Survival by: Rona Munro

 

Survival was written by Rona Munro, based on her story of the same name.  It was the 157^th story to be novelized by Target Books.

 

There wasn’t so much of a surprise when the novelization of Survival did not end with that monologue that practically every Doctor Who fan can quote, as an understanding that the novelization didn’t actually need it.  Survival was published in 1990 and enough time had passed that it was clear the show would not be back in 1991, with the first four New Adventures novels being just on the horizon, that the speech doesn’t feel necessary.  This just would have added Andrew Cartmel’s, albeit always interesting, unnecessary influence on perhaps the more interesting form of Rona Munro’s story.  Like other three part stories on television, Survival has a script that is crafted specifically to work, but in novelization naturally has more time to breathe.  This is not a novelization which was given an extension in terms of length or word count, but Rona Munro takes a story that is already very much focused on characterization and intensifies it.  There is this early moment where Ace reflects on her last two adventures, Ghost Light and The Curse of Fenric, with how her relationship to the Doctor has changed.  While it obviously wouldn’t happen, there is this idea that Survival could have been Ace’s final adventure in the TARDIS.

 

Much of what makes the novelization improve on an already great television story is how the characters’ relationships are almost heightened.  Munro thrives in the prose format, perhaps due to her history as a playwright before this.  The Cheetah People feel all the more alien yet still more human throughout, partially due to more emotion being seen without having to look at the cumbersome costumes.  The costumes on television were great and served their purpose, but in the novel there is something almost greater about having the ability to get in their heads.  This also helps Munro’s subtext between Ace and Karra, something that was done well on screen due to the script and performances, feel all the more real here in the novelization.  There is this homoerotic subtext throughout Survival, more than just with Ace, but it’s there due to the anti-authoritarian bent of the story adds this big tear of society breaking down.  The breakdown of society is what the Cheetah People represent, with the implication being this is due to some militarism and allowing authority to turn them into savages.  It makes an interesting parallel to ideas towards acceptance bringing people together as a group that is clearly intended by Munro.

 

Overall, Survival was perhaps one of the more surprising and sadly overlooked Target novelizations due to being latte and less notable.  There aren’t any scenes that are really added, but the moments that are there are clearly there because this is a book and not a television story.  It’s among the best novelizations and people should track this one down in particular.  10/10.