Charles James Louis Gilson (8 July 1878 – 18 May 1943), who published as Captain Charles Gilson, Major Charles Gilson and Barbara Gilson, was a British officer and a popular author of science fiction, adventure stories, and historical fiction books for children.
Gilson was born in the village of Dedham in Essex. He served with his regiment the Sherwood Foresters during the Boer War, for which he penned a history of the 1st Battalion in that conflict, and then in China after the Boxer Rebellion. China features as the backdrop for some of his stories and one of them features a Chinese detective. He wrote young adult fiction and was praised for his "wide knowledge of the world" in his portrayals. His stories were also published in magazines for youth such as The Captain and St. Nicholas Magazine. Another of his works featured the exploits of Jerry Abershaw. He also produced an account of Robin Hood.
His fiction included works about the Pygmies of the Upper Congo. He also depicted Boxer Rebellion era adventures. Some of his stories were serialized in magazines. The Spectator reviewed his book The Lost Column in 1908. Many of his stories are available online through resources such as Project Gutenberg.
Some of his stories were illustrated including at least one book, The Refugee; the Strange Story of Nether Hall, by Arthur E. Becher. Cyrus Cuneo also illustrated his writing.
He died in Kensington, London in 1943.
