The Curse of Fenric (novelisation)

Novelisation

This novelisation is based on the original television serial (DW): The Curse of Fenric which was shown from 25th October 1989 and written by Ian Briggs
The cover and information shown on the right is for the original Target novel and featured the artwork of Alister Pearson. (See below for information on other UK and international editions which published with a different cover).

Publisher's summary

If this is a top secret naval camp, I’m Lord Nelson!
Ace has a poor opinion of the security arrangements at Commander Millington’s North Yorkshire base – and she’s less than comfortable in 1940’s fashions. But the Doctor has graver matters on his mind.
Dr Judson, inventor of the Navy’s ULTIMA code-breaker, is using the machine to decipher the runic inscriptions in the crypt of the nearby church. Commander Millington is obsessed with his research into toxic bombs that he insists will hasten the end of World War Two.
A squad of the Red Army’s crack Special Missions brigade lands on the Yorkshire coast with instructions to steal the ULTIMA device – unaware that Millington has turned it into a devastating secret weapon.
And beneath the waters at Maidens Point an ancient evil stirs …
The Doctor uncovers mysteries concealed within villainous plots – but what connects them all to a thousand-year-old curse?

Illustrations

Includes a map.

Deviations from televised story

The novelisation includes an epilogue that leaves Ace (now called Dorothee) in Paris. In Virgin New Adventures novel Set Piece this sets out the events which lead up and into this eventuality.

Writing and publishing notes

Along with Remembrance of the Daleks, this commision was given an unlimited wordcount, and in the light of the forthcoming range of New Adventures, new editor Peter Darvill-Evans encouraged the writers to take a more "grown up" approach to the story, and in particular its underlying theme of adolescence and sexuality.
As a result of the removal of a page limit, The Curse of Fenric, at 188, is the longest Doctor Who novelization published under Target Books' traditional format; several later novelisations would be longer, but they would be published in similar format to the NA line.
Acknowledgment: "A story has many authors. Among the authors of this story were John Nathan-Turner (who indulged my flight of fantasy), Andrew Cartmel (who didn't), and a dozen teenagers in Ealing (for whom it was written). My gratitude to these and others – but especially to Andrew. IB".
This paperback included a map of the flask's route.

Additional cover images

To be added

British publication history

One single paperback edition, priced £2.50 (UK), estimated print run: 29,000 copies.

Editions published outside Britain