Thoughts on "Doctor Who - Earthshock," by Ian Marter. Published 1983. Number 78 in the Doctor Who Library, 128 pages, paperback. Original script by Eric Saward, 1982.
Ian Marter writes a very faithful re-telling of Eric Saward's script and does so in his own unique writing style. Marter is one of my favorite Target writers and I like his style. His telling of "Earthshock" captures the gloomy atmosphere and the sometimes campy script, even the Cyberleader's impatience. Marter brings a sense of immediacy and tries to immerse the reader in the story. His is a very good novelization of a story that ends in both triumph and tragedy. He did leave out my favorite line and one of my favorite "Doctor Who" quotes: "For some people, small beautiful events are what life is all about!" It's my email signature line.
Trivia: Cyberleader says "excellent" 16 times. At least that's what I counted in the book.