This book adapts Invasion of the Bane, the inaugural episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures. It was published simultaneously with the novelisations of Revenge of the Slitheen, Eye of the Gorgon and Warriors of Kudlak. It was listed first as it is based upon the pilot episode.
This marks the first novelisation of a Doctor Who-related television production since the 1996 release of Doctor Who - The Novel of the Film (based upon Doctor Who). It is the first adaptation of a "regular" episode/serial since The Evil of the Daleks in 1994. By writing this inaugural book, original-series script editor Terrance Dicks, who had recently returned to the world of Doctor Who fiction with the 2007 release Made of Steel returned to the world of episode adaptations; it is his first television novelisation since his adaptation of The Space Pirates was published in 1990, prior to which he had written the majority of original-series literary adaptations..
Publisher's summary
Life on Earth can be an adventure, too. You just need to know where to look.
Maria's fascinated by her new neighbour, Sarah Jane Smith — she's a journalist, but she also helps aliens! After a visit to the Bubble Shock factory, Sarah Jane and Maria's lives change forever when they meet the Archetype. But why is everything he does so strange? And what does he have to do with Bane, the mysterious organic ingredient in Bubble Shock?
Characters
References
- Maria Jackson thought that there was something spooky about Sarah Jane Smith's house. It had a touch of Dracula's castle.
- When Davey told Kelsey Hooper that the Bane Mother was his mother. Kelsey suggested that he should go to Jeremy Kyle if he really believed that.
- Sarah Jane Smith had a photo of a "fierce-looking Army officer with a clipped moustache". Maria thought this might have been Sarah Jane's father. Furthermore there was a photo of a "handsome square-jawed young man in a duffle coat. Maria thought he was Sarah Jane's boyfriend.
Notes
- Includes an eight-page section of photographs from the episode.
- Author Terrance Dicks worked as script editor for Doctor Who in the 1970s and wrote or co-wrote scripts for the series beginning in 1969. He is perhaps best known for writing the lion's share of Target novelisations published between 1974 and the early 1990s. He has contributed to most lines of original Doctor Who fiction published since 1991. His last novelisation before this one was Shakedown in 1995, which was based upon a non-BBC spin-off production.
Deviations from the televised story
- For some reason, Alan Jackson wishes for "Angela Jolie" to appear at his front door, instead of Angelina Jolie as he does in the televised version. This is an obvious typo.
- Sarah Jane communicates with K9 via a monitor (which for some reason is kept in a safe), as opposed to the televised version which implies that the safe contains some sort of dimensional portal.
- Mr Smith does not play a fanfare when he's activated. (TV: The Stolen Earth established that the musical cue heard in the show whenever the computer was summoned actually is heard by the characters.)
Continuity
To be added