Doctor Who: Dalek

9th Doctor Novelisation

By: Robert Shearman

Narrated by: Nicholas Briggs

Nicholas Briggs reads this brand new novelisation of a thrilling screen adventure for the Ninth Doctor and Rose.

'The entire Dalek race, wiped out in one second. I watched it happen. I made it happen!'

The Doctor and Rose arrive in an underground vault in Utah in the near future. The vault is filled with alien artefacts. Its billionaire owner, Henry van Statten, even has possession of a living alien creature, a mechanical monster in chains that he has named a Metaltron.

Seeking to help the Metaltron, the Doctor is appalled to find it is in fact a Dalek - one that has survived the horrors of the Time War, just as he has. And as the Dalek breaks loose, the Doctor is brought back to the brutality and desperation of his darkest hours spent fighting the creatures of Skaro... this time with the Earth as their battlefield.

Nicholas Briggs, who voices the Daleks in the BBC TV series, reads Robert Shearman's novelisation of his own 2005 TV script.

(P) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
Reading produced by Neil Gardner
Sound design by Simon Power
Executive producer: Michael Stevens

Critic reviews

Slick and polished...immersive productions of much-loved novelisations...long may we enjoy them

A New Take on a Masterful Episode

The Novelization of the Series 1 stories Dalek is one of those books that really shouldn't work. Writer Rob Shearman breaks a lot of Novel writing rules with his constant digressions from the main story as we're given multiple flashback scenes.

However, these vignettes actually are intriguing and keep the story going. His story of what a Dalek's infant's life is like is brutal, but never ceases to be engaging. The core story is the same as on TV but there are also a few changes as Van Staten becomes more key to the storyline.

Nicholas Briggs does yeoman's work with the reading, capturing all the raw emotion and numerous voices and all the emotional turmoil.

The one thing to wonder is how this book would land with those who hadn't seen the TV episode. The original Target novels served to introduce younger readers who hadn't seen the TV show to Doctor Who. It's hard to imagine this doing the same job.

absolutely amazing!

I thought Briggs did an okay Eccleston impression. He spoke a bit too slow at times but it never took me out of the story. Robert Shearman re-defined what it means to be a Dalek once again. overall a beautiful, insane, story, and I am all for it!!!

Loooooved!!

One of my favs and read so brilliantly! It was interesting learning some back story about some of the characters, especially the Dalek’s story.