Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site wjh12.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!harvard!talcott!wjh12!gts From: gts@wjh12.UUCP (G. T. Samson) Newsgroups: net.tv.drwho Subject: Target Novelizations (esp. "The Myth Makers") Message-ID: <634@wjh12.UUCP> Date: Wed, 18-Sep-85 13:03:56 EDT Article-I.D.: wjh12.634 Posted: Wed Sep 18 13:03:56 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 21-Sep-85 09:59:14 EDT Organization: Harvard MicroWizards HQ Lines: 31 Keywords: stealth, overthrow, anarchy [Jam, Jam, Jam...] I've got a LOT of the Target Doc Who novelizations, and there're a few things that come immediately to my mind about them. One is that Terrance Dicks is a bit of a hack. I mean, it's nice that he bothers to do a lot of them, but his style is a bit too pointedly directed at children. (Most of the books now say "Science Fiction/TV tie-in" on the lower left corner of the back cover, instead of "Children/Fiction". But Mr. Dicks doesn't seem to have gotten the message; many of his stories still end with "The TARDIS was on its way to new adventures [gag].) The other thing is that everyone who likes the books should read "The Myth Makers" by Donald Cotton. The idea of using the person who wrote the or- iginal script to write the book is something that Target should be applauded for. "The Myth Makers" is one of the few REALLY fantastic novelizations that I have run across. (Most of the others are by Malcolm Hulke.) My room- mate, a Classics major, finds the book "scurrilous" in its portrayals of Odysseus, Achilles, et al, but that's half the fun... -- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name: G. T. Samson Title: The Evil MicroWizard Quote: "No matter where you go...there you are." -- B. Banzai Other_Quote: "You speak treason!" "Fluently!" -- The Doctor ARPA: gts@wjh12 [preferred] OR samson%h-sc4@harvard USMail: Lowell N-43, Harvard U., Cambridge, MA 02138