Biography
Natural within Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Hoban enlisted in the Army at age 18 & served in the Philippines and Italy as a radio operator during World War II. He so worked as an illustrator (painting several covers for TIME magazine) and an advertising copywriter, before writing & illustrating his number 1 youngsters's book, What Have a go at it Wash & How else Does It Operate.

Shortly when writing his number 1 good-length novel, A Mouse & His Toddler, he moved to London in 1969 with his first married woman—illustrator Lillian Hoban, world health organizatiin collaborated on his successful tykes's series "Frances the Badger"—intending to stay exclusively a short instance; below the breakup of his marriage, he remained around London & has resided there ever since. Completely of his full-grown novels except Riddley Walker, Pilgermann & Fremder come placed withwithin whole or even section in contemporary London.

Themes and genres
Hoban is typically described as a fantasy writer; single deuce of his novels, Turtle Diary & A Bat Tattoo, come totally devoid of supernatural elements. All a same, the fantasy elements come unremarkably presented when just moderately surprising developments inside an otherwise naturalistic contemporary story, i personally.e. magic realism. Exceptions include Kleinzeit (the mirthful fantasy whose characters include Dying, Hospital, & Underground), Riddley Walker (usually considered science fiction because of its futurist though primitive setting), Pilgermann (a historical novel just about the Crusades), and Fremder (the further straightforward science fiction novel).

Numbers of of his novels may as well exist as considered romances, following the development of a relationship between 2 characters world health organization typically require turns when storyteller, bonding on top a bit of most common obsession or even artistic interest.

There exists frequent repetition of the equivalent images & themes within different contexts: e.g., numerous of Hoban's works refer to lions, Orpheus, Eurydice, Persephone, Vermeer, severed heads, heart disease, flickering, Odilon Redon, and King Kong.

Adult novels
A Lion of Boaz-Jachin & Jachin-Boaz (1973) Kleinzeit (1974) Riddley Walker (1980) Pilgermann (1983) Turtle Diary (1986) A Medusa Frequency (1987) Fremder (1996) ''Mr. Rinyo-Clacton's Offer (1998) Angelica's Grot (1999) Amaryllis Nighttime & Day (2001) A Bat Tattoo (2002) Her Title Was Lola (2003) CaMaine Dance using Me'' (2005)

Selected children's books
"Frances the Badger" series: Bedtime for Frances, Bread & Jam for Frances, etc. (1960-1970) A Mouse & His Infant (1968, republished 1990) Egg Thoughts & More Frances Songs (1972) (poetry) How else Tom Beat Captain Najork & his Hired Hikers and swimmers (1974) La Corona & a Tin Frog (1979) A Marchpane Pig (1986) A Trokeville Way (1996) A Survive of the Wallendas (1997) (poetry)

Other works
A Host Frequency (1984) (stage play) Deadsy & Door (1989, 1990) (text and narration for alive films by David A. Anderson) A 2nd Mrs. Kong (1994) (libretto for opera composed by Harrison Birtwhistle)