Doctor Who And The Invasion Of The Dinosaurs (1994) - Plot & Excerpts
http://nhw.livejournal.com/1038662.html#cutid2[return][return]I am not sure if this is the best of the Season 11 novels, as Doctor Who and the Planet of the Spiders clearly takes that trophy, but it is certainly the most interesting. It starts with a lovely vignette of a Scot in London for the football who becomes a victim of the dinosaurs; there are other little bits of depth added as well, Professor Whitaker becoming very camp, and a couple of odd extra details - the Doctor is described as having "a mop of curly hair" (shurely shome mishtake?) and he talks about the Mary Celeste again as he did in Doctor Who and the Sea Devils. Also, of course, the book loses the appalling visual effects of the original programme - these dinosaurs are flesh and blood, not rubber![return][return]Yet at the same time it is a bit too over-earnest, not quite as mature as Hulke's better novels (Doctor Who and the Cave Monsters and Doctor Who and the Green Death), so it doesn't quite get its fourth star from me.[return][return]It is interesting that both this and the previous story are about the bad guys shunting people (and in this case dinosaurs) between the present and the past.
The writing in this book, as seems the way with most of the Target series, is a bit wanting. Everything seems to be overexplained, which is probably a side effect of trying to make sure the serial this is based on is put across visually in the same way. I have not seen said serial, but I can only imagine some aspects of this tale benefit from being imagined instead of having dated special effects, as charming as they may be, specifically with dinosaurs stomping around and knocking things over. The dinosaurs are not the main adversaries, however, and the antagonists of this book are quite well done. They provide an interesting challenge to the Doctor and are well-rounded. There are plenty of opportunities for Jon Pertwee's Doctor to employ his special Venusian karate too, which is always a pleasure.
What do You think about Doctor Who And The Invasion Of The Dinosaurs (1994)?
Third Doctor, Sarah, UNIT. Novelisation of 'Invasion of the Dinosaurs' with some added details and scenes. One of the particularly memorable novelisations, and a good choice for someone unacquainted with Doctor Who. A catchy idea (London is deserted because of randomly appearing dinosaurs) disguising a thematic study of people's blind spots. The author offers no solutions, only consequences, and therein lies the drama. Only the Doctor emerges unscathed (and Benton, if you're looking for him), because he takes things as they are, unfiltered.
—Leela4
This was actually one of the first Doctor Who novelizations that I read. Back in the 80s, Pinnacle Books released a set of eight who novels, with a particularly clever introduction by Harlan Ellison. I still think of his line about fans traipsing around (probably not in those words) science fiction conventions in a brother's discarded karate gi when they were missing out on the best filmed science fiction ... Invasion of the Dinosaurs is an episode from the final year of Jon Pertwee's turn as the Doctor, and is a action-filled adventure featuring well-meaning but misguided folks who are just trying to make the world a better place. Why is it that they always pick the worst possible way about it? Malcolm Hulke's signature touches help bring this story well above the average for Who books.
—stormhawk
