Book description
UNIT is called in to investigate security at a secret research centre
buried under Wenley Moor. Unknown to the Doctor and his colleagues,
the work at the centre has woken a group of Silurians - intelligent
reptiles that used to be the dominant life form on Earth in
prehistoric times.
Now they have woken, the Silurians are appalled to find 'their'
planet populated by upstart apes. The Doctor hopes to negotiate a
peace deal, but there are those on both sides who cannot bear the
thought of humans and Silurians living together. As UNIT soldiers
enter the cave systems, and the Silurians unleash a deadly plague that
could wipe out the human race, the battle for planet Earth begins.
This novel is based on 'The Silurians', a Doctor Who story which was
originally broadcast from 31 January-14 March 1970.
Featuring the Third Doctor as played by Jon Pertwee, his companion
Liz Shaw and the UNIT organisation commanded by Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart.
Malcolm Hulke was a prolific and respected television writer
from the 1950s until the 1970s. His writing credits included the early
science fiction Pathfinders series, as well as The
Avengers. Hulke was first approached to write for Doctor
Who when the series first started, but his idea for The Hidden
Planet was not pursued. In 1967 he wrote The Faceless Ones
(with David Ellis) for the Second Doctor.
By 1969, Hulke's friend and occasional writing partner Terrance
Dicks was Script Editor for Doctor Who and needed a ten part
story to replace other scripts and write out Patrick Troughton's
Doctor. Together, they wrote The War Games, which for the first
time explained the Doctor's origins and introduced his people, the
Time Lords. Hulke continued to write for Doctor Who, providing
a story for each of the Third Doctor's series. Malcolm Hulke died in
1979, soon after completing his novelisation of The War Games.
