The Evil of the Daleks

Target novelisation Doctor Who - The Evil of the Daleks

Author	John Peel
Published	1993
ISBN	0 426 20389 5
First Edition Cover	Alistair Pearson

Back cover blurb:

• Targeting Evil by Matthew Kresal

Targeting Evil by Matthew Kresal 28/5/21

The Evil of the Daleks is one of those stories held up high in the pantheon of Doctor Who. Meant to be the story that would kill the Daleks off in the series permanently, so that their creator Terry Nation could start a new series with them in the United States, it is one of those stories that stand out as "important", with a quite possibly mythic status within fandom. It's also a story lost, for the most part, thanks to the lack of a BBC archiving policy, which means only one of its episodes still survives. Lost, but not forgotten. For in 1993, in time for Doctor Who's 30th-anniversary, it was at last given the novelization treatment, and thank the stars that it was.

John Peel, who had previously novelized the other Second Doctor Dalek story The Power of the Daleks as well as several other sixties Dalek serials, returned once again to give Skaro's deadliest the literary treatment. Plus, as in the case of Power, Peel's efforts were bolstered by a larger page-count, meaning that the story could breathe across nearly 300 pages (versus the 224 listed on Amazon). All of which aided this re-telling of the story.

Peel uses the extra space to his, and the original scripts, full advantage. The characters richly drawn by David Whittaker in the TV story are given new life, including how the Waterfield's came to be with Theodore Maxtible, for example. The novelist's ability to get inside the mind of characters is also in Peel's favor, exploring Maxtible's motivations and especially exploring Victoria Waterfield. Even Kemel, a walking and mute cliche who served as a weak point in the original story, feels more like a human being on the page. It's an embarrassment of riches, just on a character level.

Also, for a missing story, Peel brings an utter richness to the details. It's there in the sights and sounds Peel describes, from the coffee bar in 1966 to a Victorian house and, finally, to the Dalek city on Skaro. The sense of menace and atmosphere, especially in the long middle section in the Maxtible mansion, all carry over, as well. Combined with a flowing Prose style that keeps the reader thoroughly engrossed, Evil of the Daleks has Peel taking a lost visual serial and giving it visuals all over again.

Peel also brings a sense of the series' history along with him. It's something that has made him rather infamous in some fan circles, especially with his later Eighth Doctor novel War of the Daleks. Here, though, it works well. From referencing other Dalek serials, not to mention Second Doctor serials that proceeded this one, it all feels in service to the story, from the Doctor recalling Dalek mind-control techniques to his time on Skaro during the first Dalek story. There's even a couple of knowing references to the events of Genesis of the Daleks, Peel's way of bringing things full circle. Add on a veiled Star Trek reference (Peel being one of the few authors who has written for both franchises' spin-off media), and it's an utter joy to read.

The Evil of the Daleks was to be one of the final Target novelizations, with only the radio drama The Paradise of Death receiving the treatment before the range at last closed down. As both a standalone piece of work and as part of a two-decade run, Peel's novelization of Evil remains a standout release, showcasing many of the strengths of the Target range between its covers. And, while the audio of the TV story exists and can be enjoyed (as my 2017 review will attest), there's still a thrill in reading this classic serial on the page that the audio can't quite match.

A testament, one thinks, to the strengths of not just the original story but the power of literary Doctor Who.