Ghost Light (novelisation)

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 Mathews, 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

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

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 finishing story: Ace tipping Josiah off by messing about with a phone and the Doctor saying they have to go out and be invited in, the Doctor playing a boogiewoogie on the piano, Gwendoline visiting Redvers, Mackenzie trying to leave the house and being stopped by Light, Mrs Pritchard telling a maid to attack Mackenzie and Nimrod handing in his notice to Josiah.
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 near the stone spaceship.
Ash 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.
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

Alister Pearson's original cover design featured the faces of Josiah Samuel Smith and Light, which were removed in the final cover.
Dedication: “For Ian, Margaret and the wonderful Alice”

British publication history

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

Audiobook

This Target Book was released complete and unabridged by BBC Audio and read by Ian Hogg, who played Josiah Samuel Smith in the television story.

The audio set of four CDs was released in June 2011 priced £13.99 (UK)