Richard Purtill is the Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Western Washington University

Western Washington University

Western Washington University is one of six state-funded, four-year universities of higher education in the U.S. state of Washington. It is located in Bellingham and offers bachelor's and master's degrees.-History:...

, Bellingham, Washington

Bellingham, Washington

Bellingham is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is the twelfth-largest city in the state. Situated on Bellingham Bay, Bellingham is protected by Lummi Island, Portage Island, and the Lummi Peninsula, and opens onto the Strait of Georgia...

, as well as an author of fantasy

Fantasy

Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...

 and science fiction

Science fiction

Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...

, critical non-fiction on the same genres, and various works on religion

Religion

Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...

 and philosophy

Philosophy

Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...

. He is best known for his novels of the "Kaphtu" universe. He as written as both Richard Purtill and Richard L. Purtill, a variant form of his name. He is active in professional writing circles, being a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America

Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America

Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, or SFWA is a nonprofit association of professional science fiction and fantasy writers. It was founded in 1965 by Damon Knight under the name Science Fiction Writers of America, Inc. and it retains the acronym SFWA after a very brief use of the SFFWA...

, the Authors Guild, and the National Writers Union

National Writers Union

National Writers Union , founded on November 19, 1981, is the trade union in the United States for freelance and contract writers: journalists, book and short fiction authors, business and technical writers, web content providers, and poets...

.

His book J.R.R.Tolkien: Myth, Morality and Religion won the 1987 Mythopoeic Scholarship Award for Inklings Studies

Mythopoeic Awards

The Mythopoeic Awards for literature and literary studies are given by the Mythopoeic Society to authors of outstanding works in the fields of myth, fantasy, and the scholarly study of these areas; the full criteria and description can be read on the Mythopoeic Society's -Mythopoeic Fantasy...

.

The Kaphtu Trilogy

• The Golden Gryphon Feather (1979)
• The Stolen Goddess (1980)
• The Mirror of Helen (1983)

Lost Tales Of Kaphtu

• The Gryphon Seal (2005)
• The Eleusinian Gate (2006)
• Letter to Nausicaa (2008)

Other novels

• Murdercon (1982)
• The Parallel Man (1984)
• Enchantment At Delphi (1986)

Short stories

• "Others' Eyes" (1980)
• "By the Dragon's Cave" (1984)
• "Gorgonissa" (1985)
• "Something in the Blood" (as by Richard L. Purtill) (1986)
• "The Counterfeit Maiden" (1996)
• "Grey Wolf's Tale" (1999)
• "The Firebird's Feather, the King Horse, and Baba Yaga's Grandniece" (1999)

Nonfiction

• Logic for Philosophers (1971)
• Solutions to Odd-numbered Exercises to Accompany Logic for Philosophers (1971)
• Lord of the Elves and Eldils: Fantasy and Philosophy in C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien (1974)
• Reason to Believe (1974)
• Philosophically Speaking (1975)
• Thinking About Ethics (1976)
• Thinking About Religion: A Philosophical Introduction to Religion (1978)
• Logic: Argument, Refutation, and Proof (1979)
• C S Lewis' Case for the Christian Faith (as by Richard L. Purtill) (1981, rev. 2004)
• J.R.R.Tolkien: Myth, Morality and Religion (1984)
• Philosophical Questions: An Introductory Anthology (1984) (with Peter J. Kreeft and Michael H. MacDonald) (1984)
• Moral Dilemmas (1985)
• A Logical Introduction to Philosophy (1988)
• Logical Thinking (1992)

External links

• Richard Purtill's Official Home Page
• Fantastic Fiction entry