Phil Rickman (6 March 1950 – 29 October 2024), also known under the pen names Thom Madley and Will Kingdom, was a British author of

supernatural Supernatural phenomena or entities are those beyond the Scientific law, laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin 'above, beyond, outside of' + 'nature'. Although the corollary term "nature" has had multiple meanin ...

and mystery novels.

Biography

Rickman was born on 6 March 1950 in

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

and worked as a journalist for BBC World Service TV and

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

. He published his first book, ''Candlenight'', in 1991, and began his ''Merrily Watkins'' series in 1998. In 2010, he began the ''John Dee Papers'' series, which focused on the English mathematician and astrologer,

John Dee John Dee (13 July 1527 – 1608 or 1609) was an English mathematician, astronomer, teacher, astrologer, occultist, and alchemist. He was the court astronomer for, and advisor to, Elizabeth I, and spent much of his time on alchemy, divination, ...

. Rickman also worked on several music albums based upon his books and helped write many of the albums' songs. He lived in Wales for most of his life and resided in

Hay-on-Wye Hay-on-Wye, or simply Hay (; or simply ), is a market town and community (Wales), community in Powys, Wales. With over twenty bookshops, it is often described as a book town, "town of books"; it is both the National Book Town of Wales and the s ...

with his wife as of 2020. Rickman researched the folklore, religion, and supernatural themes of his books, saying "If I can't believe it, it doesn't go in". He also voiced his unhappiness over his earlier critics which labeled him a horror writer. He said that he felt that the books did not fit neatly within that genre. Rickman died on 29 October 2024, aged 74.

Bibliography

Standalone novels

*''Candlenight'' (1991) *''Crybbe'' (''Curfew'' in the United States) (1993) *''The Man in the Moss'' (1994) *''December'' (1994) *''The Chalice'' (1997) *''The Cold Calling'' (1998, as Will Kingdom) *''Mean Spirit'' (2001, as Will Kingdom) *''Night After Night'' (2014)

''
John Dee John Dee (13 July 1527 – 1608 or 1609) was an English mathematician, astronomer, teacher, astrologer, occultist, and alchemist. He was the court astronomer for, and advisor to, Elizabeth I, and spent much of his time on alchemy, divination, ...
Papers''

#'' The Bones of Avalon'' (2010) #''The Heresy of Dr Dee'' (2012)

''Marco'' series

#''Marco's Pendulum'' (2006, as Thom Madley) #''Marco and the Blade of Night'' (2007, as Thom Madley)

''Merrily Watkins'' series

#''The Wine of Angels'' (1998) #''Midwinter of the Spirit'' (1999) #''A Crown of Lights'' (2001) #''The Cure of Souls'' (2001) #''The Lamp of the Wicked'' (2002) #''The Prayer of the Night Shepherd'' (2004) #''The Smile of a Ghost'' (2005) #''The Remains of an Altar'' (2006) #''The Fabric of Sin'' (2007) #''To Dream of the Dead'' (2008) #''The Secrets of Pain'' (2011) #''The Magus of Hay'' (2013) #''Friends of the Dusk'' (2015) #''All of a Winter's Night'' (2017) #''The Fever of the World'' (2022)

Short stories

#''The House of Susan Lulham'' - was first published in the

Oxfam Oxfam is a British-founded confederation of 21 independent non-governmental organizations (NGOs), focusing on the alleviation of global poverty, founded in 1942 and led by Oxfam International. It began as the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief ...

"Oxcrimes" anthology (May 2014). In December 2014, an extended version which is "five times as long" was published for Kindle.

Non-fiction

*''Merrily's Border: The Places in Herefordshire & the Marches Behind the Merrily Watkins Novels'' (with photographer John Mason) (2009)

Discography

*''Songs from Lucy's Cottage'' (2009, by Lol Robinson and Hazey Jane II) *''A Message from the Morning'' (2010, by Lol Robinson and Hazey Jane II) *''Abbey Tapes: the Exorcism'' (2011, by Philosopher's Stone, based upon the novel ''December'')

Television

The second ''Merrily Watkins'' book ''Midwinter of the Spirit'' was made into a three-part TV drama by ITV. The Cast included Anna Maxwell-Martin as Merrily, Sally Messham as Jane, and David Threlfall as Huw Owen. It was released in late 2015.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rickman, Phil 1950 births 2024 deaths Anglo-Welsh novelists British fantasy writers British horror writers British mystery writers Writers from Lancashire