Doctor Who and the Cave-Monsters (novelisation)
Doctor Who and the Cave-Monsters was the novelisation of Doctor Who and the Silurians. Interestingly enough, even though the serial it adapted was accidentally given a Target-style title, the novelisation didn't take the chance to carry the same title and instead gave it a completely different one.
Publisher's summary
1974 edition
All is not well at the Wenley Moor underground atomic research station: there are unaccountable loses of power-output; nervous breakdowns amongst the staff; and then – a death! UNIT is called in and the Brigadier is soon joined by DOCTOR WHO and Liz Shaw in a tense and exciting adventure with subterranean reptile men – SILURIANS – and a 40ft. high Tyrannosaurus rex, the biggest, most savage mammal which ever trod the earth!
"DOCTOR WHO, the children's own programme which adults adore ..." Gerard Garrett, The Daily Sketch
Chapter titles
- Prologue: The Little Planet
- The Doctor gets a message
- The Traitor
- Power Loss
- The Fighting Monster
- Into the Caves
- Quinn Visits His Friends
- Into an Alien World
- The Search
- Man Trap
- The Doctor Makes a Visit
- Goodbye, Dr Quinn
- The Prisoner
- Man from the Ministry
- Attack and Counter-Attack
- The Itch
- Epidemic
- A Hot World
- The Lie
Deviations from televised story
- A prologue tells of the Silurians going into hiding to avoid catastrophe.
- Each of the reptile men is given an individual name and personality.
- Major Baker is renamed 'Major Barker'.
- In the book it is Dr. Meredith who discovers the death of Quinn.
- At the end, the Brigadier only seals the Silurians in the caves, as opposed to blowing them up.
Story notes
- As one of the early titles in the Target range, the writer was encouraged to flesh out his script for the novelisation.
- Chapter 8 titled "Into an Alien World" is written from Morka's point of view.
- The back-cover blurb on the original edition features a scientific error, as the Tyrannosaurus rex is referred to as a mammal, when in fact dinosaurs were reptiles.
- The fact that Silurians can cry, stated here, flatly contradicts Blood Heat.
Additional cover images
Hardcover edition; cover by Chris Achilleos
1979 edition; cover by Chris Achilleos
1992 edition; cover by Alister Pearson
2011 edition; cover by Chris Achilleos
British publication history
First publication:
- Hardback
- W.H. Allen & Co. Ltd. UK
- Paperback
- Target
- 25p (UK)
- 80c Australia
Re-issues:
- 70p (UK) - £1.50
1992 Virgin Publishing with a new cover by Alister Pearson priced £2.99
Editions published outside Britain
Netherlands
- Published as Doctor Who en de Holenmonsters.
Finland
- Published as Tohtori Kuka Ja Luolahirviöt.
Portugal
- Published as Douter Who E Os Monstros Das Cavernas.
Japan
- Published as (transliteration): Senritsu! Chitei Monsutaa
Japanese cover
Audiobook
This Target Book was released complete and unabridged by BBC Audio and read by Caroline John who played Liz Shaw.
The audio set of 4 CDs with an ISBN 1-4056-7799-6 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
External links
- On Target - A comprehensive guide to Doctor Who and the Cave-Monsters
- Doctor Who and the Cave-Monsters on the Doctor Who Collectors Wiki
