In this, the first adventure of his third 'incarnation', DOCTOR WHO, Liz Shaw, and the Brigadier grapple with the nightmarish invasion of the AUTONS — living, giant-sized, plastic-modelled 'humans' with no hair and sightless eyes; waxwork replicas and tailor's dummies whose murderous behaviour is directed by the NESTENE CONSCIOUSNESS — a malignant, squid-like monster of cosmic proportions and indescribably hideous appearance.
“This DOCTOR WHO adventure (televised as 'Spearhead from Space') wins my vote as the best in the lifetime of this series so far.' Mathew Coady, The Daily Mirror
“DOCTOR WHO, the children's own programme which adults adore...” Gerard Garrett, The Daily Sketch
Original blurb, taken from http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Doctor_Who_and_the_Auton_Invasion
A few things. First of all, are the Autons 'giant-sized' and do they have 'sightless eyes'? They'd be pretty rubbish 'tailor's dummies' if the former were true, whilst the latter is almost continually contradicted in the actual novelisation as Channing sees events through their eyes. Secondly, are hairless and blind really necessary attributes for emphasising the terrifying inhumanity of the creatures? I'd suggest that was a clause that could more happily have ended with the inverted-comma'd 'humans'. Finally, what exactly is a 'children's own programme'? Presumably the phase is deliberately echoing the Boy's Own Paper and its boys'-own adventures but I'd still expect it to actually mean something in itself.
Anyway, click on here for a look at the actual inside of the book.
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