Target: 2025

By downthetubes Guests on July 29, 2025

Russell Cook returns from an alternative dimension – er, a bookshop, armed with a look at the latest Doctor Who books…

”Well, here we go again!” Doctor Who Target book fans are surprised, delighted and probably united in the news that there are four new novelisations of recently transmitted stories featuring Doctor Who incarnation fifteen now on the shelves of bookshelves gracing branches of Waterstones and WHSmith up and down the country.

Oh, hang on WHSmith has regenerated into TG Jones (on the high street, anyway), but will remain essentially the same inside although they do say the logo is a definite improvement. Also, when did you last see a row of Target books in a branch of Waterstones or TG Jones?

Let’s start again. The four new Target novelisations can be found on the shelves of an online retailer just a click and collect away.

With the Fifteenth Doctor’s brief tenure having ended after just eighteen episodes, it’s quite a surprise to learn that eight of them are now in print form.

Doctor Who: The Empire of Death by Scott Handcock

The latest batch begin with the two-part conclusion to the 2024 series, The Legend of Ruby Sunday, and The Empire of Death. The novelisation of the Russell T. Davies finale, written by series script editor Scott Handcock does a sterling job of tying up several loose ends. Although, sadly, the image of “the greatest evil of all villains”, Sutekh, being dragged through space and time tied to the TARDIS like Wile. E. Coyote, realising that the Blue Box is not an Acme branded contraption, is now preserved in print. I know. As for the many appearances of the mysterious Susan Twist… Turn the pages of The Empire of Death.

Doctor Who: The Robot Revolution by Una McCormack

The Robot Revolution sees the Doctor travelling alone once again, but not for long. Belinda Chandra, going about her every day life as we all do, is suddenly abducted by killer robots and soon finds herself on a different planet. Hasn’t happened to me yet, but there is still time. She meets the Doctor and helps quell a revolution that may just have been caused by her. Something to do with the conclusion of her relationship with ex boyfriend, Alan? This is not the story of a regular courtship. Tinder? Think I will pass.

Una McCormack clearly relishes adding to the backstory of a well realised set of characters. A novelisation that is up there with the best.

Ready for the unknown, the unexplained? Let’s visit The Well, Gareth L. Powell’s adaptation of the Sharma Angel- Walfall and Russell T. Davies screenplay has enough “look behind you” moments to give us readers many Alien type shocks, that add to the mystery of a creature that menaces through the unseen terror of the imagination. Is it really behind you exploiting your deepest fears in a confined and claustrophobic environment of darkness? Keep still except when it’s time to turn the page.

The fluid format of Doctor Who makes it possible to really do anything narratively even push the boundaries that can break the fourth wall. Step forward Lux, novelised by James Goss from another RTD screenplay. The television episode relied very much on the visual and the vocal thanks to a tour de force “Don’t make me laugh!” performance from Alan Cumming as Mr. Ring-a-Ding. James Goss basically has to transfer a visual cavalcade of modern art to the printed page. It’s fun and surprisingly moving. Subjects such as loneliness, bereavement and the injustices of racism are brought to the fore in Miami 1950s America.

This book is a love letter to Doctor Who, it’s a tribute to the devotion of the fan community which Goss treats with a respect that is never over the top or patronising.

As for the creepy cartoonish villain? Looney Tunes as imagined by Stephen King.

Russell Cook

These four Doctor Who novelisations are available now at £9.99 from BBC Books or on audiobook at £20.00

• Russell Cook’s memoir, Castles in the Sky. A story of love, loss and learning to live again is available from Amazon

• Doctor Who: The Empire of Death by Scott Handcock is available here from AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)

What secret is the TARDIS hiding?

Enlisting UNIT in their search for an enigmatic woman who appears all throughout time and space, the Doctor and Ruby uncover deeper mysteries. What is the secret of Susan Triad? What happened on the night that Ruby was born? The answers lead the Doctor and Ruby to a horrifying confrontation with the greatest evil of all…

Russell T Davies’ epic two-part finale of Ncuti Gatwa’s first season as the Doctor is novelised by series script editor Scott Handcock, reinstating material from earlier drafts.

Scott Handcock is a writer, producer and director, best known for his work on a range of horror and science-fiction series from Big Finish Productions including Doctor Who, Torchwood and The Confessions of Dorian Gray. Since 2006, he had lived in Cardiff, most recently working for Bad Wolf on the latest series of Doctor Who and its spin-off Tales of the TARDIS.

• Doctor Who: The Robot Revolution by Una McCormack is available here from AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)

What if the story of your life is written in the stars?

Belinda Chandra grew up longing to travel – but never imagined rocket ships would be part of the deal. Abducted by killer robots and taken to a strange planet, Belinda must join forces with the Doctor to put right a revolution that might just be her fault…

Reach for the stars as the Doctor and Belinda – as played by Ncuti Gatwa and Varada Sethu – embark on their first adventure together. This novelisation of Russell T Davies’ script comes from best-selling tie-in author Una McCormack.

Dr Una McCormack is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling science fiction writer of more than twenty novels, plus many audio dramas and short stories.
An associate fellow of Homerton College, Cambridge, Una’s academic interests include feminist science fiction, transformative works, and creative writing practice and methodology. She writes and broadcasts regularly on these and other topics on local and national radio. She is on the editorial board of Gold SF, an imprint of Goldsmiths Press aimed at publishing new voices in intersectional feminist science fiction.

• Doctor Who: Lux by James Goss is available here from AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)

Fifteen missing people. A light that hungers. A trip outside reality.

A trip to 1950s Miami takes a dangerous turn, leaving the Doctor and Belinda at the mercy of Mr Ring-a-Ding. A cartoon come to life who wants something that only the Doctor can give him. Can Belinda save the Doctor? Or will they be trapped by a trick of light?

Featuring Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor and Varada Sethu as Belinda, this Target novelisation by acclaimed author James Goss brings Russell T Davies’ format-busting adventure to vivid life.

James Goss is a Sunday Times Bestselling author who has written several Doctor Who books, including being Douglas Adams’ literal ghost writer, as well as adapting The Giggle for the Target range. He’s written extensively for audio, working on projects for Audible, BBC Sounds and Big Finish. He’s also written the Daleks! cartoon series for BBC Studios.

• Doctor Who: The Well by Gareth L. Powell is available here from AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)

A terror from the past is rising from the darkness five miles deep.

Joining a military rescue mission to an isolated mining colony, the Doctor and Belinda find a single survivor of a violent catastrophe. What killed the colonists? Why is every mirror in the base smashed? The chilling truth spells horror and death…

This spinetingling space adventure from Sharma Walfall and Russell T Davies is novelised by award-winning SF and horror writer Gareth L. Powell. It features the Doctor and Belinda as played by Ncuti Gatwa and Varada Sethu.

Gareth L. Powell has written nine novels, including the Embers of War trilogy and the Ack-Ack Macaque series, as well as somehow finding the time to produce two short story collections, the nonfiction guide About Writing, and the novellas Ragged Alice, Downdraught, and Light Chaser (co-written with Peter F. Hamilton). He has twice won the British Science Fiction Association Award for Best Novel and been finalist for both the Locus and Seiun Awards.