Though unconfirmed by the BBC, it appears that five new Target novelisations will be released in July 2022, including stories from the Fourth, Tenth, and Twelfth Doctors — all written by the stories original screenwriters!
The stories being adapted into novels are:
- The Stones of Blood
- The Androids of Tara
- The Fires of Pompeii
- The Zygon Invasion/ The Zygon Inversion
- The Eaters of Light
The Zygon Invasion/ The Zygon Inversion will be the first multi-part 21st Century Doctor Who tale to be turned into a Target book.
As for The Stones of Blood and The Androids of Tara, both were originally novelised by Terrance Dicks; however, when they were recorded for audio release a few years ago, those recordings were based on new texts written by David Fisher. Now, we’ll finally be getting those Fisher-penned adaptations
(If you click on any of the titles below, you’ll be redirected to Amazon UK; we’re part of Amazon’s affiliate scheme, so a small percentage of what you order will go to support hosting costs for the DWC. However, you might prefer to wait and get potential signed editions from Forbidden Planet — which is a presumption as none have been announced, but follows previous years’ Target Collections.)
Here are their synopses:
The Stones of Blood by David Fisher
“We won’t find Dracula hanging around the Manor. But we may find something equally disturbing…”
The Doctor is delighted when his quest for the Key to Time leads him to his favourite planet, Earth. But his friends are less enchanted: Romana is nearly lured to her death by a sinister apparition, and K9 is all but destroyed by a belligerent boulder with the power to move – and a thirst for blood.
An ancient stone circle becomes a battleground as the Doctor must outwit the deadliest alien criminal this side of hyperspace – and her bloodthirsty silicon servants…
The Androids of Tara by David Fisher
“Why is your first impulse to reach for your swords and never a screwdriver?”
The Doctor and Romana’s search for the fourth segment of the all-powerful Key to Time leads them to the planet Tara, where courtly intrigue and romantic pageantry employ the most sophisticated technology.
Within hours of arriving, Romana is mistaken for a powerful princess and the Doctor forced to dally with robotic royalty – and both are quickly embroiled in the scheming ambitions of the wicked Count Grendel. Finding the segment of the Key is easy enough, but escaping with it in one piece will prove an altogether more colourful affair…
The Fires of Pompeii by James Moran
“My masters will follow the example of Rome… our mighty empire bestraddling the whole of civilization!”
It is AD 79, and the TARDIS lands in Pompeii on the eve of the town’s destruction. Mount Vesuvius is ready to erupt and bury its surroundings in molten lava, just as history dictates. Or is it?
The Doctor and Donna find that Pompeii is home to impossible things: circuits made of stone, soothsayers who read minds and fiery giants made of burning rock. From a lair deep in the volcano, these creatures plot the end of humanity – and the Doctor soon finds he has no way to win…
The Zygon Invasion by Peter Harness
“We will die in the fire instead of living in chains.”
For years, 20 million shape-changing Zygons have lived among us in secret. They wear human form, hiding in plain sight. Now a fanatical Zygon splinter group seek to expose their own kind and provoke a conflict that will force both sides to the brink of Armageddon to ensure their own survival.
It took three Doctors to broker a fragile peace between Zygons and Humans. Now the 12th must face the fallout alone. With his allies compromised and his companion believed dead, can he stop the world from plunging into war?
The Eaters of Light by Rona Munro
“To protect a muddy little hillside, you doomed your whole world!”
The Doctor takes Bill and Nardole back to 2nd century Scotland to learn the fate of the ‘lost’ Ninth Legion of the Imperial Roman Army. 5,000 soldiers vanished without explanation – how?
The search for the truth leads the Doctor and his friends into a deadly mystery. Who is the Guardian of the Gate? What nightmare creature roams the wildlands, darkening the sky and destroying all in its path? A threat from another dimension has been unleashed on the Earth, and only a terrible sacrifice can put things right…
These books will all be released together on 14th July 2022, each costing £7.99. You might want to wait until Forbidden Planet uploads these titles, as they often include signed editions.
