By Mark Morris

BBC Books, out now in eBook, print copy 11 January

The Target novelisation of the second of the Doctor Who diamond anniversary specials.

As those who read my review of the televised episode will recall, I wasn’t totally on board with Wild Blue Yonder. Quite apart from the hype generated by the secrecy surrounding this story, I was frequently pulled out of the adventure by unconvincing visual effects and a heavy reliance on CGI. Books have no such problem, because you can’t see the joins or limitations in technology, and Mark Morris’ adaptation of Russell T Davies’ script is accordingly a more satisfying experience for me.

The dialogue is (to my eyes) exactly as transmitted, so it’s with the surrounding narrative that the author can add his mark. It’s written with a clarity that ensures it hits the… ahem… target and doesn’t feel the need to unnecessarily complicate what is actually a very straightforward story. I wondered whether we’d get a flashback to the moment where the captain other ship sacrifices herself, but true to the screenplay, we discover things at the same pace as the Doctor and Donna.

Verdict: Easy-to-follow, linear storytelling that serves the Target ethos perfectly. 7/10

Nick Joy

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