John Gloag (10 August 1896 – 17 July 1981) was an English writer in the fields of furniture design and architecture, as well as science and speculative fiction.[1][2] Gloag served with the Welsh Guards during the First World War, and was invalided home after suffering gas poisoning.[2]
Artifex, or the Future of Craftsmanship (1926), part of the To-day and To-morrow series, was a pamphlet by Gloag that discussed the relationship between artistic craftmanship and mass production.[3]
Gloag's A Short Dictionary of Furniture (2nd ed. 1969) was a reference book covering the history and types of furniture from the tenth century to the 1960s.[4]
Gloag's first science fiction novel, Tomorrow's Yesterday, (1932) was inspired by the work of H.G. Wells and Gloag's friend Olaf Stapledon.[1][2] [5] Tomorrow's Yesterday is a satire that depicts a race of cat people from the distant future observing human society.[2] [6] In The New Pleasure (1933) a powder that greatly increases the sense of smell causes a social upheaval.[2] Winter's Youth (1934) revolves around a longevity technology, which falls into the hands of a corrupt politician, with disastrous social consequences.[2][7] In Manna (1940) a journalist discovers a plan to develop a fungus that could end world hunger.[2] 99% (1944) is about an experiment to give humans access to their race memory.[2]
Later in his career Gloag wrote historical fantasy novels; Caesar of the Narrow Seas (1969), The Eagles Depart (1973) and Artorius Rex (1977).[1][2]Artorius Rex focuses on King Arthur and Sir Kay.[8]