Following a public vote, BBC Books will be releasing two hardback books collecting The Essential Terrance Dicks – reprinting 10 of his best Target novelisations, including the much sought-after Doctor Who and the Wheel in Space.
Volume One contains, complete and unabridged:
- Doctor Who and the Dalek Invasion of Earth
- Doctor Who and the Abominable Snowmen
- Doctor Who and the Wheel in Space
- Doctor Who and the Auton Invasion
- Doctor Who and the Day of the Daleks
And Volume Two contains:
- Doctor Who and the Genesis of the Daleks
- Doctor Who and the Pyramids of Mars
- Doctor Who and the Talons of Weng-Chiang
- Doctor Who and the Horror of Fang Rock
- Doctor Who and the Five Doctors
The pair will have the Target logo spread across their spines, so they sit beautifully together on your bookshelf.
The first five Doctors are represented across the volumes.
Here’s the blurb for both:
“I think if you can get a kid reading for pleasure, not because it’s work, but actually reading for pleasure, it’s a great step forward. It can start with me, you know, start with Dicks and work its way up to Dickens – as long as you get them reading.” – Terrance Dicks
For over 50 years, Terrance Dicks was the secret beating heart(s) of Doctor Who – from joining production of The Invasion in 1968 to his final short story in 2019. As the undisputed master of Doctor Who fiction, Terrance wrote 64 Target novels from his first commission in 1973 to his last, published in 1990. He helped introduce an entire generation to the pleasures of reading and writing, and his fans include Neil Gaiman, Sarah Waters, Mark Gatiss, Alastair Reynolds, Russell T Davies, Steven Moffat, Frank-Cottrell Boyce, and Robert Webb, among many others.
This special two-volume collection, published on the anniversary of Terrance’s death, features the very best of his Doctor Who novels as chosen by fans – from his first book, The Auton Invasion, to his masterwork, the 20th anniversary celebration story The Five Doctors, voted all-time favourite.
With forewords by Frank Cottrell-Boyce and Robert Webb, The Essential Terrance Dicks is a masterclass in contemporary fiction, by a writer of unlimited imagination.
The original Doctor Who and the Wheel in Space is particularly rare as its relatively limited print run was further hampered by a fire at the factory copies were stored at. It’s probably the least-read Target novel, so its inclusion is certainly welcome!
The pair will be available from 26th August 2021.
