It has already been over a year since Doctor Who's 60th-anniversary specials were released, so I decided it was time to look back at those stories in a fresh way. I was familiar with the TV episodes themselves. But how are the Target novelizations?
Generally speaking, there is something quite comforting about a Target book. They adapt the TV stories well, they usually have a short page count (150 pages, more or less), and it's nice to enjoy reading a good story, even if you've seen the episode plenty of times.
Of course, sometimes, you also hope for something new. Something that the TV episode didn't originally offer. It might be a new character or a deeper perspective. In the case of "The Star Beast", writer Gary Russell adapts the TV story extremely well, capturing the essence and excitement of the episode and translating it perfectly on the page. However, there are a couple of points that still help the book stand out on its own terms.
Sylvia
When Sylvia Noble was originally introduced back in "The Runaway Bride", it was clear that she wasn't exactly the most supportive mother to Donna. This was made even clearer in Series 4. Throughout all her appearances, she was constantly shown to criticize or complain about her daughter. It wasn't until Donna lost all her memories in "Journey's End" that Sylvia finally said something nice and made it clear that she was proud of her.
It was clear in "The Star Beast" that Sylvia's and Donna's relationship had improved since then, with the two having a relatively nice conversation. The novelization explores their relationship further, notably from Sylvia's perspective. For 15 years, Sylvia has been desperate to keep her daughter safe at any cost, and it's taken a toll on her. Of course, things get so much worse when both the Doctor and the Meep show up.
This depiction of Sylvia is probably one of the most sympathetic we've ever been given of the character, and it's a real highlight of the novelization. She's still recognizably the same character from Series 4 and still has her flaws. But she's presented as a mother who genuinely wants the best for her daughter, even when placed in an extremely difficult position.
Other characters
The novelization also includes characters that weren't in the TV episode. For example, the story focuses a lot on Stew Ferguson. While he didn't appear in "The Star Beast", the character did appear very briefly in Doctor Who in "The Stolen Earth", specifically as the milkman who appears at the very beginning.
It's strange revisiting such a small character, but it is a nice link back to the Tenth Doctor's and Donna's final adventure together. It's also a reminder of how much the Doctor can affect someone's life, even someone they only met once for just a few seconds.
Other characters are revisited in this novelization, albeit in a completely new way. Sharon and Fudge - two major characters from the original comic story - make a few brief appearances. They don't have much of a role, and they're only partially based on the comic characters (for example, the Sharon in the novelization is definitely not the same Sharon that became the Fourth Doctor's companion in the comic). But it's still a nice nod for fans of the original story.
"The Star Beast" is a nice, easy read, especially if you're a fan of the TV episode. It adapts the story well while adding in a few extra details to make the book stand out on its own terms. I'm curious to see how well the other specials were adapted.