The Power of the Daleks was a novelisation based on the 1966 television serial The Power of the Daleks.
Publisher's summary
THE STRANGER DREW HIMSELF UP TO HIS FULL HEIGHT. "I AM THE DOCTOR", HE ANNOUNCED.
Disorientated after his regeneration, the Second Doctor takes the TARDIS to the Earth Colony Vulcan. Ben and Polly are disturbed — the Doctor isn't the man he used to be.
The Doctor too is worried. The colonists have found the remains of two Daleks — which they plan to revive.
Once revived, the Daleks claim that they are content to serve humanity. Can it really be true? Or do they have their own, more sinister plans?
This is a brand-new novelisation of a classic Dalek story, which is also the first story to feature Patrick Troughton as the Doctor. It has been unavailable since its broadcast in 1966.
Chapter titles
- Prologue
- We Must Get Back to the TARDIS
- It's Beginning to Work Again
- I Think We'll Make Some Changes
- So You've Come At Last
- They're Not Going to Stop Me Working on the Capsule
- Why Have You Come to Vulcan?
- Alien? Yes -- Very Alien
- Nothing Human, No
- You Don't Half Make Mountains
- Plenty of Nuts
- They'll be too Frightened to do Anything Else
- It's Watching Me, Lesterson
- What Have You Done, Lesterson?
- I Obey
- You've Done Nothing But Meddle
- Keep Her in a Safe Place
- When I Say Run, Run Like a Rabbit
- Insanity
- These Things Are Just Machines
- We Want No Accidents
- The Doctor Was Right
- I'm Going to Wipe Out The Daleks
- I Can't Stop Them
- The People Will Do Exactly as They Are Told
- Every One Must Be Killed
- You Have To Admire Them
- The Law of the Daleks is in Force
- Epilogue
Deviations from televised story
In the acknowledgements, author John Peel thanks Dennis Spooner and June Barry for bringing to his attention David Whitaker's original scripts for the serial, content of which was edited out of the televised story. As a result, Peel was able to restore some of the content when writing the book and has expanded on what was already there:
- The prologue refers to John Benton and UNIT, Sarah Jane Smith — who is described as "UNIT's official chronicler" — and Allison Williams. None of these were introduced into the series until well after the original serial was broadcast. This marks one of the few times that established characters have been inserted into a novelisation of a story of which they were not originally part.
- According to the novelisation, The Tenth Planet occurs during the 1990s. It is also states that humans went on to examine the Cyberships which allowed them to eventually develop space travel.
- While the Doctor is looking in his chest, he finds the brooch Cameca gave him in The Aztecs and a piece of metal Susan gave him from the Dalek city in The Daleks.
- Frequent mention is also made of the Interplanetary Mining Corporation as the driving force behind the colony's founding and funding. The IMC's first mention in the television series was not until 1971's Colony in Space.
- The character Thane, the colony's medic, is written into the story. She is one of the rebels killed by the Daleks during the climax.
- More background is given to Valmar: he was one of the chief engineers on Vulcan, but was demoted after Hensell blamed him for an industiral accident that kill four men.
- In the televised version, a Dalek says: "Yes. You gave us life," before it kills Lesterson. In the novel, it says: "Yes. You gave us life. We give you death."
- Bragan's death is more graphic than it is in the original version. In the TV story, he is simply shot dead; in the novelisation, Valmar shoots first to wound him and save Quinn before shooting Bragan through the head.
Writing and publishing notes
- Along with The Evil of the Daleks and The Paradise of Death, this was significantly different from previous titles. The three were regarded as a bridging point between the old Target range of Doctor Who books and the soon-to-be-launched Virgin Missing Adventures range, while also fitting in with the ongoing Virgin New Adventures range. They all had a new-look cover with no Target logo being featured. Furthermore, each title was identified as part of the Doctor Who imprint and not the Target imprint. Together, these three books were unique. While part of the Virgin brand, they did not include the Virgin branding, a fact that was not overlooked. From the start it was decided that the Doctor Who imprint would be replaced with the more "appropriate" Virgin branding more associated with the New Adventures range.
- Chapter One opens with Ben rescuing Polly and the Doctor from the Cybership, at the end of The Tenth Planet. As a result of the end of that story also being novelised, the First Doctor is given a slightly more active role and Cybermen also appear, albeit dead.
- This book was dedicated to the memories of David Whitaker, Patrick Troughton and William Hartnell and with special thanks to June Barry.
- This is the only Dalek novel written by John Peel in which the Dalek Prime has neither an appearance nor a mention.
- This book features a Seventh Doctor and Ace illustrated advert for Doctor Who Magazine.
- The Doctor Who 30th anniversary logo features on back cover.
- The back cover flash reads "TARGET DOCTOR WHO NOVELIZATIONS 8 MILLION COPIES SOLD".
- The cover for the original Target Books edition features the artwork of Alister Pearson.
- The appearance of the Second Doctor on the cover marked the first time this incarnation had appeared on the cover of a Target novelisation since Doctor Who and the Web of Fear was published in 1976.
British publication history
One single paperback edition, priced £4.50 (UK).
