Edited by Paul MC Smith

Wonderful Books, available now

An updated treasure trove of information about the Doctor Who novelisations from 1964 to 2021 (and beyond).

The simplest version of this review is that yet again it does exactly what it says on the cover – it deals with every single novelisation of Doctor Who stories that have been broadcast, from 1963’s An Unearthly Child to 2018’s The Witchfinders. It provides thumbnails of the different covers, the blurb on the back (and all subsequent revisions), release date, price, print run, word count (!), and chapter titles, with the latest edition now offering you the chance to see how the adaptors used the original serial – so, for instance, the split of The War Games is considerably clearer.

It then gets into the fun stuff, bringing together a lot of information from different places, both in print and online, about the creation of the books. If you’ve collected these books from the start – and I know I’m not the only one who has – then chances are you’ll know most of this, but there are still interesting things to learn, or which you’ve not noticed. The information about the cover paintings – and their current location – is certainly fascinating and includes details on the changes made for the audiobooks (particularly by Alister Pearson).

The essays contained in the last edition are now available elsewhere (and if you didn’t read them then, or weren’t aware of them, go and have a read – they’re fascinating). Smith has made this very much about the facts about the books – the editions, the covers, the publishing history. There are quotes from many of the books, and every variant cover from around the world he’s been able to lay his hands on.

David J Howe’s The Target Book dealt with the history of the range; this book makes an excellent companion. It’s also free – although, understandably, the author asks for donations towards its cost – and can be downloaded from the link below (which includes links to the PayPal and Kofi pages).

Verdict: An absolutely indispensable guide to one of the cornerstones of my life – and I suspect that of many, many other Doctor Who fans. 10/10

Paul Simpson