Doctor Who and the Brain of Morbius (1977) by Terrance Dicks is the much-loved book featured in this episode. Joining John and Andy to discuss the life and career of a hugely influential and prolific author - and the history of the Target novelisations of Doctor Who stories, which between them are estimated to have sold over 13m copies - are two writers who are both enthusiastic fans and bona fide experts: broadcaster Matthew Sweet, a writer, broadcaster, cultural historian and presenter of the BBC radio programmes, Sound of Cinema, Free Thinking and The Philosopher’s Arms; and returning guest Una McCormack, the bestselling science fiction writer who specializes in TV tie-in fiction, particularly Star Trek and Doctor Who. We also take a look at The Gifts of Reading, the recently-published anthology (to which Andy has contributed a memoir on Terrance Dicks), alongside new essays from Philip Pullman, Robert Macfarlane, Candice Carty-Williams, S.F. Said and more, proceeds from which go to the international literacy charity, Room To Read.

Books mentioned:

Robert Mcfarlane et al - The Gifts of Reading
Terrance Dicks - Doctor Who and the Brain of Morbius; Doctor Who and the Brain of Morbius (audiobook read by Tom Baker); Doctor Who and Genesis of the Daleks; Doctor Who: The Three Doctors; Doctor Who and the Web of Fear.
Una McCormack - Doctor Who: All Flesh is Grass
Matthew Sweet - Inventing the Victorians; Shepperton Babylon; Operation Chaos
Dicks, Sweet, McCormack et al - Doctor Who: The Target Story Book
David J Howe - The Target Book: The History of the Target Doctor Who Books (foreword by Terrance Dicks)
Tom Baker - Who on Earth is Tom Baker?; Who on Earth is Tom Baker? (audiobook)
Wilkie Collins - The Woman in White (ed. Matthew Sweet)

Other links:

Room to Read charity
Doctor Who - The Brain of Morbius (DVD)
Doctor Who - Series 13 (Britbox)
Dudley Simpson - Pyramids of Mars: Classic Music from the Tom Baker Era
Tom Baker reading from Doctor Who and the Brain of Morbius
Gareth Roberts & Terrance Dicks discussing the novelisation of the original scripts for The Brain of Morbius from ‘On Target: Terrance Dicks’ on Doctor Who - The Monster of Peladon DVD
On The Outside It Looked Like an Old Fashioned Police Box - BBC R4 documentary (2009)
Doctor Who publishing at BBC Books