After more than ten years of exhaustive research and writing, Magic Bullet Productions, producers of SF audio plays including Kaldor City and Faction Paradox, have shared a first look at Tim Keable’s cover for Alan Stevens’ upcoming monograph on The Daleks’ Master Plan.
The Daleks’ Master Plan: The Making of a Television Serial will be published in August 2026.
“This project has been a monumental archival undertaking,” says Alan, “involving access to hundreds of documents, including internal memos, personal letters, and private interviews, to piece together the most comprehensive account of this epic production to date.”
The book examines events both on-screen and behind the camera, reviewing draft, rehearsal, and camera scripts to provide new insights and information. It even details some of the shocks regarding the heavy toll the production took on those involved, including the series’ star, William Hartnell.
Altogether, the monograph provides in-depth coverage of 21 Doctor Who episodes, encompassing the one-off trailer episode Mission to the Unknown, the 12-part epic The Daleks’ Master Plan, and a comparative chapter on the classic Patrick Troughton Cyberman adventure, The Invasion.
Beyond the production history, the book features an extensive comparative analysis of the Daleks’ varied origins across television, comic strips, and short stories, tracing the evolution of the species as a symbol of universal malevolence.
Furthermore, the book includes an extensive look at The Destroyers, the pilot for Terry Nation’s proposed Dalek spin-off series, revealing the grander ambitions for the pepper-pot terrors beyond the main show.
The journey is brought to life with both black-and-white and colour illustrations throughout by professional artist Tim Keable.
“As I move into the final stages of writing, I wanted to share this cover to mark the home stretch,” Alan says. “With the recent discovery of missing episodes from this story, there has never been a better time to revisit the Master Plan.
Magic Bullet Productions is an independent audio-production company formed in 2001. While they were originally set up to produce the Kaldor City audios, they have also been known to turn our hand to magazines and (in collaboration) books as well. In 2004, they acquired the rights to produce Lawrence Miles’ Faction Paradox audio CDs.
• The Daleks’ Master Plan: The Making of a Television Serial by Alan Stevens, illustrated by Tim Keable, will be published in August 2026 | Web: kaldorcity.blogspot.com | Online Store
• For the further updates and behind-the-scenes snippets follow Magic Bullet on Facebook
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: Art and Illustration, Books, Doctor Who, downthetubes News, Other Worlds, Science Fiction, Television
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