Doctor Who and the Nightmare of Eden

"Of course we should interfere. Always do what you're best at, that's what I say!"

Writer: Terrance Dicks
Format: Novel
Released: August 1980
Series: Target 45

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Romana II, K9

Synopsis

A freak accident locks two ships together in space - and a distress call brings the Doctor, Romana, and the faithful K9 onto the scene. The Doctor's efforts to separate the two ships involve him with treacherous drug smugglers, ferocious monsters, and a savagely dangerous planet called Eden...

Verdict

Doctor Who and the Nightmare of Eden was a brilliant little novel! I was so happy to be back reading a book once again and this was actually my first experience of prose Doctor Who in nearly six months. Travelling on what was the usual train journey from south to mid-Wales and with all my university work for the Easter holiday completed early, reading a Who book was the only option to pass the time. My choice was quite random and despite the lengthy break in reading anything Doctor Who, I was quite pleased that this particular book was quite short at 111 pages. I finished the story nearly an hour before my venture concluded and that was positive for me as I am now typing this blog on the final stages of my journey. I thought the story started off well and that usually is the case with a book penned by Terrance Dicks. No matter what story he seems to take on, his writing always captures the reader. At least, when that reader is me. The setting of the Empress spaceship was excellent and the whole idea of hyperspace travel was really intriguing. The concept was explained well but I did have a little chuckle when the passengers of the far future were said to be enjoying video cassettes as their in-flight entertainment. Who knows, maybe there’ll be a retro revolution in the future when hyperspace travel is feasible. The way that the Empress and the Hecate became intertwined with each other and I also really liked that the Doctor’s arrival actually was not coincidental. He had received the mayday call of Captain Rigg after the special clash and had responded promptly. The characterisation of Tom Baker’s Fourth Doctor was excellent and I was delighted to be reading an adventure with my all-time favourite companion Romana II. Lalla Ward’s likeness was effortlessly captured by Dicks and she really was fantastic in this story. Dicks recreated the wonderful relationship between the pair superbly and that was a real highlight of the book. Tryst was a good villainous character and I liked the whole concept behind his CET machine. Romana knew immediately that it was not as safe as its owner thought it was and that would soon be realised with the more pages I turned. The story’s main focus being centred around the drug of vraxoin was good, although I did feel that the way it had been smuggled onto ship was a little obvious. It did take a while for the Doctor to admit that it would have to have come aboard through the CET machine and that obviously placed Tryst as a prime suspect when it came to the drug smuggling. Dymond’s involvement in that trade was something I did not suspect though so that revelation was very much welcomed. Fisk was quite a humorous character and it was funny to see how little he regarded people’s lives if it would mean a promotion. The Doctor’s disgust at people making a profit out of human misery was excellent and that really did highlight his character very well. The way Dicks captured the humour and seriousness of Baker’s fourth incarnation was fantastic. K9’s inclusion in the story was brilliant and he really did provide something very different. His logical replies to the Doctor always infuriate him which I love and I also enjoyed how he apologised for saving Romana’s life. The Mandrels provided a threat but they really were quite pathetic when it came to stopping them. Even K9 had no problem but their role in the story would actually be much more significant as they were revealed as the source of vraxoin, when burnt to a crisp that is. That was a great revelation, though I did feel it came a tad too early. The ending was very exciting but it almost seemed to come a little too quick and easy. The Doctor’s way of using the CET machine to capture Trysk and Dymond though was a hilarious way to leave things which I couldn’t help but enjoy. Overall, a very good novelisation!

Rating: 8/10