Doctor Who and the Revenge of the Cybermen (novelisation)
Doctor Who and the Revenge of the Cybermen was a novelisation based on the 1975 serial Revenge of the Cybermen. The first edition's cover bore the title of Doctor Who - The Revenge of the Cybermen; however, the spine and copyright listing still used the Doctor Who and the… form, and subsequent paperback editions reverted to it.
Publisher's summary
1976 Target Books edition
A mysterious plague strikes Space Beacon Nerva, killing its victims within minutes. When DOCTOR WHO lands, only four humans remain alive. One of these seems to be in league with the nearby planet of gold, Voga... Or is he in fact working for the dreaded CYBERMEN, who are now determined to finally destroy their old enemies, the VOGANS?
The Doctor, Sarah and Harry find themselves caught in the midst of a terrifying struggle to death – between the ruthless, power-hungry Cybermen and the desperate determined Vogans.
1991 Target Books edition
THE CYBERMEN. 'THEY'RE TOTALLY RUTHLESS, WITH A GREAT DETERMINATION TO SURVIVE, AND TO CONQURE. THEY WON'T HAVE FORGIVEN MANKIND.'
Transported by the Time Ring given to the Doctor by the Time Lords, the Doctor, Sarah Jane and Harry Sullivan find themselves returned to the spaceship that was the scene of The Ark in Space, also available as a Target novelization.
They find it deserted, the crew struck down by a mysterious 'space plague'. And on board are the Cybermats, lethal war machines which wait for their masters, the Cybermen, to come to wreak their revenge...
Doctor Who - Revenge of the Cybermen was written by Gerry Davis, the creator of the Cybermen, and this novelization is by Terrance Dicks, who was script editor of the series for five years.
Chapter titles
- The Creation of the Cybermen
- Return to Peril
- The Cybermat Strikes
- A Hot Spot for the Doctor
- A Visit to Voga
- Rebellion!
- Attack of the Cybermen
- The Living Bombs
- Journey into Peril
- Countdown on Voga
- Explosion!
- Skystriker!
- 'The Biggest Bang in History'
Deviations from televised story
- Magrik survives the story. He is called away to deal with a fault prior to the Skystriker's launch and is present in the control room when the Cybership is destroyed.
- The Vogans needed humanity to build the glittergun because their gold is useless against the Cybermen otherwise.
- The Cybermen in the novelisation are portrayed as they appeared in TV: The Invasion, with their helmet weapons replaced by rifles described as: "plain foot-long metal rods with white cylinders on the end".
- An epilogue features the Doctor, Harry and Sarah setting course for Loch Ness. (TV: Terror of the Zygons)
- The Cyberleader reacts when Kellman mentions the name Doctor, relating how someone with that name was a frequent enemy of the Cybermen, but states the Fourth Doctor is not the same person because his face is different.
Writing and publishing notes
- The inside page includes the comments: "THE CHANGING FACE OF DOCTOR WHO. The cover illustration of this book portrays the fourth DOCTOR WHO"
- At the story's close, Sarah's question “I wonder why the Brigadier's calling us for somewhere near Loch Ness?” there is an asterix that leads to “You can discover the answer in `Doctor Who and the Loch Ness Monster'.
- The first edition gives the title on the cover as Doctor Who - The Revenge of the Cybermen, but as Doctor Who and the Revenge of the Cybermen on the inside front page. Later editions use the latter title on the cover.
Additional cover images
1976 Hardback edition
Alternate cover
1991 edition.
Cover by Alister Pearson
British publication history
First publication:
- Hardback
- W.H. Allen & Co. Ltd. UK
- Paperback
- Target
Editions published outside Britain
- Published in the USA by Pinnacle Books in 1979 as a paperback edition, it was one of ten American novelisations; an introduction by Harlan Ellison features in all the editions.
- Published again in the USA by Nelson Doubleday in 1979 as a combined Hardback edition, it comprised this story, Doctor Who and the Genesis of the Daleks and Doctor Who and the Loch Ness Monster. The introduction by Harlan Ellison was included.
- Published yet again in the USA by Aeonian Press in 1986 as a hardback edition; it was one of seven novelisations published in the mid-1980's.
- Published in Poland by Empire Books in 1994 as a paperback edition, translated by Juliusz Garztecki and published as Doctor Who - Dzień Daleków, it was one of three Polish novelisations.
1979 US Pinnacle Books edition.
Cover by David Mann
1979 combined Hardback edition.
Cover by Gary Viskupic
1986 Hardback edition
Polish edition
Audiobook
This Target Book was released as an audiobook on 3 February 2022 complete and unabridged by BBC Audio and read by Nicholas Briggs.
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.
Doctor Who and the Revenge of the Cybermen
