Terror of the Vervoids (novelisation): Difference between revisions

The Time Lords have brought the Doctor to trial, accusing him of gross interference in the affairs of other planets. If he is found guilty he must forfeit all his remaining regenerations.

In his defence the Doctor tells of an adventure set on board the Hyperion III space liner in his future. Answering a distress call, the Doctor and Mel arrive on the liner just as a series of grisly murders begins.

Who is behind the murders? Do the enigmatic Mogarians have anything to do with them? Who sent the distress call to the TARDIS? And what hideous menace lies waiting in the Hydroponic Centre?

Deviations from televised story[[edit] | [edit source]]

There are extra trial room scenes of the Valeyard complaining about the absence of the Doctor from the early sequences and attempting to blame him for Bruchner's death. (These were recorded and are included as deleted scenes on the DVD.)
More emphasis is placed on the Valeyard using the same phrase that the Doctor supposedly used in the faked conversation with Mel.
It is mentioned that Kimber is going to Earth to visit his son and grandchildren and that the watch left behind after he is killed has an inscription from them.
It is more clear than on screen that the Mogarians are killed by having acid thrown over their face plates, damaging them and exposing them to the Earthlike atmosphere.
Mel, Janet and Doland are accompanied by guards when they find the dead Mogarians on the bridge.
Lasky is given back story as the daughter of an unemotional scientist whose mother was fond of plants and died when she was young.

Writing and publishing notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

to be added

Additional cover images[[edit] | [edit source]]

1987 Hardback edition

British publication history[[edit] | [edit source]]

Hardback (September 1987)

W.H.Allen & Co. Ltd. UK ISBN:0491030568, estimated print run: 1,750 copies priced £7.95 (UK))

Paperback (February 1988)

Target / W.H. Allen & Co. Ltd. One single paperback edition, estimated print run: 25,000, priced £1.95 (UK).

Interior ISBN reads 0426203097X and exterior ISBN 04262030135

Audiobook[[edit] | [edit source]]

This Target Book was released as an audiobook on 3 October 2013 complete and unabridged by BBC Audio and read by Bonnie Langford as part of The Trial of a Time Lord Vol. 2.

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.

The audiobook was reissued on 2 April 2020 as part of The Trial of a Time Lord Collection.

Audiobook cover
The Trial of a Time Lord Collection

External links[[edit] | [edit source]]

On Target a comprehensive guide to the Target novelisations by Tim Neal

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{title dab away}}
 {{real world}}
-{{Infobox Story
+{{Infobox Story SMW
 |image= Terror of the Vervoids TOATL novel.jpg
-|series=[[Target novelisation]]s
+|series = [[Target novelisation]]s
 |number= 125
-|doctor=Sixth Doctor
+|doctor = Sixth Doctor
 |companions= [[Melanie Bush|Mel]]
-|enemy= {{il|[[The Valeyard]],|[[Darkel|Inquisitor Darkel]],|[[Vervoid]]s}}
+|enemy= [[The Valeyard]], [[Doland]], [[Vervoid]]s
-|setting= {{il|[[Time Lord Station]]|The ''[[Hyperion III]]'', [[2986]]}}
+|setting= {{il|[[Space Station Zenobia|Time Lord Station]]|The ''[[Hyperion III]]'', [[2986]]}}
-|writer= [[Pip and Jane Baker]]
+|writer= Pip and Jane Baker
-|read by=[[Bonnie Langford]]
+|read by = [[Bonnie Langford]]
 |publisher= Target Books
 |publisher2= W.H. Allen
 |novelisation of= Terror of the Vervoids (TV story)
 |cover= [[Tony Masero]]
-|release date= [[18 February (releases)|18 February]] [[1988 (releases)|1988]]
+|release date= 18 February 1988
 |format= Hardcover and paperback editions; 26 Chapters, 144 Pages
 |isbn= ISBN 0-426-20313-5
-|prev=Mindwarp (novelisation)
+|prev= The Rescue (novelisation)
-|next=The Ultimate Foe (novelisation)
+|next= The Time Meddler (novelisation)
+|series2 = [[List of Doctor Who television stories|TV series order]]
+|prev2 = Mindwarp (novelisation)
+|next2=The Ultimate Foe (novelisation)
 }}
 '''''{{StoryTitle}}''''' was a novelisation based on the 1986 television story ''[[Terror of the Vervoids (TV story)|Terror of the Vervoids]]''.
 == Publisher's summary ==
-The [[Time Lord]]s have brought the [[Sixth Doctor]] to trial, accusing him of gross interference in the affairs of other planets. If he is found guilty he must forfeit all his remaining regenerations.
+The [[Time Lord]]s have brought [[Sixth Doctor|the Doctor]] to trial, accusing him of gross interference in the affairs of other planets. If he is found guilty he must forfeit all his remaining regenerations.
-In his defence the Doctor tells of an adventure set on board the [[Hyperion III]] space liner in his future. Answering a distress call, the Doctor and [[Melanie Bush|Mel]] arrive on the liner just as a series of grisly murders begins.
+In his defence the Doctor tells of an adventure set on board the ''[[Hyperion III]]'' space liner in his future. Answering a distress call, the Doctor and [[Melanie Bush|Mel]] arrive on the liner just as a series of grisly murders begins.
 Who is behind the murders? Do the enigmatic [[Mogarian]]s have anything to do with them? Who sent the distress call to [[the Doctor's TARDIS|the TARDIS]]? And what hideous menace lies waiting in the Hydroponic Centre?
-== Chapter titles ==
-* Prologue
-# The Defence Begins
-# Identity Crisis
-# Welcome Aboard
-# Limbering up
-# Tiger Trap
-# The Booby Trap
-# The Fateful Harvest
-# The Demeter Seeds
-# A Change of Course
-# Death of An Imposter
-# A Plethora of Suspects
-# The Isolation Room
-# Quirky Phenomena
-# The Enemy Within
-# Deadly Disposal
-# A Heinous Crime
-# The Black Hole of Tartarus
-# A Deadly Intruder
-# A Whiff of Death
-# Hijack
-# A Sacrificial Goat
-# Dénouement
-# Philosophy of a Vervoid
-# The Life Cycle
-# Epilogue
 == Deviations from televised story ==
-''to be added''
+* There are extra trial room scenes of the Valeyard complaining about the absence of the Doctor from the early sequences and attempting to blame him for [[Bruchner]]'s death. (These were recorded and are included as deleted scenes on the DVD.)
+* More emphasis is placed on the Valeyard using the same phrase that the Doctor supposedly used in the faked conversation with Mel.
+* It is mentioned that [[Kimber]] is going to Earth to visit his son and grandchildren and that the watch left behind after he is killed has an inscription from them.
+* It is more clear than on screen that the Mogarians are killed by having acid thrown over their face plates, damaging them and exposing them to the Earthlike atmosphere.
+* Mel, [[Janet (Terror of the Vervoids)|Janet]] and Doland are accompanied by guards when they find the dead Mogarians on the bridge.
+* [[Sarah Lasky|Lasky]] is given back story as the daughter of an unemotional scientist whose mother was fond of plants and died when she was young.
 == Writing and publishing notes ==
@@ Line 65: / Line 45: @@
 == Additional cover images ==
-''to be added''
+<gallery position=center captionalign=center hideaddbutton="true" >
+File:HardbackTerrorOfTheVervoids.jpg|1987 Hardback edition
+</gallery>
 == British publication history ==
@@ Line 71: / Line 53: @@
 * W.H.Allen & Co. Ltd. UK ISBN:0491030568, estimated print run: 1,750 copies priced £7.95 (UK))
 : Paperback (February 1988)
-* Target / W.H. Allen & Co. Ltd.  One single paperback edition, estimated print run: 25,000,  priced £1.95 (UK).
+* Target / W.H. Allen & Co. Ltd. One single paperback edition, estimated print run: 25,000, priced £1.95 (UK).
 : Interior ISBN reads 0426203097X and exterior ISBN 04262030135
-==  Audiobook ==
+== Audiobook ==
-This Target Book was released complete and unabridged by [[BBC Audio]] and read by [[Bonnie Langford]].
+This Target Book was released as an audiobook on [[3 October (releases)|3 October]] [[2013 (releases)|2013]] complete and unabridged by [[BBC Audio]] and read by [[Bonnie Langford]] as part of ''The Trial of a Time Lord Vol. 2''.
+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]].
+The audiobook was reissued on [[2 April (releases)|2 April]] [[2020 (releases)|2020]] as part of ''[[The Trial of a Time Lord Collection]]''.
 <gallery position="center" captionalign="center" hideaddbutton="true">
-Terror of the Vervoids audiobook.jpg
+Terror of the Vervoids audiobook.jpg|Audiobook cover
+The Trial of a Time Lord Collection.jpg|The Trial of a Time Lord Collection
 </gallery>
-The audio set of four CDs was released in October 2013 as part of ''The Trial of a Time Lord Vol. 2''
 == External links ==
-*  [http://www.personal.leeds.ac.uk/~ecl6nb/OnTarget/general/main.htm ''On Target'' a comprehensive guide to the Target novelisations by Tim Neal]
+* [http://www.personal.leeds.ac.uk/~ecl6nb/OnTarget/general/main.htm ''On Target'' a comprehensive guide to the Target novelisations by Tim Neal]
 {{DWN}}
 {{TitleSort}}
 [[Category:Target novelisations]]
 [[Category:1988 novels]]
-[[Category:Sixth Doctor novels]]
-[[Category:The Valeyard novels]]
-[[Category:Time Lord novels]]
 [[Category:Multi-Doctor novels]]
 [[Category:Stories set in 2986]]
-[[Category:Stories set in Mutter's Spiral]]
+[[Category:Novels set in Mutter's Spiral]]
 [[Category:Stories set in the Rassilon Era]]
+[[Category:The Trial of a Time Lord Collection novels]]