The Lord of the Flies The adventure novel, The Lord of the Flies, was an epic tale that depicted the different facets of the human spirit. It was written by William Golding in the 1950's and recieved many awards. It was declared the "Outstanding Novel of the Year" by E.M. Forrester. The author did in no wat mean for this story to be biographical, but Mr. Golding depicted well the many different aspect of human nature. The book has been described as "provacative, vivid and enthralling," but Time and Tide said it best when they wrote, “It is not only a first-rate adventure story but a parable of our times." The novel took place on an island probably