Sci-Fi Bulletin: Exploring the Universes of SF, Fantasy, Horror and Spy-fi!

Sci-Fi Bulletin is honoured to present this obituary of Justin Richards by his family:

Justin Richards 1961-2026

We are deeply sorry to announce that Justin Richards died on the morning of Sunday 28th June 2026. A mainstay of the professional and fan communities, Justin was one of Doctor Who’s earliest fans and became one of the most prolific chroniclers of the Doctor’s adventures in novels, short stories, comics, audiobooks, audio plays, and reference material.

From his fanzine days working on In.Vision, Justin went on to write for both the Virgin Books and BBC Books Doctor Who novel ranges. In 2000 he took over as a contributing range consultant for BBC Books. He shepherded the Eighth Doctor, Past Doctor and New Series Adventures, as well as non-fiction, continuing in this role until 2017.

He wrote extensively for Big Finish Productions across their Blake’s 7, Bernice Summerfield and multiple Doctor Who ranges, writing over 40 scripts. He was also script editor on all 13 seasons of the hugely popular Jago and Litefoot series. Justin’s most enduring contribution to Doctor Who may be the creation in 1994 of Irving Braxiatel, a character in subsequent novels and audios who was embraced and adored by fans and creators alike.

Beyond his Doctor Who work, he was a prolific and lauded children’s novelist who wrote more than two dozen original books in ranges that included The Invisible Detective, Time Runners, Agent Alfie, The School of Night, Department of Unclassified Artefacts and (with Jack Higgins) Chance Twins.

Justin was a nurturing and supportive editor for generations of experienced and new authors, and was a devoted and much loved husband, father, brother, and son.

Justin spent the last decade of his life living with early-onset fronto-temporal dementia and passed away peacefully in a nursing home in his beloved Warwickshire. He is greatly missed by his wife Alison, his sons Julian and Chris, and his mother and brothers.