Who am I?

I am a prolific writer of Science Fiction, Rock Music and alternative style semi-autobiographical books and fiction. I have written over 50 books. If you’re looking for something different then you have found it! Just buy one from Amazon and see!

My influences include Henry Miller, Jack Kerouac, Captain Beefheart, Allen Ginsberg, Christopher Hitchins, Roy Harper, Bob Dylan, Margaret Atwood, Woody Guthrie and Kurt Vonnegut Jnr.

I was born in 1949 in the Thames Delta in the deep South outside London. I grew up in the 1960s and was thoroughly immersed in the London scene and counter-culture. I was a student through all those heady days and lapped up the idealism and optimism of the times. We knew we were changing the world and bringing new sensibilities to bear. Those were the days that spawned feminism, the green movement, anti-capitalism and civil rights.

I was there through the whole gamut of Rock Music. As a kid I heard Little Richard on the radio and then there was the Beatles, Psychedelia and the London Underground, Acid Rock and the West Coast alternative culture, IT, OZ and a thriving Rock scene and cultural tsunami.

I got to see most of the important acts – Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Cream, Roy Harper, Captain Beefheart, Country Joe & the Fish, Muddy Waters, Pink Floyd, Son House and Bo Diddley – and hosts of others. I went to all the big festivals and events.

The 1960s counter-culture was not a fashion statement; it was a way of life. It looked at the boring establishment, the old-boys network, the stereotypical attire, the joyless lack of creativity, the conventions, religion, politics, blatant selfish greed, exploitation, inherent racism and sexism and looked to create something better. I was part of it.

We stood up for our ideals – the anti-war movement, liberation of sex, and the bringing of freedom and colour into a drab 1950s post-war society.

Then came Punk and the music went on and on and on……

On a creative front, having discovered that despite my passion, I have no talent for music, I went into the realm of writing.

In the 1970s the energy and creativity dropped out of the counter-culture. Earning a living loomed and I went into teaching where I stayed true to my ideals. I extolled the virtues of fun, freedom and the joy of creativity. I brought a bit of colour into the profession and did things my way. I must have been successful because I rose up to Headteacher and my school became one of the best in the country. It’s Open, Caring, Friendly ethos was mine and I proved it worked. If you treated young people respectfully and made learning fun everything would work. It did.

During the course of my teaching career I built up a large number of books. I wrote whatever took my fancy. I never wrote for financial gain or to get famous; I wrote what I was interested in, moved by or felt the urge to do. I produced Sci-Fi to alternative fiction and Rock biography and history – whatever I enjoyed. I always harboured a desire to make a living out of writing but was always more than content to be a teacher.

To be a teacher is a privilege. A teacher is the equivalent of the tribes shaman; the holder of wisdom, dispenser of knowledge. I was happy with that.

On the family front I fell in love when I was eighteen and married in a great event in the woods in 1971. We have been together ever since and have four very dynamic, individualistic and vibrant kids who are changing the world in their own ways. They fill me with great love and hope for the future. My five grandchildren are growing up and are enthusiastic, loving citizens of the world.

I believe in equality, tolerance, justice and freedom. I respect other people’s points of view and do not expect people to share the same beliefs as me. I work in my own way to produce a positive zeitgeist and would like to live in a world where there is harmony between people and respect for the environment.

I deplore violence, fanaticism, war, coercion and intolerance.

I love smiles, love, argument and beauty in all its many forms.

I am enraged and saddened by what we are doing to the natural world through the pressure of our numbers, pollution and destruction of habitat.

I now live in the North of England and continue writing and doing my bit to change the Zeitgeist.

To Purchase my Books

To Purchase my books
If you wish to purchase any of my books you can do so by clicking on the links below (Click on the picture). That should take you to the place on Amazon where my books currently reside.  I have noticed that sometimes this all plays up! You can go directly to Opher Goodwin at Amazon where they are all listed which might be less hassle. I have both kindle and paperback versions available.
If you wish to find out more about the books prior to purchase please go to the relevant book in ‘my books’. Descriptions of most of them are there.
Here’s a link to my page on Amazon:

Thank you for purchasing my books! I hope you get immense pleasure out of them!
Education
1. A passion for Education – A Headteacher’s story

The Environment
1. Anthropocene Apocalypse

Books on Rock Music:
1. ‘In search of Captain Beefheart’ –
Paper back version with black & white photos:

Kindle version:

Paperback version:

2.The Times and Tales of a Sixties Freak
Kindle and Paperback:

3. 537 Essential Rock Albums pt. 1 – The first 270

Antitheist writing
1. The Antitheist’s Dictionary
Kindle & Paperback

2. The Antitheist’s Bible

Novels
1. Reflections from a Ditch
Kindle & Paperback

2. Goofin’ with the Cosmic Freaks
Kindle & Paperback – Kerouac meets the sixties

3. The Book of Ginny
Kindle & Paperback

Science Fiction
1. Green
Kindle & Paperback versions:

To buy Green, paper back version Click here
2. Starturn – Intergalactic Rockstar
Kindle version:

Paperback version:

3. Nosedive:
Kindle & Paperback versions:

4. Pornographic Syndromes
Kindle & Paperback

5. Hallucination
Kindle & Paperback


More will be with us shortly!

Giant Thank You to all those many people who have purchased one of my books!!!

Thank you so much for daring to try out an Opher Book.

I have greatly enjoyed writing them. There are quite a variety of genres and styles. I write them as they come into my head.

Some of you have written great glowing reviews and that gives me a lot of heart!

Please – if you have read one of my books and enjoyed it leave a review on Amazon!! It keeps my dream alive, gives me strength and spreads the word!!

If you would like to purchase one of my books then they are all up on Amazon – have a browse!! They are unique and quite a read!

In the UK:

In the USA:

Opher Goodwin – To Purchase my books

A few to get your teeth into!

Stuck for an exciting, imaginative or different Solstice Festivities present? Do you want something completely unique?

Are you looking for something unique and imaginative for a close friend this Solstice? Do you want a special gift that will thrill and be totally unexpected and individual – something that looks great and reads brilliantly? A gift that will always be remembered because it is out of the ordinary and highly memorable?

Well why not purchase an exclusive Opher Book.

There are books on Rock Music, Sci-fi, the environment, Sixties, Education, Art, Poetry as well as other interesting novels. Something for every taste.

Buy a present that will change lives, be thought-provoking, ethical and great to read.

IMG_2124

In the UK:

Please check out my books:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Opher-Goodwin/e/B00MSHUX6Y/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1481965953&sr=1-2-ent

In the USA:

Please check out my books:

https://www.amazon.com/Opher-Goodwin/e/B00MSHUX6Y/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1481966173&sr=1-2-ent

For all other countries please check out your local Amazon.

My Surreal Sixties book – Reality Dreams – Chapter 4 – Into the mundane

After starting my hero as a sperm I followed up with an embryo and the process of birth. Then I plunge down into the mundane for a little bit of narrative.

It’s a bit like War and Peace, don’t you think?

4

The egg and sperm had joined. The consciousness assumed identity and grown.

Messny Krapbutt was born in the suburbs of London. He arrived, frightened and confused, into an immense world of extremes that was full of madness and speed. He left behind the tranquillity of the womb; separated from it by a wall of crushing terror. That closeness was forever replaced by a distance too great to transcend.

He grew.

In the post-war Britain, with its bombsites and open spaces, trees to climb, dens to build, and various games to play, the years of his childhood merged into one long summer’s day. He had little and wanted for nothing.

The directions he chose reflected his richly scattered tastes. He was never aimless.

He played in the quiet roads and wild fields, under blue skies and scorching sun that turned his body nut-brown so that it would not show the dirt. He lost himself in the pursuit of nature, crawling along ditches and under hedgerows, collecting anything that moved to cherish and inspect.

He played with gangs of kids, running, leaping, climbing and occasionally fighting; hunting adventure with co-conspirators as close as brothers.

In later years he came to reflect that all of his childhood was a brief memory in which the patterns of his life were set. He was loved, cherished and given freedom and scope. What more could anyone want? But that need for contact is constant. He had experienced it with the warmth of his family and nurtured it among his friends. It was as necessary a nourishment as food.

Overnight everything changed. The games of childhood were put aside. His hormones now dictated the balance of his body’s chemistry and his mind proved susceptible to the rigours of chemical interference. It was hopelessly tossed into raging seas by the traitorous messages in his bloodstream as he became the victim and no longer the master.

He began frequenting novel areas of the locality hitherto unvisited, such as the local girls’ school seeking closeness of a different variety. He enjoyed the differences of these new relationships with their gentler overtones and stomach wrenching burst of inner excitement.

If you are at all interested in my writing on Blues and Rock Music you can check out my books here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Opher-Goodwin/e/B00MSHUX6Y/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1474797981&sr=1-2-ent

I would recommend the Blues Muse or In Search of Captain Beefheart to get you started:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blues-Muse-Opher-Goodwin/dp/1518621147/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Search-Captain-Beefheart-Opher-Goodwin-ebook/dp/B00TQ1E9ZG/ref=la_B00MSHUX6Y_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1474886379&sr=1-4

If you would like some of my Sci-fi I recommend Ebola in the Garden of Eden or Sorting the Future to get you started:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ebola-Garden-Eden-Opher-Goodwin-ebook/dp/B0116VXVIY/ref=la_B00MSHUX6Y_1_19?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1474886688&sr=1-19

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sorting-Future-Opher-Goodwin/dp/1533082669/ref=la_B00MSHUX6Y_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1474886738&sr=1-10

If you would like a sixties novel I recommend Danny’s Story or Goofin’ with the Cosmic Freaks

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dannys-Story-Opher-Goodwin/dp/1533487219/ref=la_B00MSHUX6Y_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1474886738&sr=1-9

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Goofin-Cosmic-Freaks-Opher-Goodwin-ebook/dp/B00MT3GWIK/ref=la_B00MSHUX6Y_1_18?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1474886872&sr=1-18

 

My book Covers. Do they need redesigning? Please comment.

I would really appreciate feedback on my book covers. It has been mooted that the covers of my books are a bit samey and not modern enough in design to attract people to my books.

Featured Image -- 13885

I designed the covers myself and have used my own art and photography for the designs. Now I am no designer but I enjoyed putting them together. I am toying with the idea of removing them all and redesigning the covers.

You can check out the covers here:-

What do you think?

If you are at all interested in my writing on Blues and Rock Music you can check out my books here:

I would recommend the Blues Muse or In Search of Captain Beefheart to get you started:

If you would like some of my Sci-fi I recommend Ebola in the Garden of Eden or Sorting the Future to get you started:

If you would like a sixties novel I recommend Danny’s Story or Goofin’ with the Cosmic Freaks

Opher Goodwin – To Purchase my books

To Purchase my books

If you wish to purchase any of my books you can do so by clicking on the links below (Click on the picture). That should take you to the place on Amazon where my books currently reside.  I have noticed that sometimes this all plays up! You can go directly to Opher Goodwin at Amazon where they are all listed which might be less hassle. I have both kindle and paperback versions available.

If you wish to find out more about the books prior to purchase please go to the relevant book in ‘my books’. Descriptions of most of them are there.

Here’s a link to my page on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Opher-Goodwin/e/B00MSHUX6Y/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1424949026&sr=1-2-ent

Thank you for purchasing my books! I hope you get immense pleasure out of them!

Education

1. A passion for Education – A Headteacher’s story

http://www.amazon.co.uk/passion-Education-story-Headteacher/dp/1502445867/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1413306641&sr=1-1&keywords=opher+goodwin

The Environment

1. Anthropocene Apocalypse

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Anthropocene-Apocalypse-Opher-Goodwin/dp/1502427079/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1413306641&sr=1-4&keywords=opher+goodwin

Books on Rock Music:

1. ‘In Search of Captain Beefheart’ –

Paper back version with black & white photos:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Search-Captain-Beefheart-Opher-Goodwin/dp/1502820455/ref=sr_1_13?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1413306238&sr=1-13&keywords=opher+goodwin

Kindle version:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Search-captain-Beefheart-Opher-ebook/dp/B00KPG8BZ0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403691314&sr=8-1&keywords=in+search+of+captain+Beefheart

Paperback version:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Search-Captain-Beefheart-Opher-Goodwin/dp/1500650889/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1407779084&sr=8-2&keywords=Opher+goodwin

 

2.The Times and Tales of a Sixties Freak

Kindle and Paperback:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Times-Tales-Sixties-Freak/dp/1500739804/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1407779084&sr=8-3&keywords=Opher+Goodwin

3. 537 Essential Rock Albums pt. 1 – The first 270

http://www.amazon.co.uk/537-Essential-Rock-Albums-first/dp/1502787407/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1413306641&sr=1-6&keywords=opher+goodwin

 

Antitheist writing

1. The Antitheist’s Dictionary

Kindle & Paperback

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Antitheists-Dictionary-Opher-Goodwin/dp/1500821144/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1408643412&sr=8-3&keywords=oPHER+gOODWIN

 

Novels

1. Goofin’ with the Cosmic Freaks – A sixties tale

Kindle & Paperback – Kerouac meets the sixties

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Goofin-Cosmic-Freaks-Opher-Goodwin/dp/1500860247/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1408643412&sr=8-2&keywords=oPHER+gOODWIN

2. The Book of Ginny – a anti-theist novel

Kindle & Paperback

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Book-Ginny-Opher-Goodwin/dp/150089074X/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1408643412&sr=8-10&keywords=oPHER+gOODWIN

 

Science Fiction

1. Green

Kindle & Paperback versions:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Green-Opher-Goodwin/dp/1500741221/ref=sr_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1413306641&sr=1-10&keywords=opher+goodwin

 

To buy Green, paper back version Click here

2. Ebola in the Garden of Eden

3. Starturn – Intergalactic Rockstar

Kindle version:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Intergalactic-Rockstar-Star-Turn-Opher-ebook/dp/B00KOFNBFW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403692024&sr=8-1&keywords=intergalactic+rockstar

Paperback version:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Starturn-Intergalactic-Rock-Opher-Goodwin/dp/150065647X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407779084&sr=8-1&keywords=Opher+Goodwin

 

4. Nosedive:

Kindle & Paperback versions:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nosedive-Opher-Goodwin/dp/1500742279/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1407779084&sr=8-5&keywords=Opher+Goodwin

 

4. Pornographic Syndromes

Kindle & Paperback

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pornographic-Syndromes-Opher-Goodwin/dp/1500891789/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1408643412&sr=8-11&keywords=oPHER+gOODWIN

 

5. Hallucination

Kindle & Paperback

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hallucination-Opher-Goodwin/dp/1500878383/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1408656112&sr=8-9&keywords=Opher+Goodwin

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hallucination-Opher-Goodwin/dp/1500878383/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1408643412&sr=8-9&keywords=oPHER+gOODWIN

More will be with us shortly!

Zero to Infinity – 400 page Sci-fi epic – first rewrite now complete.

he mammoth task of rewriting my Sci-fi epic has been completed. I wrote this back in 1976. It was my second book. It has existed for forty years as a typed manuscript. It was with great trepidation that I set about rewriting it. I wasn’t sure what to expect as I couldn’t remember much about writing it.

My first book (in two volumes) was a rambling 60s thing. Full of poems, cartoons and insane sketches. I poured all my weirdness into it and discovered that it was virtually unreadable by anybody else.

Undaunted I set about writing a proper book with a plot. This was it.

It has stuck around as two big thick manuscripts. I finally plucked up the courage to type it up. As I am a one-finger typist. This is quite an effort. It was even more so when some of the plotting was crap and the writing was so up and down. I had to completely revamp and work at the writing.

UI was surprised with what came out of the end. It’s full of weird, mystical stuff that I wouldn’t have put in these days but I liked the ideas.

I will now let it settle and then do a second rewrite.