Publication Information
Author: Malcolm Hulke
Cover artist: Chris Achilleos / Jeff Cummins (1979) / David Mann (Pinnacle)
Illustrations: Chris Achilleos
Publishing date: April 1974 Episode Information
TV serial: Colony In Space
Writer: Malcolm Hulke
Transmission dates: 10th April - 15th May 1971 (6 episodes) Fact and Findings
The novel was commissioned from Hulke in July 1973. Since it was the first to feature companion Jo Grant it rewrites her introduction to the Doctor (and gives her a white mini). It was also the first novel to include the Master.
Benton makes an appearnce in the book, but isn't in the TV show.
Sarah Hadley's Target Practice article which includes a detailed comparison of novelisation with TV version can be read here.
Classic chapter title: Captain Dent Thinks Twice
The back cover of the novelisation sets the adventure in the year 2471, whilst on page 31 (first edition) Jo figures out it is now 2972, whereas the TV serial was set in 2472!
Later editions were numbered 23 in the Doctor Who library.
First edition cover price - 30p
The original edition was released by Universal-Tandem. Reprinted later in 1974 (Universal Tandem, 30p), 1979 (W. H. Allen / Wyndham, Cummins cover, 70p), apparently 1979 again (W. H. Allen, 85p), 1982 and 1983 (W. H. Allen, numbered spine, £1.50). The same ISBN (0 426 10372 6) was kept throughout.
A hardback edition was finally released in March 1982 with the Cummins cover and the neon logo (instead of the curve logo of the paperback edition). It was published by W. H. Allen, had ISBN 0 491 02707 9 and cost £4.95.
All Target versions of the novel contain 11 illustrations by Chris Achilleos.
A hardback edition was finally released in March 1982 with the Cummins cover. Cover Data
Jeff Cummins's impressive portrait of Roger Delgado as the Master replaced Achilleos' cover in June 1979.
A larger version of Cummins's artwork appears in David J. Howe's book Timeframe (Virgin Publishing Ltd, 1993). Foreign Editions
The book was released in Turkey as Doktor Kim - ve Gizli Silah. It was translated by Reha Pinar and published by Remzi Kitabevi in 1975. It used the Achilleos artwork.
The American Pinnacle edition was number 2 in the series, published in April 1979. It was reprinted several times up until 1989, with minor alterations to the cover throughout the run.
On the 15th of July 1980, the book was published in Japanese by Hayakawa Bunko Publishing as number 4 in their Dokutaa Huu Shiriizu (Doctor Who Series), It was translated by Yukio Sekiguchi. A transliteration of the title is "Kowaru Beki Saishyuu Heiki!", roughly meaning Must Be Fearful of the Final Weapon! (literal), or The Frightening Ultimate Weapon! In addition to the full-colour cover, the book included a double-page colour spread and black-and-white illustrations by Michiaki Sato.
The book was published in Portugal by Editorial Presença as Doutor Who E A Arma Total, and translated by Eduardo Nogueira and Conceiçã Jardim. It was released in 1986. The cover was by Shanti.
In the Netherlands it was Doctor Who en het Dodelijk Wapen, translated by Wim Hohage or J.J. Van der Hulst Brander for RIV in 1974. It used the original Achilleos artwork. Reviews
"In The Doomsday Weapon, Hulke spends three whole pages - which is quite a lot in an action book - giving the reader a background to Captain Dent and how IMC works, ending with the wonderful: He felt happy and secure that he was an IMC man, with an IMC wife, IMC children, with a beautiful four room IMC home. His present and his future were as secure as IMC, and IMC would go on forever. As it turns out, Dent's future is neither secure and presumably when he returns to Earth IMC won't lift a finger to help him. In constructing such an ironic and cynical approach to Dent's life and character, you come away from just those three pages feeling that you know Dent - in fact, you've known him for years as opposed to a few hundred words worth of book. Mac had an amazing ability to get his readers to care about his people - whether good or bad - simply by letting the reader see into their minds."
- 'The Official Doctor Who Magazine' (number 91), August 1984.UK Editions
| YEAR | DATE | PUBLISHER | COVER ARTIST | LOGO | SPINE COLOUR | SPINE NUMBER | TARGET LOGO | ISBN | PRICE | NOTES | OWNED |
|---|
| 1974 | April | Universal-Tandem | Achilleos | block | purple | none | colour | 0 426 10372 6 | 30p | frst edition | Y |
| 1974 | - | Universal-Tandem | Achilleos | block | purple | none | colour | 0 426 10372 6 | 30p | "second impression" | Y |
| 1975 | March | Universal-Tandem | - | - | - | - | - | 0 426 10372 6 | 30p | - | - |
| 1976 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 426 10372 6 | 40p | - | - |
| 1979 | 16th August | W. H. Allen | Cummins | black curve | white | none | colour | 0 426 10372 6 | 70p | "second impression", Wyndham W on back | Y |
| 1979 | - | W. H. Allen | Cummins | black curve | white | none | colour | 0 426 10372 6 | 85p | "second impression" | Y |
| 1982 | - | W. H. Allen | Cummins | black curve | white | none | colour | 0 426 10372 6 | £1.35 | - | Y |
| 1983 | - | W. H. Allen | Cummins | black curve | white | 23 | colour | 0 426 10372 6 | £1.50 | - | Y |
Miscellaneous
Author
MALCOLM HULKE
Countries
Netherlands
De snode MASTER heeft van de Tijdheren het dossier over het afschrik-wekkende DODELIJKE WAPEN gestolen. Mocht hif dat wapen vinden dan kan hij hele planeten opblazen en zich zelf tot heerser van de Melkweg uitroepen!
De Tijdheren struren DOCTOR WHO en Jo Grant in hun Tardis naar een akelige planeet, die zich in het jar 2471 bevindt. Daar treffen ze kolonisten van de Aarde aan, die bedreigd worden door geheimzinnige, wilde monsterachtige hagedissen met angst-aanjagende klauwen!
Op deze planeet moet zich ergens het DODELIJKE WAPEN bevinden waar de MASTER ijverig naar zoekt...
In the Netherlands it was Doctor Who en het Dodelijk Wapen, translated by Wim Hohage for RIV in 1974. It had ISBN 90 269 8107 4 and cost f 3,95. It used the original Achilleos artwork on the cover but did not feature the illustrations. It was part of a run of publications, translating the first eight Target novelisations. All eight featured a portrait of Tom Baker on the back cover although no Fourth Doctor adventures formed part of the run.
Cover artist: Chris Achilleos
1974 Unieboek B.V. Bussum edition
Turkey
The book was released in Turkey as Doktor Kim ve Gizli Silah (English translation: Doctor Who and the Secret Weapon). It was translated by Reha Pinar and published by Remzi Kitabevi in June 1975. It used the Achilleos artwork and had the same colour on its spine and back cover border as the original Target release. As with all the Turkish translations, the illustrations were not included.
Cover artist: Chris Achilleos
1975 Remzi Kitabevi edition
USA
TERRORIZER OF THE UNIVERSE
While Doctor Who was exiled on Earth and restricted to the Twentieth Century, the charming but hypnotically evil Master, whose one ambition is to destroy Doctor Who, walked off with the Doomsday Weapon file.
Doctor Who, commanded by the Time Lords to stop the Master - at any cost - is directed to a bleak planet in the year 2471. Hidden somewhere on that planet is the Doomsday Weapon - lurking somewhere in that Time Zone is the Master!
Will Doctor Who, hampered by alien monsters, locate and dismantle the Doomsday Weapon before the Master triggers it? It's a terrifying countdown affecting all mankind - past, present and forever!
The American Pinnacle edition was number 2 in the series, originally published in April 1979. It was reprinted several times up until 1989, with minor alterations to the cover throughout the run.
Cover artist: David Mann
1979 Pinnacle edition
Japan
On the 15th of July 1980, the book was published in Japanese by Hayakawa Publishing as the fourth in their Dokutaa Huu Shiriizu - number SF398. It was translated by Yukio Sekiguchi. A transliteration of the title is Osoru Beki Saishyuu Heiki!, roughly meaning Must Be Fearful of the Final Weapon! (literal), or The Frightening Ultimate Weapon! The books are smaller than standard paperbacks, being approximately 10.5 cm wide by 15 cm tall. The covers are loose dustjackets and each book contains unique illustrations. This book cost 340 yen and, by English conventions, reads from back to front. The full range was made up of translations of The Daleks, The Auton Invasion, The Cave-Monsters, The Doomsday Weapon and The Day of the Daleks.
Cover artist: Michiaki Sato
1980 Hayakawa Bunko edition
Portugal
The book was published in Portugal by Editorial Presença as Doutor Who E A Arma Total, and translated by Eduardo Nogueira and Conceiçã Jardim. It was released in 1983. The full wraparound cover was by Shanti and the book contained the six Alan Willow illustrations. It was number 4 in the Portuguese series with book number 5 being The Sea-Devils.
Cover Artist: Shanti
1983 Editorial Presença edition