Who Reviews Target Zone: Doctor Who and the Loch Ness Monster by DJ Forrest

Written by Terrance Dicks

Published by Tandem Publishing Ltd

For Target in 1976

There are many alien creatures with a thirst for dominance of a far weaker species, and yet they all seem to think that Earth is going to be such a push over. It always seems to be the arrogance of the alien species that likes to brag about its deeds to the one person who can easily overthrow their plans, and if failing to enable them to see sense, will thwart every single plan of theirs.

Of course, without the might of the Doctor and UNIT, although to be fair, the Brig only has the regular weapons known to man at his disposal and its this kind of military screw up that can push the might of an alien race to declare war on earth, rather than using a more diplomatic approach, or capture the Doctor and watch him take your ship apart and use it against you.

I love a good Zygon story and if I’m pushed to choose between which alien species I like the most, it’s a tie between the Daleks and the Zygons at every turn. Both of them are determined as ever to dominate a planet and begin cultivating it to their own needs. Both have tunnel vision. They see only the end goal and a means to get it, but don’t figure on the might of the human race or the meddling Doctor.

In both stories involving Zygons (in book form) that I’ve read so far, although a little bit more advanced in the 10^th but still, the end game amounts to the same, but at least the Skarasen isn’t a threat in the 10^th novel unlike it seems in this.

The Skarasen I felt sorry for. Most cyborg creatures which were created to do their masters bidding, are often only doing it because they have little choice, and the Skarasen is no different. It becomes the Loch Ness Monster for the story because those were the waters it grew up in, and wearing attached Zygon technology, it charges towards the very person holding the device in order to snuff them out, or at best, to crush the device into the ground, so it can go back to peaceful waters.

The only problem with killing a Skarasen is that you’ll need a nuclear weapon in order to do so.

The Fourth Doctor is helped by Harry Sullivan, Sarah Jane Smith and UNIT which includes the Brig. I’ve always liked the Brigadier but reading through the old novels of the classic series, I am beginning to question what it is about the military fool that I liked so much – because the writings at the time gave UNIT more of a Keystone Cops approach to tackling the alien races that came to earth to dominate us human species.

Maybe I’m not giving UNIT enough credit. Back in the days of the 3^rd and 4^th Doctors, the world was a much different place, and UNIT were only just coming into being, the stiff upper lip and male arrogance was rife back then. And maybe the odd alien landing, Daleks and Zygons and other species I’m still learning about, including the Master, are species that UNIT are only just understanding. Perhaps I shouldn’t be poking a stick at them wondering why they’re not as on the ball as I’d like – especially when you look at UNIT now, it’s more of a military likeness to Torchwood. On the ball with alien species. Has an arsenal of weapons in order to defeat a mighty army and has the daughter of the Brigadier in charge – and you don’t want to mess with her.

As you’d expect, the Loch Ness Monster story is set in Scotland, and around oil rigs that are being destroyed, the reason of which you will discover towards the middle of the story. It’s a wonderful read and you can’t help but smile at Broton and his suckered band of maniacs as they are thwarted at every turn to take over the world.