Parke
Godwin (January 28, 1929
ā 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.[
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.