Pierre Boulle

Pierre François Marie Louis Boulle  (February 20th, 1912 - January 30th, 1994) was a French novelist born in Avignon, France. He is best known for writing the 1952 novel Le Pont de la rivière Kwaï, which was later adapted into the 1957 film by Columbia Pictures known as The Bridge on the River Kwai. However, in the realms of Science Fiction, Boulle is mostly remembered for penning the 1963 novel, La Planète des singes. The novel was translated into English by Xan Fielding as Monkey Planet. In 1968, Boulle's novel was loosely adapted by 20th Century Fox for their feature film Planet of the Apes. The film version of Boulle's story differed greatly from La Planète des singes, although each maintained the same thematic elements of a dystopic future where apes evolved from man.