The Target Book

From 1973 until 1994, the Target Doctor Who paperbacks were a mainstay of the publishing world. From humble beginnings, they grew into a list running to 156 individual titles and selling over 13 million copies world-wide.

This is the story of Target Books. Noted researcher and historian David J Howe chronicles the origins of the imprint, speaking to all the major players in its development, from editors to art directors, managing directors to artists and authors, and charts the books' critical reception as well as the fortunes and failings of the many publishing houses involved in their production.

Profusely illustrated with all the covers, plus rare and unseen sketches and unused concepts and ideas, The Target Book is the definitive guide to a range of books which shaped the reading habits of a generation.

Introduction by writer Terrance Dicks.

About the Author

David J Howe has been involved with Doctor Who research and writing for over 30 years. He has been consultant to a large number of publishers and manufacturers for their Doctor Who lines, and is author or co-author of twenty four factual titles associated with the show. He also has one of the largest collections of Doctor Who merchandise in the world.

David was contributing editor to Starburst magazine for sixteen years and is reviews editor for Shivers magazine. In addition he has written articles, interviews and reviews for a wide number of publications including Fear, Dreamwatch, Stage and Television Today, The Dark Side, Doctor Who Magazine, The Guardian, Film Review, SFX, Sci-Fi Entertainment, Infinity and Collectors Gazette.

He edited the British Fantasy Society's bi-monthly newsletter for several years in the nineties as well as editing and publishing several books for them, including the British and World Fantasy Award shortlisted Manitou Man, a limited edition hardback and paperback collection of short fiction by horror author Graham Masterton.

He wrote the book Reflections: The Fantasy Art of Stephen Bradbury for Dragon's World Publishers, the screenplay for the film Daemos Rising and has contributed short fiction to Peeping Tom, Dark Asylum, Decalog, Perfect Timing, Dark Horizons and Shrouded by Darkness: Tales of Terror and factual articles to James Herbert: By Horror Haunted (Hodder & Stoughton) and The Radio Times Guide to Science Fiction (2001, BBC).

Since 2000 he has been Director of Telos Publishing Ltd, and in 2006 the company won the World Fantasy Award for their publishing work.