Publication Information

Author: Terrance Dicks
Cover artist: Chris Achilleos / Alister Pearson (1991) / David Mann (Pinnacle) / unknown (Doctor Who and the Daleks Omnibus) / Gary Viskupic (Doubleday)
Publishing date: 22nd July 1976

Episode Information

TV serial: Genesis of the Daleks
Writer: Terry Nation
Transmission Dates: 8th March - 12th April 1975 (6 episodes)

Fact and Findings

Later editions were numbered 27 in the Doctor Who library.

Classic chapter title: Rocket of Doom (but a disappointing 1 / 12 for exclamation marks!)

First edition cover price - 45p

The original edition was published by Tandem (ISBN 0 426 11260 1). It was reprinted in the Autumn of 1976, 1977 (W. H. Allen, 60p) and again in 1978 (amended cover, Wyndham / W. H. Allen, same ISBN, 60p). Reprints followed in 1980, 1981 and 1982 (£1.35). The 1990's reprint was released in September 1991 as Doctor Who - Genesis of the Daleks, published by Virgin (£2.50). The ISBN remained constant.

A hardback edition was also released in July 1976, by Allan Wingate. The dust jacket featured the same design as the original paperback release (minus the Target logo) and the back cover carried adverts for three other 1976 releases (Revenge of the Cybermen, Ice Warriors and Loch Ness Monster). The ISBN was 85523 072 X and the price was £2.25.

The book was abridged and illustrated for the large format Marks and Spencers book Doctor Who and the Daleks Omnibus, published by Artus Books in September 1976, alongside Doctor Who and the Planet of the Daleks. The dynamic illustrations were provided by the General Illustration Company. The large format hardback book also included articles by Terry Nation on The Seventh Galaxy (far beyond the constellation Andromeda and including the planet Skaro apparently), The Anatomy of a Dalek, and The Dalek Deep Space Cruiser. There was also a couple of pages showing original camera script pages from Genesis of the Daleks.

One of the top sellers in the series, according to Peter Darvill-Evans' list, compiled in 1991. It went on to sell over 100,000 units.

There were plans to publish a Polish edition of Genesis of the Daleks in 1994, alongside editions of Day of the Daleks, The Three Doctors and Revenge of the Cybermen. Although the latter three all saw the light of day, I can find no evidence that Geneza Daleków was ever actually printed...

For those wishing to read a more direct representation of the TV serial, BBC Worldwide published Doctor Who - The Scripts - Tom Baker 1974/5 (ISBN 0 563 53815 5, £16.99) in October 2001, edited by Justin Richard and Andrew Pixley. The book contained all of the scripts for Season 12 with extensive production notes and an introduction by Terrance Dicks.

Although Terry Nation never adapted any of his own Dalek scripts into novel form, 1976 did see the paperback publication of his acclaimed children's novel Rebecca's World. Published in hardback in 1975 by G. Whizzard / André Deutsch (ISBN 0 903387 06 9, £2.75), the paperback was released by Hamlyn on their Beaver Books label, ISBN 0 600 37583 8, priced 85p. The novel contained illustrations by Larry Learmouth.

Cover Data

Achilleos was pleased with his cover because of the subdued colours and the inclusion of that great Davros character. (Interviewed by Richard Marson in DWM 114, July 1986).

The 1978 reprint saw slight amendments to the cover. The logo went from red to blue and the background was lightened.

The original book cover was part of Doctor Who Portfolio No. 1 issued in May 1986, published by Titan Books. There were five prints in all. Each print was 295mm by 422mm and produced on high quality art paper. The cost was £5.95.

A larger version of Achilleos's artwork appears in David J. Howe's book Timeframe (Virgin Publishing Ltd, 1993).

Alister Pearson's cover must be unique for a Dalek novelisation - it doesn't actually have a Dalek on it!

Alister Pearson's artwork for the 1991 reprint was reused on the back cover of the Silva Screen CD release 'Doctor Who - Pyramids of Mars - Classic Music from the Tom Baker Era', featuring music composed by Dudley Simpson, arranged and performed by Heathcliff Blair.

Foreign Editions

Pinnacle Books published a version for the American market in May 1979. It was number four in their series of 10 and was initially priced $1.75. It was reprinted several times up until 1989 with minor alterations to the cover throughout the run.

In October 1979, the Doubleday Book Club in America published a hardback compilation entitled The Adventures of Doctor Who. It used the Pinnacle versions (i.e. with Americanisms) of Doctor Who and the Genesis of the Daleks, Doctor Who and the Revenge of the Cybermen and Doctor Who and the Loch Ness Monster. It included the introduction by Harlan Ellison and was available only to book club members.