BBC Books is set to release a very special hardcover edition of Doctor Who: The Key to Time, collecting together novelisations of six connected Who serials.
Coming in October, this hardback will feature three new novelisations, written by Robert Shearman (Dalek; The Chimes of Midnight) and James Goss (Doctor Who Confidential; loads of Big Finish), alongside two classic Target novels by David Fisher. The mammoth 832-page book includes adaptations of a whole season of stories starring Tom Baker’s Fourth Doctor and Mary Tamm as the first Romana in The Ribos Operation, The Pirate Planet, The Stones of Blood, The Androids of Tara, The Power of Kroll, and The Armageddon Factor.
The book also comes with a foreword by Tom Baker.
Here’s what to expect:
Six segments. One quest. The fate of the universe at stake.
For the first time, all six stories in Doctor Who’s epic Key to Time saga come together in a single collection – featuring THREE brand new novelisations!
The White Guardian has a mission for the Doctor: locate the six segments of the legendary Key to Time before the cosmos falls to chaos. Accompanied by the brilliant but inexperienced Time Lady Romana, the Doctor embarks on a series of incredible adventures…
The Ribos Operation by James Goss (exclusive to this edition!)
The search begins on the medieval world of Ribos, where conmen and conspiracies complicate the quest.
The Pirate Planet by James Goss
A world-devouring planet ruled by a bombastic cyborg captain hides a terrible secret.
The Stones of Blood by David Fisher
Ancient stone circles, druidic legends and justice from another dimension collide on present-day Earth.
The Androids of Tara by David Fisher
On a feudal world with a twist, the Doctor and Romana are entangled in a plot of android doubles and royal assassinations.
The Power of Kroll by Robert Shearman (exclusive to this edition!)
In the swamps of Delta Magna, colonial politics and native rebellion awaken an ancient and monstrous god.
The Armageddon Factor by James Goss (exclusive to this edition!)
On the war-ravaged planet Atrios, the true nature of the Key to Time is revealed. Will the final segment bring salvation to the universe – or disaster?
This is a great idea from BBC Books, making a few out of print titles more readily available and also giving us three new takes on classic stories.
You have to wonder, however, why the original Terrance Dicks- and Ian Marter-penned Target novels weren’t used instead. Perhaps merely to stop complaints about paying for the same products after they’ve been repackaged? Or perhaps it felt appropriate considering Fisher’s were written more recently too?
