Nicholas Fisk
| Nicholas Fisk | |
|---|---|
| Born | David Higginbottom 14 October 1923 London, England |
| Died | 10 May 2016 (aged 92) |
| Pen name | Nicholas Fisk |
| Occupation | Author |
| Genre | Children's science fiction |
| Spouse | Dorothy Richold (m. 1949; d. 2007) |
| Children | 4 |
David Higginbottom (14 October 1923 – 10 May 2016), pen name Nicholas Fisk, was a British writer of science fiction books, mainly for children. His works include Grinny, You Remember Me, Space Hostages, and Trillions. He also wrote the Starstormers series of novels.
Fisk died in May 2016 at the age of 92.
Fisk was born in London. His father, William, author of Frightfulness in Modern Art (1928), was an artist and art teacher. His mother was the sister of the Irish actor Micheál Mac Liammóir. He was educated at Ardingly College, West Sussex.
A group of children are kidnapped by a critically ill Flight Lieutenant aboard a top secret spacecraft. Left to command the ship alone, they struggle to return safely home. The book explores the dynamics of the global cold war and interpersonal relationships between the children. Published in 1967.
A mysterious shower of tiny crystals fall all over Earth. No-one knows where they came from, or what their purpose is, but they certainly behave strangely. Bonding together they mimic strange, and sometimes threatening, shapes. A boy with a microscope is just as likely to find out the answers as all the scientific pundits. Published 1971.
Grinny deals with a normal family in middle England whose lives change when they are visited by aliens. The alien takes the form of an apparently benign elderly relative who can play mind tricks on the adults in the family but not on the children. This Granny-esque figure is eventually caught out by the children's ingenuity (they realise she is no normal human being when she expects what they describe to her as a "cast-iron conker" to be made of cast iron). Published 1973. Animated as an episode of CBS Storybreak.
In You Remember Me, the same breed of aliens from the previous book, Grinny, return to Earth and make another attempt to take over the planet, this time by inhabiting an attractive television presenter who can apply her mind tricks to many thousands as she presents her TV shows. Once again, she is thwarted by the children. Published 1974.
Drone workers on a grim industrial settlement on a distant planet dream of assembling a smuggled motorbike, and taking to the open spaces. But petrol and combustion engines are banned and their attempts are sure to land them in trouble with the all-seeing authorities. Published 1976.
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