Justin Richards facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Justin Richards
|
|
|---|---|
Richards in the garden of his house in Warwickshire
|
|
| Born | 14 September 1961 Epping, Essex, England |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Nationality | British |
| Genre | Science fiction Fantasy Adventure novel |
| Children | 2 |
 Literature portal |
|
Justin Richards (born 14 September 1961) is a British author known for writing exciting science fiction, fantasy, and adventure novels. He is especially famous for his many books, audio plays, and reference guides based on the popular BBC television series Doctor Who.
Richards often writes stories set in the past, like Victorian London, but also creates thrilling adventures that take place in the modern world. For many years, he has been a Creative Consultant for BBC Books, helping to shape the world of Doctor Who novels.
Contents
Personal Life
Justin Richards was born in Epping, Essex, England. After finishing school, he went to the University of Warwick to study English and Theatre.
Before becoming a full-time writer, Richards had several different jobs. He worked as a programmer and editor at the technology company IBM. He even worked as an errand boy in a hotel. Richards is married, has two sons, and lives with his family in Warwickshire, England.
Writing Career
Richards began his writing career by creating stories for the Doctor Who universe. He wrote novels for the Virgin New Adventures and Virgin Missing Adventures book series. When BBC Books started publishing Doctor Who stories again, he continued to write for them.
In 2003, Richards started writing a series of crime novels for kids called The Invisible Detective. These books have two connected plots: one in the 1930s and one in the present day. He also wrote the Time Runners series, which explores ideas about time travel.
He has also written action-packed books for younger readers, like the Agent Alfie series, and co-wrote an adventure series with author Jack Higgins. For readers who enjoy spooky stories, Richards created the Department of Unclassified Artefacts novels and The School of Night books.
His work has won awards. His book The Chaos Code won the Hull Children's Book Award in 2008. Another book, Demon Storm, was nominated for the Southampton's Favourite Book award in 2011.
Selected Works
Justin Richards has written a large number of books and audio plays. Here are some of his most well-known works.
Doctor Who Stories
Richards has written dozens of stories based on Doctor Who. He has written for many different versions of the Doctor and created novels, audiobooks, and reference guides.
- Books for Virgin Publishing: His early work includes Theatre of War (1994), System Shock (1995), and Dragons' Wrath (1997).
- Books for BBC Books: He wrote many novels for the Past Doctor Adventures and Eighth Doctor Adventures series. For the modern series, he wrote books for the Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Doctors, including The Clockwise Man (2005), The Resurrection Casket (2006), and Apollo 23 (2010).
- Reference Books: He helped fans learn more about the show with books like The Legend (2003) and The Ultimate Monster Guide (2009).
- Audio Plays: For Big Finish Productions, he has written many audio dramas, such as Whispers of Terror (1999), The Time of the Daleks (2002), and stories for spin-off series like Gallifrey and Jago & Litefoot.
The Invisible Detective
This series is about a group of kids in 1930s London who solve mysteries. They pretend the cases are being handled by a fictional "Invisible Detective" named Brandon Lake. Each book also features a modern-day mystery solved by the grandson of one of the original kids.
- The Paranormal Puppet Show (2003)
- Shadow Beast (2003)
- Ghost Soldiers (2003)
Department of Unclassified Artefacts Novels
Set in Victorian London, this series follows Eddie Hopkins and Liz Oldfield. They work for a secret department of the British Museum. They investigate strange and supernatural objects and events.
- The Death Collector (2006)
- The Parliament of Blood (2008)
- The Chamber of Shadows (2010)
Time Runners Series
A schoolboy named Jamie Grant accidentally falls through a "time break." He becomes a "Runner," a person who can control time. Along with a mysterious girl named Anna, he must protect history from a villain known as the Darkling Midnight.
- Freeze-Framed (2007)
- Rewind Assassin (2007)
The School of Night
This is a supernatural horror series for young teens. It follows a group of students who are part of a secret school that fights demons and other dark forces.
- Demon Storm (2010)
- Creeping Terror (2011)
Other Novels
- The Chaos Code (2007): A teenager named Matt Stribling must find an ancient code that once destroyed the city of Atlantis. He and his friend Robin travel the world to stop a madman from using the code again.
- The Skeleton Clock (2011): In a future where London is flooded, the head of an immortal being is discovered. It tries to put itself back together using a special chess set and a device called the Skeleton Clock.
