Parke Godwin

Parke Godwin (January 28, 1929 – June 19, 2013) was an American writer. He won the World Fantasy Award for Best Novella in 1982 for his story "The Fire When It Comes". He was a native of New York City, where he was born in 1929. He was the grandson of Harry Post Godwin.

Works Godwin is known for his novels of legendary figures placed in realistic historical settings, written in a lyrical yet precise prose style and sardonic humor. His retelling of parts of the Arthur legend, Firelord in 1980, Beloved Exile in 1984, and The Lovers: The Legend of Tristan and Yseult in 1999 (under the pseudonym Kate Hawks) is set 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 features kings William the Conqueror and William Rufus as major characters. His other well-known works include Waiting for the Galactic Bus (1988) and its sequel, The Snake Oil Wars, which is also known as The Snake Oil Variations, in 1989. These were humorous critiques of American pop culture and religion.

His short fiction has appeared in several anthologies. His short story "Influencing the Hell out of Time and Teresa Golowitz" was the basis of an episode of the television series The Twilight Zone.

Godwin was also at various times a radio operator, a research technician, a professional actor, an advertising man, a dishwasher and a maitre d' hotel.

In 2011, he was the Guest of Honor at the World Fantasy Con. He was placed in a close care facility in 2012 due to a decline in his long- and short-term memory. He died in 2013.

Reception Reviewing Godwin's novel Sherwood (1991), James Idema stated "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".