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What do you think of the Target novelisations of Season 7? What are your memories of them?
My main memories are the awesome covers! The books too are pretty damn fine.
Of all the Target Novel covers, I found Inferno the most disturbing and enthralling as a child. I remember visiting a friend's house who had a huge Target novel collection and being terribly excited by looking at all the covers. I even borrowed some which I may have meant to have given back someday... um...
Both Cave Monsters and Auton Invasion expanded hugely on the original stories. I think it's been said elsewhere, but the chapter of 'Cave Monsters' written entirely from the point of view of the Silurian on the run is one of the most magnificent in the whole Target range!
The other two I don't really know so well. I'm not sure if I've read either of them.
Those first two come from very early in the range of TARGET books, in fact I think they were the first, somebody correct me on this.
The covers evoke loads of memories for me, I remember seeing/buying them in Garrods (a newsagent chain long gone and forgotten I think) in Maindee when I worked in Newport long long ago (1974) I was buying lots of Marvel comics at the same time so they inevitably go hand in hand for me.
Can't recall where I bought Ambassadors but it was probably John Fitton's postal service, same place I got Inferno from in '84, that was an eagerly awaited book as Inferno made a lasting impression on me back in 1970.
I loved the TARGET range, they were an early way of reliving the stories in an age before any regular form of repeat, VHS or DVD.
I think yes, The Auton Invasion was the very first 'new' one after the three Hartnell reprints. That one, and The Cave Monsters, seem to have always been around - I have a feeling my brother got the auton one for a birthday in the late seventies, I sort of remember the excitement of just seeing the cover!
The Cave Monsters I seem to remember getting out of Carlisle library a couple of times, before buying it in, I have a feeling, a second-hand book shop (also in Carlisle). I'll have to go and have a look at it in a minute, I'm pretty sure it's quite tatty-looking, and that's why.
I don't remember much about Ambassadors, it's probably fair to say it wasn't the best book Terrance ever did...
...whereas Inferno is wonderful. From memory, hasn't it got a very small typeface, presumably so they could squeeze it into 128 pages. I guess Terrance must have been more excited by this one. Also, the paperback cover feels oddly 'gritty' rather than smooth (or is that just my copy)?
My main memory of the Inferno book, though, is that (I think) it was in one of the very early book review columns in DWM - in the sense of proper reviews, the forerunner of what we get now (On Target, was it called?). For whatever reason, I remember being really excited by the previews for Inferno and The Aztecs in that particular issue - I guess because, back then, we never expected to see them, and for a long while hadn't really expected to even get a Target of them.
Happy days!
I remember saving my pocket money for The Auton Invasion- £1.50- three weeks worth! The Cave Monsters I'm not sure about. I know I had it, like the Auton Invasion in the reprint version with the Diamond Logo on it, but where and when it came from I do not remember.
Ambassadors I bought in JW Smiths in Bracknell. I managed to snaffle it before my friend Richard got his mitts on it, so I won that one! I seem to remember we both really liked the cover with its magnificent Pertwee portrait.
Inferno was a present for my 10th birthday from my brother and sister. :)