Parker, Richard
Entry updated 3 August 2026. Tagged: Author.
(1914-1990) UK author for children whose Animal Fantasy sequence, Escape from the Zoo, comprises Escape from the Zoo (1945 chap) (see Zoo), finding a rural enclave for refuge; A Camel from the Desert (1947), in which territory the escaped animals find safety; and The Penguin Goes Home (1951), which carries the action further south [for Animal Fantasy see The Encyclopedia of Fantasy under links below]. Of direct sf interest are The Hendon Fungus (1967), about fungal specimens from abroad proliferating in England, feeding on calcium, and thus crumbling buildings of stone, concrete, etc; The Old Powder Line (1971), which features a train as a Time Machine; and A Time to Choose (1973), in which two children are forced to pick between double lives in Parallel Worlds, one pleasant, the other ours. Of his short stories, "The Wheelbarrow Boy" (October 1950 Lilliput) is fantasy. [PN/JC]
Richard Parker
born Stanmore, Middlesex: 15 February 1914
died September 1990
works (selected)
series
Escape from the Zoo
- Escape from the Zoo (London: Sylvan Press, 1945) [chap: Escape from the Zoo: illus/hb/Val Biro]
- A Camel from the Desert (London: Sylvan Press, 1947) [Escape from the Zoo: illus/hb/Val Biro]
- The Penguin Goes Home (London: Chatto and Windus, 1951) [Escape from the Zoo: illus/hb/Val Biro]
individual titles
- The Hendon Fungus (London: Victor Gollancz, 1968) [hb/Alan Breese]
- The Old Powder Line (London: Victor Gollancz, 1971) [hb/]
- Spell Seven (London: Longman Young Books, 1971) [hb/]
- A Time to Choose (London: Hutchinson, 1973) [hb/]
links
previous versions of this entry