Gerry Davis was a British television writer, best known for his contributions to the science-fiction genre. He also wrote for the soap operas Coronation Street and United!. From 1966 until the following year, he was the script editor on the popular BBC science-fiction series Doctor Who, for which he co-created the popular cybernetic monsters known as the Cybermen, who made several appearances in the series over the following twenty-two years. His fellow co-creator of these creatures was the programme's unofficial scientific adviser Dr. Kit Pedler, and following their work on Doctor Who, the pair teamed up again in 1970 when they created a science-fiction programme of their own, Doomwatch. Doomwatch ran for three seasons on BBC One from 1970 to 1972, and also spawned a novel written by Davis and Pedler, and later a cinema film and a 1999 revival on Channel 5. Davis briefly returned to writing Doctor Who, penning the original script for Revenge of the Cybermen, in 1975, though the transmitted version was heavily rewritten by the then script-editor Robert Holmes. He also adapted several of his scripts into novelisations for Target Books. With Kit Pedler, he wrote the science-fiction novels Mutant 59: The Plastic Eaters (1971), Brainrack (1974) and The Dynostar Menace (1975). In the 1980s Davis worked in America both in television and on feature films such as The Final Countdown (1980). In late 1989 he and Terry Nation made a joint but unsuccessful bid to take over production of Doctor Who and reformat the series mainly for the American market. Gerry Davis died on August 31 1991.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database. Kevin Clarke grew up in Birkenhead, Liverpool. He tried his hand at being a guitarist, an actor and went to Leeds University to train to be a drama teacher. He decided to become a writer while teaching in a London comprehensive school in the second half of the 1970s. Eventually his stage efforts piqued the interest of the BBC and he became one of seven writers selected for the first BBC writers scheme in the 1980s. He went on to write for BBC hospital drama Casualty. A meeting with Doctor Who script editor Andrew Cartmel led to his being commissioned for the 25th anniversary serial. Shortly after he adapted the serial for Target books. He went on to write for Minder, The Bill (1988-1991), Wycliffe (On Account, 1997, Land's End, 1998), Wish Me Luck, The Inspector Lynley Mysteries (A Traitor to Memory, 2004) and The Last Detective (starring Peter Davison, Friends Reunited, 2005). His first original screenplay Albert and the Lion was networked by Scottish Television in 1992. His is now writing screenplays for films, a recent commission being Meek (the true story of 1960s pop genius Joe Meek), to star Rhys Ifans stars and be directed by Marc Evans.

Eric Saward worked as a writer and later script editor for Doctor Who during the 1980s. Saward had a particular fondness for the Cybermen. He wrote stories with good action throughout them and stories that connected the Doctor to important events in Earth's history. He also wrote the short story Birth of a Renegade and the radio play Slipback. He served as script editor from Time-Flight, the last episode of season 19, to the penultimate episode of season 23 (The Ultimate Foe episode 1). He resigned his position due to a disagreement with producer John Nathan-Turner over the storyline (and particularly the ending) of episode 2 of The Ultimate Foe. Afterwards, he gave a notably scathing interview to Starburst magazine over his falling out with Nathan-Turner, and he became vocal in his criticism of Colin Baker's appointment as the Sixth Doctor. Target Books failed to secure an agreement that would have seen Saward's two Daleks serials novelised either by Saward himself or by others. They remain two of only a handful of stories never officially adapted. The 1989 publication of Saward's adaptation of Attack of the Cybermen actually post-dated his falling out with the Doctor Who production team by several years. His favourite snack is a chocolate hobnob

Ian Don Marter was born at Alcock Hospital in Keresley, near Coventry, on the 28th of October 1944. His father, Donald Herbert, was an RAF sergeant and electrician by trade, and his mother was Helen, nee Donaldson. He was, among other things, a teacher and a milkman. He became an actor after graduating from Oxford University, and appeared in Repertory and West End productions and on television. He trained at the Bristol Old Vic. He was best known for playing Harry Sullivan in the BBC Television series Doctor Who from 1974 to 1975, alongside Tom Baker and Elisabeth Sladen. He had already appeared in the show as Lieutenant John Andrews in the Jon Pertwee serial Carnival of Monsters. He had numerous TV roles including appearances in Crown Court and Bergerac (Return of the Ice Maiden, 1985, opposite Louise Jameson). Marter got into writing the novelisations following a dinner conversation. He went on to adapt 9 scripts over ten years. He started with The Ark in Space, the TV version of which he'd actually appeared in as companion Harry Sullivan. In the end he adapted more serials than he appeared in (7 appearances, 9 novelisations), and wrote one of the Companions series, telling of the post-Doctor adventures of Harry in Harry Sullivan's War. Shortly before his death he was discussing, with series editor Nigel Robinson, the possibility of adapting his unused movie script Doctor Who Meets Scratchman (co-written with Tom Baker) into a novel.