James Goss cunningly reinvents The Giggle with a dark, funny and clever Target Book which fully uses the medium’s unique power
The paperback editions of the Target Books marking Doctor Who’s 60th Anniversary with novelisations of the specials are finally here. Well, Blogtor says ‘finally,’ but the unprecedented speed of their release emphasises their specialness. It was only last month that we saw the Doctor’s battle with the Toymaker on our televisions. And the eBook editions were out within days. But now you can relive The Giggle, move by move, page by page, with James Goss’ adaptation in your own hands.
The Doctor and Donna have returned to a modern day London in chaos. Every single person on Earth thinks they, and they alone, are right about everything. It’s the most human end of the world imaginable, but there’s a very inhuman foe behind it all: the Doctor’s old enemy, the Toymaker. The Time Lord must beat the godlike being at his own game, but winning will come with a heavy cost. If it comes at all…
Except this version of The Giggle is actually so much more than just a retelling of the action we saw on screen. There’s always been a traditional view that the best Target books are those which dig deeper into the story. The ones which fill in extra details around the margins of the adventure, fleshing out supporting players, and giving an added insight into the thoughts of the characters. This certainly falls squarely into that category, but it also goes further than any before it. The result is quite possibly one the greatest Target books ever.
Based on the original script, the novelisation features additional scenes for Wilf
Even the most straightforward addition to the text would make this an automatic purchase for many fans. Fatigue prevented 93 year Bernard Cribbins from filming all his originally intended scenes. But the text restores those precious extra moments here and slightly expands the role for beloved old soldier Wilf. They’re as charming as you’d expect, but also give new insight into how the script filled the gap they left.
But that’s only the beginning of what makes The Giggle so compelling in prose form. The reveal of the main trick Goss has up his sleeve is so delightful, Blogtor will leave it to readers to discover for themselves. But suffice to say that it upends the entire narrative. In doing so, it makes the book a uniquely rewarding experience in its own right. Indeed, it feels like you haven’t really experienced the story until you’ve both seen and read it. Anyone with only the Blu-ray on their shelf is missing out.
Exciting, innovative ideas tumble off of every page in a book which translates the chaos and fear of the Toymaker’s domain to the universe of the printed word
The result does what Doctor Who always does best in any medium, mixing a huge sense of fun with a genuine edge of menace. One highlight pivots around the copyright for Spice Up Your Life. Seemingly, the rights obtained by the BBC don’t extend to quoting its lyrics in book form. Instead, necessity proves once more the mother of invention. The Toymaker’s incursion into UNIT HQ is transformed to be every bit as chaotic, mad, and darkly funny as on TV, but in its own deliciously silly way.
In contrast, another highlight is when the Doctor and Donna plunge into the labyrinth of corridors behind the toy shop. This time, the simplicity of the chase through an infinite number of doors looking for an exit is twisted into a truly unnerving reading experience. One which for readers will swiftly move from a sense of playfulness with the form to something more like claustrophobia with a hint of panic.
There’s even a creeping sensation, here and in other chapters, that reading the book is dangerous. It’s punctuated with various simple games, more typical of a Doctor Who annual. But they have a sinister undertone. As if by opening the first page you’ve entered the Toymaker’s domain, and at risk of becoming one of his puppets should you fail.
In many ways, The Giggle is unlike anything you’ll have seen in a Doctor Who novelisation before. But its approach is a perfect fit for this most reality bending of tales. Madly funny, occasionally terrifying, but always brimming with energy and innovation, it’s likely to be remembered in years to come as one of the all time great Target Books.
Doctor Who: The Giggle
A sinister toyshop. The Earth erupting in violence. Shockwaves travelling through history.
With old friends powerless to help, the Doctor is drawn into a deadly duel against an old nemesis who can bend reality to his will – and change the Doctor’s life for ever…
Doctor Who: The Giggle is out now in paperback from all good booksellers. A specially adapted audiobook read by Dan Starkey follows on the 1st of February.
