Park Godwin

Parke Godwin (* 28. January 1929 in New York City ; † 19th June 2013 in Auburn , California ) was an American fantasy - and science fiction - writers . He won the 1982 World Fantasy Award for best novel with The Fire When It Comes .

subjects

Godwin is known for his novels with legendary characters, written in realistic historical settings in a lyrical but precise prose style and with sardonic humor. His rerun of the Arthurian legend, Firelord in 1980, Beloved Exile in 1984 and The Last Rainbow in 1985, takes place in the 5th century during the collapse of the Roman Empire and his reinterpretation of Robin Hood ( Sherwood , 1991 and Robin and the King , 1993) takes place during the Norman Conquest and has Kings Wilhelm I and Wilhelm II as the main characters. His other well-known works include Waiting for the Galactic Bus (1988) and its sequel, The Snake Oil Wars , 1989. These were humorous reviews of American popular culture and religion.

His short stories have appeared in several anthologies. His short story Influencing the Hell out of Time and Teresa Golowitz was the basis of the story A Party with episodes of episode 34 of season 2 of the 1985 television series Twilight Zone .

Godwin also worked in a wide variety of professions, such as radio operator, research technician, actor, advertising specialist, dishwasher and hotel specialist.

In 2011 he was guest of honor at the World Fantasy Con. In 2012 he was admitted to a care facility due to a decline in his long and short-term memory. He died on June 19, 2013.

reception

James Idema reviewed Godwin's 1991 novel Sherwood , stating:

“Once into Parke Godwin's absorbing and highly original account of the ancient story, an appealing new Robin Hood will come to life ... With impressive skill and vivid imagination, he portrays a hero, from childhood to young manhood, who is altogether credible in human terms "

“As soon as he gets to know Parke Godwin's exciting and highly original portrayal of ancient history, an appealing new Robin Hood comes to life ... With impressive skill and vivid imagination, he portrays a hero from childhood to the young man who, in human terms overall is credible. "

- James Idema : Chicago Tribune

The Firelord books deal with the Arthurian legend and the events before and after the time of King Arthur. Firelord is about Arthur's rise and relationship with his powerful wife, Guinevere . Beloved Exile follows Guinevere after Arthur's death as various factions battle for control of Britain. The Last Rainbow is set earlier and revolves around a love story with Saint Patrick . Godwin also published another book in the Arthurian saga, The Lovers: The Legend of Trystan and Yseult , published in 1999 under the pen name Kate Hawks.

Awards

• 1982: World Fantasy Award for the best novel with The Fire When It Comes

bibliography

Masters of Solitude

together with Marvin Kaye

• The Masters of Solitude , Doubleday 1978, ISBN 0-385-12480-5
  • Master of Solitude , Moewig 1980, translator Lore Straßl , ISBN 3-8118-2003-6
• Wintermind , Doubleday 1982, ISBN 0-385-14891-7
• Singer Among the Nightingales , unreleased

Firelord

• Firelord , Doubleday 1980, ISBN 0-385-17070-X
  • Feuerkönig , Goldmann 1987, translator Mechthild Sandberg-Ciletti, ISBN 3-442-23906-0
• Beloved Exile , Bantam Books 1984, ISBN 0-553-34101-4
  • In the foreign country , Goldmann 1988, ISBN 3-442-23931-1
• The Last Rainbow , Bantam Books 1985, ISBN 0-553-34142-1
  • Dorelei , Goldmann 1988, translator Sylvia Brecht-Pukallus, ISBN 3-442-23936-2
  • The last rainbow , Goldmann 1988, translator Sylvia Brecht-Pukallus, ISBN 3-442-23937-0

Robin Hood

• Sherwood , William Morrow 1991, ISBN 0-688-05264-9
• Robin and the King , William Morrow 1993, ISBN 0-688-05274-6
• The Lovers: The Legend of Trystan and Yseult , Avon 1999, ISBN 0380726769 (as Kate Hawks)

Snake oil

• Waiting For the Galactic Bus , Doubleday 1988, ISBN 0-385-24635-8
• The Snake Oil Wars, or Scheherazade Ginzberg Strikes Again , Doubleday 1989, ISBN 0-385-24772-9

More novels

• Darker Places , Curtis Books 1973
• A Memory of Lions , Popular Library 1976, ISBN 0-445-08534-7
  • Die Normannen , Ullstein 1989, translator Brigitte Walitzek, ISBN 3-548-21111-9
• A Cold Blue Light , Charter 1983, ISBN 0-441-11503-9
• A Truce with Time (A Love Story with Occasional Ghosts) , Bantam Spectra 1988, ISBN 0-553-05201-2
• Limbo Search , AvoNova 1995, ISBN 0-380-77300-7
• The Tower of Beowulf , William Morrow 1995, ISBN 0-688-12738-X
• Lord of Sunset , Avon 1998, ISBN 0-380-72675-0

Story collections

• The Fire When It Comes , Doubleday 1984, ISBN 0-385-18171-X
• Invitation to Camelot , Ace Books 1988, ISBN 0-441-37200-7
  • Invitation to Camelot , Bastei Lübbe 1989, ISBN 3-404-20132-9

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Data on Encyclopedia.com
2. ↑ World Fantasy Com ( Memento from March 7, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
3. ^ Parke Godwin's Health Is Waning , SF Site, Aug. 20, 2012.
4. ↑ Obituary Parke Godwin (1929–2013)
5. ↑ James Idema, A New Robin Hood . Chicago Tribune . August 6, 1991. Not currently available in Europe

Web links

• Literature by and about Parke Godwin in the catalog of the German National Library
• Parke Godwin in the Internet Speculative Fiction Database (English)
• Parke Godwin in the Science Fiction Awards + Database (English) *
• Works by and about Parke Godwin at Open Library