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Doctor Who and the Doomsday Weapon (novelisation) was novelisation based on the 1971 television serial Colony in Space.
Publisher's summary
1974 edition
The evil MASTER has stolen the Time Lords' file on the horrifying DOOMSDAY WEAPON with which, when he finds it, he can blast whole planets out of existence and make himself ruler of the Galaxy!
The Time Lords direct DOCTOR WHO and Jo Grant in TARDIS to a bleak planet in the year 2471 where they find colonists from Earth under threat from mysterious, savage, monster lizards with frightful claws! And hidden upon this planet is the DOOMSDAY WEAPON for which the MASTER is intently searching …
Deviations from televised story
- Both Jo Grant and the Master are given new introductions, with Grant in particular described as joining the Doctor for the first time, despite several earlier stories featuring her. As one of the first releases in the Target Books series, there was no expectation that all stories would eventually be adapted. Once the earlier stories had been novelised, no attempt was made at revising The Doomsday Weapon, creating a continuity hiccough for those reading the novelisations in chronological order.
- The concrete Earth that the colonists had left is expanded upon.
- IMC's robot is humanoid.
Writing and publishing notes
- The 1979 edition by Pinnacle Books in the US included an introduction by Harlan Ellison.
- The first edition Target cover was the first to feature the Master.
Additional cover images
1979 edition; Cover by Jeff Cummins
British publication history
First publication:
- Hardback
- W.H. Allen & Co. Ltd. UK
- Paperback
- Target
Re-issues:
- 70p
- 1979 Target Books with a new cover by Jeff Cummins priced 75p (UK)
Editions published outside Britain
- Published in the USA in 1979 by Pinnacle Books.
- Published in Japan in 1980 by Hayakawa Bunko.
1979 US Pinnacle Books edition
1980 Japanese novelisation
Audiobook
This Target book was released complete and unabridged by BBC Audio and read by Geoffrey Beevers who played the Master (though not in Colony in Space).
The audio set of 4 CDs with an ISBN 1-4056-7795-3 was released in September 2007 priced £13.99 (UK)
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
