John Boland

Who was John Boland?

Bertram John Boland was a British novelist and science fiction author.

Boland was born in Birmingham, but later lived in East Sussex, on the edge of Ashdown Forest with his wife, Philippa.

His most well known book was The League of Gentlemen which was released as a film. However, characters' names and the ending were changed. He wrote two sequels:

The Gentlemen Reform

The Gentlemen at Large

They continued with the characterisations developed in the film.

His first novel "White August" was a science fiction weather control disaster story. His second, "No Refuge" begins as a bank robbery crime story but them changes into science fiction, depicting a futuristic lost world. In this world children get much of their education from computers and adults walk around with a small device on their chest, listing to music through earpieces.

As well as novels, he published short stories in science fiction magazines, including Galaxy Science Fiction and New Worlds.

Boland was closely involved with Swanwick writers' summer school becoming its Chairman in 1958