Great storytelling is just out of this world

What’s the story?

Three classic Doctor Who stories from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s have been given the audiobook treatment. This trio of adventures in time and space were originally novelised during the seventies and eighties, but are now brought to vivid life thanks to some dynamic narration and fantastic sound design.

Highlights

Genesis of the Daleks is one of the greatest Doctor Who stories of all time, and Terrance Dicks’ novelisation captures the horror of being captured in a warzone. It’s performed by impressionist Jon Culshaw, who captures the spirit of Tom Baker’s Time Lord, whilst TV Dalek voice actor Nicholas Briggs brings the Daleks to terrifying life. Blue Peter legend Peter Purves reads The Ark, a curious tale of what happens when the original Doctor and his friends visit a space ark in the far future, and then return a short while later to discover how the common cold has affected the future of mankind. The Five Doctors, also read by Jon Culshaw, is a fantastic celebration of Doctor Who‘s first 20 years, and Culshaw is at his best, bringing not just the Doctors but their various companions and enemies to life.

Downfalls

The novelisations were originally aimed at children, so the language is slightly more simplistic than it would be in an adult novel, but there’s no getting away from the fact that these are good stories, perfectly adapted from scripts to prose, with Terrance Dicks the absolute master of this art.

Audience

These audiobooks are ideal if you’re doing a lengthy car journey and you fancy recapturing a slice of your youth, and it’s ideal especially if you’ve got a young one who know the show through its 21st century revival.

Verdict

There’s no getting away from the fact these books were originally meant for younger readers, but they are brought to life in such a gripping way, with Peter Purves sounding no different to the way he did when he starred alongside William Hartnell in 1965. Well worth a listen, for a trip down memory lane.

Doctor Who – The Ark, Genesis of the Daleks and The Five Doctors, published by BBC Audiobooks, from £18.99.

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