His first novel, the autobiographical
The Golden Valley, was finished in 1954 but not published until 1958 under the name Colin Murry. Publication was delayed because of the harsh criticism he had received from his father after he showed it to him following its completion. Three more novels as Colin Murry followed, the last appearing in 1972. In the 1960s he turned to science fiction and
fantasy under the pen name of Richard Cowper and attained considerable popularity. Responses to his work in the genre were mixed, with readers liking his subtle, lyrical and moving stories, but some SF critics were less impressed.
Martin Amis wrote a series of harsh reviews of the Cowper books, which Murry shrugged off, saying, "He grew up with a famous father too!" His writing often aimed at direct, intense feeling, with little or none of the
irony and cynicism characteristic of much twentieth-century literature. He retired from writing in 1986, stating that he had nothing more to say, and turned to painting and repairing Victorian chairs. ==Selected bibliography==