A solid, entertaining Target adaptation with some brilliant additions including the creatures point of view. The characters are brilliantly written and the novelisation follows closely to the episode it comes from. However whilst this is a very well written book it cannot fix the already weak plot points. I adore that Ruby was given a more central role in the plot with some of the lines being redistributed to allow Ruby to work out things by herself rather than being told by the doctor.

The Fifteenth Doctor #05

'Space Babies' (2024) from Target Books.

These novelisations are definitely nice to draw some more attention to the very few-and-far-between Doctor / Ruby moments across these episodes, as well as getting a little bit of Ruby's inner thoughts during situations, but aside from that they're not necessarily doing much for me outside of re-experiencing the stories in a little more depth. Nothing particularly special here for me to call out, but it was a decent and quick read.

By now I think I made my Thoughts on the TV Episode clear: Flawed and not a favorite but by no means one of the worst like many others would say.

Having now read this Novelization, I do think I like this one more than the actual TV Episode, does it more than say the Target for Rogue? No. It doesn’t expand much, mostly fleshing out a few Things that were otherwise a bit clunky in the TV Episode. But really it didn’t have to in my Eyes, because a big Bonus of this Novelization is the Fact it’s Prose. Now some might disagree with it, but I think for me the actual Visuals of Space Babies are a bit uncanny. The Mouth Movements of the Babies feel very odd and I simply don’t like them. Now, I do think they did the best with what they were able to do, but it’s not a perfect Story for being live action. So the lack of any Visuals honestly helped me much more to enjoy the Story. Again, it’s not as of a major Step-Up to other Novelizations such as Rogue or Day of the Doctor, but it doesn’t really have to. It does a solid Job and I enjoyed my quick read throughout!

This novelisation is definitely 100% BETTER then the episode like I was putting it off for a while but I’m very happy now I’ve finished it

I know that I'm the Space Babies defender, but I really liked this novelization! The prose is incredibly good (way better than The Church on Ruby Road), and it's a great story. (to me, at least)

A+.