publisher2= W.H. Allen
|format= Paperback Book, 160 Pages
|cover= [[Alister Pearson]]
|release date= 20 September 1990
|format= Paperback Book; 12 Chapters, 160 Pages
|isbn= ISBN 0-426-20351-8
|isbn= ISBN 0-426-20351-8
|prev=Battlefield (novelisation)
|series = [[Target novelisation]]s
|next=The Curse of Fenric (novelisation) }}
|prev= Mission to Magnus (novelisation)
== Novelisation ==
|next= Survival (novelisation)
* This novelisation is based on the original television serial ([[TV]]): ''[[Ghost Light (TV story)|Ghost Light]]'', written by [[Marc Platt]] and shown from [[4 October (releases)|4 October]] [[1989]].
|series2 = [[List of Doctor Who television stories|TV series order]]
* The cover and information on the right are for the original Target edition. It featured the artwork of [[Alister Pearson]]. (See below for information on editions with different covers).
|prev2 = Battlefield (novelisation)
|next2=The Curse of Fenric (novelisation)
}}
'''''{{StoryTitle}}''''' was a novelisation based on the 1989 television serial ''[[Ghost Light (TV story)|Ghost Light]]''.


== Publisher's summary ==
== Publisher's summary ==
[[Perivale]], [[1983]]<br /> A column of smoke rises from the blazing ruins of a forgotten, decaying mansion. Perivale, [[1883]]<br /> In the sleepy, rural parish of [[Greenford Parva]], [[Gabriel Chase]] is by far the most imposing edifice. The villagers shun the grim house, but the owner, the reclusive and controversial naturalist [[Josiah Samuel Smith]], receives occasional visitors. <br /> The Reverend [[Ernest Matthews|Ernest Mathews]], for instance, dean of Mortarhouse College, has travelled from [[Oxford]] to refute Smith’s blasphemous theories of evolution. <br /> And in a deserted upstairs room, [[Seventh Doctor|the Doctor]] and [[Ace]] venture from [[the Doctor's TARDIS|the TARDIS]] to explore the [[Victorian era|Victorian]] mansion …<br /> Who – or what – is Josiah Smith? What terrible secrets does his house conceal? And why does Ace find everything so frightening familiar?
[[Perivale]], [[1983]]
 
A column of smoke rises from the blazing ruins of a forgotten, decaying mansion.
 
Perivale, [[1883]]
 
In the sleepy, rural parish of Greenford Parva, [[Gabriel Chase]] is by far the most imposing edifice. The villagers shun the grim house, but the owner, the reclusive and controversial naturalist [[Josiah Samuel Smith]], receives occasional visitors.
 
The Reverend [[Ernest Matthews]], for instance, dean of Mortarhouse College, has travelled from [[Oxford]] to refute Smith's blasphemous theories of evolution.
 
And in a deserted upstairs room, [[Seventh Doctor|the Doctor]] and [[Ace]] venture from [[the Doctor's TARDIS|the TARDIS]] to explore the [[Victorian era|Victorian]] mansion...
 
Who – or what – is Josiah Smith? What terrible secrets does his house conceal? And why does Ace find everything so frightening familiar?
 
== Chapter titles ==
# Tropic of Perivale
# Gabriel Chase
# Uncharted Territory
# Gaslight Boogie
# Josiah's Web
# That's the Way to the Zoo
# Ace's Adventures Underground
# Creature Comforts
# Out of Control
# Twice Upon a Time
# Trick of the Light
# Beautiful Soup


== Deviations from televised story ==
== Deviations from televised story ==
''To be added''
* There is an extra opening sequence detailing the young Ace's visit to Gabriel Chase and the Doctor steering [[the TARDIS]] there.
* It is established that Matthews saw Josiah and [[Gwendoline Pritchard|Gwendoline]] in London and has come to Gabriel Chase partly because he wants to save her innocence.
* The novelisation includes several scenes and lines that were scripted and/or filmed but cut from the televised version: Ace tipping Josiah off by tampering with a telephone, and the Doctor saying they have to leave the house and be invited back in; the Doctor playing a boogie-woogie on the piano; Gwendoline visiting [[Redvers Fenn-Cooper|Redvers]]; [[Alfred Mackenzie|Inspector Mackenzie]] trying to leave the house and being stopped by Light, who causes the front door to become immovably locked; [[Pritchard (Ghost Light)|Mrs Pritchard]] telling two maids, one of whom is armed with a machete, to dispose of Mackenzie; and [[Nimrod]] handing in his notice to Josiah (a scene rehearsed for the televised version, but never actually recorded).
* It is explained that Josiah has ''[[The Times]]'' delivered to [[Control (Ghost Light)|Control]] as a taunt since he knows she won't understand it.
* Ace finds cave paintings in the passage leading to the stone spaceship. These were to have featured in the televised version, but had to be omitted for reasons of cost.
* Ace sees Control on her first visit to the spaceship. [[Mrs Grose]] also sees her and tells the Doctor she is resigning.
* It is explained that Mrs Pritchard tricked Redvers into wandering into Light's spaceship, causing his insanity.
* When Light emerges from the lift, he walks straight through the Doctor standing in his path; an effect planned for the televised version, but which eventually proved impossible to achieve on-screen.
* Light travels around the world viewing the lifeforms there.
* It is implied that Josiah brought the ship back to Earth while Light slept.
* Control plans to get Josiah better quarters eventually.
* There is a lot of insight into the Doctor's mental processes, better explaining his motivation at various points.


== Writing and publishing notes ==
== Writing and publishing notes ==
* [[Alister Pearson]]’s original cover design featured the faces of [[Josiah Samuel Smith]] and [[Light]], which were removed in the final cover.
* [[Alister Pearson]]'s original cover design featured the faces of [[Josiah Samuel Smith]] and [[Light (Ghost Light)|Light]], which were removed in the final cover.
* Dedication: “For Ian, Margaret and the wonderful Alice”
* Dedication: "For Ian, Margaret and the wonderful Alice"
* This novelisation was later released as part of ''[[The Earth Adventures Collection]]''.


== British publication history ==
== British publication history ==
One single paperback edition, priced £2.50 (UK), estimated print run: 25,000 copies.
One single paperback edition, priced £2.50 (UK), estimated print run: 25,000 copies.


* '''[[The Target Book]]''' by [[David J Howe]] ([[Telos Publishing]] 2007)
== Audiobook ==
== External links ==
This Target Book was released as an audiobook on [[2 June (releases)|2 June]] [[2011 (releases)|2011]] complete and unabridged by [[BBC Audio]] and read by [[Ian Hogg]].
 
The cover blurb and thumbnail illustrations were retained in the accompanying booklet with sleevenotes by [[David J. Howe]]. Music and sound effects by [[Simon Power]].
 
<gallery position="center" captionalign="center" hideaddbutton="true">
Ghost Light Audio.jpg|Audiobook cover
</gallery>
 
{{DWN}}
{{DWN}}
{{TitleSort}}
{{TitleSort}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:''{{StoryTitle}}''}}
 
[[Category:Target novelisations]]
[[Category:Target novelisations]]
[[Category:1990 novels]]
[[Category:1990 novels]]
[[Category:Seventh Doctor novelisations]]
[[Category:Eternal novels]]
[[Category:Stories set in Perivale]]
[[Category:Stories set in 1983]]
[[Category:Stories set in 1883]]
[[Category:The Earth Adventures Collection novels]]

Latest revision as of 22:57, 6 February 2024

RealWorld.png

Ghost Light was a novelisation based on the 1989 television serial Ghost Light.

Publisher's summary[[edit]]

Perivale, 1983

A column of smoke rises from the blazing ruins of a forgotten, decaying mansion.

Perivale, 1883

In the sleepy, rural parish of Greenford Parva, Gabriel Chase is by far the most imposing edifice. The villagers shun the grim house, but the owner, the reclusive and controversial naturalist Josiah Samuel Smith, receives occasional visitors.

The Reverend Ernest Matthews, for instance, dean of Mortarhouse College, has travelled from Oxford to refute Smith's blasphemous theories of evolution.

And in a deserted upstairs room, the Doctor and Ace venture from the TARDIS to explore the Victorian mansion...

Who – or what – is Josiah Smith? What terrible secrets does his house conceal? And why does Ace find everything so frightening familiar?

Chapter titles[[edit]]

  1. Tropic of Perivale
  2. Gabriel Chase
  3. Uncharted Territory
  4. Gaslight Boogie
  5. Josiah's Web
  6. That's the Way to the Zoo
  7. Ace's Adventures Underground
  8. Creature Comforts
  9. Out of Control
  10. Twice Upon a Time
  11. Trick of the Light
  12. Beautiful Soup

Deviations from televised story[[edit]]

  • There is an extra opening sequence detailing the young Ace's visit to Gabriel Chase and the Doctor steering the TARDIS there.
  • It is established that Matthews saw Josiah and Gwendoline in London and has come to Gabriel Chase partly because he wants to save her innocence.
  • The novelisation includes several scenes and lines that were scripted and/or filmed but cut from the televised version: Ace tipping Josiah off by tampering with a telephone, and the Doctor saying they have to leave the house and be invited back in; the Doctor playing a boogie-woogie on the piano; Gwendoline visiting Redvers; Inspector Mackenzie trying to leave the house and being stopped by Light, who causes the front door to become immovably locked; Mrs Pritchard telling two maids, one of whom is armed with a machete, to dispose of Mackenzie; and Nimrod handing in his notice to Josiah (a scene rehearsed for the televised version, but never actually recorded).
  • It is explained that Josiah has The Times delivered to Control as a taunt since he knows she won't understand it.
  • Ace finds cave paintings in the passage leading to the stone spaceship. These were to have featured in the televised version, but had to be omitted for reasons of cost.
  • Ace sees Control on her first visit to the spaceship. Mrs Grose also sees her and tells the Doctor she is resigning.
  • It is explained that Mrs Pritchard tricked Redvers into wandering into Light's spaceship, causing his insanity.
  • When Light emerges from the lift, he walks straight through the Doctor standing in his path; an effect planned for the televised version, but which eventually proved impossible to achieve on-screen.
  • Light travels around the world viewing the lifeforms there.
  • It is implied that Josiah brought the ship back to Earth while Light slept.
  • Control plans to get Josiah better quarters eventually.
  • There is a lot of insight into the Doctor's mental processes, better explaining his motivation at various points.

Writing and publishing notes[[edit]]

British publication history[[edit]]

One single paperback edition, priced £2.50 (UK), estimated print run: 25,000 copies.

Audiobook[[edit]]

This Target Book was released as an audiobook on 2 June 2011 complete and unabridged by BBC Audio and read by Ian Hogg.

The cover blurb and thumbnail illustrations were retained in the accompanying booklet with sleevenotes by David J. Howe. Music and sound effects by Simon Power.