Publication Information
Author: Terrance Dicks
Cover artist: Andrew Skilleter / photographic (audio tape) / Andrew Skilleter (GS1) / photographic (GS4)
Publishing date: 14th January 1982 Episode Information
TV serial: State of Decay
Writer: Terrance Dicks
Transmission dates: 22nd November - 13th December 1980 (4 episodes) Fact and Findings
The first novelisation based on a story from season 18.
First edition cover price - £1.00 (a temporary drop from the previous novel's price of £1.25)
Classic chapter title: The Secret Horror
The novelisation as reprinted later in 1982 with a cover price increase to £1.25.
ISBN 0 426 20133 7
Later editions were numbered 58 in the Doctor Who library.
Tom Baker read a condensed version of the novel for cassette, released by Pickwick International in 1982, under their "ditto" label. The story was spread over two cassettes and was recommended for 7 to 12 year olds. The blurb on the back of the cardboard box that held the two cassettes described the story thus: Trapped in an alternative Universe the Doctor lands on a sinister planet ruled by an unholy trio of tyrants. Aided by Romana and the faithful K.9, the Doctor must discover the dreadful secret of the Dark Tower and face the awakening horror that lies beneath it.
The novel was included in The First Doctor Who Gift Set, released in 1982. The four books that made up the boxed set were An Unearthly Child, The Enemy of the World, State of Decay and Warriors' Gate. The box cover was the artwork from The Programme Guide. It was also included in The Fourth Doctor Who Gift Set, released later. The four novels in that boxed set were The Giant Robot, State of Decay, Logopolis and Time-Flight.
The hardback edition was released in September 1981. It was scheduled to be released earlier but was delayed due to the instability of the book series (see 1981).
Dicks penned a direct mini-sequel to this adventure in his eighth Doctor novel The Eight Doctors (BBC books, 1997, ISBN 0 563 40563 5, £4.99). Romana wanders off from the victory celebrations and falls into the clutches of another band of vampires. The fourth and eighth Doctors combine forces to rescue her and defeat the splinter cell. Cover Data
Skilleter's final cover in the style of Achilleos' original 1974 set (cf Doctor Who and the Destiny of the Daleks and Doctor Who and the Stones of Blood). It shows Tom Baker and Emrys James as Aukon. Reviews
"Doctor Who in a state of decay? Never! Not after this.
This novel is the best Doctor Who book since Tomb of the Cybermen. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would have enjoyed a book adapted from a Tom Baker adventure as much as this...
...we are treated further to the best scene in the whole book. This is where the Doctor and Romana are being entertained by Zargo and Camilla. Neither party knowing the other's full potential as an enemy and, thus, trying to find out about each other without giving away anything about themselves. This is done with such style that it is a pleasure to read...
Unlike the Doctor Who Programme Guide, this really is a must for any Doctor Who fan's library and will no doubt be in many fans' top ten targets."
- 'Definitive Gaze' (number 1), 1981
"Do you remember the days when Terrance Dicks turned out books like Day of the Daleks, Planet of Spiders and Carnival of Monsters? When every new Target book was a wonderful trip down memory lane? When Tom Baker was still only a future Doctor and Jon (ah yes, those were the days) Pertwee was still in command?
If so, ignore Decay. The word rubbish comes to mind. Usually when novelising one of his own stories Terrance is excellent - like Brain of Morbius. This book... is as bad as Horns of Nimon - itself a thirty minute read. Something must be done - and now. It is our duty as Who fans to inform Taget and Terrance what is going wrong."
- 'Meglos' (number 4), September/October 1981UK Editions
The Target editions were published as follows:
1982, 14th January (first edition, W. H. Allen, Skilleter cover, pink neon logo, light blue spine, colour Target, ISBN 0 426 20133 7, £1.00)*
1982 (reprint, W. H. Allen, Skilleter cover, pink neon logo, light blue spine, colour Target, ISBN 0 426 20133 7, £1.25)*
1983 (W. H. Allen, Skilleter cover, pink neon logo, light blue spine, colour Target, ISBN 0 426 20133 7, £1.35)*
1984 (W. H. Allen, Skilleter cover, pink neon logo, light blue spine, colour Target, ISBN 0 426 20133 7)
1987 (using 1983 or 1984 contents, W. H. Allen, Skilleter cover, pink neon logo, light blue numbered spine, outline Target, ISBN 0 426 20133 7, £1.95)*
* copy in site owner's personal collectionMiscellaneous
Author
Terrance Dicks
Audio
Tom Baker read a condensed version of the novel for cassette, originally released by Pickwick International in 1981, then re-released by "ditto" in 1985. On the latter version the story was spread over two cassettes and was recommended for 7 to 12 year olds. The blurb on the back of the cardboard box that held the two cassettes described the story thus: Trapped in an alternative Universe the Doctor lands on a sinister planet ruled by an unholy trio of tyrants. Aided by Romana and the faithful K.9, the Doctor must discover the dreadful secret of the Dark Tower and face the awakening horror that lies beneath it.
Gift Sets
Formed part of The First Dr Who Gift Set released in 1982. These sets comprised four recently released (or re-released) novelisations in a cardboard slip case. Three of the four books that made up this boxed set were An Unearthly Child, The Enemy of the World and State of Decay. There were variations on the fourth book between The Power of Kroll, The Keeper of Traken and Warriors' Gate. The box cover utilised the Bill Donohoe artwork from The Programme Guide. The gift set had ISBN 0 426 19270 2. In all there were nine gift sets released in the 1980s.
It was included in The Fourth Doctor Who Gift Set, released in 1983. These gift sets comprised four recently released (or re-released) novelisations in a cardboard slip case. The four novels that made up the fourth set were The Giant Robot, State of Decay, Logopolis and Time-Flight. The box featured a photograph of Peter Davison, taken on location for The Visitation. The gift set had ISBN 0 426 194306 and it sold for £5.75. In all there were nine gift sets released between 1982 and 1986. The first and second were flimsy cardboard slip cases but the remainder were quite sturdy.