The Time Lords have a mission for the Doctor. Together with Sarah and Harry, he finds himself stranded on the war-torn planet Skaro where the conflict between the Thals and the Kaleds has been raging for a thousand years. Chemical and biological weapons have started a cycle of mutation among the planet's inhabitants that cannot be stopped. But Kaled scientist Davros has perfected a life support system and travel machine for the creature he knows his race will ultimately evolve into - the Dalek.

The Doctor must stop the creation of the Daleks, or perhaps affect their development so they evolve into less aggressive creatures. But with Davros's plans to destroy the Thals and to wipe out any dissenters among his own ranks in progress, is the Doctor already too late?

This novel is based on a Doctor Who story which was originally broadcast from 8 March-12 April 1975.


Featuring the Fourth Doctor as played by Tom Baker with his companions Sarah Jane Smith and Harry Sullivan

The Fourth Doctor tries to stop the creation of the Daleks, in a new edition of a Doctor Who classic.

About the Author
Terrance Dicks became Script Editor of Doctor Who in 1968, co-writing Patrick Troughton's classic final serial, The War Games, and editing the show throughout the entire Jon Pertwee era to 1974. He wrote many iconic episodes and serials for the show after, including Tom Baker's first episode as the Fourth Doctor, Robot; Horror at Fang Rock in 1977; State of Decay in 1980; and the 20th anniversary special, The Five Doctors in 1983. Terrance novelised over sixty of the original Doctor Who stories for Target books, including classics like Doctor Who and the Abominable Snowmen and Doctor Who and the Auton Invasion, inspiring a generation of children to become readers and writers. He died in August 2019, only weeks before the publication of his final Doctor Who short story, 'Save Yourself', in The Target Storybook.


Book Information
ISBN 9781785940385
Author Terrance Dicks
Format Paperback
Page Count 176
Imprint BBC Books
Publisher Ebury Publishing
Weight(grams) 98g
Dimensions(mm) 178mm * 110mm * 12mm