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Doctor Who Target Books (Numerical Order) #71
Doctor Who and Warriors' Gate
The Doctor and his companions are trapped in an E-Space universe, struggling to find the co-ordinates which will break the deadlock and take them back into Normal Space.
When all else fails, the Doctor suggests programming the TARDIS on the toss of a coin. Before he realises what is happening, this is just what Adric has done...
When the TARDIS arrives at its destination, according to the console read-outs the craft is nowhere — and nowhere is exactly what it looks like...
When all else fails, the Doctor suggests programming the TARDIS on the toss of a coin. Before he realises what is happening, this is just what Adric has done...
When the TARDIS arrives at its destination, according to the console read-outs the craft is nowhere — and nowhere is exactly what it looks like...
128 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1982
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
August 24, 2021
This is a novelization of the fifth serial of the eighteenth season of Doctor Who, broadcast in January of 1981, and is the concluding episode in the E-Space mini-arc trilogy. The story features the fourth, most popular, incarnation of The Doctor, along with the second iteration of Romanadvoratrelundar, more popularly known as Romana, another Time Lord who traveled with him for a while. (She was known as a "Time Lady" back then, in the day...) Also on board the TARDIS was the newly-arrived Adric (now sometimes labeled the forefather of Wesley Crusher), and, best for last, the inimitable robot dog K-9. The original teleplay was written by Steve Gallagher, but was heavily edited and re-written by higher-ups at the BBC; he adapted the script to this novelized form under the pseudonym of John Lydecker, re-incorporating several of his original pieces which had been excised. It's written in an unusual fashion, being a continuous narrative with no chapter breaks. There's a lengthy prefatory section that attempts to explain the mirror-quality of the E-Space universe, and the alien Tharil navigators who can sense the time winds, and the explanations are much more comprehensible in the book. On the other hand, the plot itself is run through at a brisk pace, and while the solution is satisfactory, the conclusion that sees Romana decide to stay behind isn't too convincing.
January 18, 2011
No chapters, an astonishingly vivid prologue, a pithy ship's computer, and some extra philosophy to spice up a story featuring a bitchy slaver crew, Cocteau-inspired aliens, an indestructible mirror, and a goodbye to a popular Doctor Who companion...THIS is how to write a Doctor Who novelization.
The 4th Doctor/Tom Baker novels are some of the most basic & threadbare adaptations, until you get to his final season, when the authors began to finally stretch the boundaries of their stories in print. This one is a particularly fine example.
The 4th Doctor/Tom Baker novels are some of the most basic & threadbare adaptations, until you get to his final season, when the authors began to finally stretch the boundaries of their stories in print. This one is a particularly fine example.
October 15, 2023
I only have vague memories of this series. So, listening to the audiobook it was almost a brand-new story for me. I found the premise of the alternate universe to be interesting and I liked how both Romana and Adric played full roles in the story.
July 22, 2023
Doctor Who and Warriors’ Gate, by John Lydecker. Target, 1982. Number 71 in the Doctor Who Library. 124 pages, paperback. Original script by Steve Gallagher. BBC 1981.
This adventure features the 4th Doctor, Romana II, Adric, and K9.
The TARDIS has been trapped in E-space for quite some time and the Doctor is determined to find a way out. Logic suggested that the way out was the same as the way in – through a CVE, a Charged Vacuum Emboitement, effectively a hole in space/time. When all else fails, the Doctor decides to rely on the toss of a coin, although Adric has already done just that and sets the TARDIS in flight. At that moment, a strange apparition invades the TARDIS and resets the coordinates, then exits.
The TARDIS materializes at a set of zero coordinates, which is nowhere. But the strange void where they arrive already has visitors. A privateer ship of whose crew relies on living beings, the time-sensitive Tharils, to navigate through warp speed has crash-landed in the void.
Between the ship and the TARDIS is the Gateway, a strange architectural structure that seems to have been part of the Tharils past, present, and future. The Tharils. once proud conquerors, were now reduced to slaves, but sought freedom and the chance at redemption.
Rorvik, commander of the privateer, is determined that the Doctor knows how to use the mirrors in the Gateway to get them all out of the void. And if he doesn’t, well Rorvik is just going to use his ship to attempt to smash the mirrors, an act that could destroy them all.
I have to admit that Warriors’ Gate is one of those that I enjoy but, at the same time, as many times as I’ve seen the televised story and have read the novelization, I still come away a bit confused. Oddly, I still feel satisfied by the book. Gallagher, writing the novel under the name Lydecker, does a fantastic job of putting into the novel explanations that weren’t present on screen.
The book is one long chapter but it opens in a sort of prologue that captures events that didn’t happen in the televised version. While not entirely necessary for the story, that opening adds an interesting layer of world building.
I did find it a bit difficult to keep up with the crew of the privateer, with the exception of Rorvik. He stood out individual from the rest and came across as unhinged by the end. The rest all seemed just as background characters and a bit flat.
Warriors’ Gate is a good novelization of an odd script. Well-written, not description heavy, but I had minor difficulties following the plot. Everything is resolved in the end, but it ends in a rush. Recommended for the patient reader.
This adventure features the 4th Doctor, Romana II, Adric, and K9.
The TARDIS has been trapped in E-space for quite some time and the Doctor is determined to find a way out. Logic suggested that the way out was the same as the way in – through a CVE, a Charged Vacuum Emboitement, effectively a hole in space/time. When all else fails, the Doctor decides to rely on the toss of a coin, although Adric has already done just that and sets the TARDIS in flight. At that moment, a strange apparition invades the TARDIS and resets the coordinates, then exits.
The TARDIS materializes at a set of zero coordinates, which is nowhere. But the strange void where they arrive already has visitors. A privateer ship of whose crew relies on living beings, the time-sensitive Tharils, to navigate through warp speed has crash-landed in the void.
Between the ship and the TARDIS is the Gateway, a strange architectural structure that seems to have been part of the Tharils past, present, and future. The Tharils. once proud conquerors, were now reduced to slaves, but sought freedom and the chance at redemption.
Rorvik, commander of the privateer, is determined that the Doctor knows how to use the mirrors in the Gateway to get them all out of the void. And if he doesn’t, well Rorvik is just going to use his ship to attempt to smash the mirrors, an act that could destroy them all.
I have to admit that Warriors’ Gate is one of those that I enjoy but, at the same time, as many times as I’ve seen the televised story and have read the novelization, I still come away a bit confused. Oddly, I still feel satisfied by the book. Gallagher, writing the novel under the name Lydecker, does a fantastic job of putting into the novel explanations that weren’t present on screen.
The book is one long chapter but it opens in a sort of prologue that captures events that didn’t happen in the televised version. While not entirely necessary for the story, that opening adds an interesting layer of world building.
I did find it a bit difficult to keep up with the crew of the privateer, with the exception of Rorvik. He stood out individual from the rest and came across as unhinged by the end. The rest all seemed just as background characters and a bit flat.
Warriors’ Gate is a good novelization of an odd script. Well-written, not description heavy, but I had minor difficulties following the plot. Everything is resolved in the end, but it ends in a rush. Recommended for the patient reader.
May 19, 2021
A common issue with the Target Novelisations is that they feel somewhat abridged against the TV Stories due to the page count limits, however this book seems an exception, as if anything it felt excessively padded, and that there wasn't that much of a story there - which may have been true of the TV story as well, but been too long since I last watched it.
It does flesh out the various characters quite well, plus has a good prologue scene to set the stage, but beyond that it does seem to drag somewhat.
As a farewell story for Romana and K9, it definitely does the former justice, compared to the prior book we do get to see her acting as an equal to the Doctor, very much taking similar actions, but in her own way, to what the Doctor would have done in his absence.
K9 on the other hand, while definitely well built up to explain the departure, really gets quite a sad swansong here, outside of some interesting early scenes spends much of the story in a weakened state, making for something of a bleak farewell for K9, even if he is recovered by the end.
Adric has a bit of proactiveness at the start, but then seems to fade more into the background, doing things but not really contributing to the plot, more just being there as an observer most of the time, outside of one interesting scene, but does seem to have allowed for more of Romana so given her final story, probably not a bad thing. Certainly don't see any of his annoying traits here.
The Doctor is in good form whenever he appears, so is pretty good in that regard.
Overall, is a decent read, and a good farewell for Romana, and an okay one for K9, but not a great read as such.
It does flesh out the various characters quite well, plus has a good prologue scene to set the stage, but beyond that it does seem to drag somewhat.
As a farewell story for Romana and K9, it definitely does the former justice, compared to the prior book we do get to see her acting as an equal to the Doctor, very much taking similar actions, but in her own way, to what the Doctor would have done in his absence.
K9 on the other hand, while definitely well built up to explain the departure, really gets quite a sad swansong here, outside of some interesting early scenes spends much of the story in a weakened state, making for something of a bleak farewell for K9, even if he is recovered by the end.
Adric has a bit of proactiveness at the start, but then seems to fade more into the background, doing things but not really contributing to the plot, more just being there as an observer most of the time, outside of one interesting scene, but does seem to have allowed for more of Romana so given her final story, probably not a bad thing. Certainly don't see any of his annoying traits here.
The Doctor is in good form whenever he appears, so is pretty good in that regard.
Overall, is a decent read, and a good farewell for Romana, and an okay one for K9, but not a great read as such.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 10, 2019
I wish I could rate this higher, as it did have some great parts, but the most I can do is 2 1/2 stars. There are some good things with this story, but something just does not click with the story. In this, the final story in the E-Space Trilogy, the Doctor, Romana, Adric, and K-9 find themselves in a white space that is the gateway between E-Space and N-Space. In order to escape, they have to get past a group of slavers.
What this story does add is a bit more comprehensible solution about the Gateway and how it can be used to escape. It also describes more what is happening in the area compared to the televised story. Yet, it is still confusing and hard to follow what is happening.
Also the introduction of the Thrails, a race who could walk the time winds is very unique as well. Once again the visual parts of this story are lost in the novelization. Romana's and K-9's farewell is given a bit more then you see in the televised version.
The production of this story did have issues, and even though John Lydecker tries to clean things up, in the end it just a great concept that gets muddled down in the execution.
What this story does add is a bit more comprehensible solution about the Gateway and how it can be used to escape. It also describes more what is happening in the area compared to the televised story. Yet, it is still confusing and hard to follow what is happening.
Also the introduction of the Thrails, a race who could walk the time winds is very unique as well. Once again the visual parts of this story are lost in the novelization. Romana's and K-9's farewell is given a bit more then you see in the televised version.
The production of this story did have issues, and even though John Lydecker tries to clean things up, in the end it just a great concept that gets muddled down in the execution.
August 29, 2023
Doctor Who and Warriors’ Gate (1982) by John Lydecker is the novelisation of the fifth serial of the eighteenth season of Doctor Who and the last of the E-Space trilogy.
The Doctor, Romana, K9 and Adric continue their search for a way out of E-space and encounter a slaving ship with a strange enslanved navigator. It turns out the navigator is a time sensitive tharill. The TARDIS and the slaver’s ship appear near a strange gate.
It’s a strange, somewhat surreal feeling serial. The book conveys that well.
It also feels like the end was drawing near for the Fourth Doctor. With only two more episodes remaining and the last companions from the seventies departing the time was drawing to a close for the Fourth Doctor.
Doctor Who and Warriors’ Gate is a strong Doctor Who novelisation.
The Doctor, Romana, K9 and Adric continue their search for a way out of E-space and encounter a slaving ship with a strange enslanved navigator. It turns out the navigator is a time sensitive tharill. The TARDIS and the slaver’s ship appear near a strange gate.
It’s a strange, somewhat surreal feeling serial. The book conveys that well.
It also feels like the end was drawing near for the Fourth Doctor. With only two more episodes remaining and the last companions from the seventies departing the time was drawing to a close for the Fourth Doctor.
Doctor Who and Warriors’ Gate is a strong Doctor Who novelisation.
August 30, 2018
Flimsy retelling of an old TV story.
Plot Spoiler - The Doctor arrives at an intersection between universes. Then he leaves having wandered about a bit.
The retelling does clear up some points of the finer plot from the TV show, which lets be honest, struggled to tell the tale on its somewhat meagre 1980's budget, and gives a more straightforward order to events. 52 pages of the 125 covered episode 1 (of 4) so you can imagine the depth to the rest of the story although this is not a full blown novel but aimed at a 80s teenage audience. Event happen regarding slavery but given that none of the main characters are actually involved it could have happened in another novel.
Straightforward, informative, quick. Don't expect this to absorb more than an hour or two.
Plot Spoiler - The Doctor arrives at an intersection between universes. Then he leaves having wandered about a bit.
The retelling does clear up some points of the finer plot from the TV show, which lets be honest, struggled to tell the tale on its somewhat meagre 1980's budget, and gives a more straightforward order to events. 52 pages of the 125 covered episode 1 (of 4) so you can imagine the depth to the rest of the story although this is not a full blown novel but aimed at a 80s teenage audience. Event happen regarding slavery but given that none of the main characters are actually involved it could have happened in another novel.
Straightforward, informative, quick. Don't expect this to absorb more than an hour or two.
September 27, 2020
An odd read, an episode I'd not seen from an era of the show I'm not particularly fond of... so it was climbing up a steep hill in the first place... there's some interesting SF ideas there but the flat prose and slow pace killed it for me. These are all children's books, but this one felt unsure of it's audience in a way that other Targets rarely did and (much of the intended humour fell flat without an actor to deliver the lines. This 'take' on the show would go on to be very influential... but it's not for me.
November 2, 2018
One of my favourite Who stories but the magic isn't really captured in this rather pedestrian adaptation.
On TV, Warriors Gate defies the budget restrictions and comes across as a great slice of almost hard sci-fi welded into definite science fantasy - the book, however, just races along with the barest of descriptions and the thinnest characters.
On TV, Warriors Gate defies the budget restrictions and comes across as a great slice of almost hard sci-fi welded into definite science fantasy - the book, however, just races along with the barest of descriptions and the thinnest characters.
September 25, 2018
This was a different type of DW story, and I haven't seen the episodes that accompany it, but I enjoyed it. The Tharils would be an interesting civilization to explore in the modern series. Some of the sentences were a little clunky to read aloud to my son, but he also enjoyed the book.
July 9, 2020
Even in heavily expurgated form, the version of Warriors’ Gate published in 1982 outshone all but a few of the original Target novelisations. The 2019 audiobook restores Gallagher’s original manuscript, revealing a dreamlike SF classic with exceptional depth of story and characterisation.
June 12, 2024
Bad adaptation. Obviously most of the quality of Warriors Gate comes from it being a visual insanity, but God damn this is worse than I was expecting. It's really badly written in that the prose sucks. Just blech. Yucky book. Very disappointed.
February 23, 2025
Given the troubled history behind this story it’s amazing that anything was produced, let alone an absolute gem like this. The story is pretty straightforward but it folds over itself like a möbius strip. Gallagher adapts his own script (under a pen name) and the book is all the better for it.
May 18, 2017
To be honest the lack of chapters put me off a bit. The story itself was okay but it was definitely made difficult by no chapters
April 23, 2019
Review on www.Audible.com please listen to this book.
March 27, 2021
This was more ponderous than I've come to expect from the episode novelizations. Even though there was a lot going on, Lydecker did not translate it very well into a novel form.
April 17, 2023
Good read made more sense than the actual show, for a target novel it made me have to concentrate!
June 17, 2023
This one was quite difficult for me and had more complex terminology than any other sci-fi book I've ever read. I'm sure it was a good book for those who can understand it better than I can.
October 25, 2023
A story I'm not familiar with having not seen the serial (yet!). The lack of chapters was a bit off putting and I did struggle to get into this one.
July 26, 2023
pdf, 105 pages
A rather fine novelisation of a somewhat different story to normal... a return to N-Space seems possible, a departure for Romana and K9 (and not back to Gallifrey). Introducing a race of time-sensitive 'lions' (Tharils) - nd we could do with seeing more of them.
A rather fine novelisation of a somewhat different story to normal... a return to N-Space seems possible, a departure for Romana and K9 (and not back to Gallifrey). Introducing a race of time-sensitive 'lions' (Tharils) - nd we could do with seeing more of them.
January 13, 2023
http://nhw.livejournal.com/1051656.html#cutid9
This is really good, the best book of this run; Romana II departing in style. Lydecker / Gallagher seems almost to be writing a standard genre sf book that the Doctor, Romana and Adric happen to have wandered into - Romana wanting to wander off on her own, of course. (And K9 gets perhaps his best characterisation in any of the novels, even if he is out of order for much of the story.) Of course, with it being the printed page rather than the screen, the story has to be told in a rather different way; but the author, whatever his name is, really rises to the challenge.
https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/warriors-gate-by-frank-collins-and-john-lydecker-stephen-gallagher/
The book still holds up, giving a bit more meat to the bones of the show-don’t-tell TV story, especially on the background of the slavers.
This is really good, the best book of this run; Romana II departing in style. Lydecker / Gallagher seems almost to be writing a standard genre sf book that the Doctor, Romana and Adric happen to have wandered into - Romana wanting to wander off on her own, of course. (And K9 gets perhaps his best characterisation in any of the novels, even if he is out of order for much of the story.) Of course, with it being the printed page rather than the screen, the story has to be told in a rather different way; but the author, whatever his name is, really rises to the challenge.
https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/warriors-gate-by-frank-collins-and-john-lydecker-stephen-gallagher/
The book still holds up, giving a bit more meat to the bones of the show-don’t-tell TV story, especially on the background of the slavers.
April 1, 2021
Warriors' Gate (air date 1981) is a complex episode, yet it seemed purposefully crafted to withhold information the viewer needs to understand what's going on. Fortunately, the novelization (actually written by Steve Gallagher) shows his original intent for the story, and ties up all the ambiguous dangly ends.
September 9, 2012
Warrior's Gate is one of my favourite Doctor Who episodes, the last one with Romana. It's just so odd and strange. Trapped in a dimension where time and space are all over the place. The story is quite confusing with time shifts but I really like it. It's disorientating in a good way and gives you a sense of how baffled the characters are. The novelisation didn't really add much to the story but there was some nice characterisation and description so was nonetheless enjoyable.
January 27, 2013
Fourth Doctor, Romana (II), Adric, K-9. Almost as good as seeing the TV episode. Conceptually fascinating, although you realize later there wasn't much action. Adds background to the episode. Good characterisation of the Doctor. A proper sci-fi novella, and it captures the episode well. Easily enjoyed by a science fiction reader who knows nothing about Doctor Who.
December 5, 2016
Not one of the better stories, although the idea of a race that could manipulate time was interesting. It never made sense to me that this is where Romana choose to go. That wasn't handled well in the script, but I hoped for some insight from the story I didn't get.
Read
August 23, 2008isbn,original
December 10, 2010
Last in the ESpace trilogy - and the last of companion Romana II
December 19, 2010
Matter and antimatter have been conjectures in science. The book is set in an anti matter universe and describes the accidental entry and exit of the doctor. Quite a boring narrative
December 31, 2012
Romana, Adric, K9 and the Doctor get trapped in E-space.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews