DOCTOR
WHO
AND THE GENESIS OF THE DALEKS –
TERRANCE DICKS
Terrance Dicks – Dr Who screenplay writer and author of a plethora
of books based upon the BBC television series – passed away
recently and in amongst the many accolades that were paid to him one
in particular stood out. It was from author Jenny Colgan who said
Dicks had 'helped more children (especially boys) develop a
lifelong love of reading than almost anyone else who's ever lived'.
Whether that's strictly true or not doesn't really matter because at
the end of the day even if it's only half true it's a wonderful
tribute to him.
That same week, by chance I saw a copy of a Dr Who book being sold
for 10p in a box outside of a second-hand shop. It's a sign, I
thought! Like the feather floating on the breeze at the end of
Forrest Gump. As did most people I imagine, I used to watch Dr Who as
a child – my personal favourite being the Jon Pertwee version –
but I was never a huge fan and I've never read a Dr Who
book in my life. Now, it would appear, was the time to start.
Doctor Who And The Genesis Of The Daleks involves the Tom
Baker version of the Doctor being sent back in time by the Time Lords
to the planet Skaro to intervene in the birth of the Daleks and thus
prevent them from becoming the dominant creatures in the Universe.
And that's all you need to know about it, really. The point of
interest about the story is its clear allusions to Nazism, with the
supreme leader/scientist Davros representing Hitler, the Daleks being
his stormtroopers, and his vision of a Dalek-dominated Universe a
kind of thousand year Reich.
Then just as the Doctor's in a position to blow the proto-Daleks up
and destroy them forever he has an existential moral crisis: 'Suppose
somebody who knew the future told you a certain child would grow up
to be an evil dictator,' the Doctor asks 'could you then
destroy that child?'
There's an obvious knack to writing these kind of books and Terrance
Dicks had it. Every second page there is a life-threatening situation
that the Doctor and his companions must thwart. It's a bit like being
continuously in the final moments of an episode of Batman from the
1960s television series where you have to tune in next week to see
what happens, 'same Bat time, same Bat channel', except you just have
to turn to the next page.
I've no idea what the modern day equivalent of these Terrance Dicks
Dr Who books might be nowadays, if indeed there even is one? But if
it's true that through his writing Terrance Dicks instigated a life
long love of reading in children then his writing and a book such as
this one is invaluable. But if, as I fear, there is no-one of his
like that has replaced him then not only is it a sad thing for
children but it's a sad thing for us all.
John Serpico
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