Doctor Who and the Hand of Fear (novelisation)

Doctor Who and the Hand of Fear was a novelisation based on the 1976 television serial The Hand of Fear.

	The Hand of Fear
	Fourth Doctor
	Sarah
	Eldrad
	Earth, the 1970s Kastria
	Target Books, W.H. Allen
	Terrance Dicks
	Roy Knipe
	30 (given to later editions)
	18 January 1979
	Hardcover and paperback editions; 15 Chapters, 128 Pages
	ISBN 0-426-20033-0
Target novelisations
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Publisher's summary

The Tardis lands in England, and Sarah, the Fourth Doctor's companion, looks forward to going home.

A freak accident in a quarry leaves the unconscious Sarah clutching an enormous stone Hand.

The Hand is the only surviving remnant of Eldrad, an alien super-being expelled from his planet, Kastria – and it has the power to control the human mind. Using Sarah as its instrument, the Hand goes in search of the atomic energy it needs to regenerate Eldrad's body.

Eldrad is determined to return to Kastria and punish his enemies. The Doctor and Sarah are caught up in the terrifying conclusion of a drama of betrayal and revenge that began millions of years ago.

Chapter Titles

• Prologue

1. The Fossil
2. The Ring of Power
3. Power Source
4. The Will of Eldrad
5. Eldrad Must Live
6. Countdown
7. Blow-up
8. Counterstrike
9. The Return of Eldrad
10. Return to Kastria
11. The Caves of Kastria
12. Eldrad Reborn
13. Eldrad's Destiny
14. Sarah's Farewell

Deviations from televised story

• Abbott, the foreman, is given the first name of Tom.
• Professor Watson is given the first name of Owen.
• Technic Obarl is renamed Oban.
• Rokon instructs Zazzka to give control of the capsule to him rather than detonate and reads Eldrad's sentence before obliteration.
• Sarah surviving the blast in the quarry is explained as her finding shelter under an overhang.
• The Doctor gains Abbott's co-operation on his return to the quarry by showing his UNIT credentials.
• Carter describes Sarah as wearing a striped overall dress, rather than pink striped overalls "like Andy Pandy".
• Carter does not show signs of being possessed when the Doctor returns to the lab, the first hint being when he hears Sarah speaking over the intercom.
• Rather than attacking the Doctor on the stairs and overbalancing, Carter tries to pull him off a horizontal ladder and ends up falling off it himself when his lunge carries him over.
• Driscoll is present while Sarah is being decontaminated.
• Sarah forgets about Eldrad after the Doctor has deprogrammed her.
• Elgin is not named.
• The Doctor, Sarah and Watson leave Nunton in Watson's jaguar rather than a land rover.
• It is explained that Watson keeps a gun in case of a terrorist attack.
• Watson speaks to a minister on the phone about an enquiry after the incident.
• Abbott greets the Doctor, Sarah and Eldrad at the quarry and points out the TARDIS to them.
• The Doctor lures Sarah across the chasm by pretending to be in trouble.

Writing and publishing notes

• to be added

Additional cover images

to be added

British publication history

First publication:

• Hardback

W.H. Allen & Co. Ltd. UK

• Paperback

Target

External links

• On Target a comprehensive guide to the Target novelisations by Tim Neal